Quote:
Originally Posted by MplsPete
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But, how does a buyer know if a change was made which was never submitted to ARC?
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To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to know this.
If changes were made in a professional manner then there would not be anything obvious to notice.
- An unapproved landscaping wall, an approved wall that is encroaching on a line, or an approved wall installed correctly would all look the same.
- Stones in front of every home on the street might all be in violation
- A new paint job might have used unapproved colors
- A new roof might have used shingles that are slightly off shade
- A driveway may have been improperly widened several years ago
I am not aware of an inspection service that would be able to identify modifications done to a home and certify that the modifications were approved. I wish one existed.
Things you can do:
- Ask Community Standards for a list of past applications for modifications to the home (that might be the number you already called). You'll want the approved ones for protection against claims and you'll want the denied applications to see for yourself that the work was not done in violation anyway.
- You might be able to ask the county for permits for work done at the home. If there are any, compare them with the approved applications to make sure any work done under the permits was approved.
- Look at other homes in the neighborhood and note any differences between what appears to be common and your home. (You have stone while others don't, you have a wider driveway than others, you have landscaping walls that others don't, you have a shed that others don't, etc)
Those won't catch everything but hopefully they will catch the most costly surprises.