- MLS listing facts require independent confirmation
- Permits, title, insurance and financing are property-specific
- Source links are informational, not endorsements
Ask for official unit approvals and the home's physical evidence
Obtain permits, final inspections and approved plans for conversions or additions. If records are missing, ask Vista's responsible agency for a parcel-specific records review rather than assuming newer statewide ADU rules retroactively legalize the improvements. Have an independent inspector examine accessible electrical, ventilation, drainage and utility connections, bringing qualified specialists for concerns. Confirm title, setbacks, parking or fire-access requirements as they apply to the particular proposal. Seller rental statements and photographs of beds or kitchen fixtures are not proofs of legal occupancy or acceptable lender appraisal treatment. Make the investigation evidence-led: label what the listing reports, what a government or recorded document confirms, and what remains a physical or legal question. Obtain a dated copy of each report, and use an independent qualified specialist when condition or feasibility cannot be resolved through available documents. A real buyer can then understand the basis of every conclusion rather than trust a decorative marketing badge.
Price real usable rights, not possible future revenue
Prepare a purchase budget for the lawful existing configuration and a separate scenario for any permitted future ADU project. Estimate design, approval, connection and construction costs only with qualified professionals and actual proposals. Ask the lender whether rental income might be considered and which documents would be required; do not advertise automatic qualifying income. Check insurance covering the reported use and all structures. Compare live Vista homes with verified unit features, and keep an explicit list of questions not established by MLS before releasing investigation contingencies. Before contingencies expire, ask the agent to provide a written document-request checklist and identify the responsible lender, insurer, escrow representative or inspector for unresolved items. Note differences between buyer eligibility, property financing, building authorization and actual insurability. Those decisions cannot be supplied by MLS remarks alone. Use live inventory only as the starting comparison and revisit availability when ready to write an offer.