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Hole 11 · Back Nine — Execute

Touring & Evaluating

A showing is your chance to catch problems before they become negotiating leverage or expensive surprises. This hole gives you a walk-through checklist covering structure, systems, and neighborhood context, so you leave every tour with real notes instead of just a feeling.

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Written by Isaac Ortiz · Real Estate Broker · Compass | NWMLS #146754

Primary sources reviewed July 15, 2026

Homebuying fundamentals are taught for learners nationwide. Sections labeled Washington detail use Washington law, programs, practices, or Pacific Northwest examples—check the official resources for your state before acting.

A showing gives you a first read, not a verdict

A showing lets you check layout, natural light, obvious condition, and fit, but it cannot replace an independent inspection. Treat a strong tour as a reason to investigate further, not proof that the home is problem-free. Record questions and visible concerns so your offer and inspection strategy reflect what you observed without pretending a walkthrough found every defect.

  • A showing is a first read: layout, light, condition, and gut feel.
  • It is not a substitute for a licensed home inspection.
  • Good notes from a showing sharpen your offer and inspection strategy later.
Washington detail

What to actually look at: structure and systems

Walk the exterior for roofline sag, foundation cracks, and grading that slopes water toward the house. Inside, check for water stains, musty smells, and uneven floors — common signs of moisture or foundation movement in older Pacific Northwest homes. Ask the age of the roof, furnace, and water heater — the big-ticket items a full inspection will price out.

  • Exterior: roofline sag, foundation cracks, grading that drains toward the house.
  • Interior: water stains, musty smells, uneven floors — common PNW moisture signs.
  • Ask the age of the roof, furnace, and water heater before you leave.

What photos and a single tour never show you

Drive or walk the block at a different time of day than your showing — traffic, noise, and parking often look completely different at 8 AM versus 6 PM. Talk to a neighbor if one's outside. None of this shows up in listing photos, and it can matter as much to your day-to-day life as anything inside the house.

  • Revisit at a different time of day than your scheduled showing.
  • Check street parking, traffic noise, and neighboring properties.
  • A quick conversation with a neighbor can surface things no listing will.

Leave every tour with notes, not just a feeling

Photograph anything questionable, write down your honest reaction while it's fresh, and rate the home against your non-negotiables from the last hole — not against the last home you toured. A short checklist you fill out for every showing turns a blur of open houses into a real comparison you can act on.

  • Photograph anything you'd want to ask an inspector or your agent about.
  • Write notes immediately — impressions fade fast after the third showing of the day.
  • Compare each home against your non-negotiables, not against each other.

Mastery check

Prove it out before you move on.

Caddie

Before you play through — quick read of the green:

3 quick questions. Get all but one right and this hole is marked played. Unlimited retries — there's no penalty for missing one.

Question 1 of 3

What's the honest limit of a home showing?

Question 2 of 3

Which of these is a warning sign worth a closer look during a tour?

Question 3 of 3

Why walk or drive the block at a different time of day than your showing?

Still stuck? Ask the Caddie.

Hole 10: Search StrategyHole 12: Offers