5. Investigate the building condition
You might think that eyeballing the physical condition of a building would be a good indicator of its overall health — but you would be wrong. Some problems can be seen with the naked eye, but unless you’re an electrician or an inspector, you might not be able to spot more serious issues that lurk beneath a pretty facade. Electrical problems, mold, or rodent infestations are hard to spot and can be serious threats to your personal health and safety. To get the real deal, check to see if there are any building violations pending.
More than likely, you’ll need to make a phone call to the appropriate city department to do some checking up. However, many cities like Chicago, IL, and New York, NY, now have searchable online databases.