Surprises are only fun if it’s your birthday, not after you make an offer or buy a home and “SURPRISE”—it needs a lot more work than you thought. Unfortunately, if you ask most homeowners they’ll have a war story about their house that begins with, “I never looked closely or asked the agent or seller about that . . . !” Or “I didn’t realize how much replacing the damaged floors would cost.” It’s easy to get flabbergasted when you’re house hunting and forget to ask important questions or overlook crucial details. Let Robert Irwin, America’s number-one real estate writer let you take charge of your home search with Home Buyer’s Checklist, a step-by-step, room-by-room, top-to-bottom guide that shows you exactly how to “precheck” a house before you make an offer.