6 Ways to Uncover the Truth About Your New Home -- Before It's Too Late

house-stethoscope((c) Peter Dazeley)Spangler recalls selling a home to a couple a few blocks from what's now Fort Collins' Old Town -- a raucous strip of retail shops and bars."They were upset that there's commercial going in all around them," she says. "I took for granted they had a good understanding of what to expect."Consult with the city's departmentsSpeaking with your city's planning, water management, and police departments can uncover vital information about your potential home -- such as its flood hazard, which you may not notice in the dry season but can put your home at risk when it rains.How close are you to emergency services and what's the average response time? Is there a big commercial project underway nearby that could increase traffic? Do the crime statistics concern you?Scope out social media resourcesApps such as Nextdoor help you keep an eye on the neighborhood and can be a valuable resource before moving in. Scour other apps and online resources, join local Facebook groups, and sign up for neighborhood email lists to find out the most common complaints and concerns of your new neighbors.Pay attention to nearby homesIf you don't have a trained real estate eye, it might be easy to overlook your neighbor's unmowed lawn -- but ignoring it might mean missing a vital clue to the area's health and upkeep."As a real estate agent, it's easy for me to identify the properties that are rentals or show lack of upkeep," Spangler says.If houses in the neighborhood aren't well-cared for, it could affect property values down the line. Caveat Emptor. And that means you.