Existing property - appraiser, financing, negotiating...

I'm to blame for that. I had written something at first, then changed my mind and deleted it again. Sry

Oh... okay...
Do you have to talk the whole forum down just because of one answer? Well... let's leave it at that!

I don’t know anyone who bought their house for the listed price. I also buy every product on eBay Kleinanzeigen below the price, that’s completely normal.

Then you buy in the right region, where demand is still low or the houses aren’t that great.
Reasonable houses in reasonable locations are often no longer listed because they simply sell so quickly. Price negotiations are no longer possible either – we sold our house at the listed price (and had several interested parties – didn’t negotiate the price with any of them).

The on-site appointment with the expert in terms of a purchase consultation is an absolute must for every interested party. As a rule, neither the interested party, nor the owner or the agent can correctly assess the condition of the property and can also not contribute anything substantial regarding the renovation and remodeling costs. For "renovated" properties, the value retention and the constructional/physical consistency of the measures carried out must also be evaluated. Many properties are botched or are “sales-painted.” One must not be deceived by a nice surface.
In addition, a number of documents must be obtained and reviewed, which can prove various encumbrances on the property. The buyer should, of course, only acquire a property free of burdens. The property must also be checked at all stages of development for compliance with building regulations and the existing permits. There has been and still is a lot of illegal construction. If it can be approved, it can be legalized; some private conversions are not, however, and therefore, in principle, do not count towards the area offered for sale. Sometimes the property is significantly reduced during the course of the purchase consultation if it turns out that the converted shed/stable/barn/extension was never applied for building permission.
Ultimately, the expert can, of course, also perform an approximate calculation based on the asking purchase price, whereby currently demand is naturally pushing the prices very much.

Conclusion: after the first inspection, if the property is basically a possibility, a second appointment with the expert should be arranged. The owner/agent must agree to this. If not, something is wrong with the property and it should not be considered further. A detailed inspection takes about 2 hours at the property and must be factored in by the agent. One should not be rushed and should look very closely.

An expert opinion is a must. Here is a brief recent experience report: friends of ours were so brave recently to buy a house without an expert opinion. This week was the handover of the keys. It turned out that the basement had flooded due to rain just two months ago. Whether this happens regularly? Unknown. Of course, there were also other minor issues that were not noticed during the inspection but add up significantly. Not a nice start to homeownership. Well, every friend and acquaintance had advised getting an expert opinion. But the stinginess and the oh-so-nice previous owners, you can trust them after all.....

well, a flooded basement from 2 months ago is definitely a fraudulently concealed "defect" (if it was indeed a defect that caused the flooding). legally, there might already be solutions for that. the question about dry basements always comes up, and then omitting a recently flooded basement is not very smart.

instead of an expert, of course other knowledgeable people (relatives, friends, etc.) can also help. because from a liability perspective, you won't hold the expert responsible for overlooked things anyway. but you have to be sure that the people you know really have expertise. a carpenter with 30 years of experience can probably be considered an expert for the roof. however, experts usually have great devices with which they can easily check the moisture in walls (basement, corners, etc.) and most acquaintances can't do that.

buying a used house without an expert inspection is pure gambling, only with a hugely high stake.

Normally, one should know their budget. The financing can only be arranged once the purchase price has been negotiated. I took an architect along to the 2nd and 3rd appointments; at the 3rd appointment, the sewage and electric house connection were checked. In addition, one has to look at the basement (classic), roof structure, heating, electricity, windows. All highly costly traps. Ultimately, there always remains a residual risk factor, sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, despite expert support.