🏡Wait... We Bought Which House?

🕵️‍♂️The Inspection Insider

The Inside Scoop for Buyers, Sellers, and Realtors

This Week's Inspector Spotlight: A real estate mix-up you have to read to believe.

A One in a Million mistake

Imagine showing up for your home inspection… and realizing you bought the wrong house. No, really—the wrong house. That’s exactly what happened when a couple met me at what they thought was their future home, only to discover their realtor—and their accepted offer—were two blocks away.

Sunny afternoon, perfect for an home inspection

It was a sunny afternoon. I pulled up to a quiet cul-de-sac where Jake and Amanda were already waiting in the driveway, coffees in hand. They looked excited—this was the house they’d fallen in love with.

“We’re so glad this one worked out,” Amanda said.
I nodded and glanced at the house. Nice place—mid-'80s bungalow, tidy yard, decent curb appeal. But something was off.

There was already a “SOLD” sign out front.

That’s usually a red flag. Most homes don’t get a sold sticker slapped on until after conditions like the inspection are waived. I made a note of it but figured maybe it was just a keener-than-usual listing agent in this super hot sellers market.

The Mix-up

We stood there for a while—just the three of us and a very locked front door.

No key. No code. No realtor.

After a few minutes of discussing the house exterior I asked one of them to call their agent. Straight to voicemail.

Amanda started fidgeting with her phone. “She said she’d meet us here,” she said, glancing at Jake.

Minutes ticked by. The sun was beating down. The SOLD sign in the yard was starting to feel a little too permanent.

Then Jake said it:
“Why would there already be a sold sign up? Don’t they usually wait until after the inspection?”

That’s when I started to suspect something was seriously wrong.

I asked them to pull up their paperwork—the digital offer they’d signed. Amanda opened the PDF on her phone. I checked the address.

“Uh… this isn’t the same address,” I said.
Jake blinked. “What do you mean?”
“The address on the paperwork is a couple of blocks over from here.”

The realization hit like a gut punch.

Jake and Amanda thought they had made an offer on the Sunroom House—the one with the bright rear addition and big backyard.
But their realtor had written it up for the Basic Bungalow—a more average-looking place a few streets away.

And they had signed it. Without noticing the mix-up.

Turns out, their agent was already waiting for us… at the house they actually bought.

Where things went wrong

Jake and Amanda had looked at a dozen homes and narrowed it down to two finalists.

The Sunroom House had charm—big backyard, loads of natural light, and a layout they loved.
The Basic Bungalow? Same size, same price range, but kind of forgettable.

Somewhere in the chaos of back-to-back showings and rushed conversations, the wires got crossed.

They told the realtor they wanted the Sunroom House.
The realtor heard Basic Bungalow.
Paperwork was drawn up. They signed it.
And no one caught the mistake.

So they booked the inspection—for the Sunroom House—and met me there.

Meanwhile, their realtor was over at the Basic Bungalow, wondering where everyone was.

Lesson Learned, The Unhappy Ending
There was no tidy resolution. No “at least it worked out.”

Jake and Amanda were too stunned to even go see the Basic Bungalow right away. Their excitement evaporated into frustration—at their realtor, at the situation, and at themselves for not reading the fine print.

Worse yet, this was in the middle of a red-hot seller’s market. Homes were going over asking, sometimes within hours. Every offer felt like a race.

They had felt pressured—like they had to move fast or miss out. And now they were staring down the barrel of a deal they never meant to make.

They canceled the inspection on the spot and told me they were going to meet their realtor at the Basic Bungalow to walk through it and talk options.

I packed up my tools and left them standing on the lawn of the house they thought was theirs.

That was weeks ago.
I still haven’t heard from them.

📺 Related Watch: “SOLD THE WRONG HOUSE”
Want more proof that real estate mix-ups really happen? Realtor Glennda Baker shares a jaw-dropping story about a buyer who accidentally purchased the wrong home—just like Jake and Amanda. Spoiler: emotions ran high, and lessons were learned.

🛠️ Pro Tip of the Week

Before signing any purchase agreement, confirm the exact address and compare it to the listing photos. 

It sounds obvious—until you're standing in front of the wrong house with a SOLD sign and a sinking feeling in your gut.

You’ve Read the Stories. Now Get the Tools.

After years of walking through homes and writing about inspection nightmares, I’ve bundled my best checklists into one easy-to-use resource:

✅ What to do before your inspection
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✅ What to check before possession — and right after

It’s called The Smart Buyer’s Home Inspection Bundle, and it’s designed to help you avoid the surprises I write about every week.

You’ve seen what can go wrong. This helps you make sure things go right.

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What’s Coming Next Week?

When Divorce Gets Dirty… and So Does the House
In the middle of a bitter split, one seller took things a step too far—sabotaging their own home just to blow up the deal. From glued door locks to mysterious smells, this inspection got ugly fast.

Ron Henderson, CMI
Certified Master Inspector

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