l am considering two properties for an auto repair business, currently rent one.Both have at some point sold gasoline, thus there are tanks in the ground.Both buildings would be sold by private owner.l would like to make an offer on one.l could pay cash for ether building.l have no experience buying buildings.

My attorney said make an offer contingent on inspection and status of tanks and appraisal but said to get an appraisal done ASAP.l guess l would pay the cost of appraisal and inspection?

l am sorry if this question is vague, but l am essentially clueless how to proceed with the building owner, even what to initially offer.How does appraisal first before offer and inspection in PA after offer affect my initial bid?
l am confused about why l have the building appraised as potential buyer before offer is made?What if appraisal comes in higher than what l would initially offer?Who pays for all these inspection reports?The potential buyer?The seller?Both buyer and seller areprivate, there is no realtors involved!Do l need a buyer agent to help me through this process?
A local realtor l have worked with before offered to be my buyer is agent (PA) for $500 and compose a written offer for the building.l just sent him an email asking whether we would even need an appraisal (at my expense) if the seller accepts?Then l would just need a building inspection.Waiting to hear back from him.

The appraisal tells u the value of the property. The inspection tells u any problems with the property- code violations, the condition of the structure & grounds, etc. Our company gets two kinds of inspections, which l would definitely recommend to u because it is a gas station & a potential hazardous situation. There is an engineering report, also called a property condition assessment, & an environmental report.

So u get an appraisal, & then u can look on Costar or Loopnet to compare what similar buildings r selling for. That will tell u what u should offer. Most buyers submit something called a Letter of Intent, which is non-binding. Your attorney should be familiar with this document. Then u can enter into a sales contract if u like, contingent on the findings of the inspections.

You want to be able to back out if there r any nasty surprises, a lot of extra money u will have to put into it, etc. You should also ask the seller for any easements, zoning letters etc. they have records of, & how much they have been paying in insurance & taxes on the property.

You may be a beginner as a buyer but u r thinking clearly. You have 2 approaches.
If u pay a ''Donald Trump'' price for the location, u do not care about any inspections or appraisals. You buy it so cheap that u do not care about anything. If the seller says yes, u will smile. Especially if u r paying cash. You could close the sale in 4 days. That is every seller is dream.
Or u do a ''normal'' sale. You negotiate the best price u can. You learn the value of the property at costar.com which is the site which is used by all commercial appraisers. They may have a special 1-day promotion where u can search without paying for a membership. Then u do not need an appraisal. Be skeptical of any inspection. Unless they dig up the underground gas tanks, they can not see anything. They will tell u if the electric system is up to code.
The main thing is that this can be the easiest thing you've ever done. If the seller is nice & u r nice, this will have a happy ending..