When you're house hunting, you take steps to make sure you're getting a good, solid roof over your head. When you walk through the house, be sure to look down as well and make sure there are good, solid floors under your feet.

Walk heavily (don't stomp) in each room as you go through the house. The floors should feel solid with no bounce, squeakiness or crunch. A bounce in a floor is a sign that there may be separation between the flooring and the sub-flooring. Squeaks can be caused by shrinkage of the flooring, loose or missing bridging or warping. A floor that crunches may be the result of moisture damage to the sub-floor.

Pay attention to how level the floor is. If you place a marble on the floor, it should stay put. A marble that rolls away on its own is an indication of an unleveled floor. Stairways should be checked for levelness as well. Every house settles over time but stairs and floors should not be dramatically out of plumb. Excess settlement indicates a structural deficiency.

The doors in a house with excessive settling won't close easily or snugly unless the bottom edge of the doors are cut or planed to accommodate the settling. Take note of any baseboards that have been replaced or repositioned to cover up telltale gaps at the junction of walls and floors.

Wood floors can be covered in hardwoods like oak, maple, birch, beech or less expensive soft woods like pine, elm or hemlock. Wood flooring comes in planks, boards or parquet sections.

Resilient flooring is available as vinyl, rubber, linoleum and so forth and comes in sheet and tile form that is then glued to the sub-floor.

Tiles of marble, slate, ceramic, terra cotta and similar materials are often used in foyers, kitchens and baths.

If carpet is covering the floors in a home you're viewing, ask permission to lift a corner to determine what's under the carpet. Stains on the carpet may indicate damage to the floor or sub-floor beneath. A stain may be caused by a potted plant or a pet who has habitually visited the spot so make sure there's no damage beneath the carpet.

When you check out the basement, take notes of any portable screw-jack support columns that might indicate a structural deficiency.

If you buy a unit in a condominium or townhome development, you will most likely become a member of the homeowners' association. The association will oversee the common property, which is everything outside and beyond your immediate unit and your neighbors'. A homeowners' association generally has a board of directors that the owners elect. The board will make policy decisions and see to it that management tasks are tended to. Some large associations contract this work with professional management companies.

Generally, the board is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds and common areas and facilities, the payment of taxes, the acquisition of insurance, enforcing the bylaws of the community and collecting and managing monthly fees from the property owners.

Association fees can vary, so make sure you know what they are. The money is used for cleaning the common areas, maintaining the grounds and landscaping, common utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and facilities maintenance. The association may employ an on-site manager that is paid a salary or they may pay a professional management company. Association fees generally are money well spent since they are used to maintain and enhance the property. You'll enjoy this benefit while you live there and you'll garner the benefit if you decide to sell. Hopefully, a homeowners' association cultivates a feeling of belonging and one of community spirit. Before you buy a condo or townhome, make sure you read and understand the community's by-laws. These by-laws determine the sort of atmosphere the owners want and they are binding on other owners who join the community later.

Since the by-laws are a legal document and are often weighty and loaded with 'legalese', you might want to engage your attorney to have a look. Some lawyers and management firms specialize in these sorts of documents, too, so that's an option as well. Be sure you allow sufficient time for this task, as you don't want to make a hasty decision relative to a purchase without being comfortable with the association by-laws.