Would you buy this ?

[zulu400]

Here are some pics of the property....

The entrance siding seems to be like wood as they are layered and uneven (3rd pic).... but experts here can probably recognize this easily.

One pic is of the shed side where they cut of a tree, also you see the siding damaged over there (4th pic). Is that of any concern ?

Please advice guys.

[suzook]

The siding on that house is in great shape. If any are broken, they can easily be replaced and painted. The outside of the home looks to be in nice condtion. If thats a shed where the tree was, dont worry too much about it. If it is the house, i would be concerned.

[zulu400]

Originally Posted by suzook

The siding on that house is in great shape. If any are broken, they can easily be replaced and painted. The outside of the home looks to be in nice condtion. If thats a shed where the tree was, dont worry too much about it. If it is the house, i would be concerned.

Thanks suzook, and yes, thats the shed that has the broken shingle. Is that fine or should I ask them to fix the side, maybe grind the trunk.

[suzook]

you have nothing to loose asking them to grind it and fix the shingle, but i wouldnt let it determine the deal.

[AndreaII]

Originally Posted by zulu400

Again... is this set in stone ?

You were referring to the electrical, plumbing, and heating systems being in good working order. And yes, it's set in stone. The house you want to buy is probably one you want to live in - not tear down. If it was a tear down, who cares about the systems? You'd be destroying them anyway. The seller is definitely responsible for making sure these systems are in working order. Your inspector's job is to note what needs to be brought up to code and fixed regarding all of these systems.

My heating system was in great shape, and since I have a contract with my oil company, I had the oil company come in and vacuum and clean the burner.

My electric garage doors had electric wires and outlets that were "improvised" by the garage door installer - had to have it all brought up to code. A frayed wire into the main box proved to be a real job because the box itself was a little rusted over the years. And the inspection turned up an outlet that wasn't working - that had to be fixed. And keep an eye out for any hanging electrical wires - a fire hazard the seller has to remedy.

The biggest pain was the underground oil tank that hadn't been used in years - we thought we had it drained and abandoned by Slomin's since that's what they told us at the time, but refused to give us certification (now we know why they wouldn't give us anything for it) and of course the company has no such records. The problem with an underground tank is even if it's still in use, it can develop problems and leak oil, and it costs a fortune just to clean 1 square foot of soil. That's why we got rid of it and installed an above-ground tank. I didn't want any trouble with the EPA or a huge bill.

So, yes you could take care of the oil tank yourself, but if the seller is truly interested in selling the house, they'll agree to take care of the tank. It's not a cheap endeavor. To abondon our tank and fill it with foam (sand hasn't been used in years) it ran us $560. I have no idea what an above-ground tank costs today.

Ask your realtor what the seller is responsible for - you ought to get a knowledgeable answer from them.

[sci]

Zulu the style of stagered shingles is called "thatch". Weather you have asbestos shingles or cement fiber shingles is something a testing lab could tell you. Either way I would not worry about it as the siding looks to be in good shape. I would use some kind of root killer or stump rotter on the stump. There is no room to grind the stump without damaging the siding. Would suggest some metal flashing over the broken shingles as a temporary fix to keep the water out till the stump rots away.

Andrea-- The existing owner does not have to fix anything. Most of the time it is there best intrest to fix things but they have the right to say no. I am currently selling a rental house "as is". Definatly not a "tear down" but it does need considerable work- falling plaster, rot near the front door, some siding damaged. I choose not sell as is and the buyer agreed to the condition. The price of the house does reflect the work needed. If I was required to fix everything the price would be considerable more.

Remember both the buyer and seller have to agree that the house is worth the price. It is reflected in the difference in the asking price and the actual selling price. When the home inspection is done and things are brought to light, you can ask that they are taken care of and the seller has a right to say no. Most of the time the seller does take care of things to keep the deal going thru. Sometimes they agree to take care of somethings and you agree to take care of some.

My daughter just closed on a house in the last 3 weeks. The inspection required some wood railings to be replaced on an outside stairs and some windows needed to be scraped and painted. The roof on the garage is also leaking but that was not required to be fixed as it was not attached to the house. My daughter ,thru the real estate agent, contacted the owners who basically said "we have agreed to take considerable less for the house so we are not going to pay for the repairs but we give you permission to go take care of it". They did spend about 6 or 7 hours on a Saturday taking care of things. In their case it was in their best intrest to take care of things because they got a real good deal.

It comes down to you in the end. Do you want the house and how badly or are you going to play hard ball and risk loosing the house.

Good Luck

[zulu400]

Thanks for your comments and suggestion. I spoke to the owners and they are not interested in abandoning the under ground tank and putting an above ground tank.
Good to hear that the asbestos shingles are nothing to worry about. I am going to put an offer this week. I will let you know how it goes.

[zulu400]

Also, please look at this picture.... see how the shingles run right into the ground.... do you think there is cement/concrete behind the shingles for a foundation and the wood starts above that, or maybe the wood planks are at the ground level ? if yes, then its termite prone See how the door opens at ground level, its the same with the front entrance too.

Also see the strip of cement thats next to the flower bed kinda thing that has the stones.... it seems like they are trying to catch the water before it seeps into the house....

Any thoughts ?