Buying termite infested home that was treated( effect on resale):urgent help please (Phoenix: 2014, mortgage)

[sxm078100]

I am looking to buy house close to kyrene and chandler.
The house was burnt close to 10 years back and rebuilt at that time and Seller disclosure shows Termite treatment for subterranean termites in 2014.
I really want to buy the house but have following questions
1) If I can ask seller to transfer termite warranty to me, (and probably I can negotiate for say 5 years),Would that warranty cover treatment and damage compensation or only inspection?
2) although this house is new, but the houses around this house are from 1980, so, wouldn't this house be also susceptible to termites due to surrounding houses?
3) From the Pest control warranty and Govt website, I only see data for 2014. Is there a way to find data going back like 10 years about termite treatment?
4) The treatment done includes: Trench and Rod, Foam and Drill Patios. Is that enough?
5) Is there a way to know if termites caused any structural damage to house? if they did, is that covered under home warranty?
6) How badly it effects resale value of the house?

I need to make decision on house quickly, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks
sxm

[Ruth4Truth]

Find a house that doesn't have a history of termite issues. Have you had your own bug inspector take a look? If so, what did he say?

[sxm078100]

I was hesitant to pay for inspection as I wont get that money back during my earnest period. So, if cons outweigh pros, why pay for inspection? Other than termite issue, house is perfect wrt price, location ,schools etc.

[JGMotorsport64]

The inspection is a small price compared to how expensive termites can be. Get the inspection if you're serious.

[sxm078100]

I did not mean I don't want to pay for inspection, I can but first I wanted to get idea about pros and cons of buying such house.

[stevek64]

I think it's rare to find a house in the Phoenix metro that has been around for many years that hasn't been treated for termites if that's your concern. The old saying that there are 2 types of houses here.....houses that have had termites/were treated for them and houses that don't have them and most eventually will have them in the future and should be treated.

Personally, I'd be more concerned about a house that was "burnt" and how much was rebuilt, the quality of the construction, etc. more than anything but that's me.

[Ponderosa]

Pretty much every house in the Phoenix area has or will have termites. It's a non-issue. The typical Termites here take forever to do any real damage. A treatment lasts for maybe five years and then you will find tubes on the slab and have do it again. Welcome to Arizona.

[gemstone1]

"Is there a way to know if termites caused any structural damage to house? ".....none that I know of unless you can physically put your hands on the wood or poke an ice into the wood. If the house is on a slab, all you can see is attic wood...if on a crawl space, you can see the sill and joists...but if the infestation was untreated for some years, the termites could have made into the wall studs. If you see old or active termite activity in the attic wood....I would walk away.

Some termite contracts are transferrable, the current owner and/or the termite company can tell you.

"Pretty much every house in the Phoenix area has or will have termites. It's a non-issue". I have no way of knowing how many years termites were active in our Yuma home before we purchased it, but while doing renovations, I ran across attic 2x material that I could crush with my non dominant hand....so yeah they can do real damage...if not stopped. I did my own attic inspection prior to closing, using an ice pick to look of compromised wood, and found none...but it was there.

Regards
Gemstone1

[Zippyman]

Burns pest control will do a termite check for free if you dont require a "termite certification" for your mortgage - i think it's like $70 if you need the cert.

As for termites causing "expensive" damage, not really, unless they're ignored for a very long time - i've personally seen where they bored through real wood to get to the drywall paper. I also bought something from a dude on craigslist once, and the termites there went all the way through the guy's garage wall to eat the cardboard he left sitting on the floor of his garage (for years)..

I had my homes treated even though they had no current infestations, and if you pay a "re inspect" fee every year, most termite dudes will provide a "warranty" - just keep in mind that warranty is only as good as the company behind it.

But to answer the op's direct question, the same report that told you the house was treated, should also tell you where and why - i.e., "infestation, south wall". Termites are also a disclosure item in AZ - if you had them, you have to tell.. can't play stupid or lie about it.

Just my opinion, based on the deals I've done here - if an 80's or 90's house has no termite treatment records, somebody probably wasn't checking for termites, or they were ignoring an active infestation. I even saw one house listed on MLS a few years back that had a "garden" added, with dirt stacked against the stucco and a termite swarm on the back of the house, and when I told the listing agent, he was like "what?".. thousands of active termites pouring out of the house & swarming, and the agent claimed he didn't know.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

Burns pest control will do a termite check for free if you dont require a "termite certification" for your mortgage - i think it's like $70 if you need the cert.

As for termites causing "expensive" damage, not really, unless they're ignored for a very long time - i've personally seen where they bored through real wood to get to the drywall paper. I also bought something from a dude on craigslist once, and the termites there went all the way through the guy's garage wall to eat the cardboard he left sitting on the floor of his garage (for years)..

I had my homes treated even though they had no current infestations, and if you pay a "re inspect" fee every year, most termite dudes will provide a "warranty" - just keep in mind that warranty is only as good as the company behind it.

But to answer the op's direct question, the same report that told you the house was treated, should also tell you where and why - i.e., "infestation, south wall". Termites are also a disclosure item in AZ - if you had them, you have to tell.. can't play stupid or lie about it.

Just my opinion, based on the deals I've done here - if an 80's or 90's house has no termite treatment records, somebody probably wasn't checking for termites, or they were ignoring an active infestation. I even saw one house listed on MLS a few years back that had a "garden" added, with dirt stacked against the stucco and a termite swarm on the back of the house, and when I told the listing agent, he was like "what?".. thousands of active termites pouring out of the house & swarming, and the agent claimed he didn't know.

It really depends I had a home in Tucson with subterranean which required trenching, and dry woods requiring foaming costing a total around 550. 70 now to see if you have to spend 550 later seems like a good investment.