Registered Sex Offenders (disclosures, appraisal, negotiations, agent)

[BOOARISKY]

I am looking to buy a house. I am working with a Real Estate Agent. I asked for the disclosures and everything seems fine small problems that should have been fixed by now. I looked up the tax information and found that with my offer the seller is due to make 40,000. off of me which I'm not surprised. However with my research I've also found that a registered sex offender lived in the house just 2 months ago. I wasn't informed about this at all. My question is should I have been told about this from my agent? and could I use this as leverage for negotiations? I mean I have 2 daughters that I will be concerned about. Please advise.

[twinmma]

I don't know, but I don't see why it matters who lived there in the past. My guess is they have no reason to tell you. Would they need to tell you bank robbers were there?
Good luck with your home! What an exciting time!

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

I don't see the issue here. What exactly is your concern?

[BOOARISKY]

I HAVE CHILDREN!!! 2 Girls. wouldn't you want to know that a child sex offender lives in the house or in your area. I know they say love thy neighbor, but DAMN, not this way.

[brokencrayola]

The registered sex offender lived in the house 2 mos. ago, not now and is gone. I don't see how who lived there once affects you living there now?

[brokencrayola]

Originally Posted by BOOARISKY

I HAVE CHILDREN!!! 2 Girls. wouldn't you want to know that a child sex offender lives in the house or in your area. I know they say love thy neighbor, but DAMN, not this way.

She isn't saying a sex offender lives in her area, she is saying one used to live in the house she now lives in 2 mos. ago and is gone now.

[BOOARISKY]

No, what I am saying is that I just put a bid on the house that I intend to purchase and found that a child sex offender lived there two months ago. Should'nt my real estate agent informed me of this matter.

[shellytc]

No, the real estate agent is under no order to inform you, you must be informed of Megans Law, and you can research yourself to see if there are sex offenders around you, PRIOR to putting an offer in.

I am stil confused: A sex offender lived in the house 2 months ago? SO? How does that affect you now?

And you aren't concerned about your daughters, you want to know if you can negotiate more money off the deal? and why?

and why does it matter what the owner will be making off their home? I just don't get the point of this at all......

shelly

[johnrex62]

Exactly, lived there 2 months ago. Past tense. Not presently living there NOW.

Why would it make a difference who lived there in the past. Buy the house, change the locks like any sane person would regardless of the prior occupant. I would change the locks if Mother Theresa sold me the house.


The OP states that the seller is making 40K off them based on the tax records. Be aware that the tax records are not a complete record of the cost of a home. In many jurisdicitions the appraised value has no relationship to the purchase price of the home. If the tax agency is reporting the note value, it may not have access to what the downpayment was, if there is a second note, or any after purchase improvement costs paid out of pocket that would go into determining the basis of the property.

Unless you have reliable data from the seller as to what their basis was, you cannot conclude anything meaningful from the tax records. My own tax records would indicate I have 25K equity, while my most recent independant appraisal would indicate I have 48K equity. Both of these would not include the 6K I spent out of pocket during construction that was not included in the mortgage or purchase contract, so my true equity is off by about 6K of the tax or appraisal value minus the mortgage and downpayment.

[lchoro]

You mean that you want to use your two daughters as leverage.