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For stupid reasons, including naivete and stress and busy-ness, we did not act on any opportunities to capture a Buyers Guarantee when buying our 1952 house in Chapel Hill. Even as I type this, I wonder whether it was ever actually available (the HBI). For some houses in the Triangle Area, they were available, but for ours, I don't think it was....
Our ASHI inspector gave us reason to infer that our home was in good shape, and therefore would require only a modest amount of yearly upkeep after we bought it. He warned us about the heating and cooling systems.
FIVE months after closing .......Add 20K for the new heating/cooling system.
Now, one year into owning the home, major foundation failures have become evident, and I am wondering why suddenly a house built in 1952 is having issues?
Upon much closer eyeballing, I am seeing failure of all of the cement trim and coping everywhere around the house. I am stunned and feeling crushed. (even as I type this, I am wondering what else to add.....)
Please let the buyer beware, even if only one person reads this.
For stupid reasons, including naivete and stress and busy-ness, we did not act on any opportunities to capture a Buyers Guarantee when buying our 1952 house in Chapel Hill. Even as I type this, I wonder whether it was ever actually available (the HBI). For some houses in the Triangle Area, they were available, but for ours, I don't think it was....
Our ASHI inspector gave us reason to infer that our home was in good shape, and therefore would require only a modest amount of yearly upkeep after we bought it. He warned us about the heating and cooling systems.
FIVE months after closing .......Add 20K for the new heating/cooling system.
Now, one year into owning the home, major foundation failures have become evident, and I am wondering why suddenly a house built in 1952 is having issues?
Upon much closer eyeballing, I am seeing failure of all of the cement trim and coping everywhere around the house. I am stunned and feeling crushed. (even as I type this, I am wondering what else to add.....)
Please let the buyer beware, even if only one person reads this.
Lana
Hello Lana,
Hopefully that is the end of the surprises! If I can ask, was your Inspector referred by a RE Agent?
Think you got snookered big time girl.................
Hate to tell you this but things just do not break or stuff like concrete suddenly fail. Sounds like they knew all along that stuff was pretty shakey.
Never put much faith in inspections. How many times do I actually have to tell peeps that. If I wanted to snooker you, no inspection is ever going to find it. One inspection, two inspection, a zillion inspections, what is the difference, they all play the game the same way.
Sounds like to me the Great Conjunction came. Fellow needed to sell, RE boy needed a pay check, inspector boy needed to make a car payment. You had the money to pay them all.
Trust nobody, use your own eyes and common sense. The right snooker boys will get you every time. You just have to understand the game.
Yeah, maybe one of them warranty thingees. Sounds like you got had bad by that system that knows how to lead you to the slaughter. Just remember they all got paid, all lies are soon forgotten. Sad but more true than often not. Too bad, folks believe the hype. Use your own eyes, trust no one. Learn or burn. Never buy any house trusting in the folks that make a living lying to get their checks. Every dud house sells to somebody for way more than it is worth. They have it down to a science. You probably got a lot more surprises to come. Never play the game their way.
Are the foundation issues something the sellers patched or hid? If you think so, a little detective work might help. If they had it patched or hidden, odds are they had a pro to the house to give a real estimate. Call enough of them in your area and have them give you estimates, you might run into the one that gave the original one. A long shot? Yes. But I know of two people, one with a major plumbing problem and one with a 100K foundation failure that happened to luck into local contractors that had given previous estimates when they called them in for a consult. They were both able to use the previous estimates (to the previous owners) to prove they had knowledge of the problem and didn't disclose it.
I have a natural aversion to after market warranties... but confess i don't know much about home warranties. Do they really pay out? Or is there so much fine print that it doesn't make a practical difference?
Lana - I am so very sorry for what has happened. I would contact my realtor and ask him what recourse you have - your realtor should know how to proceed on this.
We bought a one year home warranty last year in September. Last week we noticed water dripping down from the dry walled ceiling in our garage. Through our home warranty, we paid $75 for the plumber to climb into the ceiling and fix the leak. He stated that he would put in the order for the insulation and dry wall to be replaced....no hassles, no problems - all through home warranty.
There are good and bad home inspectors - we sought after the best and had a long and thorough home inspection that helped us tremendously.
Lana - a good home inspector should not infer - he should plainly state the issues of the house. He didn't do a very good job I'm afraid.
Our house we sold last year was built in 1950 and had two thorough inspections that the buyer paid for (So. California)....quite a few small and a couple of major issues with the house were uncovered which we paid to have fixed/replaced (major repairs on the chimney, new automatic garage door, electrical issues).
Please let us know how and if you resolve the problems with your house.
Are the foundation issues something the sellers patched or hid? If you think so, a little detective work might help. If they had it patched or hidden, odds are they had a pro to the house to give a real estimate. Call enough of them in your area and have them give you estimates, you might run into the one that gave the original one. A long shot? Yes. But I know of two people, one with a major plumbing problem and one with a 100K foundation failure that happened to luck into local contractors that had given previous estimates when they called them in for a consult. They were both able to use the previous estimates (to the previous owners) to prove they had knowledge of the problem and didn't disclose it.
I have a natural aversion to after market warranties... but confess i don't know much about home warranties. Do they really pay out? Or is there so much fine print that it doesn't make a practical difference?
Do the detective work, somebody else was probably involved. Put them all in jail for lying. (Chuckle)
The heating / AC should have been pointed out just on its age and adjustments made to replace due to inefficient / high fuel costs. You don't need no expert or inspector. Just put your own hand on the flue pipe coming out of the furnace, if it is too hot to touch comfortably, puppy is probably wasting too much fuel, lots of heat is going up the chimney, good candidate for replacement based on just that fact. Price should always reflect the conditions of the house for real.
Just remember they all lie. Some lie on purpose, some lie out of greed, some lie to prevent ever having to tell the truth, but they all lie. All dud houses will sell as if perfect by hook or by crook, they love their paychecks. Nothing like catching them with a Gotcha.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
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Foundation problems are easily concealed, even if you live there. My friend bought a house in 2004 (built in the 60s), no known problems. Her husband decided he wanted to refinish the basement - it was 60s paneling and vinyl tile. Pulled back the paneling and found the block foundation was shifting, with 4 inches of movement between some blocks (i.e. one block was sticking out away from the wall by 4")! This was a house they lived in for 5 years! No inspector would have caught that b/c it was behind walls.
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Think you got snookered big time girl.................
