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Old 11-18-2009, 12:28 PM
 
21 posts, read 58,975 times
Reputation: 17

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Greetings! Getting ready to close on a condo in Vegas. The unit is in the Apache Springs complex off Warm Springs road. It is also called the "Falls"
The condos are fairly new (The Falls was developed by Rhodes Homes in 2003 and 2004.) I have inspected the unit myself and found no flaws and from what I understand, the HOA would be responsible to fix anything outside my 4 walls. We don't NEED to have an inspection (since it is a cash sale) So is there a compelling reason to have one? Other wise I'll use the money to buy some furniture.

Any comments?
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Old 11-18-2009, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Portland, OR / Las Vegas, NV
1,818 posts, read 3,822,575 times
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I believe the air conditioner is yours even if it is outside. I just had a guy look at one that I'm about to close on. For $90 it might be worth it if you need a $4K replacement.
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Old 11-18-2009, 01:09 PM
 
21 posts, read 58,975 times
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You're right, I didn't think about the air conditioner. It was workinhg in August but that doesn't tell you what kind of shape it is in. I am curious, you mentioned $90. Are you referring to just an air con inspection or did you get the whole condo inspected for that amount?
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Old 11-18-2009, 01:14 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
3,683 posts, read 9,823,534 times
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If there is an expensive repair affecting all units the HOA will make a special assessment on the owners to pay for the repair. You are foolish to think that you will not be on the hook for anything from the walls out. Let's say there is mold and the cost is $10,000 per unit to remediate it. You think that isn't going to cost you anything, or isn't a headache you should try to avoid by having an inspection???
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Old 11-18-2009, 01:42 PM
 
845 posts, read 2,318,720 times
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If there are no pending lawsuits, ditch the inspection, if you know what to look for. You can go get a mold test kit at home depot if that is a worry. The inspectors do not look under wall to wall carpet (neither do the termite inpectors). THose home warranties are a rip-off, also. I would run the a/c and see if it is blowing cold air. The vent closest tot he intake should be blowing air 25f colder than the air at the intake.
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Old 11-18-2009, 02:46 PM
 
21 posts, read 58,975 times
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To MedicorebutArrogant (great name BTW) The special assessment example is a good one. Does anyone know if the HOA is required to tell you about any complex wide problems before you buy?
I am assuming more than one inspector would catch problems like that and since there has been a lot of sales activity in that complex, the HOA would already know about current problems.

Another question for you, you used mold as an example. Do you know if it is likely to get mold problems in Vegas? I always assumed that due to desert conditions and practically 0% humidity it would be almost a non-issue.
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Old 11-18-2009, 05:36 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 4,052,510 times
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Even in our dry climate, mold is still a an issue if the building is not built correctly (flashing installed incorrectly, etc.).

Most of that an inspector won't be able to see, but he will look for evidence of moisture intrusion in the most likely places (rippled paint/wallpaper, water stains, etc. especially around doors and windows).
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Old 11-18-2009, 05:44 PM
 
Location: North Las Vegas
1,631 posts, read 3,939,444 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinjanet View Post
To MedicorebutArrogant (great name BTW) The special assessment example is a good one. Does anyone know if the HOA is required to tell you about any complex wide problems before you buy?
I am assuming more than one inspector would catch problems like that and since there has been a lot of sales activity in that complex, the HOA would already know about current problems.

Another question for you, you used mold as an example. Do you know if it is likely to get mold problems in Vegas? I always assumed that due to desert conditions and practically 0% humidity it would be almost a non-issue.

Mold is a big problem in Vegas, I just sold a condo in a beautiful community that when we had the inspection, the inspector found a unidentifiable substance in the coat closet. It turned out to be mold, it was dead, however moisture can bring it back.

There apparently had been a hot water leak from the garage that ran into the closet and went undetected. We had a mold restoration come and remove the mold and put up a barrier. It could have been much worse if there had been mold on the joining wall then we would have had to have the owner of that unit fix his side as well or it would keep coming back.

HOA's can only address what happens with the complex not individual units. for instance at a new highrise the toilets weren't seated properly and there is mold growing between the floors. It was not mentioned in the HOA my client found out after the moved in when there was mold starting to show up in the mstr bath and when they called the building maintenance, it was the eminence crew that had filled my client in on what had been going on.

And inspector may detect something then you have to hire a company like Mars restoration to come in and get rid of it. Mars is reasonable and do a great job. You don't want to take chances with your health, or pocket book have an inspection.
When you get your CCNR's you should look for the minutes and see what other owners complaints are, it it's a building issue you may see it there more so then in the HOA ccnr's.
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Old 11-18-2009, 06:55 PM
 
2,036 posts, read 4,229,140 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinjanet View Post
Greetings! Getting ready to close on a condo in Vegas. The unit is in the Apache Springs complex off Warm Springs road. It is also called the "Falls"
The condos are fairly new (The Falls was developed by Rhodes Homes in 2003 and 2004.) I have inspected the unit myself and found no flaws and from what I understand, the HOA would be responsible to fix anything outside my 4 walls. We don't NEED to have an inspection (since it is a cash sale) So is there a compelling reason to have one? Other wise I'll use the money to buy some furniture.

Any comments?
Here's a compelling reason to get an inspection. This is a large investment!

You want an independent, impartial home inspector with good references to check for latent defects within the home. Check to see if the home was built with Kitec plumbing fittings, which are installed in over 50,000 homes and condos across the valley and are currently in class action litigation.

Make sure and get an independent inspection before you sign. This is not only advisable when purchasing a resale but also when purchasing new.

The $500 dollar fee could save you a lot of money down the road. See if you can't get the seller to agree to the fee.
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Old 11-18-2009, 07:02 PM
 
Location: Portland, OR / Las Vegas, NV
1,818 posts, read 3,822,575 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinjanet View Post
You're right, I didn't think about the air conditioner. It was workinhg in August but that doesn't tell you what kind of shape it is in. I am curious, you mentioned $90. Are you referring to just an air con inspection or did you get the whole condo inspected for that amount?
It was just the A/C.
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