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I am a first time homebuyer, currently under contract for a home in East Nashville. The home inspection went fine for the most part (little issues here and there), but the termite inspection found infestation in, and damage to, the floor joists (I have uploaded photos taken by the inspector, so the damage can be seen). The inspector did not say that anything needed to be repaired, but he also (understandably) said that he is not a structural engineer.
The home is 59 years old (1953)
The report states:
"Shelter tubes in floor joists in crawl at right and front left of home."
"Damage to floor joists and headerboard in crawl at right rear of home"
He also found evidence of previous treatment which was not in the property disclosure.
As far as I know the current homeowner does not have a pest control contract.
I didn't feel any soft spots on the floor when walking around, nor are there any cracks around doors and windows.
So, my question is, should I walk away from this house?
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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I spent some time in the construction trades when I was younger and I'd say that doesn't look too serious to me so long as there is no active infestation. That being said, the inspector is probably the best person to get a reading from, even though he isn't a structural engineer and his no comment about it needing to be replaced probably says more than anything else.
I do remember that a beam (joist) can not be notched more than one sixth of it's width (so a 2x6 can have a 1 inch notch across it's entire width: the 2 inch side) in order to maintain structural integrity. It doesn't appear on your photos that that limit has come anywhere near that limitation.
You might see if you can get a repair estimate from someone and use that to get an offset from the seller, but that might open a whole new can of worms that you may or may not want to open.
I recommend an inspection company that specializes in structural pests like termites. This is damage from subterranean termites and the treatment generally requires subterranean poison injections which need to mapped out. There is a standardized evaluation of the damaged wood for compromise of structural integrity, structural pest inspectors would be the ones in my area who are able to evaluate to prescribe replacement in most transaction related pest control inspection scenarios.
Typically out here, if there is structural concern, they sister new boards to the old ones to provide support. I've seen damage way worse, personally. If it scares you, walk away, but if you like the house at least give the seller the opportunity to correct the issue and have as structural engineer come out.
Why would you consider walking before you even consider asking the seller to remedy the situation?
Because, Falconhead, if you'll pardon my language, the seller's agent has been a d-bag from moment one. I don't trust him at all, and finding out that the house had active termites and had been treated for termites in the past (which was not listed on the disclosure) essentially pushed me to the point of just wanting to walk away.
1) Seller's agent called my agent when we first looked at the house and asked what we thought. My agent said we liked it but we wanted to look at some other options. Seller's agent said if we wanted it we had better move on it now, because they were going to raise the price on the coming Sunday. We waited, and they LOWERED the price by $5,000
2) We gave the sellers 48 hours to consider our initial offer. Seller's agent gave us 19 hours - not even a full day to consider their counter.
3) Seller's agent threw a hissy fit when he found out we were going to test for radon as part of the inspection, and then when the test was completed, we found out that the radon detector had been moved.
4) Seller's agent requested $2,000 in earnest money instead of the normal (for this part of the country) $1,000. I am from out of state and have no bank branches here, so instead of being able to use a personal check for $1,000, I had to take $2,000 out of an ATM and then get my agent to purchase a cashier's check at his bank, since banks won't allow non customers to buy cashier's checks, and the seller's firm won't take a personal check for more than $1,000.
There are more instances of this, but I don't want to write a novel, and I'm sure this gives you the general idea.
I recommend an inspection company that specializes in structural pests like termites. This is damage from subterranean termites and the treatment generally requires subterranean poison injections which need to mapped out. There is a standardized evaluation of the damaged wood for compromise of structural integrity, structural pest inspectors would be the ones in my area who are able to evaluate to prescribe replacement in most transaction related pest control inspection scenarios.
My agent had set up the inspection with a company he uses quite often. I'll have to research as to whether or not the company specializes in structural pests. The treatment specifications he wrote on the report are as follows:
Trench and treat soil adjacent to outside foundation wall
Drill concrete slab at doorjambs
Drill and treat the soil beneath concrete slab, porches or patios
Typically out here, if there is structural concern, they sister new boards to the old ones to provide support. I've seen damage way worse, personally. If it scares you, walk away, but if you like the house at least give the seller the opportunity to correct the issue and have as structural engineer come out.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, Silverfall. The inspector said that there was no structural damage, but it certainly would be worth the $250 to get a structural engineer to come out if I am going to go ahead with the purchase,
Hi There!
We are in an almost IDENTICAL situation. DH and I are also first time buyers and today we had three separate people look at the property we have a contract on:
Home Inspector
Termite Control Guy
Contractor
There is evidence that the home was at one point treated for termites, but it's hard to say how long ago. There is some termite damage to the floor joists and 'mud trap' / back pane(?) (which is load bearing) beam along the back wall of the basement. We know that the floor joists will have to be 'sistered'- but we're currently organizing for a structural engineer (on the advice of the contractor) to have a look at the property to find out whether the back beam will also need to be replaced- if it does, it would require the entire house to be jacked up, the back concrete patio tore out and a LOT of work (in the 5 figures).
Either way- we're going to try to negotiate with the seller to take the repair cost off the price. We're not willing to walk away just yet- but we want to make sure we have ALL the information we need before signing on the final dotted line!
To the OP- I would recommend doing the same thing. Get an opinion (or two or three) on the situation and then use it as a negotiation tool with the seller.
Remember, once you get a termite inspection done, it is on record and the seller has to disclose it to all future buyers- so they either have to fix it or adjust their price accordingly. Additionally, if you find that termites are still active, no bank will allow a loan on a property with termites!
Good Luck to you!
-Amber
P.S. Definitely spend the extra inspection fees, just for peace of mind more than anything!
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