Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you are determined to go through with this, I would just point blank ask them why they won't agree to the re-inspection. It would be interesting to see what they say.
Thanks everyone. We turned the deal down. Like many have said, there are more houses out there. We resigned our current lease and will keep our eye out to see what else comes up. I am also going to keep an eye on that place to see what/if it ends up selling for. One thing I hadn't mentioned was that it had been on the market for quite a while. It was a good fit for our family but not an extremely great deal for the area, which is why our offer started low.
Some one had asked and No the builder did not pull permits. They did the work while living in the house since 1999.
Chet- I am grateful for your Chicago specific advise and while we couldn't get past our bad feeling about this particular place I will keep what you said in mind for future deals. They may have been "small things" but when we asked for estimates these things added up, and very few of them were things we could do ourselves. There were several electrical issues that were safety risks/code violations and the inspector wouldn't even give us and estimate about one of the issues with the HVAC not having a return for the upstairs floor. He said it would be costly and disruptive. Of course the seller just said it worked fine and didn't need one but who do we believe?
Thanks everyone. We turned the deal down. Like many have said, there are more houses out there. We resigned our current lease and will keep our eye out to see what else comes up. I am also going to keep an eye on that place to see what/if it ends up selling for. One thing I hadn't mentioned was that it had been on the market for quite a while. It was a good fit for our family but not an extremely great deal for the area, which is why our offer started low.
Some one had asked and No the builder did not pull permits. They did the work while living in the house since 1999.
Chet- I am grateful for your Chicago specific advise and while we couldn't get past our bad feeling about this particular place I will keep what you said in mind for future deals. They may have been "small things" but when we asked for estimates these things added up, and very few of them were things we could do ourselves. There were several electrical issues that were safety risks/code violations and the inspector wouldn't even give us and estimate about one of the issues with the HVAC not having a return for the upstairs floor. He said it would be costly and disruptive. Of course the seller just said it worked fine and didn't need one but who do we believe?
Sarahdeanne, glad that you came to a resolution. I think Chet was misinterpreting what I (and others) meant re: other houses. No one was saying that many great houses were available at cheap prices, i.e., people here were simply saying there are other fish in the sea. My guess is that most of the people responding here are like us in buying, owning, rehabbing, and selling several homes, so we aren't perfectionists. We know when we see a problematic seller. At least in my case, the point was to support your well-placed concerns about the work in the house not being up to code or standards, the complications of additional repairs, etc., and that you would not have to deal with many of these risks with other houses that you might like just as much. Yes, it is possible that everything might have worked out, with minimal hassle and expense, but it was more likely that the red flags you were seeing would turn out to signal more serious issues. I live in an area where the market is even tougher for buyers than Chicago (it has kept its Case-Shiller values at a higher level than any other metro area surveyed), and I would have given you the same advice if you had been here. "Your house" is out there.
They did the work while living in the house since 1999.
They've lived in this house for 13 years? You really misrepresented the situation and you would have gotten much different advice from people if you mentioned the entire situation up front. You can't "gut rehab" a place over 13 years as it's already dated from when they did their first "update".
They've lived in this house for 13 years? You really misrepresented the situation and you would have gotten much different advice from people if you mentioned the entire situation up front. You can't "gut rehab" a place over 13 years as it's already dated from when they did their first "update".
Lot's of folks were replying with the idea this was a flip property where seller recently bought it and did fast, cheap modifications. Not the case here after all.
Lot's of folks were replying with the idea this was a flip property where seller recently bought it and did fast, cheap modifications. Not the case here after all.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I didn't say that it was a recent flip. I said the sellers were also builders (independent). I tried to get a date from them for the remodel but there agent just kept saying they did it in "bits and pieces since purchase in 1999" I have trouble understanding how they would have done it while living there but they must have done some of the major stuff before moving in...
I didn't know it would make much difference in negotiation advise.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
I didn't know it would make much difference in negotiation advise.
It really doesn't. It affects context to some degree...
but mostly just the interpretations and between the line reading that many posters will engage in.
You're still doing the right thing to walk.
If you don't find another property that appeals... you can always walk back.
After the owner has done the work needed to resolve these issues (most of which should have been done long before they even put the "for sale" sign in the yard) and they are ready for the (re) inspection that the next prospective buyer will want it may just pass muster and the seller may just have realized his error in *how* he was dealing with the situation. Good luck.
People that expect PERFECT homes are completely out of touch. ...
To touch base on that perfect home (mental state), now everyone is different of course and I would agree there is no 100% perfect home unless that home is called god's paradise or you have that kind of money to make it that perfect...
Like many agents will say... make a list of what you want.
Make a list of what you don't want in that home too....
You almost perfect home will probably give you 80-90% of your wants & 10-20% of what you don't want.... then throw in all the things that house give you of that (unexpected gifts)...
like say you didn't ask for a deck, a new roof, sunroom, landscaping, finished outdoor space but it have... and it off-set the lack of that formal dining room in your list...... and for the unwanted you have an older looking bathroom (needs updating) but everything works fine, plumbing solid & you can buy time of when in that future you like to fix it... etc...
And then you got that house for that deal in your ideal location (must never forget location)....
That would be that almost perfect house.
A house, main function is shelter = good bones / structure... if it provides its main function.... the rest really should be seen as gravy (updates that is optional you can do later).
Now... if that home is no shelter and one overpaid for it... then it is a big money pit (beware of that too).
P.S. My cat taught me that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
