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Hello everyone, first time posting here. I'm a first time home buyer and recently got an offer accepted, upon completing the home inspection these are the things I'm really concerned about:
1) Efflorescence viewed on the soil in the raised foundation
2) Cracks observed in the soil in the raised foundation area
3) Stains observed on framing in the raised foundation area
4) Lot grade within six feet of the building is flat and or inadequately sloped away
5) Roof shingles are showing signs of deterioration
6) Gutters on the roof are filled with debris
7) Gutters on the roof are in poor condition
8) Gutters do not appear to be optimally installed from edge of roof
9) 3-hole outlets observed throughout the building which are not grounded
10) A number of exhaust fan ducts terminated in the attic or up to an attic vent
There are still more cosmetic things that need to be fixed, but these 10 are the biggest ones that have my worried, the house was built in 1954 so I don't expect it to be perfect, i do need it to be safe however.
I'm still within contingency period to back out if i wanted to, and that's what I'm leaning towards since my gut feeling tells me this house could be a headache. Should I ask the seller to fix these issues or just walk away? I noticed the seller already has started moving out preparing for our closing, which is scheduled for end of month. The seller accepted my offer which is $9K less than asking price but is right in line with other comparables in the area.
your inspection should list which repairs are imperative. ask the sellers to fix them or give you a dollar credit for the amount to repair. if they say no and you still feel uncomfortable, walk away. the cosmetic things are on you pretty much
Put it in your BINSR. Attach copy of inspection report and estimates to fix all items. Ask seller to fix everything or seller credit to buyer to cover all.
Cosmetic is pretty difficult to negotiate since you can see cosmetic (by definition) when you are viewing the house. you don't have any real leg to stand on when it comes to stuff you already knew or should have known by just looking. Just put the non-cosmetic stuff in the BINSR and throw it against the wall, see what bounces back. You can bounce amendments to your sales contract as far as seller credits to buyer until you are satisfied with the deal, and if it isn't negotiable then hand the seller your ultimatum: the least credit you will accept to not back out.
Do not, repeat DO NOT, order your appraisal until after your BINSR is completely negotiated. Assuming my market (Phoenix) you have $400 skin in the game now, and if you walk that's how much skin you lose. Throw in an appraisal and you have another $575 skin to lose. Get the repairs out of the way before the appraisal.
Good luck. Remember, the seller is going to face serious issues with the next potential buyer if they faced them with you. If they blow you off they are hoping for a more stupid buyer. Not a good gamble.
Go with your gut feeling. And take your time before making another offer. You probably should have noticed the condition of the roof. You need to more carefully look a property over before making an offer, even before having it inspected.
Put it in your BINSR. Attach copy of inspection report and estimates to fix all items. Ask seller to fix everything or seller credit to buyer to cover all.
Cosmetic is pretty difficult to negotiate since you can see cosmetic (by definition) when you are viewing the house. you don't have any real leg to stand on when it comes to stuff you already knew or should have known by just looking. Just put the non-cosmetic stuff in the BINSR and throw it against the wall, see what bounces back. You can bounce amendments to your sales contract as far as seller credits to buyer until you are satisfied with the deal, and if it isn't negotiable then hand the seller your ultimatum: the least credit you will accept to not back out.
Do not, repeat DO NOT, order your appraisal until after your BINSR is completely negotiated. Assuming my market (Phoenix) you have $400 skin in the game now, and if you walk that's how much skin you lose. Throw in an appraisal and you have another $575 skin to lose. Get the repairs out of the way before the appraisal.
Good luck. Remember, the seller is going to face serious issues with the next potential buyer if they faced them with you. If they blow you off they are hoping for a more stupid buyer. Not a good gamble.
Unfortunately the appraisal was completed a day before the inspection, I screwed up there too. To top it off i gave notice to my landlord that I'm planning on leaving by the beginning of next month and now this happens, I'm in a stressful situation right now... I'm thinking of first checking with my current landlord if I can rescind my notice to leave my apartment, hopefully he agrees...then get estimates for repairs and see if the seller agrees, if not walk away...I'm in SoCal and so far the appraisal cost was $450 plus the very detailed inspection I ordered another $450... so this lesson could become expensive for me
#1) Forget about the homeowners packing up stuff. That has no bearing on your decision. They will live if you walk away from this home.
2) A home inspector is going to mark down every single little thing he can find wrong with a house, so it is normal to feel this way if this is your first home purchase. You are buying a very old house.
I have never seen an inspector that didn't write "shingles show deterioration" unless the roof was brand new. But that photo is concerning. The seller is not obligated to give you a new roof, though, but you could come back after your inspection and ask for $$ toward a roof.
The gutter looks like a normal gutter. I would hardly call that "filled with debris." One of the "joys" of homeownership is doing PITA jobs like cleaning the gutters, which obviously needs to be done. As far as "optimally installed," ... ??? Is there water damage INSIDE? Has water been backing up into the soffit and running down behind the walls? If not, put it on the list of things to fix up down the road.
The "efflorescence," the outlets, and the fan ducts being dumped into the attic are the only things I would worry about. Call in an electrician to quote the wiring, a foundation specialist to inspect the grading etc, and renegotiate your offer if you think the house is otherwise good.
Unfortunately the appraisal was completed a day before the inspection, I screwed up there too. To top it off i gave notice to my landlord that I'm planning on leaving by the beginning of next month and now this happens, I'm in a stressful situation right now... I'm thinking of first checking with my current landlord if I can rescind my notice to leave my apartment, hopefully he agrees...then get estimates for repairs and see if the seller agrees, if not walk away...I'm in SoCal and so far the appraisal cost was $450 plus the very detailed inspection I ordered another $450... so this lesson could become expensive for me
Yes you did learn a lesson. (1) Never order an appraisal until the inspection and BINSR have been successfully negotiated. And (2) don't burn your bridges until you have crossed them.
Unless your landlord is a total ogre, or unless he already has your current residence leased, I suspect he'll cut you some slack.
At least I taught somebody something. Do not order the appraisal until after you have successfully negotiated your BINSR.
Yes you did learn a lesson. (1) Never order an appraisal until the inspection and BINSR have been successfully negotiated. And (2) don't burn your bridges until you have crossed them.
Unless your landlord is a total ogre, or unless he already has your current residence leased, I suspect he'll cut you some slack.
At least I taught somebody something. Do not order the appraisal until after you have successfully negotiated your BINSR.
You are right, I rushed scheduling the appraisal because I wanted to close the transaction before the start of next month to avoid paying an extra months rent, but I should've played safe, rookie mistake I guess...
Don't feel bad. I was a rookie but lucky to make no rookie mistakes.
I find it often advantageous to drag out an escrow rather than rush one. Sometimes they have a motion of their own.
I think in most cases it's best to not rush things without good reason. I'm in my last two escrows to close the 23rd because I want them rented by July 1st. If I can do that I gain about $1,500 each. I have good reason to rush my escrow.
I learned everything I know because of considering what could have gone wrong but didn't. Much better to learn by illustration and advice than to learn from the kick of a mule. Just remember that there is no educational value in the second kick from a mule.
The "efflorescence," the outlets, and the fan ducts being dumped into the attic are the only things I would worry about. Call in an electrician to quote the wiring, a foundation specialist to inspect the grading etc, and renegotiate your offer if you think the house is otherwise good.
And this is where different experiences and knowledge come into play. I found none of those things being concerning, as they are very common items inspectors write up, and also age of the home specific. You're buying an older home. They didn't "ground" outlets back then. Venting into the attic is extremely common, though inspectors note it every single time. You can't expect/demand a seller to bring a house up to today's standards and codes, otherwise many sellers across the country could never afford to sell their homes.
The only thing I would get checked out is the foundation, as that looks like a huge rock in your picture, and I don't understand how that's "foundation" and also check the roof. Keep in mind you're buying the house in today's roof condition, and you can't expect a seller to credit you for a roof that would only last 3-5 years. Today, it's performing as intended, so it's today's condition you're buying. It doesn't hurt to ask for a small reduction for future replacement, but he's not selling to you in the future.
Last edited by FalconheadWest; 06-08-2014 at 05:58 PM..
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