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Old 02-19-2010, 10:17 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,011,784 times
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Chuckity is 100% correct. The internet is good for lots of things, but just like it is real hard to get your haircut online, it is awful tough to know what is an expensive foundation crack and what is not worth worrying about.

It would be irresponsible to tell the OP that they should abandon this offer especially as they have stated that the seller was presented with the list of issues front the inspection and there is not yet any response. If the seller comes back with an offer to make everything right that would certainly be a happy ending to their 10 months of house hunting.

Last edited by chet everett; 02-19-2010 at 10:34 PM..
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Old 02-19-2010, 11:23 PM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,709 posts, read 30,605,317 times
Reputation: 9985
OK. Someone needs to contact an engineer and have him dig up the foundation to see if the crack has reached the footer. And you also need the engineer to take a soil sample and have it checked. Someone needs to contact an electrician and have him do an inspection of the electrical. Someone need to contact an exterminator to find the cost of removing the infestation. Someone needs to be contacted to check the furnace. Someone needs to pay these people upwards of $1000 for inspections (the bulk is the engineer).

Discounting the house to cover these problems is not going to be much help, unless you have an extra 10 grand (worst case scenerio - could be more) sitting around to deal with repairing all this after the sale. As I said before unless its one hell of a great deal walk away from it. You are about to open a whole can of worms.
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Old 02-19-2010, 11:39 PM
 
Location: Hoosierville
16,998 posts, read 14,314,119 times
Reputation: 11322
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilVA View Post
OK. Someone needs to contact an engineer and have him dig up the foundation to see if the crack has reached the footer. And you also need the engineer to take a soil sample and have it checked. Someone needs to contact an electrician and have him do an inspection of the electrical. Someone need to contact an exterminator to find the cost of removing the infestation. Someone needs to be contacted to check the furnace. Someone needs to pay these people upwards of $1000 for inspections (the bulk is the engineer).

Discounting the house to cover these problems is not going to be much help, unless you have an extra 10 grand (worst case scenerio - could be more) sitting around to deal with repairing all this after the sale. As I said before unless its one hell of a great deal walk away from it. You are about to open a whole can of worms.
Since you've read the inspection report, can you send it my way? I'd really like to take a look at it ...



You have absolutely no idea to the extent of the problems - and neither do I.

And inspections? Um ... how about estimates? Because those are typically free. (Except in the case of plumbers ... why I have no idea.)

You also don't know if the seller would address & repair all of these issues.
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Old 02-20-2010, 06:09 AM
 
Location: In the AC
972 posts, read 2,435,397 times
Reputation: 835
We recently sold and bought, with inspection issues coming up on both ends. I completely understand the feeling the OP has that everything that was great is now potentially falling apart. The emotional highs and lows can be huge for buyers!

In both our cases the inspection report looked scary. However what the inspectors found were not major problems, but just looked bad on the report.

In your case, one inspector is saying many negative things about the house's quality, according to the OP. Personally I would hire a licensed contractor to come give a qualified opinion on the actual state and cost of repairs. Most would do it for free in hopes of getting your business later. That way you are either sure about being sure or sure about backing out.

Good luck!
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Old 02-20-2010, 07:53 AM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,709 posts, read 30,605,317 times
Reputation: 9985
Quote:
And inspections? Um ... how about estimates? Because those are typically free.
It depends. Do you want a guess of what it may be? Or a statement of the actual problem issues are?

Home inspectors do not look past what can be seen. They are a detailed walk through with photos and thats it. He probably sees the electrical is not junctioned correctly. If it looks bad on the outside, how bad is it behind the walls or in the sockets?
Estimates do the same thing (they are a visual look). So this is where cost comes in. Contractor inspections use a scope, open the outlets, removes the electrical panel and loooks for scorch. The statement is what is actually needed. Most contractors will refund the bill if the work is done through them. A foundation inspection is digging up the footer to see the condition of it. Hairline cracks are normal, open cracks are not (1/16" or more). The furnace is 30 years old, so you know its due for replacement.

the roof, A/C, water heater is all maintenence and gets replaced usually within 20 years. But the plumbing getting replaced is not - that is a concern.

The builder usually puts by the frame and probably made a nice looking box. The problem here was his subs (the people he hired to put in the other stuff).

So if the seller is the bank, then you will have more room to discount the sellers price. But this does put cash in hand to do the actual repairs after the sale. We need to be realistic in these times.
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:39 PM
 
51 posts, read 298,522 times
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We recently found our dream home, and had an inspection. The report had 38 items that needed to be addressed, most of them minor, but a couple of them major in my eyes (fans that vented to nowhere, mold under a shower in the crawl space, missing floor joist, etc.). I was very disconcerted and disenchanted with the house after i read the inspection report and saw the pictures. And then I thought about it some more...

I now knew exactly, to the T, what was wrong AND what was sound with the house I was buying. So, now I was an informed buyer, and was able to negotiate with the seller to get the things I wanted fixed, and I was able to make a list of minor stuff I'd need to fix eventually, so I could budget for the repairs.

In this market, sellers are VERY willing to negotiate repairs with buyers. Because, if you have an issue with foundation cracks, rodent infestations, and shoddy wiring, the next potential buyer is going to have those same problems.

So, my advice is: No house is perfect, even new construction. Consider yourself an informed consumer, and be glad you know everything that is wrong with the home. Decide which items on the inspection list are deal breakers for you, and negotiate their repairs with the seller. If the seller won't repair (which I think is unlikely - who wouldn't remove rats and upgrade potentially dangerous wiring?) and you aren't comfortable taking on the repairs yourself once you're the owner, move on.
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Old 02-20-2010, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Knoxville
4,705 posts, read 25,205,259 times
Reputation: 6130
Neil said."Home inspectors do not look past what can be seen. They are a detailed walk through with photos and thats it. He probably sees the electrical is not junctioned correctly. If it looks bad on the outside, how bad is it behind the walls or in the sockets?"

I have to differ with you a bit on this. Every Home Inspection Standards of Practice (that I'm aware of anyway) require inspectors to open the panel and inspect the insides. We are also required to check for grounding and polarity, and a bunch of other things.
I have never seen an electrician use a scope to look inside a wall. Most of the wiring is not visible anyway, even with a scope.

Without seeing the report, and/or the house, it is impossible to know what is really serious, and what is not.
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Old 02-20-2010, 06:28 PM
 
Location: Hoosierville
16,998 posts, read 14,314,119 times
Reputation: 11322
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilVA View Post
It depends. Do you want a guess of what it may be? Or a statement of the actual problem issues are?

Home inspectors do not look past what can be seen. They are a detailed walk through with photos and thats it. He probably sees the electrical is not junctioned correctly. If it looks bad on the outside, how bad is it behind the walls or in the sockets?
Estimates do the same thing (they are a visual look). So this is where cost comes in. Contractor inspections use a scope, open the outlets, removes the electrical panel and loooks for scorch. The statement is what is actually needed. Most contractors will refund the bill if the work is done through them. A foundation inspection is digging up the footer to see the condition of it. Hairline cracks are normal, open cracks are not (1/16" or more). The furnace is 30 years old, so you know its due for replacement.

the roof, A/C, water heater is all maintenence and gets replaced usually within 20 years. But the plumbing getting replaced is not - that is a concern.

The builder usually puts by the frame and probably made a nice looking box. The problem here was his subs (the people he hired to put in the other stuff).

So if the seller is the bank, then you will have more room to discount the sellers price. But this does put cash in hand to do the actual repairs after the sale. We need to be realistic in these times.
The electrical is not "junctioned" correctly?

That makes absolutely no sense.
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Old 02-20-2010, 07:05 PM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,709 posts, read 30,605,317 times
Reputation: 9985
Quote:
The electrical is not "junctioned" correctly?
Chuck - Do you know what a Junction Box is?? Maybe you should google it.

Some contractors, to save money, junction multiple rooms off of the same run. Sometimes they do it in a stand alone box and sometimes its done in a ceiling fixture box to hide it. If I had to venture a guess, the home inpector saw a junction box with too many wires coming out of it and going in multiple directions. This is shoddy wormanship. If someone has ever blown a fuse and multiple rooms, or areas of the house ,went dark this is what was done. The only sign of shoddy work the main electrical box can give is if there too few breakers for the size of the home.
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Old 02-20-2010, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Hoosierville
16,998 posts, read 14,314,119 times
Reputation: 11322
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilVA View Post
Chuck - Do you know what a Junction Box is?? Maybe you should google it.

Some contractors, to save money, junction multiple rooms off of the same run. Sometimes they do it in a stand alone box and sometimes its done in a ceiling fixture box to hide it. If I had to venture a guess, the home inpector saw a junction box with too many wires coming out of it and going in multiple directions. This is shoddy wormanship. If someone has ever blown a fuse and multiple rooms, or areas of the house ,went dark this is what was done. The only sign of shoddy work the main electrical box can give is if there too few breakers for the size of the home.
Sigh.

Yes, I know what I junction box is.

"Junctioned correctly" is not a phrase experienced electricians use.

And there are other things that an inspector might call out on a report just from looking at the main panel - double tap wiring for example. Why don't you google it?
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