Real estate General topic

[WinterDeere]

I did a big move about a dozen years ago, but only 30 minutes between old and new properties. I did thin the boneyard a good bit, trash or scrap, but probably brought 75% of it with me.

Remember, new house means new projects, so you're going to accumulate a whole new batch of random off-cuts of everything from flooring to plumbing to odd bits of steel and aluminum.

 

[ultrarunner]

Last time I sold scrap the steel turnings fetched penny a pound

Brass radiators and aluminum turnings always pay well.

Batteries auto size were $2 each.

 

[paulsharvey]

We may have hit a snag, that I'd been kinda worried about from the start. The dang porches. Home Inspector didn't raise any red flags, but the appraisal did come in, and ID the porches, as attached to the home, and "additions or structural modifications must be made subject to a satisfactory inspection report by a state agency or 3rd party regulated by the state".

Wife told me to quit worrying, it may not be an issue, since there is the home inspection report. We will see.

 

[ericm979]

I don't know about Florida but in many states home inspectors are regulated by the state.

 

[plowhog]

I don't know about Florida but in many states home inspectors are regulated by the state.

Oddly enough, if you can believe it, home inspectors are not required to be licensed in CA. Somehow the "land of regulation nation" has overlooked this.

I learned this when a would-be scammer home inspector, working in tandem with the buyer, was brought in to the sale of my residence in CA. He tried to collude with the buyer to find a lot of false problems which did not exist. Wrote nearly a 100 page report on the house. Buyer demanded a $50k price reduction due to "all the problems with the house." Notable was pool needed total resurfacing and HVAC was death hazard due to cracked heat exchanger and carbon monoxide risk.

I brought my own inspectors in for roof, pool, HVAC, and more. Everything checked out fine except there was a minor roof repair ($400) to some flashing. I told the buyer to pay the agreed price or lose the beautiful home he had in escrow. He chose to close escrow at the agreed price. If I was not meticulous about home maintenance and a licensed RE broker I may likely have been scammed .....

 

[ultrarunner]

Oddly enough, if you can believe it, home inspectors are not required to be licensed in CA. Somehow the "land of regulation nation" has overlooked this.

I learned this when a would-be scammer home inspector, working in tandem with the buyer, was brought in to the sale of my residence in CA. He tried to collude with the buyer to find a lot of false problems which did not exist. Wrote nearly a 100 page report on the house. Buyer demanded a $50k price reduction due to "all the problems with the house." Notable was pool needed total resurfacing and HVAC was death hazard due to cracked heat exchanger and carbon monoxide risk.

I brought my own inspectors in for roof, pool, HVAC, and more. Everything checked out fine except there was a minor roof repair ($400) to some flashing. I told the buyer to pay the agreed price or lose the beautiful home he had in escrow. He chose to close escrow at the agreed price. If I was not meticulous about home maintenance and a licensed RE broker I may likely have been scammed .....

Inspection is often a sophisticated negotiating tool against the unsophisticated…

Advertised an old 3 unit building and accepted an offer and the the buyers demanded a 25% price reduction for illegal unit???

I said no and moved on to the backup and then get a demand letter for reimbursement of 10k inspection and due diligence fees and I laugh.

The backup buyer went to city and pulled permit to go from 1942 master meter gas and electric to individual meters and no problem plus added a house meter.

1942 Wartime construction was different… materials were in short supply and need for housing critical.

Just because 3 units shared one gas and one electric meter the first buyers assumed bootlegged units and false advertising and then demanded payment under threat of lawsuit…

 

[WinterDeere]

I don't know about Florida but in many states home inspectors are regulated by the state.

One of the few businesses my father owned was home inspection, and I remember him saying repeatedly that most home inspectors in our state weren't qualified to inspect a cardboard box.

He was a PE in 13 states, and also owned an engineering firm, so I always wondered if his expectations were just too high. His primary engineering business did mostly commercial plant engineering (chemical plants, factories, prisons, police stations, recycling plants), but also occasional larger residential projects.

Then I got into home buying myself, and had the same experience. Each of our home inspectors missed obvious and larger issues, and fretted endlessly about small crap that didn't matter.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have not had an independent inspection in decades...

Either the deal pencils out for me or not.

Last 3 had no inspections at all other than my walk through and no unexpected issues.

 

[paulsharvey]

I have not had an independent inspection in decades...

Either the deal pencils out for me or not.

Last 3 had no inspections at all other than my walk through and no unexpected issues.

We have to for insurance (4 point inspection, MEPs and Roof) as well as the mortgage.

I do agree they focused on things that frankly aren't a big deal to anyone with any ability; washing machine drain hose, toilet shut offs, ect.

 

[paulsharvey]

I say minor things; bit actually I've seen some pretty extensive water damage in apartments from leaking washing machine supply lines, as well as plugged AC condensate lines.