Buying our home

[chantel]

After months of trying to buy a larger home I finally found one. However the inspection turned up more than a few issues (main beam is chipped, rodents in the attic,basement has asbestos/mold suspect and foundation wall on the outside is cracked) . I am getting the home at an excellent price but as a single mom the thought of dealing with contractors to address some of these issue is frightening. I saw another home in much better condition but the price tag is about 70K higher. Does anyone know of a reputable/trustworthy contractor that works in the northern NJ area. Tonks

[julie*mango]

Re: Buying our home

if i were u i would go with the better condition home...after repairs it may end up costing u about the same or more even..

[kia027]

Re: Buying our home

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _____</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if i were u i would go with the better condition home...after repairs it may end up costing u about the same or more even..
</div></div>

Not to mention the long term effects of the asbestos mold and the other items that come up after home inspection.

If the other one is 70K more but has no issues it may be worth it to give the second home a try or continue looking. From what I understand it is a buyers' market out there.

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Sending you a pm.

[Gen]

Re: Buying our home

the home inspector should be able to level with you as to whether or not those problems are &quot;fixable&quot; as well as the cost to do the repairs.

unless that is the only home on the market in a slamming location

and the cost to do the repairs is minimal

walk away.


if you still decide to buy it see what the sellers are willing to cover

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Chantel - part of the reason you're getting the home at an excellent price is BECAUSE of all these problems.

IMHO - you should walk away.

There's no shortage of good priced homes out there. It's sooooooooo not worth the headache to be dealing with all this needed work.

I'll send you the name and # of an inspector.

I'm in Essex County.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chantel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After months of trying to buy a larger home I finally found one. However the inspection turned up more than a few issues (main beam is chipped, rodents in the attic,basement has asbestos/mold suspect and foundation wall on the outside is cracked) . I am getting the home at an excellent price but as a single mom the thought of dealing with contractors to address some of these issue is frightening. I saw another home in much better condition but the price tag is about 70K higher. Does anyone know of a reputable/trustworthy contractor that works in the northern NJ area. Tonks </div></div>

[chantel]

Re: Buying our home

The home that is in a much better condition has termites, leaking roof and the water heater/chimney has a problem (back-drafting) that may lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the house No house is perfect so i know that i will have to work with issues but its so frustrating.

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

For sure - no house is perfect - but there's a holy grail of matters that you don't want to be stuck with - TRUST ME!!!

- roof
- foundation
- electrical
- plumbing
- furnace / ac unit

I could deal with 1, MAYBE 2 - but not more.

In my humble opinion and experience, if there's drama with these items, I wouldn't be caught dead buying that place. Not unless it's a written agreement that the seller is giving money to repair/replace it all.

Chantel - what people don't realize, is that outside of all of THIS stuff, there's often a whole host of other unplanned problems that crop up after you move in that cost money - they ADD UP FAST.

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Also - WHERE in NJ are you exactly?

I so very much hope you've checked to see if you're in a flood zone / flood designated area.

Even if you're not, please take note to see if you're located near any major rivers.
<span style="font-style: italic">
And does the place have a sump pump - or just a sump hole? Is there a french drain???</span><span style="font-weight: bold"> VERY IMPORTANT!</span>

[kia027]

Re: Buying our home

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chantel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The home that is in a much better condition has termites, leaking roof and the water heater/chimney has a problem (back-drafting) that may lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the house No house is perfect so i know that i will have to work with issues but its so frustrating. </div></div>

termites is another no no because they can get into areas not noticed by the inspector and then a few years down the road you are facing issues.

While I agree no home is perfect.. I would suggest just keep looking for one you can handle. If you were a contractor, then I would have a different opinion of course

[Gen]

Re: Buying our home

termites is a no no
heater can be replaced but seller should cover that cost
leaking roof-seller should cover cost

the above are all <span style="font-weight: bold">major costs</span>

start fresh with the house search and get a house with minor issues such as sidewalk crack etc

why is your realtor showing you those houses with all those problems ?

if those are the only houses available in your price range then it's time to consider a townhouse/condo or a better house with a lower price range

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chantel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The home that is in a much better condition has termites, leaking roof and the water heater/chimney has a problem (back-drafting) that may lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the house No house is perfect so i know that i will have to work with issues but its so frustrating. </div></div>

[julie*mango]

Re: Buying our home

seems like it would be wise to continue your search chantel...while there is no perfect home those are some major issues and may be costly in the future

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Gen - I could even see, having to deal with needing whole house replacement windows even.

But all this stuff is <span style="font-weight: bold">waaaaaaay</span> too deep - especially if you're a FIRST time buyer. And doing it on your own ... <span style="font-style: italic">nah sah</span> ...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">termites is a no no
heater can be replaced but seller should cover that cost
leaking roof-seller should cover cost

the above are all <span style="font-weight: bold">major costs</span>

start fresh with the house search and get a house with minor issues such as sidewalk crack etc

why is your realtor showing you those houses with all those problems ?

if those are the only houses available in your price range then it's time to consider a townhouse/condo or a better house with a lower price range

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chantel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The home that is in a much better condition has termites, leaking roof and the water heater/chimney has a problem (back-drafting) that may lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the house No house is perfect so i know that i will have to work with issues but its so frustrating. </div></div> </div></div>

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

And that's one of the 2 songs that realtors LOVE to sing that I HATE to hear ...

SONG #1 - <span style="font-style: italic">&quot;now is the perfect time to buy&quot;</span>

SONG #2 - <span style="font-style: italic">&quot;well come on now, NO house is perfect you know - it'll need some work&quot;</span>

... as they walk away with their fat commission leaving you slaving away with work

[chantel]

Re: Buying our home

Thanks everybody for your honest/real feedback. I'll keep looking