Buying our home

[Seveen]

Re: Buying our home

or negotiate a MUCH lower price - that inspection could be your ticket to ride

also ask the realtor for contractors or the inspector

even some new homes have problems that don't arise for awhile - especially foundation issues - it may take years for them to show up

and rodents is just calling the exterminator

IMHO

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Now, now Seveen - you KNOW that aint no one in their right mind should get a inspector or contractor from the REALTOR.



<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">or negotiate a MUCH lower price - that inspection could be your ticket to ride

also ask the realtor for contractors or the inspector

even some new homes have problems that don't arise for awhile - especially foundation issues - it may take years for them to show up

and rodents is just calling the exterminator

IMHO </div></div>

[Seveen]

Re: Buying our home

i would ask the realtor for contractors

i would ask the inspector for contractors

and then i would review and choose those contractors the same as any contractor working on my house

after the work is completed i would have an independent inspector check and approve the work

yes the realtor has a vested interest in your buying the house - so not sure why they would recommend bad workmanship - for current sale or future sale

and the inspector could care less whether you buy the house or not

some inspectors find things 'cause that's what you expect them to do - and the repair/fixes aren't as serious as they may seem

at minimum - i would get estimates for the work and give the seller an offer minus whatever the cost of the repairs

i would also look around the house and see if there are any other things i want - paint job, new windows, lawn service, carpet - and include them in the down pricing for my next offer to the seller

the stuff she's talking about doesn't sound like 70K worth of work - but she should at least find out - especially if this is a house she likes in a neighborhood she likes

yes it's a buyer's market - but sometimes that can mean going for the jugular on a price reduction - not just walking away

equity can be made by fixing up - rather than purchasing the top of the line house - and sit for years for it to increase $1

i remember this adage &quot;don't buy the best house in the neighborhood&quot;

i learned to higgle from the best of them

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Sev – I thought you said earlier today that you wished you’d bought a condo!

If a person has the time, will and wherewithall to do all of this, then sure - go for it. Use it as a tool to get a lower $.

But in this day and age – in this “market” - in this area that we live in, there are a number of properties out there for the getting withOUT having to go thru all this. What’s more, she emphasized that she’s doing this on her own as a single parent with a young child. If you can find a place without all this drama, then trty your best.

That’s just my opinion.

A realtor shouldn’t be proffering your contractor or inspector because it’s too much of a conflict.

If I’m Yuri the Realtor and my brother is a contractor, I’m going to recommend him to allll my buyers so he gets mucho much work. That just ain’t right. He’s going to be fixing things that don’t even need fixing!

For sure, you don’t always want to buy the best house on the block – but it’s not the best idea to get the worst or very challenged, either.

As I said earlier, unless the seller is willing to foot the bill for this stuff, it's a waste of time.

[kia027]

Re: Buying our home

Chantal where are you looking I know someone selling a home in Maplewood where they are fixing an oil leak issue and plan to put the house back on the market. Aside from the oil issue, there were a number of recent renovations which makes the home quite attractive.

That is the kind of house you want to find, where the owner has been doing some work to fix up the major issues unless you can do the major work yourself

[Seveen]

Re: Buying our home

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">(main beam is chipped, rodents in the attic,basement has asbestos/mold suspect and foundation wall on the outside is cracked</div></div>

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Yes, yes, yes ...

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

C - I feel your pain.

It’s not easy, but it’s completely doable. Don’t give up! Take your time.
<span style="font-style: italic">
Just before we bought, we were about to give up.</span>

First place we thought of getting, thank the Lord above for stopping us. We got thru to the signing of the contract and good faith deposit phase.

After deposit and signing, I wanted to go back for another look but hubby had to go home for a funeral. I went back with realtor and a good friend of mine.

In a really nice way, he told me we were nuts for thinking of buying that place and that we were paying too much for it. When he went down his list of concerns, I saw it thru his eyes <span style="font-style: italic">(eyes of a 10 year homeowner)</span> it became crystal clear to me.

We pulled out of it quick quick.

All NOW, that house STILL hasn’t sold.

The 2nd house we went for -

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

- was lovely – just lovely. I noticed it’d been on the market for just about a year. Seller offering $1500 toward new appliances. The price dropped and our realtor called and alerted us. We were so happy to go see.

Pristine HW floors.

Teeny teeny main bathroom (but a powderrm on mainlevel and toilet in bsment), outdated kitchen but decided we could hack it.

Lovely master bedroom.

We saw it on a Saturday monring, called me mom that nite and asked her to come up on Amtrak to go and look at it with us the next morn, Sunday.

She came.

By the time she arrived Sat nite, the place had 2 offers on it.

When we drove out on Sunday morning, she immediately told us - <span style="font-style: italic">“mi nuh like eeei”</span>.

We were devastated.

We thought maybe she was crazy.

Couldn't she see how stunning this place was?

She said the backyard wasn’t good. She also hated the fact it was on a slope and lotsa woodland there.

The property taxes were high.

She had some other issues too.

By the time we got back home that nite, 2 more offers came in on it – OVER the asking price.

We were shocked and just felt deflated and decided, for a number of reasons, not to jump on it.

Come to find out, all of those offers fell apart.

House sat on the mkt for another 11 months.

It sold for under asking price.

There was an oil tank in the front yard that had to be decommissioned and a lawsuit over it, there was asbestos
in the basement (no thanks, I’ve hand enuff of cancer and chemo) AND there was water behind the woods. That you couldn’t see because of the woods.

Hubby will NOT live within a mile of any stream, creek, river .... !

For a number of reasons, we’re so glad we didn’t get it.

The 3rd place we wanted -

[Seveen]

Re: Buying our home

maplewood

i couldn't afford to live there - 30 years ago - grew up in essex county - sold real estate in essex county

now chantel - didn't say the kitchen didn't work, or the electricity didn't work, or there were major plumbing problems

she came out here asking for a contractor - which ANYONE - buying a new house might ask for

[chantel]

Re: Buying our home

Don't get me wrong, the hosue 'looks' very nice, great curb appeal. It has a fireplace in the living room, a family room (which is a rear find in this area), formal dining etc. Everything 'looks' good. Now the basement is another story. The sewer pipe is out in the open (not sealed)and the inspector said it looks very backed up, the bathromm is just a toilet period. Mildew/mold stained around the walls, the pipes are plastered covered (which are asbestos suspect) leaking water heater...VERY VERY unkept. The electrical box looks like &quot;tyrone n'em&quot; put it in, wires coming from every which way, none of the electrical outlets in the house are grounded, the family room was an addition that &quot;tyrone n' em&quot; put in so the wall is not &quot;structural&quot; so the foundation it's cracking....and the list goes on.

[Seveen]

Re: Buying our home

i promise not to come in again!

why'd you like it?

and don't say price!

[Gen]

Re: Buying our home

chantel time to step back from house hunting for a couple days and re evaluate your definite needs within or under your price range

get contractors/mortgage/inspectors independent of the realtor, its a conflict of interest to use her/his people

you will find something no rushing into anything

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Kia wasn't recommending Maplewood to her - she was just giving an example of house repairs and perspective on it.

And of COURSE it's normal to talk to contractors when buying a house that needs key repairs - that's not the issue.

I'm saying, that you shouldn't be getting those recommendations for that work from the realtor.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">maplewood

i couldn't afford to live there ...

she came out here asking for a contractor - which ANYONE - buying a new house might ask for ...

</div></div>

[Yuriatin]

Re: Buying our home

Again - back to my list re the holy grail of warning signs ...

plumbing
electrical
foundation

You've hit almost everyone on the list.

Girl - you need to run - don't walk - run like the wind ...

Hindsight is not only 20/20 - it's always too late.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chantel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don't get me wrong, the hosue 'looks' very nice, great curb appeal. It has a fireplace in the living room, a family room (which is a rear find in this area), formal dining etc. Everything 'looks' good. Now the basement is another story. The sewer pipe is out in the open (not sealed)and the inspector said it looks very backed up, the bathromm is just a toilet period. Mildew/mold stained around the walls, the pipes are plastered covered (which are asbestos suspect) leaking water heater...VERY VERY unkept. The electrical box looks like &quot;tyrone n'em&quot; put it in, wires coming from every which way, none of the electrical outlets in the house are grounded, the family room was an addition that &quot;tyrone n' em&quot; put in so the wall is not &quot;structural&quot; so the foundation it's cracking....and the list goes on. </div></div>