Home Inspection Done. Negotiating? Anybody gone through this?

[Ponytail]

The inspection went well. Nothing major, or nothing that I didn't know about ahead of time with one exception. Main bathroom floor is rotten...BADLY.

Now with 2 full bathrooms in the house, I can do the repair myself, but it will still take time and prolly $3500-4000 in materials...I'd replace the tub, sink, toilet, cabinets and window, add an exhaust fan. better lighting...while I was at it.

Do I trust the realtors to do the negotiating? Has anybody gone through this and actually gotten the owner to give up some dough for it?

When I looked at the house two weeks ago, they were in the middle of tearing down the deck on one side, and were supposed to be rebuilding it. Alot of junk was still in the house.

When I spoke to the realtor on Monday before going down for the inspection yesterday, I was told that the deck had been completed, and everything was removed from the house.

Not true. The deck looked exactly as it did two weeks ago, and alothough most of the stuff was gone from the house, alot of stuff was still there, including a boat that looks like it has seen better days.

That's to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with. What can I expect now?

 

[justhangn]

DO NOT TRUST THE REALTOR!!

Do your own negotiating; the realtor could careless if you get reamed out or not.

I did my own negotiating and got the house down another $5,000….of course, the people I bought the house from won’t talk to me anymore, proof I got a good deal.

 

[Sharon]

Originally posted by Ponytail

Do I trust the realtors to do the negotiating?

No, they are working for the seller and do not have your best interests in mind. Think "escrow" for any repairs that are not up to your satisfaction before you close the deal.

 

[SeaRide]

Are you sure there's no other rotten wood support/ floor beams somewhere else in the house? what about termite inspection? any history of basement flooding if any?

Get the owner to remove the junk asap. You don't know what are hidden in the junk ( wasp nests, mosquitoes nest, illegal drugs, used oil, used needles, etc)

About the deck situation, it's your call .. get the owner to bring down the price or take it down. If it was me, I 'll have the deck rebuild the way I want it. ( to hold the weight for # of people , hot tub, the shape, multi-levels, benches, mini-lights, etc).

 

[RodRugg]

When my grandma bought our house and they were doing the walk around thing before getting the keys, the man who selled the house punched a hole in the wall the size of a comet. He said he hated that wall and that it was his last chance to prove it. My grandma got so mad she kicked the basement door off the hinges with her bare feet and throwed him down the stairs. He broke eight fingers and lost an eye. He didn't press charges and my grandma fixed all the stuff herself. It all worked out.

 

[migtig]

Originally posted by RodRugg
When my grandma bought our house and they were doing the walk around thing before getting the keys, the man who selled the house punched a hole in the wall the size of a comet. He said he hated that wall and that it was his last chance to prove it. My grandma got so mad she kicked the basement door off the hinges with her bare feet and throwed him down the stairs. He broke eight fingers and lost an eye. He didn't press charges and my grandma fixed all the stuff herself. It all worked out.

Okay that's the final straw Rod! Just who are you and who sold you my life story?!

 

[Sierra39]

If it's not done BEFORE you go to settlement, then FORGET IT!!! In my contract I had the realtor specifically put in that ALL trash be removed from the premises...Months later, I ended up paying $400 to rent a roll-off dumpster and spent hours loading it TO THE TOP with the stuff that wasn't removed!

So, either get the seller to do it to your satisfaction BEFORE you settle, or make them pay the equivalent of the repairs at settlement by paying dropping the selling price or paying some of your closing costs. You can also request that the sellers put the amount in escrow for the repairs as "insurance" that it will get done! Rotting floors are a HUGE project in both time and money, and I wouldn't let this one go.

Good luck!

 

[Ponytail]

Re: Re: Home Inspection Done. Negotiating? Anybody gone through this?

Originally posted by Sharon
No, they are working for the seller and do not have your best interests in mind. Think "escrow" for any repairs that are not up to your satisfaction before you close the deal.

A couple of you mentioned this. Do I contact the seller directly then?

 

[jeneisen]

Well do you have an agent of your own? Now I have gone through this as the seller and the buyer this year and I had luck with my realtor but each one is different. If you do not have an agent, you need to submit the list of repairs to the seller. They have to agree to fix it or you can back out of the deal. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't in this market b/c someone will be deperate enough to pass on an inspection. I would ask them for the money in an escrow personally and find someone to fix it yourself, that way you know that its done right. When I bought my house they wanted to do all the repairs themselves and when they did, it was all wrong. It had to be all re-done b/c they tried to be cheap about it.

My advice is negotiate. If there are minor repairs that aren't structual, let them go on the condition that they fix the rooting floor. I would at least talk to the sellers agent first and see what they say and go from there.

 

[Ponytail]

I do have an agent, and I know that he's in it to buy it for me...only way he makes money. So he's not going to take any chances...especially in this market, your right. And teh selling agent is out to get the most for the house that she can...more money for her.

I'd rather do the repair myself. That way I KNOW it is getting done right.

 

[migtig]

Originally posted by Ponytail
I do have an agent, and I know that he's in it to buy it for me...only way he makes money. So he's not going to take any chances...especially in this market, your right. And teh selling agent is out to get the most for the house that she can...more money for her.

I'd rather do the repair myself. That way I KNOW it is getting done right.

Actually, hate to bust your bubble, but in MD, the selling agent and buying agent split the commission made on the sale of property. Have the price dropped for repairs to the floor & deck, and require a walk thru to ensure all property has been removed before you suit down at settlement.

 

[Ponytail]

Originally posted by migtig
Actually, hate to bust your bubble...

you love it, and you know it.


Thanks for the correction. I knew that...at one time. The realtor did expalin that to me. It just got lost in the shuffle.

 

[willie]

Get an estimate from a local contractor for fixing the floor and be sure the rot didn't get to the floor joists. They cannot argue with a professional estimate reducing the home price. Don't mention that you will be doing the work. DO NOT settle on the house until all the junk and boat is removed. Once they have your money, they will always be too busy to clean it up. You will have to haul it away and you will have to pay the tipping fee at the dump. I go through this every couple of years with renters and it is an expensive PIA especially junk cars.

 

[kwillia]

When my grandma bought our house and they were doing the walk around thing before getting the keys, the man who selled the house punched a hole in the wall the size of a comet. He said he hated that wall and that it was his last chance to prove it. My grandma got so mad she kicked the basement door off the hinges with her bare feet and throwed him down the stairs. He broke eight fingers and lost an eye. He didn't press charges and my grandma fixed all the stuff herself. It all worked out.

 

[PJay]

My grandma got so mad she kicked the basement door off the hinges with her bare feet and throwed him down the stairs. He broke eight fingers and lost an eye.

Hello cuz!

 

[Suz]

1 question...... Who paid for the inspection? I hope you did and the sellers don't get a copy of it. If they paid for the inspection just hope it wasn't done by someone they know and everything that could be wrong wasn't disclosed.

Let your realtor do the negotiating for you. In writing. Don't contact the sellers yourself. (directly)

 

[Chasey_Lane]

1 question...... Who paid for the inspection? I hope you did and the sellers don't get a copy of it. If they paid for the inspection just hope it wasn't done by someone they know and everything that could be wrong wasn't disclosed.

Let your realtor do the negotiating for you. In writing. Don't contact the sellers yourself. (directly)

I don't think it matters much anymore; this was 2 years ago.

 

[Suz]

I don't think it matters much anymore; this was 2 years ago.

ok ya got me!!! I didn't look at the date........

 

[go jimmy]

You might want to also make sure the property is insurable. If they have had an insurance claim for water damage, getting insurance could prove to be a trick. Most insurance companies are very skiddish about future mold issues.

 

[RoseRed]

You might want to also make sure the property is insurable. If they have had an insurance claim for water damage, getting insurance could prove to be a trick. Most insurance companies are very skiddish about future mold issues.