Then its a duck. Unless it is a house that is so poorly maintained it makes Herman Munsters house look good.

This was the case in Patchogue, NY yesterday. Four real estate agents were there, as well as the seller, her carpenter, his assistant, and various family members. The buyers were quite timid, and only the wife spoke English. My ability to speak Spanish was a big help.

But the problem was the house. Major foundation issues were present. Large sections of concrete block wall were removed, with improper re-support work in place. Rusted oil tanks resting on wood blocks in the dirt outside the house. Rusted electrical boxes, amateur wiring, rotted second story decks, missing cedar shakes all over the place. This was one of the longest inspections I had ever done. And writing the report took forever because there was so much to document.

As I walked around with the buyers at the end of the inspection, I could tell they were freakin out. They didn't expect that I would find so many problems. I left feeling like they would never consider buying this nightmare.

I told them many times that 'these things can be fixed' and that 'this is typical for a house of this age', but I could not paint a good picture of this house no matter how I tried.

Of course I got snotty comments from two agents which I quickly dismissed. I did my job and felt I earned my pay for the day. And I did not endeavor to 'get hired for the next one' from this couple, as is done by some of my competitors.

I assurred the buyers that anything can be fixed, but how can you possibly bring good news about such a house? When I got home, I removed the imaginary daggers from my back. - Ray