In my first eight years of being a home inspector, I might have been given a copy of the Seller's Disclosure a grand total of eight times, one per year. I think in the last eight weeks I've received more than eight Seller's Disclosures. I don't know if it's the market, Realtors being better at advising their Clients to actually think about the questions and their answers, or what. Perhaps obviously, when it's a Seller's market and there are twenty offers on your property within the first week, you might not have to disclose a lot. When it's a Buyer's market and your property has been on the market for nine months, different story.

At my 5:30 inspection this morning, the pregnant mom and her husband were concerned about rodents in the attic since the Seller had disclosed that "there were rodents in the attic." Note the past tense. When I got into the attic, here is what I found:

I don't know if the Seller had been in the attic lately and that's why he disclosed that there "were" rodents in the attic, but without addressing the underlying problem of how the rodents are/were getting into the attic, they would come back. The pile of three traps might indicate that the last time the Seller was in the attic, he found no successful traps, so he gathered them up and left them. However, the lone successful trap might indicate that the rodents had returned since the time that the Seller had been up there. In this case, the rodent traps actually were a band-aid since the pathway to entry had not been addressed:

Both of the gable vents in the attic, as well as the attic fan, did not have vent screens, so they were acting like welcome signs to any rodents or birds that might have wanted a nice, cozy home.

Attic vents include vents in the soffits at the roof eaves, gable vents, turbine vents, static vents, and fans. Check those to make sure that your screens are present and undamaged, and remember that rodents specifically have collapsible rib cages, so they can get through the tiniest of holes and gaps.

*****

This week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

1. Foto Friday: Ground squirrel invasion slide show - 6/12/09
2. It's only a fix depending on your viewpoint - 6/11/09
3. WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): One-month old flamingo at the San Diego Zoo - 6/10/09
4. WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): Bottoms up! - 6/10/09
5. Refrigerator recall - Admiral, Amana, Crosley, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef, Maytag, Performa - 6/9/09
6. The house I want to inspect, but I'm not qualified - 6/8/09

Last week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

1. SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): Cat eyes - 6/7/09
2. Camera seller review - 6/6/09
3. Walter Andersen's Garden Nursery garden railroad - 6/5/09
4. Frenetic Friday pop quiz: Foto Friday - 6/5/09
5. Home inspectors could learn from the National Association of Realtors - 6/4/09
6. WWW (Worldless Wednesday with Words): San Diego Zoo cats have it made - 6/3/09
7. Another great Seller disclosure: "There's a leak by the chimney...." - 6/3/09
8. I love it when Clients follow up with me.... - 6/2/09
9. Manic Monday pop quiz: "There is a small roof leak...." - 6/1/09

Previous week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

1. Russel's Gardening Handbook: Grafting - 5/31/09
2. How to easily and naturally keep ants out of your home - 5/31/09
3. SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): S&S (not for the squeamish) - 5/31/09
4. After yesterday's inspection, I'm quite happy to be alive.... - 5/30/09
5. Frenetic Friday pop quiz: Kitchen sink cabinets and electricity - 5/29/09
6. I love it when the Seller's Realtor calls me.... - 5/29/09
7. Thunderstruck Thursday: Commander of the lake - 5/29/09
8. If you're trying to get your ActiveRain comments in for the day.... - 5/28/09
9. Suicide journey leads to a 15th anniversary - 5/26/09
10. Memorial Day for me.... - 5/25/09