As most of us are aware, there is an increased number of short-sale, repos (and the like) on the market right now. When I am called in to do an inspection on one of these types of homes, I am always leary of what I might, or might not, find--that is, some folks can get pretty dang malicious before moving out of a house. I have seen complete kitchens and bathrooms (cabinets and all) ripped out of the house; all the light fixtures and door hardware removed; all the appliances (including the generator and wood stove) taken; all the heat ducts disconnected in the crawlspace; and the list goes on...

I think the nastiest thing I have found so far has been the two full-sized fish that were tossed up into the attic space. When I popped open the attic access lid, I almost fell over from the stench!

When I told my clients about the fish they laughed and said that it explained why the windows were wide open in that bedroom the first time they looked at the house.

This and other similar experiences are making me consider wearing a full rain suit when traversing the attic and crawlspaces. Yuck!