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Buffalo, NY Home Inspector states some Appraisers are walking down that Slippery Slope - Part 2 of 3

By John Villella

Home Inspector with All Pro Home Inspection & Household Environmental Services, Ltd. NYS Lic# 16000006356

January 25, 2010 10:50 AM

Buffalo, NY Home Inspector John Villella, owner of All Pro Home Inspection talks about some appraisers walking down a slippery slope.

This is the part 2 of 3 where I take a look at what some appraisers are doing in the Western New York market and in my opinion are walking that slippery slope. To recap a bit - I recently have noticed some appraisers in Western New York that refuse to make a decision or are not competent to make an educated decision. For example - not knowing if a basement stairway is stable (covered in Part 1), not understanding a moisture penetration issue in the basement of a 148 year old home, and the most alarming issue recently is the lack of the necessary tools to complete the appraisal process. These examples are just a few issues that I have had to deal with over the past few months to assist my clients in keeping deals moving forward.

Now, let's take a look at a moisture penetration issue that resulted in the termination of a contract because this appraiser called for a complete structural review of the foundation wall and a review of a water penetration by a waterproofing contractor. Let me set the scene - we have a 148 year old home with a rock/stone foundation with no drain tile or sump present. The property disclosure statement stated the basement would get some seasonal moisture. FYI - this is common situation to see in my market where older homes. We had 16 inches of snow on the ground and had a few days of warm temperatures with some rain. The appraisal was ordered during this warm up time period and when the appraiser entered the basement dampness was present on the rear foundation wall and floor area at the edge of the wall.

Backup a week - during the inspection it was reported that the exterior slope at the rear of home the home had negative drainage and needed to be corrected to promote positive water flow away from the foundation wall. Also, the gutter/downspouts at this area needed extensions to drain water away from the foundation. There was a reference in the report about stains (dry, at the time of inspection) on the wall and floor areas. In our inspection report for our older homes that we inspect it is common practice to use a statement about older homes not having drain tile and sump pumps present and that it is common to see some type of seasonal moisture penetration in the basement. Although any water penetration should be considered a potential problem or concern and that repair solutions should be considered. In this case adding extensions to the downspouts and improving the exterior grade would have be the first step to improve to help prevent water penetration.

OK, for you critics out there - yes, there was moisture in the basement, but you have to use commonsense and understand the type and age of home that is being inspected or appraised. After hearing from the buyer's agent about the termination of the contract I asked him to meet me at the home so I could get a look at the problem. The corner of the foundation was damp and if the appraiser would have taken the time to walk to the rear of the home he would have seen the main reason for the moisture penetration. Sadly, because the appraiser couldn't make an educated decision and was more worried about liability and requested further review and action, neither the seller or buyer wished to pay for these reviews and the put up with unneeded repairs the deal was DOA for no reason.

This was Part 2 of 3 regarding appraisers operating on a slippery slope. Stay tuned for tomorrow's final segment that will absolutely have you wondering what is going in the real estate industry.

Buffalo, NY Home Inspector John Villella, owner of All Pro Home Inspection, has been providing both residential and commercial property inspection services. Remember, All Pro Home Inspection is WNY's Home of the Original 200% Home Inspection Satisfaction Guarantee.... call John with any questions at 716-772-2548 or email at john@allprohomeinspection.com.

All Pro Home Inspection is dedicated to providing you "peace of mind" by educating you to understand the condition of your home. All Pro Home Inspection offers Niagara County home inspection services to not only Niagara County, but to all of Western New York's communities. We understand the stress that is involved in the Buying, Selling, and the Moving process...That is why when your All Pro Home Inspection is complete, you will have...