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The worse closet I've ever seen!

I was browsing through some old pictures and came across BY FAR the worse closet I've seen. So I had to share it. The water heater didn't look so good either. And there was also a pipe leaking under the house. Oh yeah, and did I mention the roof? This was from March 2005. What a great house.

Posted by Joseph Lang - Southern California Home Inspector on 11/09/2007 06:37 PM

Comments (50)

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50 Comments on The worse closet I've ever seen!

NOV

2007

Man - I do REO's all day long and I have never seen one that bad.

That definitely looks like a "fixer-upper" type of home. I've seen plenty of them in my time. I'm sure that mold does wonders for someone who has alergies.

Sean Allen

Ah, what an opportunity. So did the house sell?

Jeff

Kevin, I've seen worse.

Sean, they better have a box of kleenex ;-)

Jeff, I didn't get called for another inspection from the buyers, so I guess so?

Wow, that is really ugly stuff! Hopefully, the buyer who bought it got an excellent deal so they can have some funds for cleanup.

Boy that looks really bad!!

I've had some that not only look bad but smell terrible!!

Lola, some people complain, but you can see why banks require "reserves".

Orlando, I don't remember, but I'm sure the smell couldn't have been too good.

Looks like it could have been some toxic mold happening there, people can get really sick from mold. Stay out of there Joseph. The inspector must have had a field day with this home.

Gross! Was someone actally living there like that? Or was it an empty foreclosure?

Appraiser's nightmare!

Joe... that looks as bad as the ejector pump picture on my recent post.

Blah!

NOV

2007

Elaine, a proper mold test would definitely be needed for that one!

Nancy, I actually don't remember if it was occupied or not. This was from 2005, so I'm not sure if it was a foreclosure.

Alisa, how do you deduct that from your appraised value??

Bob, that ejector pump was gross. I see why you didn't get the serial number off of it.

Joseph, don't you love driving up on an appointment like this. I'm looking at that roof. They actually installed asphalt shingles over top of old rotten wood shingles? Wow. Looks like they covered the back with roof tar. Some people should be just taken out back and shot.

Actually Joseph, I would look for other REO's in similar condition...however, that said, I would probably also call for some inspections, especially on the mold issue. We have a box on the appraisal form CB4 it's called which gives a value based on an extraordinary assumption that the inspections I call out prove that no alterations or repairs are required. IF those inspections require fixing or a lot of work then the value given in the report may not be valid.

Howdy Joseph

Does are some photos you have there. I have to go along with Bill.

Have a good one

Dale

Alisa, I think you would be checking that CB4 box on this one. :)

NOV

2007

Alisa, I didn't know appraisers could call for further inspections, thanks for the info. But doesn't that force you to have knowledge about how a home operates? Are appraisers trained in how a home works: electrical, plumbing, roof, etc? What if you do an appraisal and you don't know the roof needs to be replaced? That could be $5,000-20,000. Do you look at the home inspection report?

Joseph, it is because we are not experts in home inspections that we have that option. IF I see something like that roof or mold I would definitely call for further inspections by the "experts"...

I have looked at home inspection reports but it is normally after I have asked for further inspections...I have even included an entire home inspection report in my report before.

I can't always tell if a roof needs repair or replacing, that's true. I do however look for evidence inside and out that there might be a problem. I do also have a statement that I am not a home inspector and that I do not have that expertise...kind of a CYA clause.

My hat (if I wore one, smile) is off to you home inspection guys....! I'm not crazy about crawl spaces, spiders, etc.

Alisa, thanks for the explanation. I wasn't trying to grill you, I was just curious why home inspectors and appraisers don't work more closely together. It looks like it would be a good combo to me?

NOV

2007

Hey, Joseph! Nice house, so were there any problems?

NOV

2007

Kelly, thanks for the laugh.

MAR

2008

Oh, my goodness! I have never seen such a mess. How can people allow their homes to get into such a state??

MAR

2008

Darleen, if I could answer that question I'd be a millionaire :-) Thanks for stopping by.

MAR

2008

Yes that is pretty bad, what is the price on something like that?

Mary, I never know the price when I do an inspection. But I would hope it was greatly discounted.

Some good looking stuff on that one. Nothing a bit of money and elbow grease couldn't fix.

MAR

2008

Gene, as I look at it, just about anything can be fixed.

APR

2008

Mold is one of those issues that is still pretty scary for most home buyers. Seems like everyone wants an easy fix for this problem, and there really isn't any.

You have to eliminate the moisture source, first and foremost, because mold cannot live without a moisture source. Then the cleanup can be very costly, especially if there is hidden damage behind a wall or ceiling that has to be exposed and dried out before any real repair can even begin.

Some products on the market - (like Moldex) claim to kill mold. However, contaminated moldy building materials (that are porous) should ALWAYS be removed, since mold spores can live inside such materials and go "dormant" but not really be totally dead. Practices such as sealing or painting over molded drywall for instance, should always be discouraged, and replacement recommended instead.

Kevin, regardless of what's protocol (I'm not a qualified mold remediator), I agree with you that for my own piece of mind I would want the material contaminated to be removed. Drywall and insulation are pretty cheap. Good comment.

APR

2008

And to think some will inspect these 'things' for peanuts. Yikes!

Home Inspection Chicago

Erol, great point, I hadn't thought about that.

APR

2008

Thats just a little water clean right up coat of paint you'll never know it was there YEAH RIGHT!!

Looks like the owners will have to strip this back to the studs.

MAY

2008

Steve, that's funny, but seem people really do seem to think a little cleaning and paint will fix anything :-)

Blech, That is nasty. I sure hope that they had a mold and moisture inspection done and had that place remediated before living in there. My lungs hurt just thinking about it!

MAY

2008

John, the sad part is there was an extremely overweight, possibly bed-ridden, man who lived there. Vary sad.

MAY

2008

WOW! Did you find the good part of the house anywhere? What exactly did they want you to inspect for here?

JUN

2008

As an investor, I see nasty, moldy stuff like this and think $$$$ to be made! It is disguisting though.

JUN

2008

Looks like a case for demolition. ;-)

SEP

2008

Great pictures!

SEP

2008

Great pictures. I've been in a number of HUD homes and have seen some terrible conditions. Some of the homes I've been in have really been beaten up!

Yuck!!!

I had an inspection about a month ago, a foreclosure vacant for while, utilities shut off, and trash everywhere. The basement was unbearable, similar to your pics. The buyers called me last week to re-inspect, because they finally got the utilities on. As I pulled up I saw a big dumpster and 2 flatbed trailers full of garbage/debris. Still gave me the Hee Bee - Gee Bees just looking at the trash outside in the daylight.

All part of our job!

Frank Peters
The Home Consultant - Inspection Services
Champaign, Illinois

SEP

2008

Hey Joe;

The light bulb and water heater drain valve look good!

SEP

2008

I would definitely agree with Kevin. Mold can be a very scary issue for a buyer. While the buyer can obtain quotes for repairs and remediation, that cost is only based on what can be seen.

Later there is disclosure of having had mold at some point and even if repairs and remediation was performed it still may cause a red flag for some buyers.

OCT

2008

Those are some scary pictures. I closed a house this summer that had mold all over the crawl space - not a good time :)

JAN

You always have such great photos, I hope you recommended a mold/moisture inspection!

JAN

John, thanksfor the compliment. Mold inspection, yes, but I carry a moisture meter so no need for that, there was definite moisture... and I still remember the odor.