If you remodel-PLAN to keep your PLANS
So, this is such an interesting circumstance that happened to my seller - and obviously to me a few weeks ago. You see below my lovely listing - or at least the pretty mirrored dining room with views to Broad Creek and the Tuesday evening fireworks - but it's now pending so not really my point..............
My sellers purchased this stunning townhome knowing that it had been remodeled quite extensively - no problem, they acquired a bit of a smaller 3rd bedroom on the 2nd floor but also gained a laundry room.
Problem - and the subject of this rambling - is that when the appraiser looked up the master deed, it noted that this particular villa was built as a FULL 3 BEDROOM 3 BATH villa. So what you may say? Well big what. Though my sellers didn't make the changes, when the appraiser reported that there had been 'modifications from the master deed, the lender was requiring the original plans, confirmation that it was done to code, that a proper building permit was pulled, that the regime had been notified (yes, but no exterior work was done so they signed off on it) and that the Town knew about this.
Problem - this is now 2015 - my sellers had purchased it 2 years ago, those people had owned it for 2 yers and sold it to my folks, those previous folks had purchased it in 2004, from people who had actually made the modifications in 1999. Remember I'm in a 2nd home area - people don't hang around here - or they sell one thing and move on to another.
So, after calling the last two listing and selling agents then going through the county records to find the previous three owners - and having SUCH a lovely lady in Connecticut (one of the former owners) try to help me only to say that the people who made the changes in 1999 apparently the lady now lives in the South of France - thought seriously about going there to check this out - and not sure about the husband's whereabouts WHEW - we finally found the plans in the archives in the Town of Hilton Head Head.
So, the moral of this long very sad story - and still hoping for a closing- is PLEASE KEEP YOUR PLANS, and know where to find them. This circumstance nearly cost my sellers a sale.
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