I was recently showing properties in Bluestone Estates and one of the properties was a tri-level home at 5816 Sandstone Dr in Durham, NC. The listing has since expired and is not on the market at the moment. I am not a fan of tri-level homes and this one reinforced my ideas about them.
From the outside the house looked like your typical Real Estate Owned (REO) property. Rundown, in need of yard care and so on. Inside it started to really take on a REO look as well as the incumbant problems with tri-level homes. The issue I have with them is that the lower floor is usually below grade. When the walls are below grade they are usually damp and this one was in several different places. With the dampness comes mold, smells and of course the requisite termites. The real concern is that unless you know of the issue it could go unoticed for a period of time and then you have big problems. As you all know us agents can't see behind walls but you know if you can see or feel the dampness there is a whole lot more on the other side you can't see or feel.
Although I am not a home inspector I feel it is my clients best interest to let them know some of the issues that come up with tri-level homes so they can make an informed decision to purchase one. If you are familiar with NC you can have a home inspection during the due diligence (DD) period but if the buyer terminates the contract during the DD period the buyer looses the DD money.
If you are a buyer in the Durham area of NC look me up so that you can purchase a home with some one who is knowledgeble not only in finding homes but also in pointing out potential issues with homes. Don't get stuck on home inspections for issues that can be avoided in the first place. As always this home works real well with my Hometown Hero program.
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