"Would You Buy This House?"

Uh yea sounds like some issues with the home!

Tom Davis - Realtor in DE

Be afraid, be very afraid... I would not want the possible liability.  With so many homes on the market why take the chance.  It would have to be a great price to make it worthwhile.

David, I think that you did a great job advising them.  I would have to say that it would have to be an incredible bargain in order to take on the remediation of those problems.

David, I try to deflect these comments back to them.  I tell them my background---that I can and have corrected all of these problems (and worse) as a builder.  Because of that it wouldn't be meaningful for me to give an opinion unless they were capable of making the repairs themself as well.  (Of course if they could do that they probably wouldn't need my opinion:)

David,

I tell them I am here to provide them with the information to make their decision on wether they want to buy the house. I can not make up their minds for them for I do not know what they may be comfortable taking on.

Have these folks contracted on the house or was this a "pre contract" inspection. If they have contracted on the home They need to be told to refer to their contract for direction, They may or may not be able to back out at this point.

 If I was the seller I would say that the roof does not leak and that the plumbing is in working order (at least the inspection hasn't shown otherwise) Of course if I was the buyer I would insist on vents and  a vapor barrior being installed in the crawl space and a further inapection of the mold issue (Id want to know if that mold in the attic is dead or alive)

I answer much like James said. Tell them that I cannot answer the question for them but that I will provide them with detailed information so they can make an informed decision.

Here is the west northwest we see a fair bit of attic mold. Heavy mold is often the result of lack of roof vents but, when a crawl space is that wet, it would not be at all surprising to find that much of the humidity in the attic is coming from the soaking wet crawl space. Water evaporates up and keeps right on going. If it cannot get out of the attic, there it stays. The solution to this problem looks to be many fold, no single quick fix.

I am with James and Steven on this one. Great Post.

Well- in usual home inspector bravado, this thread is already full of the "you shouldas" and "I woudas" I won't add to the tradition that requires so much one-up-manship when you get two or more HI's together.

I will say that we are seeing more and more of these issues, especially in winterized or unoccupied properties. Whats more, the dirt floor in the basement or crawl is a real problem. Moisture-rich air from the basement or crawl often migrates to the attic where it condenses into liquid. Of course, that is the paradoxical nature of attic ventilation.  I do agree, unvented crawlspaces make better scientific sense as long as there is a vapor barrier and the space is adequately conditioned with house air. When I teach HI's, I often spend the better part of a day on moisture migration, crawlspace ventilation and insulation etc. It is very easy for a home owner to screw this one up, and the implications can be drastic.  

John

Hello David, You are the Man,

Based on your comments the home was solid. For me that is the key. Either I believe the house to be solid or it needs evaluated by a structural engineer. I try not to make any further comment regarding the structure except for the variances that you mentioned for fear of throwing the client off-track. NOW, "If the water/electrical issues are resolved" as you stated then you have been exactly on-track as far as I am concerned. There are far to many alarmists out here who create more of a problem than exists. Everything is correctable in home. Of course, IF you feel that an issue exists then you have to say something, that is our job. What you have done with what you have told us is right on the money. Keep up the good work. Oh Yeh, I never tell anyone I would buy a house of this is a good deal. I think a person is just asking for trouble with comments like these.

Blessings on you

Hello David, I experience this quit often in your same market area, I know how you feel. Your report, pics, and sound advise during the inspection will help make the buyers decision. Turn the question around back at them. My response- You know Mr or Mrs. Home buyer, My wife and I had to make a similar decision many years ago, look at your report and digest the facts, I'm sure you will make the wright decision. This response works great, they normally move to a different subject. Last week I was asked that question 3 times! Definitely puts us in a unique situation, liability etc...