It sounds as if the seller is looking for a sucker. HE knows what he thinks he can move the house for, do you know something he doesn't? Didn't think to.
Figure each thing that you can't look at has got something wrong with it that's going to cost you about $5,000 to fix if you do it yourself, or $10,000 if you hire it done. Is it still a good deal on that basis?
Yeah, I'm sure the fact that the 3 friends are not emotionally involved will mean they can give good opinions as to the state of the foundation, the roof and the furnace! LOL
By the way, did you lift any of the
You're right. Nobody could possibly have anything of value to say, regardless of their background or experience.
sounds like he is a pittsburger, county tax records on the net, hillside homes and depressed prices. in some areas 50 grand can get you a decent home.
sounds like a good deal the buyer bought it to flip, buy low fix up selll and make a profit.
some like me would enjoy the project just dont get in over your head!!
and have fun fixing up houses can be rewarding both $ and more important for self satisfaction..........:)
Where I live $50,000 won't even buy you a small nice duplex, much less a home. By duplex I mean only ONE side.
That gives you a real price, and puts you ahead on time if you do buy it.
But if you start calling experts for parts of the house that are fine, they'll stop coming out.
And termite inspectors only inspect what they can see (no removing of panelling) This house only has one room that is unfinished, so what if the termites had been in the other room?
I'd be quite cautious about whether the house fits what is common and customary in the market. If there are no others like it, then you might have a terrible time selling it later on. It also sounds like a lot of the house was "homemade" by some owner and I'd be quite worried about what was hidden behind the walls. That includes not only construction defects, but also mold.
Mark
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Would I buy it? No.
Should you buy it? Maybe.
Considerations: Worst case scenario, can the house be taken down and the property still be worth the price paid?
Can you live in it for a few years "as is" and do what work is needed? Will that increase the value over cost?
Sounds like it will need some work, perhaps major. Can you handle that emotionally as well as financially?
Not if you pay them for coming out. This happens all the time when smart house shoppers have heating contractors check out furnaces & AC equipment as part of the inspection process. Other trades will do the same.
Very interesting that you should say this. I called the seller, got his voicemail, and left a lengthy explanation of why I wouldn't be pursuing the purchase. I said "If I can't trot the horse, I can' t risk him on the harness." I also said that if he lowered the asking price 20K, to keep my number. I enumerated *all* of the reasons folks on this thread have discussed; and I certainly never expected to hear from him again.
Well, lo and behold, I got an immediate response, saying Why Worry About Plumbing (when there's so little of it)? Yeah, the wiring is 35 years old... (And then nothing about having 35 year old wiring even examined.) You Can Always Take Off a Block of Soffit If You Ever Have to See Into the Attic. Those were his exact words.
Apparently this guy is either much more inept or much more practiced at flipping homes than I thought, and had no reaction whatever to my calling to his attention the fact that the inability to examine even
*ONE* of the home's money-swallowing systems would most likely impact other potential buyers negatively.I am so glad I made this post. Yeah, I suppose I knew what I was going to do all along, but I needed help articulating it. Thanks lots, a.h.r. folks. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
As you look at other houses, don't obsess about the age of the wiring. It's not the age that counts - its how it was done. My house was built in 1956 and has original wiring. The wiring's in gorgeous shape, and except for the garage, it's all original. The way it's bundled and stapled in place, it's obvious the electrician was obsessive about details. By way of comparison, I recently added a new circuit in the basement of a friend's 10 year old house. I found that someone had run 3 wires in one side of a heating duct and out the other.Sharp metal edges, in other words. Idiots.
Heck, I suppose I'd buy something with knob-and-tube if at least a good solid run of it could be examined. A realtor I admire recently took me through another of these bungalows, much more new than the one I posted about. The owner had passed away just that week, and there were still dishes in the sink.
Despite this, I fell in love with the construction and well-maintained place. Then we went down into the huge cellar, and the realtor took a look at the breaker box, and said, "Nope, I want you to pass on this one." The box was Federal Pacific.
All I know is that when I sold my Concrete-Is-Us money pit, I just stood back and let realtors and potential buyers prod, poke, and peel back whatever they wanted (within reason). I don't think it matters what your income or socioeconomic group, but to have major elements of vital systems totally concealed from view-- Well, it's a risk I won't post about here again. Next time I'll remind myself of the caution flags on this thread.
Me, too! This thread has been an interesting read!
U.R. Hosed
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If people would just be honest about this stuff, the results would amaze them. When I bought my first house, the owners said there had been water problems in the basement, and they hadn't been there long enough to figure out why. OK. That satisfied me. The rest of the house was fine. I made sure no water sensitive items were on the basement floor. I knew what to expect. until a spring thaw had occurred and we saw the problem. Took us two years to fix the problem, but we did it.
When I sold my 1992 Ford Taurus, I advertised it as "$1500.00 selling price. Real cost $2500.000 - needs this & that". I had a dozen calls in two days and it was sold on the third. People don't like surprises.
So she should buy a house with knob and tube wiring, because as long as it was done correctly, it's still good? Geesh!
More level headed thinking. On the advice of your attorney, don't hire a home inspector. And then, on the advice of a realtor, walk on a house because of the brand of breaker box. If I were you, I'd give up on buying anything, because you are clueless.
What's knob & tube wiring?
Google must be broken today. I *hate* it when that happens.
Sheesh....I thought that of anyone here, you'd be sure to know what it was. There goes my faith in humanity.
doesn't matter. Yes I would buy it.
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