Robert Gable
10-27-2009, 09:19 AM
Hello again,
I wrote in last week regarding the excessive expansion joint we saw
on a house we had put a bid on. After hearing several opinions on it,
we decided to pass on the house and look for another. We actually
went out to see it last weekend and the crack runs from the ridgeline
all the way down to the bathroom window! Guess we should've been
more diligent, but glad the inspector caught it.
Well, we have found another in Wylie, TX, and like it enough to put
a bid on it. We looked at the tax appraisal for the home (it is in Rockwall
county) and noticed that it's appraised value went from 145K in 2007
to 122K in 2008. I asked my wife to call the tax appraisers office and ask
why the large drop in value.
They told her that it may have dropped in value because of the housing market crash, but they also mentioned that the house had went from a
"good masonry" grade to an "average masonry" grade. I asked her to clarify with an actual appraiser to find out what that meant. No answer
from them yet, so that is why I'm asking this forum their thoughts.
Could the drop in the rating mean that the brick quality has deteriorated
some, or could it be that the mortaring has degraded? Maybe the mortaring was not done properly when the house was constructed. I did a
cursory look at the walls and didn't notice anything obvious, but I'm not
exactly qualified to spot good or bad mortaring or bricks..
Details on the house: built in 2005, one story, slab foundation, owners use
a soaker hose to keep the foundation soil moist.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your replies-
Bob
I wrote in last week regarding the excessive expansion joint we saw
on a house we had put a bid on. After hearing several opinions on it,
we decided to pass on the house and look for another. We actually
went out to see it last weekend and the crack runs from the ridgeline
all the way down to the bathroom window! Guess we should've been
more diligent, but glad the inspector caught it.
Well, we have found another in Wylie, TX, and like it enough to put
a bid on it. We looked at the tax appraisal for the home (it is in Rockwall
county) and noticed that it's appraised value went from 145K in 2007
to 122K in 2008. I asked my wife to call the tax appraisers office and ask
why the large drop in value.
They told her that it may have dropped in value because of the housing market crash, but they also mentioned that the house had went from a
"good masonry" grade to an "average masonry" grade. I asked her to clarify with an actual appraiser to find out what that meant. No answer
from them yet, so that is why I'm asking this forum their thoughts.
Could the drop in the rating mean that the brick quality has deteriorated
some, or could it be that the mortaring has degraded? Maybe the mortaring was not done properly when the house was constructed. I did a
cursory look at the walls and didn't notice anything obvious, but I'm not
exactly qualified to spot good or bad mortaring or bricks..
Details on the house: built in 2005, one story, slab foundation, owners use
a soaker hose to keep the foundation soil moist.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your replies-
Bob