Water Intrusion_No Problem she says

[Rick Hurst]

Lets just say the drainage around this townhome was less than ideal. The driveway sloped towards the garage and the soil around the foundation sloped towards the structure.

Spent time explaining all these issues to her and but yet she still turns around to the agent and says, "I'll take it. The payment will still be cheaper than my apartment rent.":eek:

Some people you just can't help.

rick

[Ron Bibler]

And you found all that without an Infrared Camera...:D

Best

Ron

[Rick Hurst]

Ron,

You don't need one to be able to tell you whats going on inside those wall voids. Experience has taught me that.

All the paint peeling off the garage ceiling is a clue also.

rick

[Nick Ostrowski]

Think of how much water and money she'll save by bathing in the garage. That's what I call a win-win.

[Rick Hurst]

Nick,

I suggested that she stock it with some catfish.:D

[Bruce Breedlove]

For some reason I keep thinking of the idiom "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."

[Michael Thomas]

This sort of buyer scares the heck out of me - I would try to get her to sign an addendum to your contract listing your concerns and stating that she understands them.

[Mark Tran]

People who make stupid decisions like this, are the same people who try to take us to court claiming they weren't inform :rolleyes:

[Stacey Van Houtan]

You all act like you have the full discloure on her decesion making process.

She may get the house 50% below market

she may have a brother in the Foundation/waterproofing business.

This house would have less libility than Grey area defect house

You can write this up with the strongest language and attach photos

If she takes no action after the suggestions I doubt any judge or abitration board would hold the HI accountable

I purchsed (a stupid decesion as some have said) homes in worse condition than this and doubled my money in 3 months.

[Mark Tran]

Okay maybe I shouldn't of said stupid but its very scary when you have a client that doesn't know how much of a deep whole that person is in. It doesn't matter what kind of deal you are getting from the house. There are so many questions that person should of asked herself/himself before signing those papers.

How long has this been going on? Has the water been there long enough to rot out the structure? How much would it coast to fix or replace drainage pipes and to reslope the driveway, add a catch basin, I mean this list doesn't stop. The worse scenario the house could be unsafe to live in. All these problems are possible don't you think? So why not take the time to investigate and see if the house is even fixable. Whats a good deal if you're buying a rotten house? :confused:

I know a lot of you guys will have different opinions on this but as an inspector I think most would have an unease feeling when a client of yours decides to purchase a house in this condition.

[David OKeefe]

I have a question. Do garage photo eye censers still work underwater?

[David Bell]

Did the place come with a dock?

[James Vincent]

Im just wondering if her agent suggested she purchase flood insurance or at the least some good SCUBA equipment :D

[Jerry Peck]

You guys have no idea how many homes she looked at trying to find one with an indoor Koi pond ... :eek:

[chris mcintyre]

What is the difference between Texas and Florida? :D



...... stock it with some catfish.:D


...... an indoor Koi pond ... :eek:

[stanley frost]

Maybe this house qualifies for a sub panel.

[Bruce King]

I purchsed (a stupid decesion as some have said) homes in worse condition than this and doubled my money in 3 months.

I hope you disclosed the issues to your buyer since you have now posted this in a public forum.

[imported_John Smith]

Im surprised she bought it with the water heater sitting on the floor and no protective bollards.

Having had my personal house flood once during TS Allison where I had ~2" of water come in, I would never buy a house that I knew was subject to water intrusion, no matter how cheap. Its a major PITA and eveytime it rains hard you think you are going to get it again.

[John Goad]

Is that a drain to the right of the garage door?

[john f miller]

Are cap blocks required on concrete block crawlspace foundation?

[Rick Hurst]

I hope you disclosed the issues to your buyer since you have now posted this in a public forum.

Bruce, Go back and re-read my post. You'll see that I stated I discussed "all of these issues" to her.:rolleyes:

rick

[Rick Hurst]

John,

Not a drain, its a water shut-off box.

rick

[Erby Crofutt]

Rick, Bruce was talking to Stacy.

-

[Jerry Peck]

Rick, Bruce was talking to Stacy.

The Stacy who said, for all to read:


I purchsed (a stupid decesion as some have said) homes in worse condition than this and doubled my money in 3 months.

See why I see a resemblance between him and TM? :rolleyes: :)

[CHARLIE VAN FLEET]

stacey or stacy

your spelling is really bad. spell check please. or are you trying to text ???

charlie

[Stacey Van Houtan]

I don't consider a forum such as this to be as formal as my reports, on the other hand, i do want to be understood and I must admit I get in a hurry and do not proof my work product. I did try to spell check twice, both times my entire post was erased. I will try it again.

And yes I do fully disclose any and all info i have on any house I sell or rent.

Stacey (show me) Van Houtan

[Rick Cantrell]

"I did try to spell check twice, both times my entire post was erased."

Stacey
Same thing happens to me.
EVERYTIME I click spellcheck, then click "Submit" I lose everything I wrote.
I have found a way around this.

Click on Spellcheck
Make corrections.

Do not click "Submit" yet.

Next, click Spellcheck again (Turns it off)

Then Click at the beginning of the post.
(Flashing cursor before first letter of first word)

Now click on an emoticon (no kidding)

Now delete the emoticon

Now click "Submit

I have no idea why Spellcheck is a problem, but it has always been.
I don't how I figured out the work around.

[Dana Bostick]

Im surprised she bought it with the water heater sitting on the floor and no protective bollards.

Having had my personal house flood once during TS Allison where I had ~2" of water come in, I would never buy a house that I knew was subject to water intrusion, no matter how cheap. Its a major PITA and eveytime it rains hard you think you are going to get it again.

Looks like an electric W/H, no bollard required me thinks. Also no need to raise it for the same reason. It is not "in the path of a vehicle" either. Of course that assumes a sober driver and no ice on the floor.:rolleyes:

[Rick Cantrell]

"Looks like an electric W/H, no bollard required me thinks."
Incorrect

" Also no need to raise it for the same reason."
Incorrect.

"It is not "in the path of a vehicle" either."
Are we looking at the photo?

[Jim Hintz]

Lets just say the drainage around this townhome was less than ideal. The driveway sloped towards the garage and the soil around the foundation sloped towards the structure.

Spent time explaining all these issues to her and but yet she still turns around to the agent and says, "I'll take it. The payment will still be cheaper than my apartment rent.":eek:

Some people you just can't help.

rick

"SHE" being the key word.

[John Kogel]

You're mighty lucky to get that one during a wet spell. :D

Bet you forgot to recommend life jackets for everybody. Tsk tsk, they'll be gunning for you after the next monsoon.

[Rick Hurst]

John,

Even if the water hadn't been there, the half inch of silt on the floor was enough to know a problem existed. She actually called me today and said her friend (a framer?) looked at it over the weekend and suggested that she pour a concrete curb at the front of the garage entrance. She wanted to know if that was a good suggestion.

Hell NO! was my response.:D

rick

[Ted Menelly]

The Stacy who said, for all to read:



See why I see a resemblance between him and TM? :rolleyes: :)


I just noticed that Mr Jerry. I guess I am going to be the Jerry police on you from now on. I have refrained from pointing out spelling mistakes, poorly chosen words, left out words but if we must do this maybe I will think of throwing your corrections back to you so you can see how many (a plethora) a times you screw words up and misspelled other.

On this forum I could care less. In the real world is where it matters. This is a pass time not a job.

And then there is that little comment to wards others now and then like they cannot see and hear you that gets seriously annoying as well.

Oh well. Like I said, its a past time as in I am doing several other things while reading and responding or adding to this forum so I really do not care. A word here and a word there a poorly chosen phrase here and there as in everyone does it all the time.... Who cares

And about the playing spell police. I do not have the time or patience for that either.

[Jerry Peck]

And about the playing spell police. I do not have the time or patience for that either.


Ted,

Put your police outfit on if it makes you feel better, but when you are through playing policeman, be a good boy and put the play clothes back in the dresser drawer and get out the teacher outfit your daddy made for you, then read the post, this time reading the content ... :rolleyes:

I was not pointing out his spelling, heck, as I recall even TM is not too bad on SPELLING, but it was the CONTENT which I was referring to ... TM minimalist inspection type. :rolleyes:

[Ted Menelly]

stacey or stacy

your spelling is really bad. spell check please. or are you trying to text ???

charlie

Not just to you Charlie but seriously...you and everyone on here.....telling someone else that they are a REALLY bad speller or poor grammar or word choice or missed words................seriously folks ya'll need to check yourselves at he door about saying anything to anyone else about such items. Every single one of you is guilty of such and ya'll (is that how you spell that) know it quite well.

[Jim Hintz]

Are we professionals or a bunch school children fighting on a plaground during recess? Come on fellas, nobody is perfectly flawless, we all make mistakes - just have to man up enough to admit it. :D

[MaMa Mount]

Jim, since i'm not a fella i must correct you on the improper spelling of playground. You have praground in your sentence.:p

[Jim Hintz]

MaMa - pray and don't criticize :D

[archivoyeur]

...Having had my personal house flood once during TS Allison where I had ~2" of water come in....

Dude- 2"?? Allison made a huge mess in some places. You lucked out with 2".

Here's what this buyer needs to install, based on the looks of it. Coincidentally these guys invented this flood gate because of TS Allison. I had the opportunity to install one on a business recently. It is the cat's A$$ - so cool!

However home buyer will need this all the way around her house...
YouTube - FLOOD BREAK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmkWiRmciM0)

[Glenn Duxbury]

Hi ALL &

* "Dontcha" just feel offended - when you've done your very best & pointed-out something HUGE like that to 'serve and protect' & Client seems to just ignore it ???

Reminds me of a house on a very steep slope - with foundation cracked on both sides of a downhill corner (both crackes badly v-shaped) & after pointing out this one is "going places...", Client responds 'yeah, but I still like it and my brother can prob. fix this'...

You could have knocked me over with a whisper & had to re-state "you do understand what I've just pointed out & that most folks would've normally run away so fast, they just about overlooked paying me...


CHEERS !

[Nick Ostrowski]

I gotta say, I really don't care if somebody chooses to ignore every STOP sign I wave at them during an inspection and ignore the mounting costs it is going to run into to correct all the defects. I'll give clients an out to end the inspection early and save some money when things look horrendous. But, what does bother me is when they choose to forge ahead with the purchase of a money pit, do nothing to get corrections made to the most important or costly items, and then I get a call a month or two later a few days prior to settlement because the mortgage company has misgivings about the property and somebody wants me to try and smooth things over or rehash the inspection.

One particularly frustrating situation like this happened last year. The buyer thanked me up and down for a thorough and detailed report and her Dad who attended the inspection gave me a tip. But when Urban Housing and Develpment who was providing her the loan asked for the inspection report, they told the buyer she needed to get everything fixed. EVERYTHING. Both her and her realtor badgered me and asked what HAS to be fixed. I told them that it's not my call. If the lender wants something fixed, that's their choice. I was a savior at the inspection but I later turned into a pariah because I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear.

Buy the house, don't buy the house. I really don't care. But don't come to me when all the warning signs have been ignored and you run into the inevitable roadblock. Makes me want to rethink telling my clients that phone consultation is always free and that they can always call or e-mail me with questions.

[Rick Hurst]

Nick,

I found out this morning that this particular home on this thread I started just got "killed" by the FHA inspector. Seems no one wanted to pay for the "water heater" to be elevated off the garage floor.

Not a single word they claim did "FHA inspector" say about water penetration.:eek:

My next question is why would a realtor lose a deal over a few hundred bucks cost on elevating a water heater? Couple years ago, an agent would have paid for a new water heater and got the deal closed.

Not anymore. I guess money is tight for them.

rick

[Bruce Breedlove]

My next question is why would a realtor lose a deal over a few hundred bucks cost on elevating a water heater? Couple years ago, an agent would have paid for a new water heater and got the deal closed.


Ain't it the truth?

A few years ago I did a radon test on a house that was probably in the $800k range. The buyers and sellers got into a pi$$ing match over the results of the radon test and the deal fell apart because of radon (if you can believe it). I could not understand why one (or both) of the agents did not step up to the plate and foot the bill for a radon mitigation system that would have cost at the most $2,000. The agents allowed the deal to fall apart and lost out on $24,000 or more in commissions EACH. I would gladly spend $2,000 to make $24,000 any day. That is what is called being pragmatic.

pragmatic - more concerned with practical results than with theories and principles