Thread: Famous Last Words

Before my inspection today, the buyer's agent said "The house is 3 years old. What could be wrong?"

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More gems.

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

...the buyer's agent said "The house is 3 years old. What could be wrong?"...

Don't they know that saying something like that is just a challenge? That agent couldn't have been in the game very long.

I agree with John, never ever challenge a home inspector, especially with words such as; “its been beautifully maintained, all work was done with permit so there can’t be any problems,” and/or “its brand new so I don't know why your here?”

"debris inside panel"

Yeah, metal NM cable staple!

I always loved it when they said "You won't find anything wrong with this house ... ", they really must not know the meaning of "visual inspection" ...

Gotta love it when they start you off with that statement.

What's with the rafter in the basement???

Picky, picky, picky..............

It's people like you that give some HIs the "deal killer" tag.

Couldn't you let it slide?

Ok.. just in case the funny faces don't state it...

The previous comments were made tongue in cheek.....

btw... loved the staple.....

Forwarded yesterday by a client for my comment, from the sellers attorney, in response to my report that an egress window in a 5' deep well was installed in an oversize opening, which had then been reduced in size with unpainted pressure treated 2x4"s, which are sitting with their lower ends in the wet debris at the bottom of the well:

(6) There is no rot on the windows and no need to replace. Womanized wood was used, which is rot proof.

Nick,

Is that a "shimmed rafter" (as labeled) or a shimmed josit shown in the second and third pictures - I ask as it appears to be bearing on a foundation wall...

Rot Proof????????????
Actually, rot resistant, not rot proof.

Who knows... perhaps "Womanized" lumber is "rot proof"

You are correct Michael. The proper terminology in that pic should have been "shimmed joist". I guess I was going batty from documenting so many issues in a 3 year old house.

Can womanized lumber only be installed by a woman? Is that what makes it womanized?

Nick,

Courious to hear what you stated about the first picture in the second post (the B vent with the 2 connections).

Originally Posted by Michael Thomas

Forwarded yesterday by a client for my comment, from the sellers attorney, in response to my report that an egress window in a 5' deep well was installed in an oversize opening, which had then been reduced in size with unpainted pressure treated 2x4"s, which are sitting with their lower ends in the wet debris at the bottom of the well:

(6) There is no rot on the windows and no need to replace. Womanized wood was used, which is rot proof.

Make Him Prove it's Wolmanized Pressure Treated Lumber, or the Home Inspection Report stands as is.

Darren, in addition to the condensate stains on the flue pipe, the vent also did not have adequate clearance to combustibles and the bottom vent pipe is for the water heater with the furnace entering the main stack above it. Pretty much a bad installation all the way around.

The other "Kiss of Death" is when the Realtor says "It was inspected by so and so , three months ago". You won't find anything wrong!

Automatic deal killer statements by the Realtor:

1. "You wont' find nothing wrong with this home, it was built for the builder himself.

2. You won't find any termites here, the home was treated by ORKIN.

3. The sellers are meticulous type people.

4. You should be in and out of this one in 30 minutes, its in such good shape.

rick

"You should be in and out of this one in 30 minutes, its in such good shape."

Just booked an inspection for this evening off the web site from a buyer who wanted an inspection "in two hours or less". (I explained that my inspections take as long as is required to properly inspect the property).

Realtor (I've inspected other of her listing and sales, she's a reasonable person, if not very sophisticated as regards property condition) called to ask if I could change the time.

I asked about the property... she described it as 'crumbly".

CRUMBLY???

Somehow, I suspect it's not gonna' be a "two hour" inspection....

"Just booked an inspection for this evening off the web site from a buyer who wanted an inspection "in two hours or less"

Should be easy enough to answer that question. As others have stated here, regarding costs, Your answer would be along the lines of....

"Sure, I can do that, Which part of the Inspection would you like me to leave out?"

Hope once it's done, you come back with a definition of " crumbly", LOL

Jim,

As I was driving to my first appt. this morning I thought of Michael's comment about "crumbly" when I spoted this old home.

Hope this isn't what he had to inspect.

rick

Just booked an inspection for this evening off the web site from a buyer who wanted an inspection "in two hours or less". (I explained that my inspections take as long as is required to properly inspect the property).

My first question to the buyer would be "why" in two hours or less?
Since I don't charge by the hour, a time limit would make no sense to me on the buyers part.
I have had sellers and realtors take me to task over taking too long, but never a buyer.

Is that duct tape holding the B-Vent in place? Real estate agents call those types of comments "priming the inspector". I appreciate them very much. They prime me perfectly!

Randy, it's actually a metal strap but it does look like duct tape in the pic.

Originally Posted by Jim Zborowski

Hope once it's done, you come back with a definition of " crumbly", LOL

You know, "crumbly", as in "the parts of the house that you can still find are crumbling".

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

My first question to the buyer would be "why" in two hours or less?
Since I don't charge by the hour, a time limit would make no sense to me on the buyers part.
I have had sellers and realtors take me to task over taking too long, but never a buyer.

Turned out what the buyers really wanted was a "walk and talk" to hit the major exterior, roofing and structural issues before they made a bid (I can't do this in Illinois, where we are required to provide a written report).

Everything worked out once everyone understood that it was not the time per se they wanted to limit, but rather the scope of the initial inspection.

I see, and I would also agree with the description of the house, "Crumbly"
does seem to fit!

This looks like Crumbly Asbestos .

(or maybe what use to be drywall ? )

Originally Posted by Billy Stephens

This looks like Crumbly Asbestos .

(or maybe what use to be drywall ? )

It's some type of 1/2" 1920's Celotex-like insulation board.

------------

This was was actually one of the oddest structures I've ever inspected, but most of those aspects are either stuff that was excluded from the scope of the inspection or that don't show up well in pictures - this little "coach house" was built at one corner of a very large lot by a doctor as a place to live while he built the main house... but it was built in 1920s and the depression got the better of his edifice complex,

Supposedly, he built it all himself, and I can believe it; it's a whole-house Harry Homeowner special, ridge to slab.

But I do gotta' say, it's got "character".