Home Inspection Nightmare!!

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This weep hole brick thing is insane. I walked around my subdivision with houses built from 1993-2005 and NONE of them have weep holes in the brick. Went to a nearby subdivision that has several new houses for sale. NO weep holes in any of them. Spoke to a construction foreman working on a house that was about half done. He doesn't put weep holes in ANY houses he builds....this is making me crazy!!!!!
 
Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
daddi...Replace bricks with ones with weep holes $$$$$$. Holes can be made... [/quote said:
It just seems that with this company and inspector I would never win. Putting in holes would just open up another can of worms!!
Click to expand...
 
I would consider fixing the cracked driveway, and applying a coat of sealer on it for starters. You can also hire an engineer who is now working for you to advise you of repairs you should make in order to sell the house. That report and proof of the repairs might help you sell the house. Or you can always hope for someone who really loves the house and will overlook issues their engineer points out, or adjust the price down for the buyer to make the repairs themselves.

Right now its a buyers market in a bad economy. You can also hope for a buyer who doesn't get an engineers report. It all boils down to how soon you want out!
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The inspector was doing his job, inspecting the property and pointing out issues. If he ignored those issues he would not be giving the potential buyer and honest report.
If I were you I'd pay a general contractor and HVAC contractor to come in and give an estimate and opinion on the repairs. The inspector is only an inspector, looking in from the outside. Having a professional come in and look will give a real credible opinion on the inspector's findings.

IMHO structural repairs aren't arguable if they are deficient. Cosmetic stuff like concrete cracks are debatable.

EDIT: If you do get a contractor to come look make sure they are not affiliated with any of the other parties. You need an impartial report on your side.

In my opinion he went OVER his job duties and advised replacement of items when a repair would be all that was needed. Being that his word is 'gospel' to the relocation people, you would think he would have taken it a tad bit easier and simply advised repair or fixing the items...not outright replacement as the only option for these poor homeowners.
 
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I am closing on a house on the 25th. It is my first house.

It is the job of the Inspector to INSPECT the house and find ANY LITTLE NUANCE that it out of spec or COULD be an issue.

The house we are buying was built in 1978, it is 31 years old. It has some issues. So what? Every house has issues.
It has had foundation work and work done from Termites. Guess what, their are 2 kinds of houses in North Texas. Those that HAVE HAD Foundation work and Termites, and those that WILL HAVE Foundation work and Termites.

I have had a professional Foundation guy come out and take a look at the work done to the slab. He said he approved.

The Inspector we had gave us a 15 page report on what was "wrong" with our house. It was 15 pages of fluff. The house has been there for 31 years. If it was going to cave in due to termite damage, fall into an sink hole, be blasted to bits by a gas leak, then wash away due to cracked pipes, it probably would of already done it.
Its in a nice neighborhood and is a nice house.

This is our first house, and luckily for us it is a buyers market. It is too bad that you are trying to sell. Don't worry about the Inspector, he was doing what he was paid to do by finding every little "problem" and "issue" he could.

I got a more expensive inspector cause I had heard great things about him, I paid $295 for him. If you want another inspection call around and ask questions.

I also agree with the idea of calling a Structural engineer. Where I am from 4 beams stacked and screwed are stronger than 1 beam the same diameter. This is due to cross grain variation and that one boards weak point is another board's strong point. Alot of the longer 2x4s and 2x8s that are mitered together to add lengh stronger points are actually at the joints for this reason.

You could have gotten a guy who was new, or just didn't have a good day.
 
I don't mind having any inspector or engineer look at the house, I have nothing to hide. It's just these nit picky EXPENSIVE repairs. Most of the other write ups are your usual repairs...GFI outlet not working...cracked ceramic tile...nail pops in ceiling.. etc. Ac working too well...my ac guy (who is very reputable) about had a heart attack on that one. Never heard that in over 30 years in the biz.
 
home inspection is a scam to make a quick buck . We had inspection done for the house we live in and found many things wrong with the home when we moved in . It was a waste of $250 . Live and learn . This was the time when the market went through the roof with overinflated prices for cr*ppy homes . Many homes ( including ours ) at that time should have been $30,000 less . So many are paying the price thanks to the greed of realtors ( who suggest the prices to the seller ) , the appraisers , and the loaners who followed the green ( $ ) brick road . Makes us both so *#@! mad .
 
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It seems like this is the way relo would like it to play out.

1 Find desperate folks who need to sell thier house.(we're almost there)

2 Get lowball apparaisal.

3 Get a through inspection write up every issue and some non issues.

4 Get homewowners to spend thousands on repairs and new items for home thereby draining homeowners savings.

5 Buy home well below market value from desperate homeowners, that has been totally reconditioned and looks new.

6 Sell home a few months later, for a handsome profit, touting the fact that the previous homeowners replaced "just about' everything. And the home is in amazing condition.

7 Look for next desperate homeowner, repeat.
 
Originally Posted By: ravenchris
Talk to a lawyer. These people have you right where they want you.



Well, I don't think that's going to make a difference. I think it's the buyer's right to demand this under the terms of the relocation agreement.

The flip side of the coin is that the relocation agent (whomever it is) will tend to invert that "self protection" into screwing you for every dime that they can. That is, "self interest" in how their agency (if it's not farmed out) performed in avoided costs.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: ravenchris
Talk to a lawyer. These people have you right where they want you.



Well, I don't think that's going to make a difference. I think it's the buyer's right to demand this under the terms of the relocation agreement.

What is the flip side of the coin is that the relocation agent (whomever it is) will tend to invert that "self protection" into screwing you for every dime that they can. That is, "self interest" in how their agency (if it's not farmed out) performed in avoided costs.


+1..exactly
 
Originally Posted By: smokey1
home inspection is a scam to make a quick buck . We had inspection done for the house we live in and found many things wrong with the home when we moved in . It was a waste of $250 .

In our case, in addition to the home inspection, we requested to have radon testing done. As it turned out, radon levels were elevated above allowable norms. Installation of radon mitigation system cost $1,000, and I'm glad we weren't the ones that had to foot the bill for it.

As for the home inspection itself, there weren't any major issues, but whatever the minor issues were, the cost of bringing them up to standard easily exceeded the $300 cost of the inspection fee. This was a new home, by the way.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I'm still pretty worked up over this one. It's almost 5 PM maybe time for a cold one.
 
If left no recourse, lower your price to account for the differences to the same net. You won't see any more money/less loss, but you screw them out of their cash cow.

Sometimes the consolation prize is all you get.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The one that really stumps me is the 'too cold' air conditioners.


This is the one that kills me also. If it is functioning how can it be too cold?

John
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The one that really stumps me is the 'too cold' air conditioners.


This is the one that kills me also. If it is functioning how can it be too cold?

John


I don't understand it either. Seems the older I get the less I understand. In talking with the relo company about the
AC this is their response, cut and pasted

Regarding the question surrounding the air conditioner the industry
standards regarding the central air conditioner unit are between 14-20
degree temperature differential. Anything higher could mean that there is
a mechanical malfunction. The fact that the unit is blowing cold air is a
good thing, however the fact that it is blowing much colder than what is
required could mean the unit is over working itself, which could indicate a
mechanical issue or concern

Mine checked out at 22 F difference over ambient temp. My AC guy says that some of the new super high eff. will have almost a 29 F difference.

My AC guy said the only way to get it warmer would be to slowly take freon out of the system all the while monitoring the temp at the vents until the 14-20 difference is achieved.
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The one that really stumps me is the 'too cold' air conditioners.


This is the one that kills me also. If it is functioning how can it be too cold?

John



He may have been checking the heat temperature if it was a heat pump. If he was checking the AC temp thsn he is quite a fool.
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The one that really stumps me is the 'too cold' air conditioners.


This is the one that kills me also. If it is functioning how can it be too cold?

John



He may have been checking the heat temperature if it was a heat pump. If he was checking the AC temp thsn he is quite a fool.


He checked it the same way my AC guy does. Digital thermometer check ambient temp then placing the probe in the duct for a minute or so for output temps. System is conventional central air with gas heat. Split system, upstairs and downstairs.
 
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