Buying a
Home? Buyer
Beware:
A story from me- A Charlotte Realtor:
The Flip That Flopped...
Flipper the seller was a licensed contractor.
He
disclosed there was termite damage but noted he had fixed it and had a
piece of paper saying just so.
Nonetheless, we hired a professional Charlotte home inspector to
make a point-by-point foundation to roof inspection.
The inspector had concerns regarding the repairs on the joists and the band sills.
The inspection report gave us enough information, to warrant further
analysis. Notes and pictures indicated that instead of
repairing the sills, it looked like the home owner/contractor had veneered the damage with
new PT 2x10's.
As the Realtor working for the buyer (aka the buyer's agent), it
was without question that we needed to order another professional in OR
move on to another home.
The home buyers still wanted this home.
So, prior to moving further into this contract,
I told my clients we needed to get the opinion of a certified structural engineer.
My buyers agreed.
I contacted one of our vendors and was fortunate to get him out to the home in question within just 4 days.
Time was of the essence.
Sure enough.
The band sills for half of the house were eaten by
termites. Estimated repair cost $15K and the repairs made by the home
owner/seller/contractor were
just tacking on new 2x10's over the damage; hiding the problem
not creating a solution.
The house was structurally unsound.
The fix was to jack up the entire house, rip out the old eaten band
sills, and replace anew with tripled 2x10's.
Flipper the seller had been caught!
The home seller questioned
the veracity of the licensed, certified structural engineer and balked on repairs.
To wrap up the story of The Flip
that Flopped:
The deal crashed and I reminded the listing
agent that the seller now has a known defect in the house which in the state of
North Carolina, must be noted on the NC Residential Property Disclosure
Statement.
(Not noting this, could lead to an eventual law suit. And the new buyer
would win the case.)
My clients and I continued with their Charlotte house hunting
venture and did find another lovely home which they proudly claim as their own.
It made it through the home inspection and appraisal process with flying
colors.
A word to the wise. Use a professional Realtor to save you
thousands...while not costing you a dime!
This applies to both Charlotte new construction and resale properties.
Termites and houses come hand in hand here in
Charlotte.
Half measures on home repairs will never do.
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Charlotte Realtor Services
Since we are in Charlotte, why not use a golfing analogy regarding
professional real estate services?
If you ask any pro why they have a caddy, they'll tell you
only the foolish go it alone.
The caddy's job is to measure and know the course, adding notes to any
possible hazard.
He has to have exacting insight from every angle.
If he
doesn't know his job...no golf pro would use him.
So when it comes to going it alone on buying or selling real
estate....without a good agent, many find themselves in the rough or in
a hazard.
Finding a good real estate agent is not a guessing game.
Good
agents have a reputation just like good caddies.
Sometimes it's word of
mouth.
Other times it's just a little research into the local real estate
market.
Either way, you should find a good agent and you will begin your
round on solid footing.
When the stakes are so high, it only makes sense to use an agent in your
most significant purchase or sale.
Ask any golf pro if they are playing to win or just playing?
They are all playing to win. How many rely on a good caddy
?..... all of them.
For a Charlotte Real Estate Caddy:
Call Us~704-975-1733
We have been serving Charlotte since 1994-Hire experience and get a deal to boot!
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