Issues That Do (and Don’t) Come Up on Inspection Want to know how much it costs to fix a cracked chimney cap? A veteran Realtor probably has at least a ballpark idea. Ditto for a new roof, boiler, electric service panel, or central a/c. However, it’s a good bet that the same agent doesn’t have...Read More
Loose Door Knobs and Caviar-Stocked Fridges Test your knowledge of today’s housing market, and answer the following question: Which of the following issues are properly raised by a Buyer’s home inspection, and resolved either by a Seller price concession, or the Seller assuming responsibility for repair(s)? A. The dated Kitchen; B. A concrete driveway with multiple...Read More
Doubling Down on DIY (“Do It Yourself”), or, “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” “First law of holes”: ‘if you find yourself in a hole . . . stop digging.'” –Adage. One of the more interesting inspections I’ve handled recently involved a Minnetonka home Seller (I represented the Buyer) who clearly was...Read More
Deafening Silence: When Hours Seem Like Days The inspection was completed, but the Buyer has been uncharacteristically incommunicado. What’s the likeliest explanation? A. The inspection was a disaster, and the Buyer intends to back out. B. The inspection went fine, but the Buyer got cold feet anyways . . . and intends to back out. C. The...Read More
How do you spell “ice dam?” I know more than a few local homeowners filling out their Seller Disclosure this Spring ” or maybe just bad spellers ” who are tempted to add an “n.” And if you had one this past Winter, you’d better disclose it. Either that, or hope that: a) the Buyer’s inspector is...Read More
Explanations for Sinking Soil Good home inspectors don’t just check out the interior of a home; they check the exterior and even the yard for clues that something “just isn’t right.” So, when my client’s inspector noticed a depression in the backyard of their under-contract St. Louis Park home, he raised the possibility that the...Read More
