On Buying a Home {part 1}

Starting from the beginning, we tried to buy a home last summer that was a short sale. We could not wait any longer for approval from the bank so we pulled out of the deal and signed a one year lease on a small house.

Fast forward to January. We decided to go with a different realtor so I sent her an email with specifics and our time frame. I didn't hear from her again until almost March. The market was picking up and more of what we were interested in surfaced.

To date, I cannot tell you how many homes we have walked through but I'd say we're somewhere in the 50's and if I never walk through a home again I'd be fine with that! Anyway, we'd seen a few houses over the next month but nothing really popped out at us until I found an old bungalow that seemed to have everything we wanted, and more. Huge back yard, great kitchen space, three bedrooms, lots of character and, from what we could see, some modern updates.

We made an offer, went back and forth with the sellers and settled. We then scheduled the inspection. This was the farthest we had ever gotten while under contract and neither of us had no idea what to expect. The house was 119 years old and we knew that there were going to be a few things to fix with the hope that the sellers would make those changes.

The day of the inspection was one of the first really warm days in April. The sky was blue, no clouds to be seen, and hope for a decent inspection was in our minds. I joined B and the inspector half way through and as I was walking through the house again, something just didn't feel right. I wasn't sure of it at the time, but now I know that deep down, this house was not for us. Inspection or not, I just had the sense that something wasn't right. And oooohhh was I right about that!

The inspector spent three hours checking over every last inch of the house. He was very thorough and honest about his findings.

1. The house needed a new roof. There were three layers of shingles, the bottom two of which were rotting.


2. The electrical system had to be totally re-done. There was live wiring in the attic that, if it happened to touch a wooden beam or insulation, the house would catch fire. B keeps telling me this risk isn't as bad as it sounds, but I was freaked out.


3. Asbestos found in different areas, along with lead paint on nearly every window and door.


4. The garage was nearly falling over (detached) and needed to be rebuilt.


5. The foundation sloped, which we were aware of, but it was so bad that there were areas in the cellar that showed signs of moisture, pre-mold stage.

Annnnd I'm out of breath. Those were the biggies. There were several other issues. This poor house needed a lot of love and what we saw at first was a disguise. The sellers made other things look updated and nice. We found out later that they had never had an inspection prior to buying it (HUGE MISTAKE!!) and now they are still stuck with a money pit.

We pulled out of the deal right away. The sellers tried to sway us by saying they'd fix the roof, but that wasn't enough. There was more to it than the issues. It didn't feel right and I am more sure of that feeling now that we have found the home that is right for us.