Call It Like You See It.

1

I just recently inspected a house on tall piers made of wood with wooden beams for support. The house was approx. 35 years old. It was a very nice home to look at, but there were several issues to consider about the foundation. The wood piers (6x6) had been previously repaired and extra shems added over the years. In some places the foundation needed over 3" of blocking to adjust for the movement.

The piers had diagonal braces added in many areas to help stop the shifting of the house. Several of the piers were leaning and this had caused some gaps in the beams they were supporting. It was not known if the piers had any concrete below the ground level, but it did not appear to be so. The exterior surface of the piers had approx. a half inch or more of decay at the soil level.

The ground had moisture coming up from the soil (apparently from the underground water flow). The drainage around the house had gone through exhaustive repairs to divert the drainage, but it appeared that some of the moisture was coming up from the soil anyway.

The roof and floors showed some sloping, the doors were out of square, the paneling (not sheetrock) showed some diagonal cracks and floor seemed weak in some areas when walking across them.

The wooden piers and wooden skirting were touching the soil and there were indeed signs that these conditions were conducive to termites. Near the lower end of the foundation, the venting was poor, and the house had a musty odor inside some of the rooms. Hmmm? (musty odor is a red flag sometimes, for mold?)

To all the outward appearances, this house looked like a cherry and was ready to live in. It would be easy to look past these flaws and let the deal go through and make everyone happy. Everyone except the poor buyer who would inherit these problems.

What did I do? I did the very thing I am hired to do and it makes people upset with me sometimes. I told the truth to my Client and revealed some issues that will need a very hard second look before closing on the property. This is what a “real” home Inspector is suppose to do, in spite of who is not pleased with his report. IMHO.

I don’t try to make people mad at me, but sometimes we are called the “deal killer” because some deals can’t stand the light of truth.

I do enjoy, however, the thanks I get from Clients that tell me how glad they were to find these kinds of problems, before they bought the house.

2

You did the right thing, John. I can’t imagine anyone doing otherwise. That’s a deal that needs killing…or at the very least a major adjustment. And even if the piers are in concrete, that is a problem in itself. Does the soil have a high clay content?

3

Hi John,

I had a similar inspection last week on a commercial property on St Johns pass in St Petersburg, the timber pilings were failing and were wicking up moisture from ground level up to the 2nd floor (as could be witnessed by the spreading of T&G trim around the boards seperating from the core) I’d say you reported what needed reporting. End of story, move on.

Regards

Gerry

4

John;

You did what you were paid to do and were honor bound to do. You gave an objective, professional and experienced evaluation of the property.

And, I would be very surprised if you had done anything else.

Because, sir, you are you. And because you are NACHI!

One day, I would be very honored to by you a drink, and to ask you a few hundred questions on how to be a great home inspector.

May He bless you and keep you and guide your work.

5

If we got together, it would be me asking you all the questions.
Make mine a root beer…:mrgreen:

6

John

You did the only thing you could do, educate and protect the interests of YOUR Client.

I’ve been called a “Deal Killer” before. I initially let it roll off my back, but the agent kept pushing, and the Client kept questioning, until I sat down with the Agent, Client and Office Broker, for a little schooling. By the time we got finished with class, I had a Client for life, the Agent apologized to me and our mutual Client, and the Broker sent me and the Client gift cards to the local LongHorns for dinner.
I have since given many small group seminars on how I do H/I’s, and why I do what I do, during New Agent orientation.

“Sometimes, I feel like I’m helping to mold the thinking of our future leaders in the Real Estate Industry”. YEAH…RIGHT !!

Anyway, I know you never really doubted yourself, did you?

7

No, I never doubted myself. I just felt like the topic was
common to the experience we all have to face on a daily
bases.

OH… BTW

From what I could see, the buyer still looks like he still wants
the to purchase the house. That’s fine with me.

8

What’s that old saying all our grandfathers use to use…You can lead’um to the trough, but you can’t make’um drink.

I give them the Info., as best I can, even stressing inportance where I think it is needed, but ultimitely it is up to my Client to make the sometimes tough decisions.