Home Inspection @ MindSay

So the inspection.

All in all not so bad.  The good news is that there are no termites, the foundation is fine, there's no water damage.

The bad news is that the electrical system looks like it was put together by people who can follow directions as well as Don Imus and Michael Savage can avoid saying idiotically controversial things.  Wires hang everywhere, three prong sockets were just snapped in over two prong sockets (which can apparently cause an electrocution, who knew?), and the stove is hooked up to a breaker that isn't powerful enough to actually run it.  Guess the owner ate out a lot.

Oh, and the heater could or could not be so old that it's ready to explode. The inspector didn't know that, but he did know it was in the kitchen, which is a holdover from an era long past. 

Those were the major things – the things that could cost thousands of dollars (and could burn down the house).  There were other little things, too; things like a chunk of sidewalk needs to be repaired, a banister needs to be added to the stairs, a gate on the deck needs to be fixed. Those are minor, we can handle that.

But we can't handle the other ones.  I mean like literally, we can't.  When we tried to call to have an electrician and heating expert come out, we were told we couldn't hire them because we don't own the house.

So our realtor told us to ask the owner to fix those things.  Actually, she told us to ask the owner to look into those things.  The heater may not need to be fixed, it just needs to be certified.  So we want him to correct the electrical issues and get the heater checked out.  Seems reasonable, right?  I mean, the house wasn't sold in "as-is" condition.  In fact, it was sold under Option 2, which means that both parties agree to negotiate repairs in order to make everyone happy.

But the seller's realtor apparently didn't know that.  Because he sent a lovely e-mail response to our request:

All I can say is that my client is really aggravated.  I have a phone call into an electrician but I'm pretty sure he's not going to be putting out money to fix these issues.  There are GFI's everywhere in the house where there is water.  I'm not speaking for my client but between you and me, they are getting a really good deal on the house regardless if there are any electrical issues. 

The boiler is cleaned yearly and his next door neighbor works for Barney Fuel.  If they want it cleaned out, I'm sure I can arrange for it.  The tank was put in just before my client moved and he thinks it was Meenan. 

I will wait to get a response from the electrician but think that if your client's want the house, they will have to take it as it is.       

Nice, right?  Real professional.  Has the guy never sold a house before?

Oh well, here was my realtor's response:

I am sorry to hear you are having difficulties with your Seller, I am sure in this market he is frustrated. Regardless of your opinion of the "deal" my Buyer's received, the fact of the matter is this is what your Seller accepted.  The electrical issues are "safety" issues and your seller by all means should take care of them, I know you as an agent would not want the responsibility should something happen after the sale.  I am glad to hear that the Boiler will be cleaned out and I am sure you will have the seller provide documentation as to that effect.

I would kindly ask you to ask the Seller to check his closing documents from when he purchased the home, I am sure his agent at that time, asked for documentation for the oil tank. If the Seller has misplaced the information on the oil tank I would suggest he call Meenan and have them check their records, they keep all installation records for 5 years.  If the documentation cannot be obtained by Meenan, the Seller will have to have the tank inspected and verified that it is indeed fiberglass, as you and I both know, this will be a requirement for the mortgage company.

 I want to remind you, this property was not sold in "as-is" condition, if the Seller does not do the required safety repairs for my Buyer, he will only have to do it for the next Buyer, and who is to say he will come close to the price my Buyer has offered, (I am sure you are aware that most Buyers today are putting in offers on homes at 10-15% below asking price).  

I thank you in advance for all the work you have put into this.

Zing!  You go, girl.  What a fantabulous answer, especially from someone who calls her cat Butthole. 

And the other agent responded: My client is on it.  I think I just caught him at a bad time.

So we'll see.  We may just have a house after all.