Thanks, everyone, for the good suggestions and tales from the trenches. I’ve been MIA due to work and, of course, this house business.
I haven’t been down to the records department, but I did use the city’s Open DSD online permit/approval search. There was a combination permit for an addition, but the info is so sparse I had trouble interpreting it. I can see an inspection history, but again, kind of vague. You can tell that at least some roof work and some electrical was inspected and eventually got a sign-off. The city has an online service where they will email you permits from 1990 onward. I was expecting to get some sort of thing that said “owner is permitted to do x,y,z,1,2,3.” Instead, it’s just a copy of the cryptic approval info online.
We had the pipes scoped Friday and had a plumber out to the house today. Today confirmed that the work we waited for the seller to do himself was…not top notch. This plumber had what we thought was a good suggestion: either we get credited for the quote to do the work right, or we pay to get a plumbing permit and the seller does the work again *and* the work must pass inspection. We’ll see if it flies. The plumber thinks the standing water is a drainage issue, which is a bummer. Now we’re looking at a foundation inspection. (The seller himself is a licensed plumber. Shoemakers’ wives go barefoot…)
We sent a status list to our agent tonight. Recommended postponing termite tenting until after close so as not to take up inspection days, and asked about possibly extending the dates since a number of things are outstanding (mold, foundation, repairs, negotiation of same) and the inspection contingency runs on Thursday. I think we agreed to a 21-day close because *our* financial ducks were in a row and the property was described as “turn key.” Seemed like it would sweeten the pot. But our loan rate is locked beyond our current closing date, and we’re not actually in any hurry.
My husband is following this thread, so I will refrain from noting how much I love renting. Hi, honey!
