Anyone else feel guilty or bad at the idea of terminating a purchase contract? We have a property that we put an offer in on that was in "fantastic shape" and it got accepted after the seller countered. But after inspection it was found to have active water damage on multiple units(its a 4 unit) and in the basement as well as mold. Its our first property so after talking with the inspector about the extent of the work we told our realtor we wanted to back out. Then the realtor suggested that we see what the seller was willing to do. So of course we got sucked back in and an addendum was written to extend the contingency period. Our understanding from talking with the realtor is that professional companies would come in to assess the damage and give some quotes and we would find out if the seller would lower the price or give a credit or something. We were still apprehensive at that idea being that we don't know the extent of the damage under the multiple bathrooms with spongy wood floors. We don't want to get a 30 thousand credit then end up with 80 thousand dollars of work. So next thing we know our realtor calls us to tell us the seller wants to show us some of the work he has been doing. So we get there and he is doing a lot of the work himself. He seems to be a nice guy and he said he would keep us in the loop of everything he is doing and also let us know when the bathroom floors were going to be ripped up so we could see the extent of the damage. The building is in a high demand for rent area so that is a plus. The work so far that he had done looked ok for the most part but looks and what is up to code and done properly are two different things. But we are just not feeling good about the property anymore. The more we have looked at and adjusted the numbers and accounted for expenses the numbers don't seem the greatest. He is not a licensed contractor. It's been a week since we have heard from him even though he said he would call us on monday(it's now thursday). They were supposed to get someone in to assess the mold damage and we haven't heard anything. So now it just seems like he is trying to do the work himself and we are supposed to trust that he knows what his doing. And if he does change out the floors without showing us how they look underneath how are we to know if the joists/supporting structures were properly assessed for rot/mold if he covers it back up before anyone gets a chance for it to be assessed? So on one hand I get why he wants to do the work himself and he seems like he wants us to be happy.(He said he was shocked when he saw the inspection report) But from an investment standpoint we don't want to go into our first investment feeling uneasy. But as a Newbie it can feel intimidating having to stand up to your realtor and then possibly insult the seller saying we don't feel comfortable with him doing the work as opposed to a licensed person. On top of it we have kind of stalled on the financing aspect feeling like its a joke to keep going with the motions of doing that when we are questioning purchasing. So we know we are probably irritating our loan officer. We plan to talk to our realtor and let him know what we are thinking but kind of afraid he is going to see us as being picky/ungrateful/a waste of time/ and also attempting to suck us back in. I know you're not supposed to let emotion get in the way. But feeling confused, overwhelmed and deflated. Any advice/words of wisdom would be great.

I have included a copy and paste of the summary page from the inspection report below in case anyone is interested:

This is only a summary of the inspection report and is not a complete list of discrepancies.
Section Condition# Comment
Grounds 1 Poor grading near the foundation was observed. We recommend
re-grading to assure all water drains away from the home's
foundation. Currently the whole western side of the building is
sloped toward the building the water is leaking in to the cellar and
basement unit apartment. The water is also causing erosion in the
brick joints and walkway. Regrading and repairs are needed.
Grounds 3 The walkway to the back entrance has erosion and a sink hole and is a

tripping hazard.

Grounds 4 The small retaining wall is leaning over and not diverting water

repairs needed.

Exterior 7 The ramp to unit 2 is leaning and unstable, bracing and levelling is

needed

Exterior 8 The concrete in front of the door slopes towards it allowing water to
get in under the door and cause moisture damage and rot to the joists
and structure in the cellar. Repairs needed.

Exterior 9 The top section on the back of the house was missing siding. The
wrap was missing of a window on the East side allowing water
exposure that caused moisture damage and rot. In the sill and partially
in to the wall. The bump out for the windows and door for unit 2
entry off the ramp is sagging. There is also moisture damage and rot
under the door. Unit 1 has moisture damage and rot under the door.
The front door has a section of sill that is rotted away and missing on
the right side of the door and the left side of the door is spongy. The
vinyl corner trim on the back of the house is open at the top allowing
water to get inside the siding and potentially cause moisture related
issues. The brick has a hole near unit 1 entry and random repointing is
needed. The wrap on all the window trim should be caulked to
prevent water intrusion. It is suggested that a "Licensed General
Contractor" be contacted for repair scopes and estimates.
Exterior 10 Majority of the windows are missing screens and have broken
balances. When the windows open they quickly spring closed. Some
of the windows are held up by after market screens. Unit 2 has
missing glass in a sash that will need to be repaired. The windows
will need repairs and many may need to be replaced. Proper screens
are needed for safety. Unit 4 has broken trim around the skylight and
moss as well on the exterior.

Exterior 11 The entry doors for units 1 and 2 need to be replaced. The moisture

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damage and rot beneath the door has caused the sills to separate and
damage the doors. The door in unit 2 has a broken jam and missing
hardware, neither unit 1 or 2 doors operate properly. The door to the
back entry also has lack of support causing the sill to pull off the jam
and will need repairs or replacement as well as framing work.
Roofing 13 Tree branches / leaves were close to or in contact with roof surfaces.
Recommend trimming branches back to prevent potential roof
damage.

Roofing 15 The built in gutters on the back section of the house need to either

have a downspout or be reworked and eliminated.

Roofing 16 Unknown, not entered no access
Roofing 17 Unknown, no access
Heating - Air 18 Units 1 and 4 were operable at the time of inspection. Units 2 and 3
when turned on had an error code of 11. This error code indicates
there is an issue with the ignition and the unit will not light. The units
were last serviced in 2014 according the the writing on them. Units 2
and 3 will need repairs or replacements, and units 1 and 4 will need
servicing.

Electrical 20 The seal at the top of the meter were cracked and need to be redone.
Electrical 21 Some Knob and Tube wiring was observed and being used in the
cellar. Although installation and usage of this wiring was typical at
the time of installation, today's construction no longer uses this out
dated system. Since this older wiring exists with open splices and
limited wire insulation, client is advised to consult with a licensed
electrician (prior to close) for further information on this wiring and /
or upgrading. Client should also contact their insurer (prior to close)
to inquire whether the presence of this wiring affects home insurance
coverage.

Electrical 24 The majority of the electric has been updated, when spot checked it
tested correctly with a ground indicator present. Unit 2 had a
receptacle in the front bedroom that tested as ungrounded. This
receptacle either has a loose wire or is fed from a knob and tube
circuit. It is suggested that a "Licensed Electrical Contractor" be
contacted for further evaluation and repair.

Plumbing 27 The drain lines in the cellar are poorly supported, some of the lines
are pitched up hill. There is still an old gutter drain that dumps in to
the sewer line. The gutter drain should be eliminated and the sewer
line reconfigured without it. It is suggested that a "Licensed Plumbing
Contractor" be contacted for further evaluation and repair.

Plumbing 28 The water heater is located in unit 1's master bedroom closet. The unit
should be moved to the cellar, the unit should be accessible without
entering someones apartment.

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Apartment
Conditions

29 The front bedroom was extremely musty smelling. When the exterior
walls were checks with a moisture meter it detected 73%-93%
moisture in the walls indicating there is water present, water trapped
withing a wall can cause mold and moisture related issues.
Recommend a mold professional be brought in for further testing and
evaluation prior to closing. The master bedroom door is falling off the
hinges.

Apartment
Conditions

31 The range top burner elements have separated from the holders and
are coming off. New elements are needed. The flooring has a lot of
moisture damage and lifting, repairs needed. The Faucet is loose,
sprayer is broken and leaks, missing its mount. The sink base cabinet
is broken at the bottom.

Apartment
Conditions

33 The Tile shower surround has failed and has loose tiles and mold, the
bathroom entry door will not close, the floor tiles are lifting due to
major moisture damage to the sub floor, the faucet is missing an
aerator and sprays water everywhere. Significant repairs needed.

Apartment
Conditions

34 The sink base is damaged and caved in due to moisture. The faucet

and sprayer are broken. Replacements are needed.

Apartment
Conditions

36 The bathroom is located in the room that juts out from the back of the
building. When inspecting the exterior it was noted that water was
continuously dripping out of the bottom of the room indicating a
plumbing leak. When the bathroom was inspected the floor was
spongy and lifting, there was black mold like staining under the
vanity and shower, behind the shower and the toilet was also loose.
The continuous dripping can cause mold and moisture related
structural issues. Due to how and where the building was built any
structural damage could present a safety concern as well. Immediate
repairs are needed. The concentration of the moisture damage and
staining would indicate a leak under the vanity.

Apartment
Conditions

37 The kitchen faucet is loose, moisture damage at the backsplash

behind the sink, repairs needed.

Apartment
Conditions

39 The bathroom floor is soft and spongy and lifting. There is significant
moisture damage to the floor. The toilet is loose to the floor. There is
quite a bit of mildew and mold on the walls and ceilings. When the
lights were first turned on cockroaches were seen scurrying around
the top of the shower and 2 were photographed. It is highly likely that
there are many more then 2 present and a pest control professional
should be contacted for further evaluation and repairs.

Apartment
Conditions

40 There was moisture damage and black staining to the backsplash

behind the sink.

Apartment
Conditions

41 The railings in the front stair well are too low. Recommend covering
the lower units in the stair well with a plexi glass or barrier to prevent
an injury if someone was to fall on the stairs. The back stair well has
a broken stair tread.

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Apartment
Conditions

43 The amount of moisture damage and black mold like staining in the
bathrooms and cellar of the building are a major concern as they can
cause structural as well as health concerns. As well as the high
moisture readings in the unit 1 front bedroom. These items should be
addressed immediately.

Basement 45 The insulation and plastic on the ceiling was full of water and likely
mold on the west side of the cellar. Recommend calling a water
damage or restoration company to remove the insulation and plastic
to let the cellar dry out. Mold remediation may also be needed.
Basement 46 The floors were wet from water intrusion through the foundation and

brick walls. Repairs needed.

Basement 47 Knob and tube wiring present, wires unsupported and hanging from
the ceiling, open electrical splices, missing box covers. It is suggested
that a "Licensed Electrical Contractor" be contacted for further
evaluation and repair.

Basement 48 The lights were not operable. Repairs needed.
Basement 50 There is an old oil tank in the cellar that needs to be removed. There
are pipes in the floor that should be capped or eliminated. Debris
should be cleaned out of the cellar.

Laundry 51 The washing machine pvc drain pipe was leaking at the time of

inspection from recent laundry.

Foundation - Crawl
Space

52 Due to poor exterior grading mostly, the foundation is taking in a
good amount of water through the stones. After the exterior grading is
fixed, the bricks in areas will need repointing on the exterior. The
interior stones will also need pointing to help with stopping the water
intrusion. Continued water intrusion can result in deterioration and
failure of the foundation.

Foundation - Crawl
Space

53 Due to the water leaking into the cellar at joist height many of the
joists and some of the sub floor has moisture damage and rot.
Structural repairs will be needed and joists will need to be replaced.
Any time you have moisture damage and rot mold is also a concern.
Recommend testing for mold prior to work being done.

View report

*This link comes directly from our calculators, based on information input by the member who posted.

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