Guidance needed, contracted to buy but seller won't produce insurance claim details

[Lisa Campbell]

Hi everyone!

My offer was accepted on a duplex in Cape Coral, but the seller who is also a realtor has been really ambiguous on providing information about an insurance claim. Originally we were told it was a claim for the roof which was closed. Come to find out from our insurance agent, a claim is still open to the tune of $80k plus.  The seller is saying it's closed but can't provide proof and it's been well over a week plus that she says she's waiting on insurance...may or may not be the case, but I'm concerned as the burden of proof seems to be on me as the buyer vs the seller providing anything because duplexes are selling so fast, apparently regardless of issues. 

In addition, found out there is mold..which she told us that the insurance company 'verbally' confirmed didn't exist. It might be expected to have to deal with post hurricane, etc. but I'm really wondering how much is normal to take on risk wise and how to determine what I can actually get my hands on that prove what happened to this property if anyone knows?

I'm also looking for a new realtor in this area for our future deals if anyone is in the area or has referrals!

Thank you!

Lisa

[Stetson Miller]

@Lisa Campbell Giving the seller the benefit of the doubt, insurance claims can be a very confusing process. Their claim manager could have misworded a response to them that gave them the idea that the claim was closed. To avoid this happening again, I would ask to speak directly with their insurance representative to get final and concise answers

Regarding the mold, depending on the severity and where you're at within the purchase process, (assuming you're still in the inspection period) I would highly recommend having a licensed mold inspector and remediation company take a look to give you an idea of costs, as that has potential to be significantly worse than is visibly evident. If you need a recommendation, A Handy Home Inspector is great and provides these services

https://www.ahandyhi.com/mold-...