Half DuplexPurchase Liability/Repair Question

[Luke Stone]

Hello all, I'm considering purchasing a half duplex that appears to have water damage on the floor along/near the common wall between the two duplexes. The problem is I can't really get much info. The seller is a nephew of the previous resident who had a stroke, which affected his mental faculties. So the nephew doesn't know what caused it or how old it is. Can an inspection help here? Many inspections I review state what the problems are, but rarely what caused them. I.E the inspection will say "there appears to be water infiltration, there may be a plumbing leak somewhere." To which I reply, "no duh, I can see the water damage, but need to know what I should fix" My questions: - If this water damage caused by my unit how likely is it that it damaged the other unit (different owner) and if so, do I inherent liability as the new owner? - If the damage is from the other side, how do I insure it gets fixed? How do even determine if it's coming from the other side or not? - How do structure the contract to protect myself? - Is this a scenario I should even consider messing with? I have pictures but am not sure how to post them