SOS- In over my head

[Katherine Roberts]

I've posted multiple questions about this duplex we are (potentially) about to close on. I am in over my head and need more advice. The duplex was a SFH converted to a duplex. They listed it while the plumbing wasn't finished. We were supposed to close on Monday but the permits are still open. They were supposed to put a firewall in the attic on Monday and we had more inspections Tuesday. When we got there Tuesday, they were still doing the firewall and there was a hole in the ceiling from where they fell through. There were 4 other noticeable ceiling patch jobs and the drywall in between the units was popped out slightly. A toilet was also cracked and leaking. All of this happened since we went under contract. The inspector noticed that the water barely flows through the pipes when multiple things are running on both sides. My realtor told the listing agent everything we found and she drove over to be at the inspection, and then the buyer showed up. Lol

They were supposed to add ventilation to the crawl space, grade the front yard, remove an old brick post and cement slab, add flashings to the roof, and more but he didn’t do any of it (we were supposed to close Monday- he’s had over a month and has gone out of town). 

We told the listing agent that we would not proceed if the water pressure wasn’t fixed yesterday and then this morning they requested that we go ahead and close with the open permits and the promise that he’d complete the job. We told them absolutely not and I started to get concerned. We haven’t even gotten the appraisal. And there’s no certificate of occupancy yet??? The listing agent has lied multiple times about different things, and there are multiple red flags that have popped up. I did some digging and it turns out the seller (he’s a flipper) has been sued at least twice for not paying people back (a contractor and someone for a home loan). And he refused to give me the names for his contractors.

This is our first purchase and I feel like this is just chaos. I really don’t even want to close on it anymore. I feel like he probably cut corners, he’s run out of money, and he’s doing shoddy work to try and get things done. Does anyone have any advice?