Advice on Retainer Wall

[Luis Jarquin]

Good evening BP,

I think I found a solid deal to house hack a property. This property checks off a lot of what I'm looking for but ran into something I hadn't encountered.  What has been your experience with a property with a Retainer Wall?

Here's some context:

I'm looking at a property that I would put some work into and attract high quality tenants (such as a small family) on the two upper levels while I live in the basement that has a separate walkout.  Originally, the property had a deck but was removed as a tree in the backyard was growing too much. I'm not sure why the original owners didn't just remove the tree instead?  If I decide to purchase the property, I would remove the tree to open up the backyard and lay out flagstone in the backyard and improve its overall appearance. 

Now, the backyard is enclosed by a retainer wall. I don't see any water damage in or around the backyard area but I didn't want to find myself in a bad position if an investment property like this is not a good idea? My understanding is that the HOA is responsible for maintaining the retainer wall, but I wouldn't want to be out of luck should a snow storm or heavy rain damage break it down.

My Real Estate Agent is assuring me that this isn't a problem as it's been professionally installed and the other neighbors have been living with the same retainer wall too.

What has your experience been with a retainer wall? Do you recommend what I should need to ask or investigate further on?

Thank you in advance!!