The only secret is in the minds of lenders in sizing up a borrower as to character, ethical aspects, intent, and if someone is blowing smoke at them.

High sheens show wall imperfections more but allow you to better wash off the grime, smoke smell, pet stuff, etc that may come!  

If the plumber they used went in there and just snaked it, that would have been all they had known.Unless you can find some sort of smoking gun proof that the former owners were told by a plumber that the drain pipe was put in wrong and needed to be fixed, I don't see any way they could be held liable.Unfortunately, its just called a piece of bad luck.

@Tory Ellis ...welcome aboard and good luck on the first deal you got going.There is a reason they call them "GURU"....all they do is blow a whole lot of smoke..See you around the site.

That stuff i would need to install, probbaly a coupole more smoke alarms also, but not worried about that. 

All strategies or methods used in RE have been around for hundreds and some thousands of years, yet the guru tells you it's new, the big secret, how to or they add some twist to an old idea, smoke and mirrors.

Hi, I am looking at a house that had meth smoked in it.  

Smoking: Depends on the type of property.

Sure beats the heck out of thinking you have done excellent due diligence on a sponsor, investing $100k and then seeing that go up in smoke only to find out he didn't do the correct due diligence because of his ignorance of real estate markets, etc.

He install smoke alarms connected to batteries because he doesn't trust his own electrician.