Termites
looked at a house today and the inspector was almost giddy with excitement. the house was filled with active termites. he said that in his 15 years in business he had never seen such an active colony and he wanted to call in his fellow employees to look but the owner was naturally having none of that. so, I stopped the inspection then and there because this was way beyond the scope of the cosmetics I want to do to fix up a property. of course, before I called the entire deal off I asked the owner (son of the recently deceased occupants) if he would consider coming down in price and he said absolutely not a nickel as he knows this isn't a big problem.
so, just some general questions I've got because I've always assumed that termites are a huge problem. naturally without seeing a property no one knows but how do you know how much damage there truly is? these critters were in the basement and the owner in a fit of rage ripped one of the paneling pieces off the wall to show me that it's cinder block behind it and to assure me that they can't eat cinder block (this was done after the inspector told him he was certain they were under the old flooring tiles eating the glue off the back) - but he picked the wrong piece because the furring strips were basically nonexistent. he ripped down a piece of ceiling tile and that crumbled in his hand. but as to the first floor living area, once carpets are ripped up how do you really know if they're inside the floor boards if you can't see them or see any surface damage? does the treatment kill them everywhere?
and now for a big question - this property is next door to me - old people lived there and hadn't done anything to their house in the 20 years I've been in mine and it looks like they've really done nothing since it was built in 1955. It's been vacant since probably January when he passed away. it's a nice brick & stone rancher in a really nice neighborhood (I know the little creatures don't care about that but my point is these aren't dilapidated city properties). are these critters going to come across the lawn and start to munch away at my house once next door is treated or does that effectively kill them. I am having a termite inspector come in because I'm nervous now that I've seen all that damage but I do know I don't have those little mud trails and saw dust laying around like they've got.
any general wisdom on termites as I continue my quest for really good deals (got my first one last Friday - should settle in 2 weeks and I'm looking for 2 more)
as always, thanks so much - you guys here have such a wealth of knowledge
Yikes- next door. I would but the place just to get rid of the pests. You could tent the place for 5000-10000. But even then it's preventative maintenance because they are bugs. They fly around find a place to land and start a colony. Tenting may be worth it depending on the overall condition of the place. I am not an expert but it's gonna be hard to determine the extent of the damage. Ants could help, I hear they actually feed off of the termite eggs (moisture). But this could take a while. You coud buy the place and call "Extreme Makeover" and give them a real challenge.
Let the termite guy finish the insp. (is seller paying).
In CA they break the report down in to Sect. 1 and Section 2. damage.
Sect. 1 have to be fixed before COE (or comp paid to buy) and Sect 2, should be fixed.
Every house in CA I have bought (no frost to kill them) other than the brand new condo, had some termite activity. Some were locally treated, others tented.
Buy the time the building was 4 yrs, there were termites.
I wouldn't write the deal off w/o futher investigation, unless this just freaks you out. If it's 5K to tent and $500 in new framing, no a big deal. If it's replace the floor joists and the rafter/trusses, then I'd say run.
Also, check out the law as to wheather he HAS to come down in price or fix.
Get your place inspected. For a couple 100 it's well spent.
Yes, they will come across the yard. Call an exterminator now and have your place checked and treated.
thanks everyone. I've already got an exterminator coming to my place first thing Monday as I am totally creeped out (and I'm usually pretty tough, not usually finicky)
I was paying for a whole house inspection as I knew this property needed a lot of cosmetic work and wanted to be sure there weren't a lot of electricity/plumbing/hvac surprises.
I've stepped away from the deal although he's none too happy. He's got dollar signs in his eyes (although he certainly doesn't need the money) and I have a feeling he'll end up quasi-fixing the house up himself and then selling it as I don't think anyone will pay his price with all the work that needs done
thanks again
Was is a general inspector, or a termint inspector. Big difference.
Getting rid of termites is not expensive, repairing the damage can be expensive.
Brenda
I think the response is an over-reaction.
Until there was a proper terminate inspection I would not freak out. They are bugs and they have been living next to you for a while. For all you know they are living with you right now.
The house has a problem. Hence it is very likely an opportunity for a buyer if you get the right price. If you had a full terminate inspection then you tell the seller. He is now on notice. He now has to make sure that he fixes all the problems and/or discloses the full problems to any potential buyers. Make sure you share the info with any agent that was working on the deal when you had the inspection done (the full one which you did not get).
The point is if he does not address the problem or fully disclose it the next buyer gets to sue. You have a vested interest in knowing that the places is sorted if you do not buy it as you do not want more visitors.
Play hardball with the seller. It is his problem and he needs to recognize it. He is going to have to cover the costs in any deal or he runs the risk of being sued for hiding material damages from the future buyer.
John
[addsig]