Homeowners and the Money Pit:
Making a Sound Investment
The American Dream of becoming a home owner is universal. People often view renting as an impermanent situation and dream of the days when every penny spent on shelter goes towards owning that shelter. The housing boom put dollar signs in the eyes of home buyer, homeowners and investors across the United States. Many people made emotional purchases; the property looked lovely and the price was just right.
Unfortunately many of those emotional purchases have backfired in a big way. Some people found out that even though they miraculously qualified for the mortgage loan, their income would not cover the bills and monthly payments. Others found that they had purchased a set of problems that they couldn’t afford.
The Treher family in Pennsylvania bought a beautiful home right after the boom was over, so they got an incredible deal on a home that the inspector claimed didn’t need any work. The previous owner had taken care of everything and they could move in, relax and live the life they had always dreamed of.
Within a few months of that wonderful day, the family ended up with a flooded basement when the “new” sump pump failed. As it turned out, the sump pump was not new; and the basement had leaks that the home inspector had not detected. That wasn’t the end of their problems, it was only the beginning. It wasn’t long before termites were detected in the sun room costing $2000 in treatments. After the treatment the family noticed a strange smell and found out that there was mold in the walls. The termites were still alive, so the treatment hadn’t worked.
Upon closer inspection the Treher’s found out that there was no caulking around any of the windows and the insulation could actually be seen from outside. The sun room had to be torn down.
Finally the Treher’s noticed a crack in the ceiling that was forming next to a crack that had been repaired. They decided not to wait and fix the problem right away by removing the damaged portion of the ceiling. The ceiling gave way with just one tug and came down entirely. Two years later the family is still dealing with a home that is literally coming apart at every turn.
A reputable inspector would have detected all of these problems and steered the buyer away. In this case the home inspector was well known to the realtor and had performed many “bad” inspections in the past. Your inspector should always be an impartial second set of eyes, on the lookout for costly repair items. You should ask to accompany the inspector so that you can see what they look at and what they are looking for. Be aware that you are paying them to help you make a rational decision, not an emotional one.
Pest control professionals will not charge for a job and then do it half way. The termite inspector that treated the Treher’s home should have noted and pointed out the additional problems with the sun room. A thorough inspection would have made the family aware of the problem with their ceiling.
Termite treatment in Arizona is carried out by full service pest management professionals. The operable word in this is “professional” because a professional does not tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know. It is imperative that you have a licensed professional inspect the home you wish to purchase. Termite inspections should be carried out on an annual basis and a pest prevention plan should be in place all year round. It’s your money, your home, your investment and it must be protected.
Scottsdale AZ –
Termite Control Arizona
6501 East Greenway Parkway #103
Scottsdale AZ
(480) 582-1085
