Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Inspector found termites in one area of the basement IN the structure . He said it was a strong, good house and this was NOT a reason to walk away but that we should make sure the seller treats AND REPAIRS the damage.

Full report coming tomorrow and then our lawyer deals with sellers lawyer but so far it seems seller is okay with taking care of this,

Any experience with this? from what I am reading termite damage is common and it is very hard to find a house with no termite issue, true?!

any insight would be very helpful. My fear is the seller will try to pull something like treat but not repair and honestly we are paying a lot for the house and feel seller should fix this as the broker and inspector seem to feel as well.

thanks!

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Termites are very common on Long Island. Many of the houses I sell have some evidence of termite activity. If the house is currently under contract for termite treatment or prevention (baiting system, etc.), then it's assumed to be old activity.

If there's no termite system/treatment in place, then we simply have the seller get the house treated for termites by a termite company and get a one year contract/warranty that will transfer to the buyer at closing. So whatever exterminator comes in guarantees there will be no termite activity for at least one year, and then you have the option of renewing the contract going forward.

There is never really much pushback from sellers on this issue - termites are something that have to be dealt with (your lender -- any lender -- will require it). And a good listing agent will make their seller understand that it's in their interest to take care of the termite problem.

If there is any kind of structural damage -- key support beam was eaten away -- then yes, you can ask the sellers to repair it. I think that seems reasonable, especially if you can provide documentation of the damage with the inspector's report, photos, etc.

I always advise my clients - don't anticipate and worry about problems that may never happen. Why assume the seller is going to try to "pull" anything? They might agree to do everything you want, and then there's no issue! Even if they try to negotiate a different solution (e.g., offer a credit for you to repair versus doing a repair themselves), you can stand firm on your request.

But I also think it helps to be a little flexible and have some give and take when it comes to resolving home inspection issues. No house is ever going to be pristine and perfect, unless perhaps it is a brand new build, but most issues that come up at inspections can be dealt with, unless the house has major structural problems (which isn't the case, from what you've said).

Good luck!

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Christine, thank you so very much your response was very helpful

The inspector said it was in the structure but did not say there was damage, just that it needed to be treated and repaired. Once I get the report (tomorrow) I assume I will have a clearer picture and then our attorneys can handle it. I am just nervous bc I have no experience with this and the inspector made it seem fairly serious bc it was in the structure he really made a point of saying treating AND repairing, again the seller said she would take care of it ASAP so you are right I should not jump to assuming there will be issues.

Thanks again.

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

No problem! The home inspections are the hardest part, and can be very overwhelming. It's the inspector's job to point out every single thing with the house and how best to maintain it, and it can definitely be information overload, esp for first time buyers..

Definitely wait until you see the report. And then you can always call the inspector to clarify what type of damage is there and what type of repair he recommends. I think the more specific you can be when requesting things of the seller, the better! And that way, there is no later misunderstanding where, in good faith, seller did x, but you wanted y done.

But every single house I sell has some kind of issue (usually minor and treatable), and none of my customers (to my knowledge) have ever regretted buying their house! I always tell my clients how when I bought my house (in my pre-real estate days), the inspector said the roof and CAC were both on their last legs because they were so old. More than 4 years later, both are still functioning find and we haven't yet had to replace them (knock on wood). It sounded scary at the time, like a huge expense coming our way, but the worst case doesn't always happen.

It sounds like everything is moving along the way it should, so just breathe deep, and hopefully you will be in contract soon!

Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

thanks Christine, you have made me feel so much better about everything!!!

Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

I had a similar issue, the seller simply treated and gave me paperwork good for a year.

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

we had a similar issue, the seller just had to treat it and issue us the paperwork. They're common it just needs to be treated by the seller before you take ownership.

Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Almost all homes have termite issues somewhere -- both of the houses I've bought had termite damage. They sellers got it treated with a year guarantee and, in our second home, fixed a beam with damage. Just make sure you check on it in the walk through or ask to see what was replaced when it's finished!

Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

thank you guys, I am really clueless about the whole termite thing so it is very helpful to read that they are common and treatable.

Question, how often do you need to do termite insepction ? once a year? Approx. cost?

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Oh this is so common - no worries

We sold our townhouse in September and it is only about ten years old and had a small issue! It was about $500 - we paid because we were the sellers, and we received all the paperwork about what the termite guy did, etc. and info. about how it is guaranteed for a year.

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..

Re: Talk to me about termites and buying a home..