FYI If you are looking at buying a house you MUST do this...

[Vette73]

We and my wife we were looking at a house. Well the realtor said it was good but needed some work as it is a foreclosure. Well I then told her I found a problem with a permit. She said she would look into it. Well after I went to the permit department of my town, Cary NC, they told me the A frame for the roof failed but he just keep on installing the frame and the roof. There is no permit for the wiring and new fuse box, water pipes I saw, water heater, and so on. The last owner that did this bought the house without a permit for the garage. So apparently doing a search on permits is not standard here in NC. As he got caught up in the cities mess with the last owner and caused a lot himself. He tried to get a variance but was told no. So he had to tear down some of his NEW house because of bad/faulty permits and town restrictions.

So if looking at houses go by the permit division and just ask to see what permits are on record for the house you are looking at. If they say they did a whole new frame, roof, even water heater as why there is no permit. Trust me it may save you a pile of headaches. Maybe in some states a permit search is standard but not here? That and the realtor did not say anything about it but did not look surprised when we brought it up.


So just a FYI on something I experienced these last couple weeks that maybe some did not know.


Also if you know of any other things like this that may come up but are not looked at please do tell. Also what state you are in as each is different.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Cary NC

Why hello there, fellow Cary resident.

 

[OOBradm]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Cary NC

Why hello there, fellow Cary resident.

My Uncle lives there

 

[BoomerD]

We looked at houses on Hawaii (the Big Island) a couple of years ago, and unpermitted construction is rampant there. USUALLY, you can't get financing for them, and if you do, you rarely can get insurance for it. Doesn't always mean poor or shoddy construction, they just didn't bother getting the necessary permits for the job.
Here. (apparenly like in Cary) if you don't get a permit, and have the work passed by an inspector, they can make you tear it down...

 

[d3n]

Technically the former owner is liable for all problems related to unapproved permits or in the case of HOA's unapproved improvments. Everything must be disclosed up front in the contract if the former owner wants to whipe hands of it.

Make sure its all taken care of on the final walk through or its tough sometimes to hold the former owners feet to the fire to get things set strait.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: d3n
Technically the former owner is liable for all problems related to unapproved permits or in the case of HOA's unapproved improvments. Everything must be disclosed up front in the contract if the former owner wants to whipe hands of it.

Make sure its all taken care of on the final walk through or its tough sometimes to hold the former owners feet to the fire to get things set strait.

As far as I know here in NC when you buy a house the contract says what you see is what you get unless there is some type of warranty or other saying.

The 1st owner turned the Car port into a garage. He was told to take it down as it was not inside the 10 foot border of the property (against town code) He was then told again after he did not.

The 2nd owner bought house and started to build a roof. Inspector drove by but did not see a report saying that permit was issued to the house. He told the 2nd owner to stop. 2nd owner went for permit but was denied because of garage. He went for a variance but was tuned down. He tore down garage and went back to roof. A Frame for roof failed, he was still POd about permits an garage so he juts finished frame and roof. Then did wiring work, pipes, water heater, and no telling what else...

He could not pay for house so now mortgage company is selling AS-IS. So apparently there is no type of protection when you buy a house unless you are given some written warranty and even then there are ways around it. Pulte Homes did that to my wife when they built a house for her.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: OOBradm

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Cary NC

Why hello there, fellow Cary resident.

My Uncle lives there

Cary folk in the house

 

[AmigaMan]

booo! Durham <ducks gunfire> rules <beats off home intruder with bat>, Cary is for <makes gang signs with hand to fit in with local gang> wusses.