Inspection Contingency Refused
REM # A593
By Ilyce R. Glink
Summary: A home seller refuses to pay for any repairs and did not accept an inspection contingency on the offer. The buyer wonders if the seller can be made to pay or if the real estate agent can kick in some cash.
Q: I recently made an offer for a 1,150 square foot home for less than what the seller was asking. I attached a home inspection contingency. My concern is that the owner accepted the offer but noted on counter that she will not pay for any repairs and has no cash. Her broker said she is very difficult to work with.
In the cellar there is an old fuse box and a friend of mine who is electrician took a look at it and said it would cost about $1,500 to upgrade it to code. If the owner doesn’t want to give me the $1,500 or share the cost, should I go to her real estate agent to see if she’ll kick in some cash?
I don’t want to lose the home due to this.
A: You can always ask the seller to chip in to pay for needed repairs, but the seller may simply say no. That is the seller's choice. Once you have that information, you can decide whether or not you want to buy the house "as is," knowing you'll have to make repairs and that some of those repairs might be costly.
In this case, if it’s true that the seller doesn't have much money, and appears to need every cent she is going to get from this house sale, you can ask the agent to chip in a little, but the agent also has the right to turn you down. If everyone turns you down, you have to figure out how much cash you have and if you're buying this house at a price that makes it worthwhile to upgrade the electrical and do whatever else the house needs to be liveable.
Only you know the answer to this question. I encourage you to think about whether this house is a good deal for you at this time (and the answer may be quite different for another buyer).
NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher.
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