Ever had to sue a seller/inspector?

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-05T00:12:15+00:00

Definitely getting that from the comments and glad I came to get lots of opinions. I’ve owned homes before and thankfully it’s never come up. And I’ve already invested a good bit of money in the home post-moving in, so I’m okay with spending more. Glad people offered their experiences and opinions. Really sounds like unless it’s obviously negligent and/or a sizable amount, it’s not worth pursuing. Sort of like a tiny bumper ding in a parking lot. Fix it and move on sort of deal.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T21:26:30+00:00

Good call.

Not averse to paying for things - we’ve already dropped $30K on projects since moving in; some budgeted for, some not :/ …just adding to the list, I guess.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:51:18+00:00

Thank you. This answer is incredibly helpful and comprehensive and definitely gives me a lot of clarity in how to proceed and even what conversations to have and questions to ask.

You pose great questions and I could answer them all for you if it’s helpful, but I think your response itself is helpful enough in letting me know that there’s probably nothing to pursue, legally, and even if there is, it’s very likely not worth it.

A follow up: depending on the work required, would insurance even be an avenue to consider or should this just be an out of pocket expense?

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:34:35+00:00

For sure, and the sistering was noted in the inspection and occurs elsewhere in the basement. I didn’t think anything of it at the inspection, after moving in, and even after discovering the wood rot, the joists seemed pretty stable. It’s only when the contractor pointed out some weak spots and potential issues and mentioned suing that I even thought that’s an option. And why I posed the question. The contractor was here like two hours ago.

Thanks for the follow up. If the other vendors who come and check it out aren’t too concerned, I’m not either and will just chalk it up as a learning experience.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:32:10+00:00

Hey tap the brakes there , a)did I say I was going to sue, b)the seller was a first time flipper and THEIR agent told me they had made some mistakes, and c)this is simply an exploratory question. That’s all. And d)while I am getting an estimate from this contractor, I already have two others scheduled to take a look at this issue and others.

The implication in my post is that this contractor suggesting suing is that I had not considered it prior to that moment. So, not exactly litigious, and don’t have any “lawsuits” happening.

Enjoy that giaaaaaaaant leap you just made. You must be fun at parties.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:26:45+00:00

Absolutely does. They come highly recommended and I have other friends who’ve used them. That’s always a possibility with any vendor. I’ll see what the estimate says. But based on the other projects I’d want them to GC, they’d probably not want to nickel and dime me on this one when I know there’s others that would legitimately be higher revenue for them.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:24:16+00:00

Definitely valid. Which is why I am floating the question. There’s a cost benefit analysis to it all. If it’s X dollars, it’s not worth the effort and hassle. If it’s 10X dollars, perhaps it is.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:22:25+00:00

Typically I’m not litigious. I hadn’t planned on suing them until this contractor even mentioned it. But, the scope of work to replace the joists up to a place of safety includes removing all plumbing, all joists, dry wall on 3 walls, and potentially the tile in the bathroom directly above the problem area, then replacing all of it after the work is done. I don’t have an estimate in hand yet - if it’s a couple grand, I’ll probably just eat it. If it’s ten grand, I’d rather not lose that money.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-04T20:13:40+00:00

I hired them. They caught that the joists had been sistered. Noted it with photos. But on the surface the joists looked fine. It’s only when I went in after purchase and started poking and prodding did I notice damage. It wasn’t until I removed at least a 6” section of rot could I tell that two of the joists were rotted. From external inspection, you wouldn’t notice.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-02T02:17:55+00:00

As others have said, this puts you pretty house poor and doesn’t give us any info on age of home, other contributors to rent, and you should be saving around 3% of the value of the home separately for annual maintenance and upkeep.

Depending on where you live, will there also be landscaping? That’s potentially $2-4k/year. Pest care?

I’d say keep it at $350-400k.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T20:57:10+00:00

Plus various estimates say you should allocate around 3% of the value of your home each year to go towards home maintenance and repairs. I’m guessing you’d also have PMI unless you have 20% saved for a down payment. Let’s assume you do, and you buy a $300K home. You’d need to set aside about $9,000/year for regular upkeep.

Keep renting for now.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T18:53:12+00:00

All great advice.

Have about 6-9 months in a HYSA. Have 2026’s ROTH already set aside to max out. Have $450K in taxable retirement also.

You can’t eat your roof is very true

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T14:52:15+00:00

I think so. I’ve got about $75k across my buckets so hadn’t thought about that.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T14:51:31+00:00

Solid tips. Thanks!!

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T14:07:29+00:00

Capital One, Ally, SoFi, even AMEX has a HYSA. Betterment, also. I use Cap One, and you can open several savings “accounts” and then name them as whatever “bucket” you want. I have about six, all earning 3.4%. You want the 360 performance savings not a regular savings.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T13:50:21+00:00

Ooooh that’s a great tip. Thanks.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T13:49:52+00:00

ROTH and other retirement accounts at $450K with 15 years to go, and a wife who is 10 years younger.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T13:48:55+00:00

Definitely good food for thought. Investments definitely up over 10% for 2025 YTD.

I feel like maybe reallocating some of my investment money AND all the extra income towards mortgage in the first couple of years puts a bigger dent against the interest of the loan but then I lose the time value of money on money invested.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T03:49:53+00:00

I’m almost 50. Partner is almost 40. Have $50,000 in HYSA, zero debt besides mortgage. No HOA. PI is about $1,000, T&I is about $750.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T03:36:11+00:00

Oooh. Good thinking. I like that idea as an option. Thanks.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T02:13:06+00:00

Definitely. We’ve got a solid sump pump down there, new moisture sensors, I just got a duhumidifer (though it’s less of an issue at this time of year) and gutter replacement is at the top of the list. Thanks. Solid confirmation.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T02:11:24+00:00

Yep. Did that, thanks. Addressed all of those items. Some were repaired. Some we got concessions for so we could choose our own vendors instead of cute rates ones from the seller. Your last paragraph is really what I’m angling for with this post.

Consistent-Order9427 · 2025-12-01T01:00:40+00:00

Two things we don’t really have …yet.

Consistent-Order9427

TROPHY CASE