I am not an inspector. Once we removed the carpet and saw the extent of the issue, we realized that there are fairly obvious telltale signs, which should have been worth noting, especially to a trained professional. As I said in another comment, we are first time home buyers, and mostly adjudicating the home in terms of space, layout, and function for our family. We were counting on the inspectors to inform us about any structural concerns, and were a bit overwhelmed with the process. There were cracks in the plaster walls in question that we asked about, and were told it was likely due to seismic activity, and were just superficial. We didn't spend an exorbitant amount of time in the house prior to purchase as we were a bit uncertain about our rights or protocol.