Inspecting foreclosure homes in winter…

It is much more important when buying a foreclosure home to get a good inspection. That is because so many of them have been sitting empty for so long that all of the systems in the house have likely deteriorated some. If they’ve been left un-winterized through a winter, you can just about guarantee that there are busted pipes in the house somewhere. Even the structure, if left unheated through the cold weather, starts to deteriorate due to the extremes of expansion and contractions that it goes through. Tape pops along wallboard seams are almost always evident in those homes. Leaks around skylights and chimneys are also common, some of them again due to the extreme contractions of a frozen house.

One of the challenges with many foreclosure houses is getting all of the utilities turned back on for the inspection. The more enlightened of the banks and REO management companies will help with that; however, most will just tell you that it is your responsibility, since it has to be billed to your name, if there is a charge involved. Get out in the country and the issues become larger. Almost all country settings use well and septic systems. Wells can’t be tested without power and just the act of testing them de-winterizes the house. Things like water heaters and furnaces/boilers can’t be tested without power and gas – many times LP gas, which may require a tank fill (something that the banks don’t want to do).

While we read about thieves breaking in and making off with wiring and copper piping in urban areas, it is also not uncommon to find the same problem out in the country, especially in very secluded settings. I can’t tell you how many cold, dark houses that I’ve showed recently out in the country, several with missing plumbing and wiring. Once the wiring is messed up or the power cut off, it is only a matter of time before water issue start cropping up in the basement and mold follows the water into the house. I’ve shown numerous homes that looked great on the entry level, but which were mold filled in the basements. Another issue that will soon face us is snow cover. The snow looks pretty, but it can hide a multitude of sins on a property and you just won’t be able to see what you’ve bought until spring.

Truthfully, the issues are so much more difficult in the winter that I would strongly advise against even considering a foreclosed house that you cannot get completely de-winterized and powered up for the inspection. I cannot calculate the increased risk that would be involved. I generally tell my clients that they should just figure that anything they can’t properly inspect doesn’t work and will need replacing AND that they should expect leaks all over the house when they finally get the water system pressurized. Some deals are likely just too good to pass up and those risks are worth taking, but those are generally investor deals, where the investor has a whole crew ready to take on the challenges that they find. Most home buyers don’t have that support system or the money to take on the risks. My rule of thumb is, if you can’t inspect it – WALK AWAY!