Due Diligence

I’m seriously starting to consider making an offer on the duplexes. I’ll have to get some land records, as the last hundred or so feet close to the river bank may have been sold by the previous owner and if that’s the case I don’t see any need to buy the place at all. Prior to that research though (which I’ll probably have to pay someone to do to make sure I don’t miss anything) I’m going to stick my head up in the attic and see what’s going on with the insulation, wiring, and plumbing. Something that disturbs me, now that I’m thinking about it, is there is only one vent stack in each duplex to vent plumbing for two kitchens, two laundry rooms, four toilets, and two showers. That is a bit off.

Also, the small bedroom downstairs is reportedly the hottest room in that apartment, even though it is nearly completely buried in the embankment and should maintain a fairly steady temp. I’m also worried there is something wrong with both the HVAC units (upstairs and downstairs) in my duplex. The one downstairs was installed new the first week I lived here, and it’s already had major service done three times in two years and sounds like a meat grinder when it starts up in the winter. The fan in my outside unit just randomly stops occasionally. Yes, I know it’s supposed to do that but it does it when it isn’t supposed to if that makes any sense. I can usually tell by the copious amounts of heat and steam pouring from it when it does it. Not sure if it’s a mechanical problem with the fan motor or an electrical problem with the switch/sensor. Either way, these things could impact any offer I make.

My parents are at their place in the mountains until the first of December, and I know I’ll be seeing them Thanksgiving week but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get together before then or not.

And that reminds me, I’ll need to borrow one of their ladders to check my attic out since it’s one of those push-up panels instead of a pull-down deal with built-in stairs. Of course, whatever I find I’ll have to hire a licensed home inspector to go and write down the same stuff or it won’t count, which sucks.