Every inspection turns up a list. Most items are small, fixable, and worth negotiating. But a handful of findings deserve real caution – and sometimes a clean exit.
The serious ones
Foundation movement with visible cracking and sticking doors, active water intrusion in the basement, knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, and an aging roof at the end of its life are the findings that change the math. Each can be a five-figure problem hiding behind a fresh coat of paint.
The negotiable ones
Aging water heaters, minor electrical updates, and small plumbing repairs are normal homeownership. These are conversation starters, not deal-enders.
The job is not to find a perfect house – those do not exist. It is to walk in with eyes open, know which findings are fixable, and have an advocate who can renegotiate or walk when the numbers no longer work.
