The second installment in our Real Stories series; these stories are the actual stories of our clients’ real estate experiences.
Jane and Ian were relocating from the UK to Edmonton and found us online. We met with them and explained some of the differences between real estate here and in the UK, and then began showing them homes. They were interested in an older “character” home in an established neighbourhood – being from England, a home built in 1920 was practically new to them!
The market at the time was booming, most homes were selling with multiple offers and no conditions. Jane and Ian had their eye on a storybook home, with a wrap around deck, original woodwork, mature trees, and all the beautiful things that come with an older home. They were well versed on the market and decided quickly to write an offer – they didn’t want to miss out on this one!
We advised them to include an inspection condition with their offer, even though it may make their offer less desirable to the seller. They took our advice, and wrote an excellent offer which the seller accepted. Now was time to find an inspector.
At the inspection a major crack in the foundation was discovered, that the inspector said could cost $90,000 to fix! The seller didn’t know there were any problems that serious and offered to find a professional engineer to have a look at it. The engineer agreed with the inspector saying the repairs were necessary and could cost $50,000-$90,000. Imagine if Jane and Ian didn’t have the inspection!
In the end the Ian and Jane had to pass on this property, but were able to find another with our help in the same neighbourhood. This time it passed the inspection.
