I toured a house I liked but my husband didn't really like it because of the upstairs bedrooms having cape ceiling. However, this place was still a "maybe". The current owner purchased it 3 months ago with the aim of renovating it then rent it out. However he decided to sell it. He is also the agent.
First red flag was that he kept insisting that he has no idea how old the roof is
Second, we applied to the town county for information on previous building permits and there was none recorded. In this town, you would have to get a permit to do your roof.
Anyone experienced this before and what did you do? The house was built in the 50s.
There is no record of any building permits ever issue to this address
byu/IllTangerine8235 inRealEstate
Posted by IllTangerine8235
12 Comments
It is not uncommon for un-permitted e9rk to occur
That is typical. Either the town loses the records or people don’t pull permits. A lot of areas are not super aggressive in permit enforcement.
“Have to” is holding a lot of weight here. Perhaps you’re required to get a permit to do your roof, however by and large many people do not.
Get it inspected or just accept the unknown. If it looks good and doesn’t seem to leak (and you’re not in Florida), wouldn’t bother me in the least.
I don’t think it’s a red flag for someone who’s owned the place 3 months to not know the roof age. Also, many roofers are not pulling permits even if required. The biggest red flag I see is the guy owning it 3 months and saying he was planning on keeping it. If he was just trying to flip it, it would make more sense.
This is pretty common in my market. It’s more common in some than in others.
While the age of the roof is important, the condition is even more important. That roof could be six months old but uninsurable f it was installed incorrectly or is damaged.
If the house was purchased three months ago, the current owner may very likely not know the exact age of the roof. However, as an agent, they will still have a copy of the disclosure they were provided. I would ask him for a copy of the previous disclosure report. That may have some more information on it.
It’s being sold by a flipper, who did nothing?
Just a guess, but maybe he knows enough about the property to cut his losses now, and run away. I’d be very wary of buying this house.
So…all good comments about permit vs unpermitted BUT what I see happening a lot is that insurers are wanting you to prove the age of your roof or they insist on it being replaced or they wont grant coverage.
Hearing a lot of people being dropped for a roof in reasonable condition but without proof of age. Another issue that may be regional but worth considering.
Personally, a realtor selling a property within 3mos of buying is sus no matter the reason and I would avoid it. Being the selling agent just makes it worse, not better.
In Florida insurance companies are hot to know roof age. Many won’t insure unknown age or over 10 years old. Roof permits are only accepted proof.
Thus is due to lax litigation and insurance regulation. Lawsuits, fraud, etc. Thanks Florida legislature
Just because you’re supposed to get a permit does not mean you have to get a permit.
It’s required to get a permit to roof in my area in about one out of 20 people do it
I asked the town for my property taxes for my house and they said my address doesn’t have a house.
They just added the house and updated the form so maybe that’s what they’ll do for you
Run away. The investor/owner found something that is making it too expensive to renovate. That should be a huge red flag.