I had an offer accepted on a house in upstate NY. Inspection report turned up a bunch of stuff and I asked the seller for a few things including to pump the septic (owners had never pumped it) and remediate mold ("potential organic substance") in the attic and its cause (issues with crawlspace), and asked about a potential structural issue. Seller said you're welcome to get a mold test and if it's actually mold we can discuss remediation, and we'll pump the septic, and they declined to address the possible structural issue. The next morning, before we could respond, our agent told us the sellers decided not to sell, without explanation. 3 days from receiving the inspection report to seller's decision, less than 2 weeks after offer acceptance.
I keep wondering whether making asks after inspection was somehow unreasonable, or maybe there was actually a serious mold or structural issue, or the sellers just decided they loved the house. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if I've done something unreasonable so as to avoid losing another house.
Owner decided not to sell – My fault?
byu/Pratt2 inRealEstate
Posted by Pratt2
6 Comments
Without knowing your contract, they can’t necessarily just “decide not to sell”. But they can say no to your requests. If you decline, then they could take it off the market.
OP, don’t for a second talk yourself into the idea that asking for an inspection was unreasonable.. if anything, NOT doing an inspection would be a mistake, as it puts you in a position of huge risk for repairs/major issues with the property. When the inspection comes back with findings, because all do.. it’s your choice what to request repair/remediation for. From what you mentioned, what you’ve asked to be address seems very reasonable in my opinion.
Now on the other end of the coin, it’s up to the seller to either repair or give seller concessions in lieu of the repair during negation.. the fact that they back sounds like the were already fickle about selling & decided to back out for an unknown personal reason.
I wouldn’t take this as you doing anything wrong. What you asked for is pretty normal after an inspection, especially around septic and possible mold. The structural concern alone is something most buyers would at least bring up.
What likely happened is the seller saw where this was heading and decided they didn’t want to deal with it. Once inspections start uncovering multiple issues, some sellers just pull back instead of negotiating, especially if they’re not in a rush or think they can find a buyer who won’t push as much.
I’ve also seen cases where sellers get spooked by the idea of a structural issue being documented and would rather walk than go down that road. If anything, this probably saved you from getting deeper into a house with more going on than it looked like upfront.
I wouldn’t change your approach. You’re doing what a careful buyer should be doing.
Your contract would really matter in this situation, but if the seller doesn’t like your inspection report and none of the times lines have expired then usually they can’t just pull out. The question becomes, do you still want to close if seller does not correct/compensate issues?
Your request was reasonable. The goal is to establish the value of the home after you receive new information. I looked at a house last year that had been listed, taken off market after an inspection, with a bunch of repairs being done before being relisted at a higher price. The seller spent less than the price increase amounted to, and it sold at asking price very quickly.
People decide not to sell for all kinds of reasons. It could easily have nothing to do with you. We seriously considered a house where the husband of the family died while they were on the market so they pulled the house off the market.