Answers by Marc Comisar

his isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but unpermitted work does carry some risk. The city could require it to be permitted after the fact or brought up to code, and that would fall on you as the new owner. It’s not common for them to force removal unless there’s a safety issue, but we should factor in the possibility of added cost and either have the seller address it or account for it in the price.

You might have a case, but it depends on proof. If the seller knew about the leak and didn’t disclose it, that’s a problem and you could go after them. The challenge is proving they knew. Start by documenting everything and talk to a real estate attorney. Don’t rely on the seller to ‘do the right thing’ at this point.

You might have a case, but it depends on proof. If the seller knew about the leak and didn’t disclose it, that’s a problem and you could go after them. The challenge is proving they knew. Start by documenting everything and talk to a real estate attorney. Don’t rely on the seller to ‘do the right thing’ at this point.

This is actually a great situation. The best way to keep it fair is to agree on value first. You can have a Realtor pull comparable sales or even get an appraisal so both sides feel comfortable on price. Then just handle it like a normal sale with a contract, inspections, and title company so everything is done properly.

You can also use strategies like an escalation clause so you automatically beat other offers, but you need to be careful not to go too high if the home doesn’t appraise. The key is making your offer strong while still protecting yourself on the financing side.