So, sorry! I meant to post this in another forum! It's been a while since I have posted a message.

Carol

I'd first question the fact that it is on the internet and is way below all other houses in area. How long has it been listed? Is there a lot of inventory in that area? I live in CA but I'm not looking at houses but I would think even in this market the really good deals wouldn't last that long. Besides the fact that it needs to be up-dated it's hard to tell what the problems could be. You really need to do a full house inspection including records from the city. The area it's in would have a lot to do with knowing if it was a good deal.

I think in today's time, if you aren't marketing on the internet, you are at a disadvantage. It appears that this listing began a couple of weeks ago. My daughter and her husband are flying out next week to do some house hunting. She was just checking to see if we could get feedback on it. Stucco is an issue here in GA because of the humidity. It looks like just about everything in CA is stucco. Is that correct? What kind of problems are common with stucco?

It is in a very upscale area. We have found before foreclosure listings of $525,000 and $424,500 for the property. The current listing is well below that. The surrounding houses sold for between $375,000 and $510,000.

Carol

What part of CA is it in? I live in Southern Cal and don't know of anyone that has had issues with their stucco. It's just not that humid anywhere in CA. There are a few things about CA houses that are typical....they are usually stucco and usually on a slab foundation, which means you can't usually move plumbing too easily. They also have problems with copper pipe slab leaks.

Thanks for the info about the copper pipes. According to the records, the house was built in 1991. It looks as though it has been neglected for quite some time. Can I assume the coloring at the bottom of the stucco is because it is dirty and not a sign of some problem? The house is about midway between San Francisco and LA.

We live in CA--it is dry, dry, dry. I'm 95% sure the stucco at the bottom in your pic is dirty. The only thing I've ever heard about stucco is that it can crack. Our house has wood siding :-( but I wish it was stucco. It's great for CA, supposedly stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Midway between SF and LA...Fresno? I think the house just looks like it needs a little sprucing up. I would encourage hiring a home inspector to ferret out any problems it might have.

Stucco isn't a problem. Not everything is stucco, but stucco is much preferred here to any other kind of siding because it's functional for the climate, environment, etc.). It resists fire, doesn't rot, etc. The things to look for in this kind of house are structural problems (i.e., earthquake damage, subsidence damage, water damage, termite damage). It can't be sold without termite inspection/treatment, so that's not too big a problem if there isn't rampant damage (shouldn't be if the house was built well to begin with). All houses here have, or will have, termites.

It's also important to know what's around the house. It's hard to tell from the pictures what kind of ground it's on. Is it fill? Is it hilly?

Foreclosure sales can be tricky because the banks generally want the buyers who are the least trouble rather than the best price. That means they often sell to speculators rather than homeowners. For a house your kids are going to live in, especially choosing it without being here, you really, really should have a good home inspector and a geologist do inspections, though the bank may not be willing. On a foreclosure sale, I wouldn't worry so much about the appliances, HVAC, or roof (though red tile, if installed right and not broken, should outlive the house), because you can assume you're going to have to put in up to $50,000 to take care of what has gone wrong while people with no money lived there, and while it's been empty.

But they don't want to be stuck with cracked, crumbling or twisted foundations, subsidence, riparian water issues, mud slides, or any other of the other structural and geologic issues that many houses face. Those can take hundreds of thousands of dollars to deal with.

Looks like carpet in the master bath with possible water leak or damage coming from the back of the tub.

Water in the pool doesn't appear to be rippling, so the pump may be turned off or may not be working properly. Looks like it is starting to get some algae growth and more would be expected as the weather warms. If this listing is just a couple of weeks old, the house may be in foreclosure because a buyer could not be found at a price the sellers could afford. The pool equipment may have been turned off at that time, so it could start looking worse. Expect several hundred dollars to get it cleaned up -- even DIY, the chemicals and such could cost you $200 or more. Equipment repairs, if some are needed, can run you $50-75 for minimal labor and a leaking O-ring to several hundred or a lot more -- depending on what is wrong. For example, that pool sweeper is probably about $4-500 and they need annual service ($50-100) and replacement every few years.

Stucco is very common in CA. It looks like it recently rained since there are puddles on the tennis court -- either that or it is a real mess, but it looks like there are other puddles. Being wet under those circumstances doesn't bother me, but it looks like the back of the garage may be mildewy (doesn't look like there is dirt to splash up on it). That would be an indication of a persistent moisture problem and there could be wood rot underneath. if termites are in the area, they are drawn to damp wood. If that is mildew, it is possible the house just needs gutters to take the water from the roof rather than splashing on the sides there, but you would need to look for other possible sources of moisture.

You should also look for cracks -- settlement or earth shifting. Earthquakes cause shifts that may or may not be problematic. Make sure doors and windows open and close properly.

The house could have problems in all these areas and more -- or nothing but cosmetics and a little TLC. The only way to know is to look at it and try to get a knowledgeable person to go with you. Construction there is very different from construction here. I've lived in several parts of Texas and in the northern bay area (Marin/Sonoma). Very different real estate concerns, and I was very glad we paid for an inspection on new construction out there so I learned something about that.

Good luck -- it looks like a lot of house and a lot of extras, but no real updating.

Stucco that has been subjected to constant wetting form sprinklers is susceptible to wood rot and mold behind it. Other than that there are plenty of other things that can be wrong with it that could be very costly to fix. They should really have it checked out if they are serious. Again the area makes a difference of how much you would put into a house between repairs and up-dates. The 375k-510k price range is hardly upscale in many parts of California especially here in Southern California.

They wouldn't buy anything without a home inspection. That would help determine what kind of costs they would be incurring to fix it up. It has already gone through a foreclosure sale. The buyer has put it back on the market. It appears to have been farm land previously, not fill. What kind of thing would a geologist be looking for? And, pardon my ignorance, what is subsidence damage and riparian water issues?

There is a disclosure on the foreclosure papers about potential hazardous materials inspection. Is that normal on foreclosure contracts?

Disclosures are required by law. The sellers, and possibly the agent/broker in some cases, are liable for known faults that they don't disclose. If it's former farmland there are possibly fewer geologic issues. I don't know enough to say what that disclosure might mean, but some possibilities include soil issues from fertilizers, contaminated ground water, and industrial waste, or materials used in the construction. Or it might be standard blather for butt-covering. If it's a listed disclosure you should be able to get details from the listing agent.

It would really help to have a buyer's agent who really knows that area and knows what issues are prevalent.

Subsidence is where the ground sinks under the house. It can be caused by underground water, saturated soil, earthquakes (especially combined with water), bad fill, etc. The earth around here moves and leaks. Everyone hears about the earthquakes, but water and slide are equally important.

Riparian water is water that runs free. Does the lot drain correctly? Does the water run into other people's yards (needs to be corrected, if so). Does water and/or mud run into this house's yard? It really does rain in California, more than the soil can absorb, and the water has to go somewhere. These are the kinds of things a geologist looks for, as well as locating the nearest faults, etc. If you have good advice from an agent who has longterm knowledge of the area you might not really need this, especially if there are no hills, but it's really hard to know what's going on when you're coming from such a different part of the country.

I'd want to know what caused the hole in the court, and what that trench across it with the manhole is all about.

The bottom of the garage problem might just be dirt, etc., from where the border plantings were, or could be a problem.

Riparian Water is water that is associated with a wetland area (senstive plant species). Riparian describes things associated with a River.

At first I thought the court was torn up or falling apart in the middle, but then I saw the number of damp looking areas and looked again -- it could just be the last to dry area with leaves stuck in the wet. What it really is could be the difference between needing a couple of gallons of deck paint and having to completely replace or resurface the court.

I live in a house that is stucco and built in 1990. I'm on the coast, near Santa Barbara. My stucco is in great shape. I wouldn't worry about it. Looks like the land is flat. We are on the hillside and there has been some problems. $375K-575k is about average, not upscale. Inland is cheaper than coastal areas.

Thanks for all of the information. I will follow up when they return from their trip.

One question to ask, if that home really was built in 1991, is whether it has a safety alarm system on that pool. Otherwise, a fence is sometimes required, which can be expensive.

Check the local county ordinances to see what applies in this case:

"Barriers such as fences and safety covers play an important role in preventing accidental drowning, especially in young children. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 69% of child drowning victims were last seen in the house, patio, or yard before finding their way into the pool. Effective barriers or alarms go a long way toward preventing these injuries and deaths.

Because of this, state and local laws require barriers or alarms to be included in new and remodeled pools. Owners of pools built before 1988 are not required by state law to add these safety features unless remodeling, but if you don't have them you might well be held liable if someone is injured or killed. Your pool may also be cited by the County as a "nuisance." City and county rules are different in different areas, and may be affected by changes in state law. Check with your city or county building department for current rules in your area.

California's "Swimming Pool Safety Act" (Heath & Safety Code 115920 et seq.) can be found here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.";

Half way between SF and LA...on the coast or inland?

We're at that half way point on the coast, and our Stucco house was built in the late 70's and it has no stucco issues. As stated before, a good house inspection will be their best indication of what they're getting.

Stucco is not the issue. The majority of houses in California are stucco. As I said earlier, it's water getting in behind it, either from above or below. What would concern me the most is what is the history here? Why it is on the market again? If it really is good deal why hasn't a speculator bought it? Is there simply too much inventory in the area or is it something else? Don't get me wrong, there are good deals out there, especially now, but I would just check this out with an independent realtor from the area. Good luck and welcome to California. The weather is great.

The house is lovely and it is easy to fall in love with
it. But the best reality check will be the home
inspection. Hire your own not one through your realtor.
We found they can have a conflict of interest.
Bottom line. Protect yourself!