Red flag that the seller is stating the house is new construction. Less than honest for sure. If you offer, have every inspection under the sun listed on your contract -- whole house, foundation, roof, chimney, pest, plumbing, electrical -- and shell out the money to hire specialized inspectors for each, rather than hiring a general inspector for all of it.

thank you for the info- considering we know how much the 2nd builder paid for it and the nominal amount that he has put into it, it doesn't warrant the asking price -

there is also water in the basement (assuming its d/t snow melting )

they're laying a series of demands on us- higher downpayment, no mortgage contingency...etc

the problem now is that someone bought 1 of the 3 homes and it has set the bar for the asking price of the homes. Foreign investors often buy up real estate in our area as way to park their $$$.

Is there anything i should look for in the home on my own before investing in the inspectors?

would the home depot fixtures and fabuwood cabinets be indicative of cut corners?

I would pass on this home just from your own comments. You yourself don't seem to be all in where this home is concerned. You have more Cons then Pros. and with the dishonesty in the listing of the home, I'm sure there is more they are hiding. Having a house sit idle for 6 years, who knows what is wrong with it that you can't see . I would stay put til something better comes along. NancyLouise

I would be concerned that the systems of the house will not be working properly. Does the house have a septic system? A septic system that has not be used in 6 years can have lots of issues. (roots growing thru the lines etc). This may not show up for a few months until the tank fills. The only thing "new construction" about it is that it is never lived in, however the house, its systems, roof, pipes, septic (if it has one), furnace are all six years old and have been dormant which is not good for any of them. The other issue is, you dont say where you are. Extreme heat and cold can affect the sheetrock/drywall in a house. Has this home gone six years without air conditioning and heat? I wouldnt buy any house that has been vacant for six years unless I planned on doing major work to it.

They were advertised as "new build" simply becuase they were never lived in. The furnace and water heater are the only things that should need a serious check. I doubt much else is wrong with the house especially since no one was living there. Were there any odors in the house?

Also, check the attic for mold.

Other than that, I would not have a problem living there.

It is there decision and right if they want to buy the houses and then sell them for a higher price. You also have the right to move on and find another house. Good luck. I know it can be stessful.

If the contractor did not pay his subs, there could be liens on the house. Also you need to check with the building city/county dept to make sure permits were pulled and signed off. It would be that finishing anything would mean bringing the house up to code. $$$$. Who holds the papers? bank? contractor ? loan company? The average home inspector would not be able to give you a good/bad or? inspection.

A house in our neighborhood was unoccupied for about 6 months in the winter. With no or little heat the pipes froze/burst and caused major damage. 6 years is a long time to be unoccupied and you are right to be concerned!

thank you to all for the feedback- I am at a serious crossroad- its a lovely house with the additional space that we would like to have- its tough to find a home of that size w/the land where we live! Its tragic to see the updates put into that home

I have to figure out if the lack of craftsmanship & attention to detail, inexpensive cabinetry, countertops, & Price-tag outweigh the need for the larger home in a low inventory market :-/ my DH keeps asking what can we live with vs not?

Maybe you could look for a larger home in the next town over from you if it is not too far.

@linda- we don't have to worry about septic tanks everything is connected to the town-one less worry :-)

@tlbean- that would mean a change in schools and it is too late for that- my kids are too settled with their friends and teachers

If the house is over priced and under quality, how much would you have to put into it to be happy with it even if you don't have a lot of repairs? Would it be a forever home (best laid plans, at least?) How deep a hole would you be in if you were to have to sell it? Then how much can you afford to do in repairs? Can you get enough in inspections to be comfortable that you won't have to go that far -- and keep a cushion for contingencies? Be honest with yourself -- do you need more room or do you need to clean out and make better use of what you have? What other things could you do with the money you'd have sunk into that house (vacations, summer camps or other events for the kids, dining out, entertainment, etc.)? Would you or the kids have to do without things you have now or would have? Do you have a strong enough stomach and the patience for anything that might come with the house? How much will those things impact the rest of your lives and routines? Do you know something better won't come onto the market this spring or summer?

If i had kids and we needed to move to a bigger house, then i would move regardless of if the kids had to change schools. They will adjust to a new school. But thats just me. lol

TLean - very clearly you don't have kids

Depends a lot on the age of the kids. The older they get and the more involved in sports, activities, special school programs, etc., the harder they typically are to change schools -- if they are happy and doing well.

@lascatx-I think you have spelled so many of the things i have been racking my brain with- but the reality of it is - I have done the purging :-) and with kids who enjoy music and sports, I just don't have room for a whole lotta running around and a set of drums is out of the question :-/ (current house has no basement The space that the house and land would provide is an unbelievable lure- especially cuz its a luxury around here- i could swallow the price tag if they had bothered to put a little bit of quality into it- we are definitely not going to go up in price, if they accept our offer, I will deal with it and be back here for more guidance from all of you!! ;-D

@tlbean- i promise if it was as easy as that, i would have done it already :-)

Sounds like you really want the room and know what you're dealing with. Take your time looking at the details in the house and with inspections. Let your inspectors know the house has not been occupied for 6 years and exactly what has received new attention may be uncertain. If they don't know, they may not look at some things as carefully. If the flipper has gone through those things like leaking toilets and cleaned up well, maybe it won't be any worse than builder grade cabinets -- which you can upgrade later if you want/need to.

Do set your limits and be prepared to walk. Things happen for a reason. Good luck!

who is going to warranty the 1 yr builder's coverage that people who buy new construction normally get--

are they giving you a different type of home insurance like the coverage you can buy for a used home?

pesonally I would not pay a premium just because it is a hot housing market--

if the market was so strong (and he raised the price for limited cosmetic improvements) why didn't it sell previously--

I bet there are foundation/water issues

are you saying the workmanship from the facelift are of mediocre quality or the overall structure is mediocre
it sounds like these folks know there's very little being offered in the area you are looking in that will suite you and are trying to pressure you into buying this house
either of these scenarios would cause me to back off
why is there water in the basement?
why do you think there is not much inventory to choose from in your area?

the water in the basement is a big red flag. there should be no water in the basement. it might be a quick fix (key word "might") if not, the cost of the fix can be breath taking. and after all that, you won't know if it's fixed until the next big rain. we have a problem with shrink/ swell soil around here, and a lot of contractors were taken to court on a non disclose charge. plenty of liens to go around. good luck.