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.

IMO a two hour notice is reasonable:) It is more difficult today to get everyone's schedules together to show property so we don't kill two hours just driving around. But we do plan our showings and it is common to have notice well before two hours. The exception is when showing properties in the area and the buyer notices your house on the market and wants to see it right away :)

I think a lot of young people (in their 30’s), got into houses that were way over their head. My own son and his wife bought a very, very expensive house with a balloon, interest-only mortgage. I thought it was utter madness - with low interest rates, why not a traditional 30 mortgage? But what did I know - the widow of a school teacher with little money. Her father, who advised this, had been very high up in a huge brokerage and was very wealthy. Fortunately, I think my son realized this was very risky and they took end-of-year bonuses and paid them into the mortgage and since interest rates continued to be low, just refinanced when the balloon was coming due. Then they divorced and she wanted the house sold. After 14 months, it finally sold...for $800,000 less than they had paid for it. They were very lucky they weren’t under water with their mortgage. Five years later, real estate prices still have not returned to pre-2008 prices. This is the Gold Coast of CT and the number of foreclosures is astounding. It’s hard for someone like me to imagine how someone with a seven to eight figure salary ends up in foreclosure. I guess it’s pretty easy if one lives way beyond his means.

Here's another opinion or two to contrast with what's been said: Some day the Paso Robles area will be an important wine center, like both Napa and Sonoma are today. It's not there yet. Some good wine is produced there and a lot of mediocre wine too. There just isn't the depth of vineyard and wine-making expertise nor the trial and error for technique and terroir that's gone on in the North Bay for decades and decades, to give them a comparable standing as a region. Also, to show you that glasses can be half full or half empty depending on one's perspective, I agree that Paso has still retained its small town feeling. It's a cow town (literally, the historical ag emphasis was cattle ranching), always has been a cow town, and doesn't have the understated sophistication or great food choices of the world-renown North Bay wine areas. If I were a visitor to the area, I wouldn't lose a day for the Bay Area/San Francisco or even Monterey, by spending time in Paso Robles. On the restaurant scene, I think sushipup and I have different views too. I don't think Phil's or the other places in Moss Landing are worth stopping for. There are better choices in Monterey and if you want seafood with scenery, both the Monterey Wharf and the same in Santa Cruz have places with better views, better atmosphere and better food,