u/Fast_Acadia_8030

Just bought a house in the northeast of the United States. Roofing isn’t great but I see the black paint/coating was applied shortly before they put the house on the market. It seems like the mortar between bricks look sloppy? I don’t know what to look for in a chimney. I should say, it’s not linked to a fireplace—there is none in the house. Believe it’s an outlet for the gas?

Is this okay? Something I need to call someone for? I’d say about 50% of houses in the neighborhood having this coating, and most are newly sold. Others are normal brick chimneys.