Help - mid century home with settling and crack in floor
I'm looking at a house in a desirable area. It is midcentury and has a slab with a crawl space with piers and joists. I had a "walk and talk" with my agent's "guy" who identified termite issues in the joists. He suggested it could be $5K to $25K to fix. There is a major crack in the floor and the floors all need to be done. I have concerns about water / humidity / moisture but he downplayed any water damage concerns. When I google mid-century house on a slab all I see are nightmare stories about moisture. I also have insulation concerns. You can literally see daylight through where the wall meets the floor.
There was an elderly lady who lived there from 1994 to 2024. The current owner never lived in the house. My agent is suggesting that I can make a strong offer by waiving inspection or limiting inspection, because Joe already walked me through. Joe might be telling me the whole unvarnished truth but it feels suss. At the same time, I want the house. It's a great size, parking, yard.
I suggested getting a structural engineer and my agent said those would be buzzwords that the seller does not want to hear. The seller wants certainty to close over a maximum price.
Advice and anecdotes welcome!