u/FullAnything

We’re currently under contract on a home in St. Pete and had two questions come up during due diligence that we wanted a second opinion on regarding whether these are normal or something we should be concerned about.

HVAC:The MLS/Zillow listing advertises the HVAC system as a 2021 system, but we cannot find a permit for the HVAC replacement. Additionally, in the seller disclosure, the seller marked the HVAC age as “unknown.” The current owner purchased the home in 2023 and says they don’t have information on the install. Is this fairly common in St. Pete/older Florida homes, or is the lack of permit + conflicting information something we should view as a meaningful concern for insurance, appraisal, or future resale?

Base Semi-Finished (BSF) Room:The county appraiser sketch shows a 180 sqft room classified as “BSF” (Base Semi-Finished) rather than standard living area (BAS). The room appears enclosed and connected to the home, but we have not found a permit tied specifically to that room yet. Since the county already recognizes the room separately on the property sketch, should we mainly view this as a non-GLA classification issue, or could this create larger concerns around permitting, appraisal, insurance, or resale?

Just trying to understand whether these are fairly normal quirks for older St. Pete homes or actual red flags before moving further into inspections and closing costs.

We’re currently under contract on a home in St. Petersburg, Florida and had two questions come up during due diligence that we wanted a second opinion on regarding whether these are normal or something we should be concerned about.

HVAC:The MLS/Zillow listing advertises the HVAC system as a 2021 system, but we cannot find a permit for the HVAC replacement. Additionally, in the seller disclosure, the seller marked the HVAC age as “unknown.” The current owner purchased the home in 2023 and says they don’t have information on the install. Is this fairly common in St. Pete/older Florida homes, or is the lack of permit + conflicting information something we should view as a meaningful concern for insurance, appraisal, or future resale?

Base Semi-Finished (BSF) Room:The county appraiser sketch shows a 180 sqft room classified as “BSF” (Base Semi-Finished) rather than standard living area (BAS). The room appears enclosed and connected to the home, but we have not found a permit tied specifically to that room yet. Since the county already recognizes the room separately on the property sketch, should we mainly view this as a non-GLA classification issue, or could this create larger concerns around permitting, appraisal, insurance, or resale?

Just trying to understand whether these are fairly normal quirks for older St. Pete homes or actual red flags before moving further into inspections and closing costs.

We’re currently under contract on a home in St. Petersburg, Florida and had two questions come up during due diligence that we wanted a second opinion on regarding whether these are normal or something we should be concerned about.

HVAC:The MLS/Zillow listing advertises the HVAC system as a 2021 system, but we cannot find a permit for the HVAC replacement. Additionally, in the seller disclosure, the seller marked the HVAC age as “unknown.” The current owner purchased the home in 2023 and says they don’t have information on the install. Is this fairly common in St. Pete/older Florida homes, or is the lack of permit + conflicting information something we should view as a meaningful concern for insurance, appraisal, or future resale?

Base Semi-Finished (BSF) Room:The county appraiser sketch shows a 180 sqft room classified as “BSF” (Base Semi-Finished) rather than standard living area (BAS). The room appears enclosed and connected to the home, but we have not found a permit tied specifically to that room yet. Since the county already recognizes the room separately on the property sketch, should we mainly view this as a non-GLA classification issue, or could this create larger concerns around permitting, appraisal, insurance, or resale?

Just trying to understand whether these are fairly normal quirks for older St. Pete homes or actual red flags before moving further into inspections and closing costs.

**Typo in title - should say points down or lower closing cost

We need help deciding what's more advantageous - a 6.5% mortgage rate with $78,318 down payment, or a 6.75% mortgage rate with a $75,130 down payment. It would be $53 higher monthly if we go with the higher rate. We are first time home buyers and overwhelmed by the options and unpredictability of the market.