r/HomeInspections

I’m under contract on a single-family home in Colorado Springs and just got the full home inspection report back from a recent inspection. The seller has said they’re fixing the roof, but I’m still waiting on details of the scope. I’d love some opinions from experienced buyers, inspectors, or Colorado locals on whether these findings are normal for the area or if I should push harder in negotiations.
Key findings from the report:
Major / Recommendation items:
• Roof: Moderate hail damage, blistering, and aggregate/granule loss on the asphalt shingles. Inspector recommended a licensed roofing contractor evaluate for repair or replacement (lots of photos showing wear). Seller is apparently handling this.
• West Deck: Dry rot in multiple areas + ledger board is only nailed (not lag-bolted) to the house. Flagged as a structural concern.
• Garage Firewall: Penetrations/openings in the firewall/ceiling between garage and living space — noted as a Safety Hazard.
• Siding/Trim: Cracks, gaps, failing paint/finish, and some rot. Inspector recommends a siding specialist evaluate (could be paint/repairs or more extensive work).
• Grading & Drainage: Negative grade on north and south sides (water flows toward a window well on the north). Also a wooden retaining wall leaning to some degree.
• Water Heater: Installed 2014 — approaching end of typical service life.
• Other exterior: Gutter/downspout issues (indentations + pooling), concrete cracks in driveways/patios/walkways, backyard fencing repairs needed, torn patio awning, missing screen door, etc.
Minor / Maintenance items: A few smaller things like a torn doggy door flap, missing light fixture, missing valve handle, etc.
Positives:
• AC unit is a 2022 Bryant (inspected with no issues)
• Attic has ~12” fiberglass insulation and good passive ventilation
• No major foundation, structural, or HVAC red flags noted
• Overall the home seemed decent for the area
This is my first home purchase and I’m still in escrow. The inspector was thorough with tons of photos.
Questions for you:
• What would you push the seller to repair/fix with a credit (deck, firewall, siding, grading, water heater)?
• Is hail damage + deck issues pretty typical in Colorado Springs?
• Should I get my own roofing contractor and deck specialist to inspect after the seller’s work is done?
• Any other red flags I’m missing, or is this all normal wear for a house this age in Colorado Springs?
Thanks in advance — any advice is super appreciated! I can share more specific pages or photos from the report if it helps.

I was working with a realtor and it went from busy to silence.

Should I ask for feedback at some point? Or is it possible this is natural fluctuations in her business? I already texted her about something else unrelated and she didn't reply but that's not that unusual by itself for her. She's all business lol

I see her posting on social media, congrats to my buyers but haven't heard from her in 3-4 weeks now and for a while it was 2 inspection per week on average

I'm just wondering if I messed up on something. How will I know if I don't get any feedback? Do realtors just ghost inspectors when they F up or do they usually let you know?

I thought back to past interactions with her and recent Inspections and nothing stood out as something problematic.

Hi everyone. I’m looking for insight as to whether I’m overblowing this in my mind.

For context, this home was touted as gut renovated to the studs 5 years ago but not by a flipper, the owner occupies the house. It’s clear they did work to the interior but neglected the exterior and I don’t mean just cosmetically but for example there is a line of unmasoned brick under their back door that’s allowed for water settling with exposed wood. My mindset is why not fix something like that to protect your home if you bothered to fully reno the inside?

Inspection report comes back with evidence of termites in the garage and POSSIBLY under the back door. The back door is unverified because it’s a finished basement and they couldn’t delve further. Seller’s agent tells me termites are normal in our area (yes), that if the termites did any damage to the house, my inspector would’ve found it and if it was actually termites under the door, it would’ve been for sure and not reported as possible. This is where I’m skeptical.

In addition, there was a sign of years of water intrusion in the boiler room (spalling on concrete) but seller says that’s from before their reno. I could believe this but is that naive? How would I know if they fixed what was causing the intrusion and it hasn’t continued over the last 5 years?

I could get over the termites since I know they can be contained but it’s more so the mystery of what’s going on in those basement walls. I’m getting to the fatigue stage where I’m wondering if any home I purchase will have similar issues and I’m questioning if I’m not being flexible enough. Wouldn’t any home that’s not a new build have things we’ll never know behind the walls? I’m a noob, maybe I’m overreacting to these?

I got this inspection for a house thats for sale and it shows a lot of things needing repairs so does that mean it would be a bad purchase or not, and if its not a bad purchase how much would the potential fixes cost. I have some knowledge on hone repairs as my dad was in construction for years but im not to familiar with inspections.

Looking at a house in a NY VHCOL area. Just found out there was a large underground oil tank leak decades ago (prior to most recent owners). Really nice house...I would have never guessed based on the neighborhood, no smell, etc

Records obtained show the spill was remediated, with closure letter, and case status marked as "closed" with NYS DEC.

Planning on meeting with lawyer about this, but would really appreciate outside input on those who have gone forward and still purchased the home. How did you come to this decision? Worried about the potential for lingering health impact...

Also, from a legal perspective, if the case is closed, will I assume responsibility of any issues going forward if something ends up being detected? We will do additional soil and water testing (no wells being used in this area).

What else should I be thinking of?

Lastly, what percentage can oil spills de-value a property?

Thanks in advance for your comments/input. Sincerely appreciate it.

Recently finished training through AHIT. Booked my exam for 5/29 and I'm back to work sun-weds full time. AHIT provides mock exams, and I subscribed to home inspector prep app, and am doing exams on my off day and about 50/100 questions in my breaks through the app. Any other things I could be doing, or any general tips for the exam?