I need some advice on home buying.. is this house worth it?

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scorch

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Hi Everyone, since i dont have any construction connections and anyone to give me advice i thought id seek the help from the online community. Im a school teacher, so basically i dont have alot of money. Im approved for 162k. Recently a house came on the market, and it is 144k. I went to look at it, houses in this area are selling within a week. So i kind of need to act fast.

My question is the house looks in good shape, except for the kitchen and bathrooms(the most expensive things i guess)
IMG_4928.jpg


here is the kitchen
It looks like mold, but doesnt feel moist and i cant smell anything. Im also sick so i cant really smell stuff that well


The bathroom in the basement was filled with tons of black crap. (the toilet). No idea what it is. I suspect there was water in the basement and they cleaned it up and filled it? Why would anyone do that?
IMG_4947.jpg



Its scary buying a house, specially when i dont have much money and i dont want to make a horrible decision. I did back out of a great house i got at 165k and eventually someone bought it, fixed it in 2 months and sold it for 395k .

Any advice is appreciated.
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Welcome to the site. Did yoy try flushing the toilet upstairs, it looks like a sewer backup problem.
Depending on the problem but if there is a septic tank system that has to be replaced your budget would be gone.
Invest in a home inspection.
 
First, check the neighborhood market values. That other house may be in a different market, so without us knowing the local market, we can not make that call.
Second, check with yourself whether you are ready for the ride. A house with those kind of problems probably has many more that you can't see. if you are DIY handy, are the projects within your skill level? If not, how much money and or time do you have to throw at them?
Third, follow Neal's advice above. Check the major house systems. Plumbing, electrical and waste...and of course basic structural integrity.

(Neal: I'm pretty sure that's the ceiling in picture 1;)
 
I agree with the above post on the need for an inspection. Just look at it as part of the cost of buying a house. Unfortunately, not all inspectors are very useful. There are outfits that will give a guy a certification of "Master Home Inspector" so long as he does not have criminal background, and his check for the certification does not bounce. You have to do your homework on the inspector too. Look for somebody who used to be a contractor. Besides reading his written report, phone him and try to pick his brain --- he might have opinions that he is willing to share verbally, that are not appropriate for the written report.

To me, those photos look a lot like an unfinished flip. A little drywall, $250 of cheap laminate flooring, a paint job, and the living room looks perfect. Concerning that some parts of the house look good, some parts look bad. That they did not complete the job, might mean that they are not even very good flippers. Hidden water damage, basement water leakage, plumbing or sewer issues -- those can be big problems --- flippers are only interested in putting lipstick on the house.
 

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