Lake Elmo House

We received the bids from the contractors who will be installing the new septic system after we move into the new house in Lake Elmo. The seller kept telling us that no trees would be affected but both contractors said there is the possibility that trees will be affected.

One contractor said that as far down the road as 5-10 years, it is possible the trees affected may die or have stunted growth. The bushes in the area where the new drain field is going to be may not come back for 5-6 years.

Taking all of that into consideration, we decided to ask for the higher amount of the bids to do the work and 50% more to be put in escrow in case something comes up during the actual work after we close on the house.

The sellers said no. The relocation company can’t have anything in escrow and the sellers are not willing to put additional money towards work that may or may not be necessary. So, we told them we would cancel the contract.

There are unforeseen things that can go wrong with installation of a septic.

Minutes later, our agent told us they would be willing to pay 25% more instead of the 50% more. We went ahead and agreed to that.

This house has its difficulties. Besides the septic, unlicensed work was done by the seller and we have no way of going into walls and checking that the plumbing and electrical he did is to code. Many owners do work on their houses. But, the messy condition of the house also made it difficult for our inspector to look at certain areas.

So, we aren’t willing to take on more risk.

But – things seem to be flowing again. We still do not have a clear title, an inspection addendum that they should have signed and then the walkthrough on Friday morning. We’re hoping they have all the window screens in place so we don’t have to put them up to check to make sure they are working and in good condition. And, originally the sellers wanted to take the washer and dryer with them but we negotiated keeping that so hopefully those are there too.

We sign papers after we walk through the house on Friday morning. If all goes well, we should have keys in hand by 1:00. If not, the house hunting process will start all over again.

 

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