Learned the hard way why you don't skip the final walkthrough

Lost out on a $312,000 cash deal in Phoenix last Tuesday because I trusted the seller's photos of a rental property. Showed up after closing and the place had a busted water heater, mold on the bathroom ceiling, and a sagging back porch. I brought in my own inspector this time on a duplex near Glendale and found three code violations before I handed over a single dollar. Anyone else gotten burned by skipping that last look before signing?

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1 Comment

the_daniel8d ago

Man, are we really acting like a walkthrough would've caught all that? Inspectors miss stuff all the time, and half of those "code violations" are just the city wanting more permits and fees. You got burned, sure, but a final walkthrough on a rental is barely a glance at the place. Tenants hide damage like it's their job, and that sagging porch probably looked fine from the right angle. Seems more like you skipped the whole "hire a structural guy before closing" step, not the little stroll before keys.