In which Bryan Reynolds talks about basements. Can you trust the homeowner?
Hal Humphreys here. Along with Bryan Reynolds, I produce this podcast and help with educational development here at Appraiser eLearning. I once had a basement issue with a house that I owned.
I sold my first home in Green Hills in Nashville several years ago. An agent wanted to show the house to her client and scheduled a showing on a weekend. It had rained - a lot - the previous week, like several nights in a row. The basement leaked, normal for the area. But I was living about an hour south of Nashville and hadn't been to the house in several days. Unbeknownst to me, someone had unplugged the sump pump. The basement was a deep flowing river. The agent, who happened to be Jim (partner in AeL) McLeod's mother, was shocked. I think she doubted my trustworthiness as I had told her the basement leaked, but it wasn't a problem - since we had a sump pump that kept pace with rising water levels. I had been telling the truth, but someone had unplugged the sump, so there was about five feet of standing water in the basement. She did not sell the house to her client.
Always check the basement. Always check the homeowner's statements.
