Answers by Michael Salas

Home inspector here. A long report on an old house is normal… we write down everything I see. I tell my clients to think of safety issues, things failing now, and things that are just old, and to ask for credits on the first two. Take the credit over seller repairs in most cases. Sometimes sellers hire the cheapest contractor to do the minimum, and I see the results on re inspections. Ask your lender about caps on seller credits first. Sometimes a price reduction is cleaner (although your agent may not love this). How much will it cost you? I don't put repair prices in my reports, and most inspectors won't for liability reasons. Contractor quotes are best, but sometimes it’s hard inside the contingency window. I send my clients to a service called Kept (usekept.com). You upload the inspection report and it prices each item for your area. It's under $100 and usually back within hours. It's an estimate, but an itemized request goes over much better with sellers than a round number. Foundation cracks: hairline vertical cracks are typical for that age. Anything horizontal, or wider than 1/8-1/4 inch you should have a structural engineer come out for. For the HVAC, sellers rarely replace a working system, but a partial credit is a fair ask (same for many end of life findings). Best of luck with your new home!