Things to Watch Out For
Every once in a while a buyer falls in love with a house that makes me nervous
It might have a charming porch. Maybe a peekaboo water view. Perhaps a price that seems suspiciously attractive compared to the rest of the neighborhood.
But sometimes that attractive house comes with a hidden catch.
And in Tacoma, there are a couple of home types that you might want to avoid.
Let’s talk about it.
The “Looks Great in photos” House
You’ve seen the listing. The photos look good. The price is tempting. The location is decent.
Then you arrive for the showing and you see one or more of the following:
The floors are sloped from settling to the point where if you dropped a marble, it would roll into the corner at high speed
The electrical is ancient! Wiring and panel (or fuse box!)
Unmistakable smell of mold in the basement
Built on posts instead of a foundation
Low water pressure - can mean the plumbing supply lines are galvanized and need replacing
Large foundation cracks - bigger than the width of your index finger
The sewer backs up from time to time but the seller clean
Some people love a fixer. If you are a contractor, an experienced investor, or someone who genuinely enjoys construction projects… this type of home might make sense. But for many buyers — especially first-time buyers — it can turn into a financial and emotional marathon. If you need to hire a contractor to oversee all projects, this kind of home can cost a lot and you may not get a full picture until you start opening things up. Projects have a way of growing.
On reality TV, these projects look easy and fun, and a great way to exercise the creative part of your brain. I have also seen flip shows that paint a rosy picture of the costs associated with individual repairs. In actual reality, hairy improvements can run much more expensive than expected.
In Tacoma, many older homes were built 100+ years ago. They can be wonderful, beautiful homes — but they often require thoughtful maintenance and periodic upgrades.
It is also good to go into a house purchase knowing that projects take time. If you are living in a house that is under construction, that can be stressful and even put stress on the relationships of the people living there.
How About the Opposite Kind of House?
Instead of buying the biggest project in the neighborhood, consider keeping your eyes open for the house that may not be cosmetically gorgeous, but was owned by a diligent homeowner, maybe even an engineer; something that is structurally solid, mechanically sound, well maintained and updated in the unglamorous ways, like new roof, sewer, furnace and a crawlspace that you would feel just fine about crawling around in. Paint, flooring, and fixtures are pretty easy to fix up. Foundations, sewer lines, and structural issues are less easy and more fraught with danger.
In real estate — as in many things — the boring house with good bones often turns out to be the smarter purchase.
Home Inspection and Sewer Scope
Don’t skip the home inspection or the sewer scope. A little bit of expense at this stage in the process can really save you a headache later. Consider going over and above those basics and bring in a foundation engineer if there are large cracks or excessive settling. Very often, things check out just fine - putting you in a great position to assess the real costs of owning the home, an advantage over the buyer who won’t spend a few hundred bucks to vet that out.
For your post on the "hidden catches" of Tacoma fixer-uppers, here are three FAQs that dive into the logistical and financial implications without repeating the warning signs you’ve already listed:
FAQs
1. Can I use a traditional mortgage to buy a house with these types of issues?
It depends on the severity. Standard FHA and VA loans have strict "Minimum Property Standards"—items like peeling paint (in pre-1978 homes), non-functional heat sources, or exposed wiring can disqualify a home from financing. If you've fallen in love with a "project," you may need to look into a Renovation Loan (like an FHA 203k), which bundles the purchase price and repair costs into one mortgage, though these come with more paperwork and higher interest rates.
2. How much should I budget for a Sewer Scope or a Structural Engineer in Tacoma?
In the Puget Sound area, a standard Sewer Scope typically costs between about $300. If the home inspection reveals significant settling and you need a Licensed Structural Engineer to evaluate the foundation, expect to pay between $300 and $500 for a consultation. While it feels like a "sunk cost" if you don't buy the house, it is significantly cheaper than the $20,000–$40,000 price tag of a total foundation or sewer line failure.
- Is Unpermitted Work a Problem?
If the seller did work to the house but failed to go through the permitting process, that might not be a show-stopper. The main thing is to make sure they did not cut other corners or do a poor job. Here is a blog post about that.
