54 degrees this morning, 33:59 minute walk
While I think 54 degrees is too cold for this time of year, it is better than the forecast, which was for around 47, if I remember correctly.
Incompetence or “just don’t call” is perhaps the worst problem I see in owning a house. You really don’t know whom to trust and there are plenty of people willing to take your money and not provide much in return.
It starts with the mortgage fees (always much higher than the “best estimate”) and then continues.
During the “purchase inspection” we were advised the the water sprinkler system had been “winterized” so the Inspector (who we paid a flat amount no matter what) couldn’t inspect it. Ditto for the air conditioner. (too cold???, not a problem according to other people we consulted).
Of course the Sprinkler System WASN’t “winterized” and it will require significant work, although not as bad as it could have been (the seller would have been required to fix it).
I was mournfully advised by out Real Estate Agent that of course “the sprinkler system could be dewinterized and rewinterized but it would take a lot of time”.
Of course, I was stupid enough to agree. In real estate, you don’t believe anyone.
I really blame the Inspector. He was obviously just going though the motions and wanted the money. He didn’t inspect an attic because “he didn’t have the key to the padlock” (in this case we told him to get the key, we knew better than to not allow an inspection of the attic and HVAC system.)
Either he lied about the sprinkler system or just was too lazy to check what the owners told him.
He also missed some significant problems, again that should have been fixed by the sellers.
While I blame the Inspector most (and then me) and then the Realtor for not watching for our interest. I think it brings up a major reason for incompetence and one major reason for age discrimination.
In this, the Inspector had obviously lost his passion for the job and should have done something else or forced himself to do better. The Realtor was just too greedy to press it. I was too ignorant to know to make them to what we paid for.
However, again, the major problem is the Inspector had just lost his passion for the job and was obviously going through the motions. The Realtor hadn’t lost his passion for his job, but he let his greed override his actions.
I see it a lot in the past years, the employees (both old and young) who are either “marking time” or “retired in place”. They aren’t interested in learning anything new, they are afraid they are doing to work an ounce too hard or a minute too long.
Obviously the same thing happens in businesses and we see it so much in home repairs (and also in inspections and home sales). Realtors are more interested in “closing the sale” and the “next sale” than they are in doing a decent job, just as the Mortgage Underwriter is interested in gouging as many fees as possible while they have you in vulnerable position. Ditto with the Inspector in this case.
Unfortunately many people “assume” this attitude is an attitude of older people and is one of the biggest reasons for age discrimination. I can guarantee it occurs just as much in younger people as older people , and I think it happens because people get tired of their job and don’t have whatever it takes to re-engerize themselves in the position.
I heard once that you should be careful when looking for job if you used a blog to “sound off” your opinions. (A more negative word was used, I can’t think of it right now)
My response if how are people going to change if you sit around and don’t say anything about incompetence or problems? I wouldn’t care to work for people who objected to me stating my opinions in a forceful way.
That’s it for now, Sunday, May 15, 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment