Not to defend Elfant (and maybe Brooke can talk to this) but it is my understanding that realtors are prohibited from sharing this information with prospective buyers if the information comes from other potential buyers, and not the seller. We got a home inspection report from a house on Ritchie Street that wasn't up to code, though the seller represented that it was. It turns out that other buyers found out the same thing but, by law, our realtor could not tell us that info. So, again, I am not familiar with the actual rules but my understanding is that the agents can't tell you that stuff.

__________________
--

www.taxgirl.com

I seriously doubt the that the Realtor is prohibited, BY LAW, to disclose defects found by a potential buyer. If a Realtor has any morals or has a long term interest in real estate, truth will always serve all parties in the long run. I have been buying, renovating and renting or selling for over 20 yrs. I have always benefitted from disclosing all problems. As long as you are upfront with the problems and are honest with the renter, buyer or seller, you can make a reasonable deal.

If I found out about a potential problem, I would take the time to perform the due diligence and research the issue. If the seller refused to disclose the problem, I would cancel the listing.

I think the seller must have known as well. Possibly not before putting the house on the market, but when someone else backed out.

Something I learned in all of this is that it's great to have a realtor who knows something about buildings so maybe they can see things like this - not that it's a reason to skip an inspection, but if there is something big and obvious, it won't be a surprise. The structural problem wasn't obvious to me because I knew nothing about buildings at the time, but it was visible enough that the home inspector and the architect saw it at once.

I would have to say Al Labrusciano...
he's been in Roxborough for years....has made a name for himself and is a truly nice guy....and i'm not saying that for any hidden reason.
Talk to anybody and mention his name....you'll get an very pleased response.

As I recently discovered in an ethics class, once there is a home inspection, a seller is under a duty to change the seller's disclosure to update it with the known defects. It was advised in this situation to make them amend or drop the listing...a good way to avoid a lawsuit later.

__________________
Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

And yeah, it's always really helpful to be able to point out defects to someone BEFORE they put a bid on a house because they'll know there's an older heater, older wiring, etc., because I prefer not to waste my time---ie. if someone thinks knob and tube wiring is a dealbreaker, why write up a deal, get through negotiation, order title, etc., if the home inspection turns up what I knew when I showed them the house? I like to prepare people for what the home inspection will tell them--it reduces a lot of stress all the way around.

__________________
Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

I'd like to recommend Thomas Harper at Long & Foster in Blue Bell - he deals with homes in Wyndmoor and Chestnut Hill area. I find him to be detail oriented and he really looks out for the interests of the party he represents be it a buyer or a seller.

yeah, this is what my real estate professor told me too...that the broker actually has to inform the potential buyer(s) of the problems that a home inspection discovers.