We are getting ready to close on one in St. Clair Shores. That house would have been a nightmare. I am glad you guys got into another house.

Thanks for posting! Funny thing..we were going to bid on that house, but you beat us to the punch! I'm glad you found out the truth before going through with it. Good luck finding another one. Are you looking in the same neighborhoods? We ended up getting one a few doors down.. Good luck!

The house is bank owned. We were warned by our agent that neighbors are not always to be trusted. I just want to save somebody from possibly getting sick and/or spending a lot of unnecessary money on a BIG problem.

That's a noble gesture on your part, Jen. If this is a privately owned home that the owner has occupied, then the seller is legally obligated to report this on the disclosure statement. If it is a bank owned property, unfortunately, banks are exempt from disclosing this information. The same is true of properties the owner has never occupied. Your story is a text book case of why it pays to do a thorough inspection, and why it can be useful to talk to the neighbors before you put an offer in on a home. On the flip side, there are cases where the neighbors have a vested interest in the home not selling (and yes, I've experienced this first hand), and will say ANYTHING to steer a buyer away from a property. I guess the upshot is that it's always best to trust the professional.