Would You Buy a Property With a Pool...of Standing Water??

[Tyler Jahnke]

Hello BiggerPockets!

Got a question for my peeps. So, I have a duplex under contract right now. Great neighborhood, recently rehabbed, happy with the numbers on paper....but, the inspection came back today with a little surprise.

There's standing water in the crawlspace. Now, we're not talking an 18 foot deep high dive pool down there...it might be 1" - 2" deep (but, I'm still trying to decipher the photo from my inspector and get a hold of him).

It also (oddly) looks to be on top of a sheet of plastic. Anyone know what that's all about???

So, with this limited information, what are your thoughts?

1. Ask the seller to evaluate the issue and get a quote to find/fix the issue?

2. Ask the seller for a reduction in sale price? But, how much?

3. Pay a contractor to get out there, evaluate it, and provide a quote?

4. Run away!

FYI - I invest out of state and this property is 2,000+ miles away from me, so I can't just pop down there. I've got a few more days in my inspection period left and have the option of extending it another 10 days if needed.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate any feedback you have!

-Tyler

[Jonnathan Thompson]

The plastic is called a Vapor Barrier. 

The water isn't necessarily detrimental to the deal, but it is worth looking in to. Could be poor grading of the surround land, poor drainage, and then add rain to it. It would also be wise to look for mold in the area. And see if they would flip the costs to get it either encapsulated or maybe even a sump pump.