ShareThisBy DWIGHT BARNETT
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Q: I have purchased a mobile home only to find it has major roof problems. Being on a limited budget _ and unable to secure another loan _ I am hoping to find an inexpensive alternative to having it fixed professionally. Do you need a license or permit when putting on a new roof?
A: Your situation is a classic example of why you need to have a home inspected prior to purchase.
I'm sure someone knew the roof had problems but simply forgot to tell you. I know, too, what it's like to live on a limited budget and I know that when you try to cut corners to get a better deal you usually end up with the short end of the stick.
Too often a homebuyer will overextend his borrowing capacity for a home only to discover too late that he can't afford to make the repairs necessary to move into the home.
Somewhere in the buying process, the banker, loan officer or real estate agent should have seen the warning signs and put a stop to the loan, but then that person would not have received a commission.
I became a home inspector more than 25 years ago in part because a banker friend told me the story of a young couple who had used all they had to buy a home, then found out they needed a new furnace and electric panel. He felt obligated to restructure the loan so that they could make the repairs needed just to be able to live in a home they really could not afford.
It may not be too late to extend your home loan to cover the repairs. Ask your real estate agent or loan officer for information.
No matter what your budget worries are now, you need to have a substantial roof over your head, a roof covering that will outlast the payments. If you're thinking about making the repairs yourself, contact your state or county building officials regarding permits, licenses and insurance requirements.
Some jurisdictions require both a license and a permit for roof installations, even if you do it yourself. Before hiring a contractor, ask a roofing supplier for names of contractors the supplier sells to _ ones who pay their bills on time and have worked in roofing for more than five years.
Also ask your local Better Business Bureau for free information on hiring contractors, and don't forget to ask local home inspectors for free information and advice. Professional and successful home inspectors often give free advice over the phone or on the Internet.
(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home improvement questions at C. Dwight Barnett, Evansville Courier & Press, P.O. Box 268, Evansville, Ind. 47702.)
