A prior foundation or under-slab plumbing repair on an older Houston house is only as good as its paperwork and the crew that did it. What a bad repair looks like, what the engineer’s file, permit and warranty must show, how to read a camera run on someone else’s work, and how it plays in the Texas contract.
The option period is one of the most buyer-friendly parts of a Texas contract ā a short, negotiated window where you can inspect the home, ask hard questions, and back out for any reason if the answers aren’t good. I’ve seen it save buyers from expensive surprises more times than I can count. These posts cover how the option period works, what it costs, and how to make the most of every day of it.
Selling a House With Foundation Problems in Houston: Why So Many Sales Fall Through, and How to Keep Yours Together ā A Real Estate Broker’s Guide for Sellers and Buyers
Why foundation findings derail Houston home sales mid-option-period, and the fix on each side: the seller gets the structural engineer’s report and the bids before listing; the buyer books the engineer on day one. Forms quoted, costs dated.
Cast Iron Pipes Under the Slab: The Hidden Problem in Many Older Houston Homes ā A Real Estate Broker’s Guide for Buyers and Sellers
Why cast iron drain lines under 1950sā70s Houston slabs fail, what a sewer scope and a hydrostatic test each prove, dated repair cost bands, and how the finding plays in the Texas contract for buyers and sellers.
Buying an Older Home in Houston: What to Look For in the Inspection Report ā A Real Estate Broker’s Option-Period Game Plan
Which inspection findings are normal for a 1950sā1980s Houston house, which ones to negotiate, which ones to walk from, and how a real estate broker works the option period with buyers.
Didn’t Get the Seller’s Disclosure? A Texas Buyer’s Right to Terminate
Paragraph 7B gives Houston buyers a second exit most never hear about: 7 days from receiving a late seller’s disclosure to terminate for any reason, earnest money refunded.
The Texas Option Period: When It Starts, How to Count the Days, and What the Fee Buys
The Texas option period runs on exact rules ā day zero, calendar days, the 5 p.m. deadline that never slides. How to count it, from Paragraph 5 of the TREC contract.