Buying a house (florida), Wood destroying fungi and Palmetto bug

[Legendsneverdie]

The termite inspector found some wood destroying fungi on the outside Fascia of the house. (seems like it was on the trim). Mind you it is a wood frame home. Also reports he found a Palmetto bug inside the home.

Are these deal breakers?

If it is only on the Fascia, is it to risky to say the fungi is only superficial?

How serious are Palmetto bugs in florida? are these typical? should i be worried about infestation ?

[Glutebrahhh]

Aren't these good questions for the inspector?

[Legendsneverdie]

Aren't these good questions for the inspector?

office is closed, just got the report. would like to gather misc knowledge before speaking to inspector.

[Paul Kreul]

Unless you have structural damage, I wouldn’t be too concerned
Just make sure you get a HOME WARRANTY.

As well as sink hole insurance depending on activity of where you are buying

[Fatkidwholifts]

My expert recommendation is not to live in Florida

[GordonXXX]

The termite inspector found some wood destroying fungi on the Fascia of the house. (seems like it was on the trim). Mind you it is a wood frame home. Also reports he found a Palmetto bug inside the home.

Are these deal breakers?

If it is only on the Fascia, is it to risky to say the fungi is only superficial?

How serious are Palmetto bugs in florida? are these typical? should i be worried about infestation ?

it's all fun and games until the problems and the headaches start. the dream has turned into a nightmare already? get used to it.

[ayyy]

palmetto bugs are as common as ants and if you live anywhere with dirt on the ground you're gonna find a couple cause they're attracted to light

house inspectors job is to point out any and everything, wouldn't stress too much about a single palmetto bug on the report

[Legendsneverdie]

it's all fun and games until the problems and the headaches start. the dream has turned into a nightmare already? get used to it.

palmetto bugs are as common as ants and if you live anywhere with dirt on the ground you're gonna find a couple cause they're attracted to light

house inspectors job is to point out any and everything, wouldn't stress too much about a single palmetto bug on the report

Palmetto bug is basically a Florida roach. Of you have palm trees near house you will get them. Just get a lawn/bug spray service and you’ll be fine unless it’s a major infestation

well i am going to get the house treated every two months. do you think this should be fine for the palmeto bugs? Do almost all homes get these if they arent treated? I know the home was just remodeled and i m pretty sure it has not been treated.

Why do you guys this about the WDO mold on the wood trim on two areas to the exterior? is this pretty typical on trim when it ages and i should just get this replaceD? or is this just masking a larger issue? they did not tell me anything about it being structural, but i do not think there is a way to tell.

[GordonXXX]

No wonder the sellers wanted you to waive the inspection contingency. You dun goofed. If you look around the table and you can't tell who the sucker is, it's you.

[Legendsneverdie]

No wonder the sellers wanted you to waive the inspection contingency. You dun goofed. If you look around the table and you can't tell who the sucker is, it's you.

back that claim up? why am i the sucker?

The home is basically on a dead end quiet street. I do not want to pass this one up unless the damage is structural.

[katya422]

Seems unlikely that the trim issue would be in the frame. You can follow up w/the inspector though.

I think that kind of thing isn't unusual in coastal areas. It wasn't exactly cheap and a fairly miserable job (as reported to me), but my FIL replaced the wood trim on their home on the gulf w/concrete board. If the house is mainly brick w/wood trim you might consider it.

[ayyy]

well i am going to get the house treated every two months. do you think this should be fine for the palmeto bugs? Do almost all homes get these if they arent treated? I know the home was just remodeled and i m pretty sure it has not been treated.

Why do you guys this about the WDO mold on the wood trim on two areas to the exterior? is this pretty typical on trim when it ages and i should just get this replaceD? or is this just masking a larger issue? they did not tell me anything about it being structural, but i do not think there is a way to tell.

a single one is gonna pop up every now and again no matter how much you poison the outside, they're just big retarded less athletic roaches chemical warfare is a dead end against em. They're part of life in the south brah literally everyone with a basement has those chits get in at crazy rates, roaches are the ones you gotta be real worried about. never heard of a palmetto bug infestation but heard of plenty of roach stories

[Legendsneverdie]

Seems unlikely that the trim issue would be in the frame. You can follow up w/the inspector though.

I think that kind of thing isn't unusual in coastal areas. It wasn't exactly cheap and a fairly miserable job (as reported to me), but my FIL replaced the wood trim on their home on the gulf w/concrete board. If the house is mainly brick w/wood trim you might consider it.

guess i ll see the inspectors thoughts

Every other month is fine for spraying, but most companies give better discounts if you do monthly.

Regarding the mold, impossible to give an honest answer without many pictures, etc.

Is this house in an HOA community? If so, its probably fine. If custom home built god knows when, might pay to open up a wall and make sure. Mold is pretty common in FL, so much humidity, heat, everything grows/flourishes quickly.

meant to say it is a WDO fungi, not mold. not in a HOA. It is custom built home. Is it common to rip open a home to look for fungi?

a single one is gonna pop up every now and again no matter how much you poison the outside, they're just big retarded less athletic roaches chemical warfare is a dead end against em. They're part of life in the south brah literally everyone with a basement has those chits get in at crazy rates, roaches are the ones you gotta be real worried about. never heard of a palmetto bug infestation but heard of plenty of roach stories

what are your thoughts on the WDO fungi on the roof trims?

I really like the location of the home.. but maybe i should back out and find a CBS home, i probably wont find one with as much privacy though.. i can use the fungi as a way to back out of my inspection contingency.

[Krackerjacked]

I don’t know Florida so I can’t comment on said issues exactly.
You can very well ask the sellers to handle the issues in the inspection. That’s another part of the negotiation.
Pick the biggest issues and say hey I’m not worried about xyz but fix abc and we’re good.
You could definitely ask them to have the home treated for insects prior to accepting the property.

If there’s no other big issues I wouldn’t sweat that chit in the slightest. Srs
Enjoy your new house Opie.

[Winston56432]

I live in a place where it is currently-30c

not sure wtf fungi or bugs are

we dont have here

[Legendsneverdie]

I don’t know Florida so I can’t comment on said issues exactly.
You can very well ask the sellers to handle the issues in the inspection. That’s another part of the negotiation.
Pick the biggest issues and say hey I’m not worried about xyz but fix abc and we’re good.
You could definitely ask them to have the home treated for insects prior to accepting the property.

If there’s no other big issues I wouldn’t sweat that chit in the slightest. Srs
Enjoy your new house Opie.

this is probably the truth. ty.

[Jasonw1178]

Is there already damage? Here is the thing about living in the South. Bugs are going to happen, Have an exterminator treat your home.I know in FL it's bad about fungi and such but once again, treat it. You may want to consider a whole home dehumidifier. A/C can only do so much and fungi and bugs there don't like dry environments.

[Legendsneverdie]

Is there already damage? Here is the thing about living in the South. Bugs are going to happen, Have an exterminator treat your home.I know in FL it's bad about fungi and such but once again, treat it. You may want to consider a whole home dehumidifier. A/C can only do so much and fungi and bugs there don't like dry environments.

the only thing he reported is that there was some fungi damage on the fascia/trim of the exterior of the home. He did not look beneath it. My question was is it common to find this stuff on the wooden window trims, exterior fascia, etc on homes or is this a major red flag?

[Rattelsnake]

The termite inspector found some wood destroying fungi on the Fascia of the house. (seems like it was on the trim). Mind you it is a wood frame home. Also reports he found a Palmetto bug inside the home.

Are these deal breakers?

If it is only on the Fascia, is it to risky to say the fungi is only superficial?

How serious are Palmetto bugs in florida? are these typical? should i be worried about infestation ?

Palmetto bugs are cockroaches. Never lived in FL, but I have lived close to the ocean in CA. Lived in a half million dollar condo in very nice neighborhood. Unfortunately that was still not enough to stop it from becoming infested with cockroaches. I was told due they were coming from the city sewage pipes. We had the entire building professionally fumigated and had to live elsewhere for three days. Came back the fourth day, they were gone. Two months later, they were back again. Nothing kills them permanently. Once they are there, they're there forever. Moved out of Cali, will never return. I live in the desert now. No bugs, nothing. Living with roaches is the worst nightmare ever (that was the first and last time ever happened to me). Call it palmetto, water bugs, whatever, they're still cockroaches. Nothing will ever kill them. And they can survive even a nuclear bomb I heard. If it were me: Hard pass.

From wikipedia below:
The Florida woods cockroach or palmetto bug is a large cockroach species which typically grows to a length of 30–40 mm. When alarmed, adults can eject an extremely foul-smelling directional spray up to 1 m, which inspired several of its other common names: Florida skunk roach, Florida stinkroach, skunk cockroach, skunk roach, stinking cockroach, and stinkroach.

Edit to add: If he found a cockroach inside the home now when it's empty with no food, that is not a good sign. That means if you move in and bring in all your food, they will end flooding your kitchen. Back out now and get a home without them. Talk to neighbors about which critters and problems do they encounter. Before I bought this home, I knocked on the doors of every single neighbor telling them "I'm about to buy this home, do you know of anything that might be wrong with it? have you guys had infestations of roaches or anything else I should be aware of?" I got excellent intel that way. I'd advise do the same. This is too huge an investment to not get as much intel as possible.

[Legendsneverdie]

Palmetto bugs are cockroaches. Never lived in FL, but I have lived close to the ocean in CA. Lived in a half million dollar condo in very nice neighborhood. Unfortunately that was still not enough to stop it from becoming infested with cockroaches. I was told due they were coming from the city sewage pipes. We had the entire building professionally fumigated and had to live elsewhere for three days. Came back the fourth day, they were gone. Two months later, they were back again. Nothing kills them permanently. Once they are there, they're there forever. Moved out of Cali, will never return. I live in the desert now. No bugs, nothing. Living with roaches is the worst nightmare ever (that was the first and last time ever happened to me). Call it palmetto, water bugs, whatever, they're still cockroaches. Nothing will ever kill them. And they can survive even a nuclear bomb I heard. If it were me: Hard pass.

From wikipedia below:
The Florida woods cockroach or palmetto bug is a large cockroach species which typically grows to a length of 30–40 mm. When alarmed, adults can eject an extremely foul-smelling directional spray up to 1 m, which inspired several of its other common names: Florida skunk roach, Florida stinkroach, skunk cockroach, skunk roach, stinking cockroach, and stinkroach.

in cali you had german roaches. those infest at higher rates. The florida roach is a similar species but they arent known to infest like german roaches.

[Ratfish]

doesn't sound that alarming to me

[yeshli2nuts]

Home inspectors are such bullchit. When I bought my home in Florida the inspector called out dripping spigots, a broken lock on the door, and other chit that I could have went around on my own to find, while really not looking at the major items. He also said the hot water heater was leaking because of water staining under it that was obviously from condensation, but we got the seller to replace it anyways which was nice.

Anyways... palmetto bugs are cockroaches. We get one here and there, maybe one every few months in the house. I have roach bait traps in the garage and under the vanities in the bathrooms, seems to work fine. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd get the inspector to give you a full report on the wood damage. They will call out any kind of damage, even just like minor rotting from water as WDO, which isn't anything like actual termite damage. If you're worried, get a specialist to look at it and not a basic home inspector.

[jasticus]

According to meet Kevin you scored because now you can negotiate a massive discount. Watxh videos on his rentals that he finds termites and stuff

[Legendsneverdie]

Home inspectors are such bullchit. When I bought my home in Florida the inspector called out dripping spigots, a broken lock on the door, and other chit that I could have went around on my own to find, while really not looking at the major items. He also said the hot water heater was leaking because of water staining under it that was obviously from condensation, but we got the seller to replace it anyways which was nice.

Anyways... palmetto bugs are cockroaches. We get one here and there, maybe one every few months in the house. I have roach bait traps in the garage and under the vanities in the bathrooms, seems to work fine. I wouldn't worry about that. I'd get the inspector to give you a full report on the wood damage. They will call out any kind of damage, even just like minor rotting from water as WDO, which isn't anything like actual termite damage. If you're worried, get a specialist to look at it and not a basic home inspector.

would you say it is typical for wood to "rot" from WDO/fungi after time/continual exposure to humidity/rain/heat; meaning this really isnt a big deal? or is this WDO/fungi a major red flag?
the guy who called it out wasnt a regular home inspector. It was a termite/wdo inspector.

[Rattelsnake]

in cali you had german roaches. those infest at higher rates. The florida roach is a similar species but they arent known to infest like german roaches.

Ok, yeah, I'm not familiar with FL roaches, but if you're okay living with them, then I guess that's fine. I wouldn't be able to visit someone who's home had them, but maybe my experience was worse than other people's experience. Maybe it also depends on an individual's level of tolerance, especially if someone's never been previously exposed to the them. (I didn't grow up with them.)

[FinBra]

FL owner checking in, just did a remodel myself and found lotsa ****:

-A little mold isn't going to ruin the house - its in Florida, happens all the time. Use it to leverage a reduction in price from the seller.
-The termites are a problem, but you wont know how bad they are unless these fools let you rip out some drywall in a corner where you think the bugs have gotten in so you can see the studs
-I replaced no less than 3 structural corners of our house due to termites during the remodel - its a bitch, but any man should be able to pull it off in a weekend if you're addressing only a few studs or top/bottom plates
-palmetto bugs are roaches - we all have them in Florida to some extent - again, not a deal breaker.

[Legendsneverdie]

Ok, yeah, I'm not familiar with FL roaches, but if you're okay living with them, then I guess that's fine. I wouldn't be able to visit someone who's home had them, but maybe my experience was worse than other people's experience. Maybe it also depends on an individual's level of tolerance, especially if someone's never been previously exposed to the them. (I didn't grow up with them.)

my understanding finding florida roaches in your house will happen in FL no matter what you do. Getting the perimeter sprayed is the only thing you can do and then you ll rarely see them. They do not infest like german roaches. the florida roach is more like finding a random cricket, spider, beetle, or some other chit in your house.

[Legendsneverdie]

FL owner checking in, just did a remodel myself and found lotsa ****:

-A little mold isn't going to ruin the house - its in Florida, happens all the time. Use it to leverage a reduction in price from the seller.
-The termites are a problem, but you wont know how bad they are unless these fools let you rip out some drywall in a corner where you think the bugs have gotten in so you can see the studs
-I replaced no less than 3 structural corners of our house due to termites during the remodel - its a bitch, but any man should be able to pull it off in a weekend if you're addressing only a few studs or top/bottom plates
-palmetto bugs are roaches - we all have them in Florida to some extent - again, not a deal breaker.

^ see this pic, he found some WDO (fungi not termite) on a couple areas of the Fascia. Do you think there is possibility that the frame of the home is loaded with fungi? or is it just in those spots from the outdoor exposure.


So basically you too agree that all FL homes will see palmetto bugs and spraying once or twice a month is the only option?

[Caeculus]

Lmao

Where are you moving to in FL ?

You're buying a house without looking at it?

LMAO

[Legendsneverdie]

Lmao

Where are you moving to in FL ?

You're buying a house without looking at it?

LMAO

Tropic east coast/ southern florida area.

i flew down there and looked at it. Looks better in person (srs) just got back last night.