On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:33:05 -0700, John Wheeler wrote:

Thanks for the information Tom. Unfortunately, I don't have the fortune
of living in this house much longer. I am relocating due to job, so my
house is pending sale. This is one of the items the inspector advised
the buyer should be fixed before moving forward with the contract.


From my experience:

With a home under selling contract, there just isn't enough time to
schedule a contractor, build a footer, and for the concrete to cure
before closing. Both real estate agents know this. What the agents both
want is for you do get a quote for building footers, and then make a cash
settlement at closing giving back to the buyer the cost of the footers.

As you already expect, this might involve removal of the porch, make
(pour) the footers, and rebuild the porch. Expensive.

As others have said, forget any home warranty, as you just don't have the
time between now and closing to fight backers of the home warranty.

Talk to your agent. That person is supposed to be working for you, (but
in most places I have lived, they work for the person with the money, ie
the buyer.) Find out what the buyer really wants; removal of the porch
and replaced with just concrete steps, cash settlement at closing,
postpone settlement until repairs are done (and re-inspection at buyer's
cost,) or cancel contract.

What ever you do, don't let your agent baffle you with 'Code-Words.' The
problems of real estate deals going bad, and ending up in court, has the
agents resorting to a bunch of code words that have many meanings. And,
the meaning they are using has no relationship with the meaning you, as a
real estate layperson, is going have for those same words.

Don't forget, it isn't the home inspector's report that really counts,
IMHO, it is local building code. If the porch is in violation of
building code, you are just screwed. You, as seller, must have the house
in compliance with building code at time of sale (with adjustments for
grandfather clause(s) in building code.) I don't know your local
building code, but I am guessing you don't want to show the home
inspector's report to your local building inspector's office for their
official stance on the porch footing being code compliant or not.

Again, just from my own bitter experience.