I have been through this twice. And badly. I was stupid, ignorant and trusting.

The inspector will get paid no matter what he says. He doesn't have to lie or tell the truth; what he does is give an opinion.

Make the termite treatment part of the deal, insist on being actively involved in the treatment process. The warranty should go with the house itself, it usually will involve 'lifetime' re-treatment.

They sell some very nice disposable coveralls at Lowe's and Home Depot. Don the outfit, remember to cover your head and neck, spray yourself with insect repellant for the spiders and ants, and crawl under there with your digital camera. Don't be shy and don't worry about polite.
Let the buyer beware.
Never marry for love alone and never buy a house because you are in love with it. It will not love you back.

That being said, you can fix a house, but you cannot fix a neighborhood. If the house is in a good neighborhood, good schools, close to whatever, then go for it (after getting a clean bill of house health) and fix the house up later. You will be the envy of the neighborhood once you get your plants and garden in.

Great advice!

You might also consider contacting one or two of the pest control services in the area, explain your situation, and ask them about how their warranty works. Phone calls are cheap.

There are different kinds of termite treatments. Some are, I think, poison which kill the termites immediately. We have one with "traps" in ground, where termites have to crawl in and pick up poison, and carry it to the nest. I think both require repeated treatments, some for longer time than others. Just make sure you understand what you're getting, and for how long.

Karen

Here's a link to some good information from the University of MO:
http://extension.missouri.edu/...

My bug guys said if termites are present in your neighborhood, the question isn't IF you'll get them, it's WHEN. I think every neighbor on our block has had them in the past few years.

Karen

Yup. They were a fact of life in SoCal. Don't know if this is true, but my Mom told me that the house I grew up in, that was built in 1921, was constructed of timbers that had been pre-treated with arsenic to prevent termites! Gotta say that it had less damage from termites than the house next door, built 30 years later.

Yeah, but look at what it did to you, woofie. If not for the arsenic, you might have been normal.

Karen

kqcrna said:Yeah, but look at what it did to you, woofie. If not for the arsenic, you might have been normal.

Karen

Karen, you are so easy!

I wouldn't say that to everyone here, woofie. But you're my buddy, I knew that you would know I was kidding.

Karen

Yup. I always know that you'll pick up on my straight lines!

In the south, we found out, it's the same, not IF, but WHEN.

I saw a house being treated for termites on TV some time ago, they put a tent over the whole house and pumped some sort of gas/insecticide in to kill them, I don't now if they still do that.

When I lived in NoCal, everyone on the block either had termites, had had termites or had a bi-monthly service to keep out the termites. We had the service and they come and put bait in places they think termites would go and they check them. As long as the traps are empty you are fine but you get a quick warning if they are returning. We had the service rolled into our regular ant and other bug service. Talk to a good local exterminator and see if they will first treat for the termites and then monitor the house so you will know if they return. They also give good advice on places to change or repair that are inviting to termites. You don't want wood touching ground for instance.

I just remembered something.

AFTER you buy the house and after you have the termite treatment which will happen X-number of times per year, this part is important.....Do no....do not dig the soil up from arount the foundation. The termite treatment usually gets sprayed into the ground via a long, thin wand and it's all calculated for things staying where they are and not getting stirred up.

See, Ms Termite Product Person treated the house, you come along and dig 11 holes to plant new azaleas, you remove the dirt and put it in a pile (later to become part of a garden, uh-oh) and you back-fill the holes with new soil, better soil, then you add bark chips as mulch. And you water. You water a lot. Then you add a nice shady pergola. Water plus shade plus reduced air circulation, oh boy.

Guess who was sitting in their tiny lawn chairs laughing their little butts off? The termites. They are saying, "Whoo-hoo, we just got in invitation!"

Okay, I wrote it like a joke, but seriously, when you talk to your potential bug guy/gal, ask about stuff like this, too.

OOPs, one more think. Ants are not the friends of termites. Ants eat termite larva. If you see a line of ants marching along going into some part of your house (other than your kitchen), sit down and watch til they march back out. If they are carrying larva, then you have got termites.

I learned all this the hard way. Hope you have an easier time of it.