- Apr 15, 2011
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Does anyone here own a Jim Walter Home built in the 1980s? Is it still standing?
I'm looking into a home that has a lot of positive traits. It is affordable, on acreage, has good water sources...but, I found out the maker is Jim Walter. For those who don't know, this business is largely known for using very cheap materials, left long trails of angry customers, and has recently (many would say, finally) gone out of business.
This home was built in the late 1980s, and is on tall stilts. It seems to be structurally sound to me, though there was a very slight unevenness to the floor in one spot of a short hallway. Nothing squeaked, no sagging, no cave ins, no wall paper maybe hiding cracks (but there was new carpeting). It has some owner built additions that also seem sound and might support the main structure. Looks like old pipes may have leaked but were replaced with plastic pipes, and many Jim Walter homes were just he shells still in the 80s so electric and plumbing may have been done by different contractors.
Should I trust a home inspector to tell me if problems will arise with the build? If there are structural issues would they be likely noticeable by now?
If you have firsthand experience with 1980s Jim Walter homes, I'd love to hear about them.
I'm looking into a home that has a lot of positive traits. It is affordable, on acreage, has good water sources...but, I found out the maker is Jim Walter. For those who don't know, this business is largely known for using very cheap materials, left long trails of angry customers, and has recently (many would say, finally) gone out of business.
This home was built in the late 1980s, and is on tall stilts. It seems to be structurally sound to me, though there was a very slight unevenness to the floor in one spot of a short hallway. Nothing squeaked, no sagging, no cave ins, no wall paper maybe hiding cracks (but there was new carpeting). It has some owner built additions that also seem sound and might support the main structure. Looks like old pipes may have leaked but were replaced with plastic pipes, and many Jim Walter homes were just he shells still in the 80s so electric and plumbing may have been done by different contractors.
Should I trust a home inspector to tell me if problems will arise with the build? If there are structural issues would they be likely noticeable by now?
If you have firsthand experience with 1980s Jim Walter homes, I'd love to hear about them.