The home was most likely built on a winter snake den, or hibernaculum, where the reptiles gather in large numbers to hibernate. In the spring and summer, the snakes fan out across southeast Idaho, but they return to their dens as the days grow shorter and cooler. At the height of the infestation, the home buyer said he killed 42 snakes in one day before he decided he couldn’t do it anymore. He waged war against the snakes, and “they won.” Buyers had little recourse when they decided to flee the home. They had signed a document, noting the snake infestation. They said their agent had assured them that the snakes were just a story “invented” by the previous owners to leave their mortgage behind. The buyers filed for bankruptcy, and the house was repossessed. They left the home the day their daughter was born, just three months after they had moved in. The house was briefly taken off the market. Now owned by the bank, it was listed at $244,900 a year later. The property has since been taken off the market, and the bank decides what to do. The moral of the story is to have a good inspection. The price attracted these buyers. They didn’t have a proper inspection of the home before purchasing. The real issue was the agent who prioritized selling the house over his clients' needs. HOME-BUYER PLAGUES Although a home inspector passed Justin’s and Kate’s home, he missed some problems. For instance, the previous homeowner supposedly installed and tested the sump pump in the basement, but it failed shortly after moving in, resulting in flooding of the basement. Then, the sunroom was infested with termites, resulting in $2,000 in repairs for the couple. After the termites were eradicated, they discovered the sunroom was entirely covered in mold, and there was no caulking around the windows to keep the moisture out. A better home inspector would have been able to see the signs of
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