When things can't get worse they do

[LoveJesus13]

You are sure feeling sorry for yourself. That’s self-pity and martyrdom and doesn’t help the situation at all. It makes you more and more miserable. Do you honestly think that God had plans for you to live in a roach-infested termite-eaten house? Come on, you’re not serious!

(and you will have to pray about this, it’s not just feeling sad because you have a few bugs) then let your agent know that you will sue to get out of the contract. Get legal advice first, because I don’t know that your area is the same as mine.

I agree with Juliane, don’t be too hard on yourself. God is just putting you through the test to see if you will remain calm and trust Him that everything will work out. I think you should get legal advice, consultations are usually free. And the previous owner should pay for those repairs before the new owner moves in. Pray tonight and ask Mama Mary and Jesus to gather the people that will help you get through this like your real estate agent, perhaps another exterminator company since the one you’re working with doesnt seem to be much help. You’d be amazed to see that there will be people that WILL and can help you just by going to stores like Home Depot. Be strong! My prayers are with you

 

[UbiCaritas]

I am so sorry you have this roach and termite problem, and I second/third/fourth the advice on contacting a lawyer to look at the contract.

I had a similar problem with roaches when I moved into my last apartment. I HATE roaches. I’m not phobic about them, but I really, really hate them. The complex agreed to spray twice, which they did. In the meantime, I got a couple of bottles of boric acid from Home Depot. What I did next was definitely time-consuming, but I honestly think that it helped more than even the spraying in getting rid of the roaches.

I took every light switch plate and electric outlet plate off the wall and sprayed boric acid into the wall behind them. (Roaches love electricity.) I blew boric acid under the appliances (refrigerator, oven, water heater). I mixed a 50/50 boric acid and sugar combination, put little piles of the stuff onto small squares of cardboard, and left them in corners and along walls (roached usually don’t go into the middle of floors; they like the security of walking near a wall) where I could expect them to see it. I used a paintbrush and brushed boric acid along the base of every wall so that the roaches would have to walk through it.

Boric acid is comprised of small, sharp crystals which will slice open the roaches’ shells and cause them to die. It has the benefit of being relatively non-toxic: you don’t want to eat it and you don’t want pets or kids to eat it, but if it gets on your skin you can just rinse it off and not worry about it causing who-knows-what from the toxicity. Mind you, I’d still have the place properly sprayed and just not live in it for a little while after it’s sprayed, since you can. I’d keep the boric acid down for several months–probably 4-6–and change the boric acid/sugar mix every month or two to keep it “attractive” to the roaches.

After the complex sprayed and I did all this, I did not see another roach after about the first month and a half or two months.

Good luck!

 

[Rete]

Like I pointed out before, if the termites at least were not reported in the disclosure document, you might have a pretty good case to back out of the deal. In your state, it is not legal for sellers to hide such problems. They are required by law to report them. I am not sure about the roach infestation, but the termites infestation is explicitly required to be included in the disclosure. I realize the roach problem is your biggest concern (and it would be for me too because I share your problem with these types of things), but the termites might be the best way to deal with it. An attorney, however, would be able to build the optimal case for you.

You might be able to get a free or low-cost consultation (especially if a family attorney is in your parish and advertises in your bulletin). Then you would at least have the potential cost and chance of success in front of you to make a more informed decision.

But you ought to investigate further to find out if the seller failed to disclose any other problems. He essentially lied about those two things since the document he filled out required he disclose them. There might be other problems. For example, test for mold.

I would be pretty angry about it. But it’s not God who let you down. It’s the selfish and fallen nature of man that did this. Instead of being honest, this person defrauded another.

 

[Oh_Charlotte]

My neighbor in TX was a genius scientist guy and quite thrifty and he swore by Borax for roaches.

You can do this! Just choose a method of elimination and work at it systematically. This is a problem you can solve.

When you buy a house I think there is always a “deflation” period after the high of obtaining it. I think because it entails so much work to get it, and you do see all the positive while you work so hard to get it. Then you are naturally tired when you finally settle in, and its like a rest period, but you are exhausted and when you are tired you see the worst. I have experienced it and so has most everyone I know after the initial excitement of moving into their new house. It happens after weddings, too. All that planning and celebrating and then suddenly regular life, no more exciting anticipation for wedding and honeymoon, and for a little period before you get on with your new, real life there is a “deflation period”. I think because the tiredness and disorientation of the all newness can bring out the negative in you, and as if to make up for seeing all the positive now you see all the negative. Because after all, your new house really is a strange place in a strange land, with no memories at all to connect with (that’s what I mean by disorientation).

So in my opinion, this is a natural phase and it will pass. You will grow to love your house and you will be proud of your efforts and success in eradicating pests - it will increase your feelings of competence.

I also think the evil ones who prowl throughout the world seeking our ruin see our tiredness as opportunity. We are weak and vulnerable, so they love to whisper in our ears: “Its awful, isn’t it? What have you done, you fool!” I think they enjoy lulling us into discouragement because discouragement added to tired can make us forget to turn to God, leading us to feel abandoned by Him to boot. Any way they can put a wedge in there, they go for it. But don’t forget, when we are weak we are strong. In our weakness God thirsts for us to turn to Him just as we are; all weak and vulnerable and stupid. So tell Him how tired and discouraged or overwhelmed you feel and ask Him for help and also tell Him, “I trust in you.” He will be your ever present help in trouble.

Remember we fight not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities.

 

[crystal_waters]

Well I had an extermination done already. I’m still finding them a week later and had the guy out again yesterday but he said he already sprayed and it wouldn’t do any good to spray again. I put boric acid along all the baseboards, in cracks and where the carpet meet the edge of the walls. He said I put too much. I work too jobs and have limited time. I’m super clean already. I cleaned the vegitation away from the slab foundation and have vacumed and swept up everyday but still see 3-4 some alive everytime I go the property with is just about everyday. I dread going there. When I when I do have to move in I’ll feel like it’s a prison. God has let me down here in a big way. He never gives me a break anywhere it just constant bad luck. I’ll have to live there for a least a couple years per the loan it has to be my primary residence. I don’t think a lawyer would help much due to the cost. It makes more sense just to have it treated and take care of the wood myself. I’ll should have just been content to have nothing and stay in an apartment God is determined I’ll have no happiness in life.

If you are worried about cost, then find a lawyer who does pro bono cases and ask if they,ll take on your case for free, also ask that exterminator for a refund

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

Ditto Rete’s post.

In my state, an attorney is always used for a real estate deal. There are always disclosures involved, as well as options for the buyers to have inspectors inspect the property. The termite disclosure is one; there is no way this issue would be missed in my state. Buyers either have the termite inspection done, or they specifically pass on it. If major issues are found, they buyers can back out of the deal with no consequences.

 

[Luvz2travel]

My neighbor in TX was a genius scientist guy and quite thrifty and he swore by Borax for roaches.

You can do this! Just choose a method of elimination and work at it systematically. This is a problem you can solve.

When you buy a house I think there is always a “deflation” period after the high of obtaining it. I think because it entails so much work to get it, and you do see all the positive while you work so hard to get it. Then you are naturally tired when you finally settle in, and its like a rest period, but you are exhausted and when you are tired you see the worst. I have experienced it and so has most everyone I know after the initial excitement of moving into their new house. It happens after weddings, too. All that planning and celebrating and then suddenly regular life, no more exciting anticipation for wedding and honeymoon, and for a little period before you get on with your new, real life there is a “deflation period”. I think because the tiredness and disorientation of the all newness can bring out the negative in you, and as if to make up for seeing all the positive now you see all the negative. Because after all, your new house really is a strange place in a strange land, with no memories at all to connect with (that’s what I mean by disorientation).

So in my opinion, this is a natural phase and it will pass. You will grow to love your house and you will be proud of your efforts and success in eradicating pests - it will increase your feelings of competence.

I also think the evil ones who prowl throughout the world seeking our ruin see our tiredness as opportunity. We are weak and vulnerable, so they love to whisper in our ears: “Its awful, isn’t it? What have you done, you fool!” I think they enjoy lulling us into discouragement because discouragement added to tired can make us forget to turn to God, leading us to feel abandoned by Him to boot. Any way they can put a wedge in there, they go for it. But don’t forget, when we are weak we are strong. In our weakness God thirsts for us to turn to Him just as we are; all weak and vulnerable and stupid. So tell Him how tired and discouraged or overwhelmed you feel and ask Him for help and also tell Him, “I trust in you.” He will be your ever present help in trouble.

Remember we fight not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities.

The roaches flew me for quite a loop for the moment they have scaled off a bit. I still have over a month before I have to move in so I check and clean everyday sweeping up the dead so to speak. I’m not convinced they will go away yet but as a rule I always put boric acid everywhere along the baseboards of anywhere I live. Apartment life can be iffy and you never know when a neighbor will move in and bring new critters or move out and the critters will move in with you. Mostly I’ve only ever had to deal with carpet beetles which annoy but don’t scare me. I have cats too and don’t want them eating those things and getting sick. My luck the cats would get sick causing more bills plus I like my cats and want them happy and well. I’m only glad I didn’t buy a lot of furniture and bring more stuff over there. I’m still comtemplating keeping all my clothes and most of my stuff in plastic sealable containers till I’m sure these things aren’t crawling everywhere on my stuff and contaminating my clothing, towels and linens. I’ve read they leave eggs all over the place. All my drains are covered except for one in the kitchen floor where the washer is supposed to go. I’m not sure what to do with that. I can’t afford a washer just now and even then the drain would still be open. Anyway I try not to think about all this too much. Keep me in your prayers. For what it’s worth I did try and bless the house not sure if it worked.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

The roaches flew me for quite a loop for the moment they have scaled off a bit. I still have over a month before I have to move in so I check and clean everyday sweeping up the dead so to speak. I’m not convinced they will go away yet but as a rule I always put boric acid everywhere along the baseboards of anywhere I live. Apartment life can be iffy and you never know when a neighbor will move in and bring new critters or move out and the critters will move in with you. Mostly I’ve only ever had to deal with carpet beetles which annoy but don’t scare me. I have cats too and don’t want them eating those things and getting sick. My luck the cats would get sick causing more bills plus I like my cats and want them happy and well. I’m only glad I didn’t buy a lot of furniture and bring more stuff over there. I’m still comtemplating keeping all my clothes and most of my stuff in plastic sealable containers till I’m sure these things aren’t crawling everywhere on my stuff and contaminating my clothing, towels and linens. I’ve read they leave eggs all over the place. All my drains are covered except for one in the kitchen floor where the washer is supposed to go. I’m not sure what to do with that. I can’t afford a washer just now and even then the drain would still be open. Anyway I try not to think about all this too much. Keep me in your prayers. For what it’s worth I did try and bless the house not sure if it worked.

Don’t worry about the cats - I’ve had many a cat and NONE of them would touch a cockroach - they must taste nasty. Another of God’s little protections for these terrible insects…But it sounds as if you are at least a little more cheerful at the moment…

 

[PaulGH]

If you have the house treated by an exterminator on a regular basis (probably once every three months), roaches should not continue to be a problem.

But I can sympathize. In my experience, it is normal to encounter several problems upon moving into a new house. And no matter what house you live in, you will have issues from time to time. But nothing that you mentioned in your post sounded terrible to me, except possibly the termites (though only if they have already done some damage). I think that things will get better as you settle into the house.

And I hate bugs too. Seven years ago, I saw a cockroach inside a Mexican restaurant in my town. And even though I love Mexican food, and even though that is the only Mexican restaurant in my town, I have never eaten there again, not even once!

But seriously, a good exterminator should be able to get rid of the roaches and stop them from coming back.