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For many people buying a new home is one of the most significant financial investments they'll ever make. It is also one of the most ambitious dreams one could have.
Excited about their new life in their new home, this couple moved in thinking they would grow old together in that house. But the couple from Minneapolis found that the purchase of their dream home was turning into a nightmare.
Moving In
This wasn't a time of celebration for the couple, though. It didn't take long for them to realize that they weren't living in their dream home. John Kozlik and his partner had purchased the house in the Lake Nokomis area, hearing only good things about the neighborhood.
But in a matter of days after moving in, they found themselves in the mess of their lifetime.
Saving for Years
The couple saved money for years to buy their dream home. They denied themselves fancy trips. They didn't go out or buy things too expensive - all so they could afford to buy a house. They even paid 10,000USD more than the asking price of 360,000 to make sure they'd get it, as they still saw the house price as a bargain considering its size.
Their dream came wrapped in a beautiful shell, but the inside has left them beyond disappointed. It was nothing like they hoped it would be.
Planning for Children
The couple wanted to build a new life together in their newly acquired home. They even thought about bringing children into their lives and making their family bigger.
They soon realized that it wasn't a possibility anymore. The couple's hopes were shattered, and they had to accept that things just don't work out as planned sometimes.
First Rain
The first sign of a problem came when a quick summer rain led to water pouring into the home's basement through a poorly sealed window.
When some of the drywall had to be removed to repair the damage, John and his partner realized that they were in big trouble. And that was just the beginning.
Inspection
The couple hired a repairman to fix the water damage, struggling to pay for it from their last remaining savings. They assumed it's part of the whole homeowner thing to deal with this kind of stuff sometimes.
After fixing the wall, though, the repairman told them that the situation was bleaker than they thought, and they should prepare for the worst.
Damage
Next, they hired a specialized crew to do a more thorough inspection of the house and assess its condition. They broke walls, looked under floors, and checked in every nook of the house.
Upon hearing the renovation crew's verdict, the couple realized why the house was so cheap. The place looked so good on the outside. How can it hide something so big, so well?
Hidden Inside
Behind the walls of their new home, they found cracked cinderblocks, growing tree roots, and black mold. It was heartbreaking for them to discover that the home of their dreams was in such a state.
Now it was time to reevaluate their choices and find a solution together. But things weren't looking too good for them.
Losing Everything
The couple was on the brink of losing everything. Their investment lost all its value overnight, and their financials were risking further downfall. They've already spent a fortune on renovating the first issues they discovered and for the inspection of the total damage.
Their entire future was in danger, and they couldn't see a way out of their dire situation.
Unlivable
Their initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment. They discovered that many of the modern finishes that they loved so much in the first place were just a facade hiding shoddy workmanship.
They couldn't believe it. They were the victims of a huge scam. The house was nothing like advertised.
Reaching Out
When John tried to reach out to the people he had purchased the home from, he uncovered an unsettling fact about the seller.
He found out that the couple he believed had lived in the home and done the upgrades themselves were not what they seemed and the entire venture involved more shady people as well.
Fake Identity
The people who sold the house to them were part of the company that handled the transaction, called "Ace of Spaces," which was created to handle the sale of the home and dissolved a few days after the deal was completed.
John also realized that none of the work done on the home had been properly permitted. If that could be called work.
Ruined
After rain damage occurred in the basement, the full extent of the house's shoddy workmanship and deception to cover it up came to light in the end.
The entire home was greatly affected just by one quick burst of rain. And when they went deeper into the inspection of the house, they realized that the building was almost ruined and unsalvageable.
Asking Help from the Law
The couple later found out that one of the key members of "Ace of Spaces" was a man named Joe Werb, who had trouble with the law before for his role in another scam involving cell phone sales.
As a final resort, John and his partner were trying to salvage some of the money they had invested in the home.
A Lesson
"Double check everything!" John's advice was to every future homeowner, so they don't go through the same experience. Sometimes things are so well hidden that they can easily fool an untrained eye.
In this day and age, people need to hire a professional to properly assess their future home and its problems before it's too late.