The idea that things come in threes is known as the Rule of Three, and it’s based on the Latin phrase “omne trium perfectum,” which conveys the philosophy that everything that comes in threes is perfect. From a young age, people are wired to expect things in threes. The three bears; three little pigs; the Three Musketeers; three strikes, you’re out; the good the bad and the ugly; and blood, sweat and tears are just a few examples.

It is for this reason that I am awaiting my third roof report. For some reason, in the last two weeks I have had three listings in a row with bad roofs. The first was not a surprise. My clients had informed me at the time we listed that they had recently been contacted by their insurance company letting them know it was time to replace the roof. Insurance companies don’t like the liability of an old worn-out roof. This can lead to a myriad of other problems that could end with a large insurance claim filing. When the inspection came back on this, the buyer’s agent called me and tentatively explained that the roof was shot. It was clear she was nervous and apprehensive about breaking the bad news. One would have thought I was some sort of towering, serpentine creature with clawed limbs and an obsidian-scaled hide.

“Oh, yeah. We know about that. Don’t worry, not a deal killer. We will work this out,” I responded. To which she released a considerable sigh, and we continued to talk about an agreeable solution. This roof will be replaced in the next week.

The second part of the “perfect” trio came as a much bigger surprise. While I knew there was certainly some deferred maintenance with this listing, neither myself nor the owner had an idea of how old the roof was. Since the home was built in the early 2000s, and my clients had resided there for the last nine years, I had assumed the roof was original. Now, I am not a roofer, nor would I pretend to know much about roofs at all. In fact, I can only recall being on top of a roof two different times in my life. The first was to assist my ingenious and determined single mom when she decided to tackle the replacement of the tar and gravel roof on my own childhood home (I lasted approximately 10 minutes up there, while she completed the project in one week), and the second was to watch fireworks from my friend’s roof by climbing out her window. However, I can generally tell on sight when a roof is at the end of its lifespan.

A roof is a big deal in our business. It can be a major expense, and it is at the very core of how a home is defined. After all, when we go house hunting, we are essentially just looking for a “roof over our heads.” It can seal a deal or kill a deal. In fact, in some instances, in order to pass the appraisal process, a roof must provide reasonable future utility and a minimum amount of durability (usually a minimum of two years). If it does not, the roof must either be replaced before the loan will fund or the buyer must find a different home. The cruel irony in all of this is that a new roof, be it $20,000 or $70,000, adds little to no value to the appraised value. A home is expected to have, at the very least, a functioning roof. It certainly adds to the sellability of a home.

When the second roof came back as “a total loss,” we had to negotiate that as well. I’m still awaiting the last of the perfect trio to come through. Either way, whatever the Latin dude who coined this phrase meant, he somehow missed the mark in the definition.

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at jen@jen-fischer.com or 801-645-2134.