The Structural Inspection That Saved This Purchase

We walked into this inspection already knowing two things. The seller had been watching every move we made on camera since the first showing. And the home was in desperate need of cosmetic updates.

What none of us knew yet was what a thorough licensed inspector would find once he started looking.

If you have been following this transaction, you know it has not been a normal one. A seller running cameras during showings. An escalation clause countered at the exact top of my buyers' cap with no competing offer ever produced. By inspection day, my buyers had already learned to take their real conversations outside. They showed up anyway, baby in tow, grandma by their side, with enough faith in the process to see it through.

What happened over the next two weeks gave that faith something solid to stand on.

The Inspector Who Showed Up Differently

I have been doing this for 25 years. Finding someone new who meets the bar I hold for my clients has not been easy. Joey Almazan with Daily Bread Inspections met it and then some.

Before he touched the front door, Joey had placed a yard sign out front that read Home Inspection in Progress, with a QR code for curious neighbors to scan. I had never seen an inspector think about the people driving by, not just the people he was working for. Then he pulled two rocking chairs out of his truck. He had reviewed the listing ahead of time, saw the home was vacant, and knew my buyers would need somewhere to sit during a multi-hour inspection. And because his company is named Daily Bread Inspections, he brought an actual loaf of fresh bread.

The baby was thrilled. My buyers, who had been carrying tension through this entire transaction, visibly relaxed.

Joey is a Certified Master Inspector, the highest credential in the home inspection field, and Daily Bread Inspections holds a 5.0 rating across 285 Google reviews with more than 2,000 Tulsa area families served. He delivers same-day reports with photos and video of every finding, written in language a first-time buyer can actually follow. If you are buying anywhere in the Tulsa area, this is who I am calling from here on out.

Daily Bread Inspections: https://dailybreadinspections.com | (918) 212-4624

What the Cracks Actually Meant

Joey's process is smart in a way that saves buyers money. He completes a full general inspection first, and only if something rises to the level of structural concern does he recommend bringing in a structural engineer. If nothing looks concerning, you skip that extra cost entirely.

On this house, something looked concerning.

Walking the exterior, Joey found diagonal cracking in the brick running all the way around the home. Not one corner. Not one wall. The whole perimeter. Horizontal cracks tend to suggest soil or water pressure. Vertical cracks often indicate minor settling. A consistent diagonal pattern around the perimeter of a structure is a known indicator of potential slab movement, and on a slab foundation, that distinction matters enormously.

A lot of homes in Midtown Tulsa sit on crawlspace foundations, where a damaged floor joist is a fairly direct repair because a contractor can get underneath and fix it. A slab is different. If a slab has shifted, the repair often involves piering, which means driving steel or concrete supports into the ground to stabilize the foundation. The only way to know the real scope is a licensed structural engineer.

Joey called for that inspection. He was right to.

This home is an as-is purchase. I want to be clear about what that means, because buyers misunderstand it regularly. As-is does not mean uninspected. It means the seller is not obligated to negotiate repairs based on what we find. My buyers still had every right to look, and more importantly, every right to walk away if the findings changed the picture. The structural inspection was never about forcing the seller's hand. It was about giving my buyers the information to make a real decision.

We submitted a supplemental agreement asking the seller for additional time to complete the engineering inspection, because structural engineers in the Tulsa area are currently booked out past the standard 10-day window. That is a normal and accepted part of Oklahoma real estate transactions. Most reasonable sellers understand it protects everyone's interests.

What the Structural Engineer Found

Tuesday was the day we found out whether the faith my buyers had invested in this process was going to be rewarded. It was.

The engineer completed a thorough assessment of the foundation, the exterior brick, and the structural components of the home. His findings came back with three items. All of them minor.

The first was tuck pointing, which is the repair or replacement of mortar between bricks. Oklahoma's climate puts real stress on exterior masonry over time, and deteriorating mortar on an older brick home is one of the most common maintenance items inspectors see. It is upkeep, not a crisis. The second was roof bracing. Some bracing elements in the roof structure needed attention. This is a repair item, not a condemnation, and it is handled straightforwardly by a qualified contractor. The third was a bracing column in the covered patio that needed reinforcement. The kind of finding that goes on a punch list, not the kind that makes a buyer's stomach drop.

Three items. All minor. None of them rising to the level of significant foundation movement or structural compromise.

The structural inspection cost approximately $550. For a home in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, that is a small fraction of the purchase price to receive a licensed engineer's formal assessment and the clarity to move forward with confidence. Skipping a $550 inspection on a home with visible perimeter cracking to save money is not financial prudence. It is financial risk dressed up as financial prudence.

The Moment We Got the News

We were all there. My buyers, their one-year-old, and grandma, who had made the trip to be present for what felt like a turning point in this whole journey. After weeks of cameras and escalation games and a week of waiting on a structural report, the family showed up together to hear what the engineer had to say.

When the findings came back minor, the relief was real and immediate. Not dramatic. Just the quiet exhale of people who had done everything right and finally got confirmation that it was going to pay off. Grandma smiled. My buyers looked at each other the way couples do when something they have worked hard for starts to feel real.

We are moving forward.

FAQ: Inspections, As-Is Purchases, and Structural Concerns in Midtown Tulsa

What do diagonal cracks in brick usually mean on a slab foundation home?

Diagonal cracks running consistently around a structure often point to slab movement rather than normal settling.

Horizontal cracks suggest pressure from soil or water. Vertical cracks frequently indicate minor settling many homes experience over time. A diagonal pattern repeating around the perimeter is different, and it is one of the signs inspectors are trained to flag for a structural engineer's evaluation. In this case, the engineering report confirmed the cracks were not indicating significant slab movement. But the only way to know that was to ask.

Can buyers still inspect an as-is home in Oklahoma?

Yes. Oklahoma buyers retain full inspection rights during the inspection period regardless of as-is designation.

What as-is changes is the seller's obligation to negotiate repairs, not the buyer's right to look. If the inspection reveals conditions that are unacceptable, the buyer can terminate within the inspection period and receive their earnest money back. On an as-is purchase, the inspection is not about building a repair list. It is about deciding whether to move forward at all.

Can buyers request more time if a specialist cannot be scheduled within the standard window?

Yes, through a written supplemental agreement requesting an extension from the seller.

This is a normal part of Oklahoma real estate transactions, particularly when structural engineers or other specialists are booked past the standard 10-day period. The key is raising the issue with your agent as early as possible rather than waiting until the window is about to close.

How much does a structural inspection cost in Tulsa?

A structural inspection in the Tulsa area typically runs between $400 and $700 depending on scope and engineer.

On this transaction it came in at approximately $550. For the peace of mind and documented clarity it provided on a home with visible perimeter cracking, it was one of the most valuable $550 my buyers spent in this entire process.

3-2-1 Takeaway

3 Things to Remember

• As-is does not mean uninspected. Oklahoma buyers retain full inspection rights and the right to walk away within the inspection period, and those rights matter most on as-is transactions where the seller will not be negotiating repairs.

• A tiered inspection approach, general first and structural only if flagged, can save buyers money while still catching what matters. Joey Almazan at Daily Bread Inspections uses exactly this approach, and it worked precisely as designed on this transaction.

• A $550 structural inspection on a $300,000 home is not an optional expense when the general inspector flags perimeter cracking. It is the information your entire decision rests on.

2 Questions Worth Asking

• If my inspector recommends a structural engineer, do I understand what I am actually trying to find out, and am I prepared to walk away if the answer is not good?

• Am I working with an inspector and an agent who will give me real information, not just the information that keeps the deal moving?

1 Thing to Do Next

Save Joey Almazan's number before you need it. Daily Bread Inspections: (918) 212-4624, https://dailybreadinspections.com. And if you are buying or selling in Midtown Tulsa and want an agent who will fight for your interests from the first showing through the structural report, let's talk: https://link.cncsdirect.com/widget/booking/2BPftOW1aYttaxdttERz

Jennifer Mount is a licensed REALTOR and Managing Broker at Legacy Realty Advisors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about structural inspections or as-is purchase agreements, consult a qualified Oklahoma real estate attorney or licensed structural engineer.

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