I've touched on the rich history of Humboldt's un-permitted construction before, but this time I want to dive into the few specifics of how it can affect a properties value. For a buyer, who is already dealing with an enormous amount of stress and uncertainty, un-permitted construction can be the straw that breaks the camels back. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and some un-permitted construction can be done to code, and in a workman like fashion, but it can be very dangerous to assume that. I am of the firm belief that as long as all parties are transparent about un-permitted work, it really becomes a non-issue in most situations. However, even if the buyer and seller are on the same page, there can still be some real issues that come from un-permitted construction. For example, lets say a buyer is looking for a property that has a second unit so that they can generate some rental income to help offset their mortgage, and lets say the property that buyer likes a property that has an un-permitted ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). If that buyers purchasing capability is dependent upon the ADU's rental income, an appraiser will most likely call out the un-permitted ADU. If that happens, the buyer and seller would have two options, either figure out a way to get the ADU retroactively permitted, or cancel the sale. Retroactive permits aren't the hardest thing to acquire, but they would require a few hundred (or thousand) dollars in fees, along with extending your escrow to allow time for a engineer, electrician, plumber and contractor to inspect the work to ensure it passes the sniff test. If your lucky, the work was done the right way and permits would be issued, if your unlucky, the subpar work would have to be corrected before permits were issued. | 
