You are right that it is hard to find objective information.
Speaking of having people look at houses, I have sold a few houses and the buyers hired building inspectors to look at the houses. It is amazing to me to see what an inspector will pick up on and what big issues they can miss completely. A thorough building inspection cannot be completed in an hour and takes some specialized tools.
If you are willing to spend $500 maybe an engineer or highly experienced building inspector is worth it.
Jim
