Everything was done by licensed contractors, just small town bullshit where people do what they want. Especially when a house hasn’t been sold for 50 years, small stuff like that adds up until a sale happens.

Could she have updated everything that was like that before the sale? Sure, but it would have been a huge hassle and in today’s market she could just sell “as is” with no hit to price.

First off… depending on how the dimmer switch controls speed, that could be a great way to burn out a fan- most switches are for lights and adjust voltage. Fan motors expect a certain voltage and instead use amperage to adjust speed.

That’s why typical dimmer switches violate code.

It’s not something virtually any inspector is going to gig you harshly on (compared to say a severe gas leak.)

It’d also something you’re going to want to know about if you ever have to remodel or potentially sell.

As a seller, there are usually mandatory disclosure laws. Failing to disclose something that’s found after they move in- even in “as is”‘contracts can potentially lead to massive legal costs. The kind that, even if you win, you still lose.

But the OP’s perspective is as a buyer, not a seller and the games you’re talking about playing… yeah. That’s exactly why buyers should always make it contingent on inspection.