Well now I have seen my crawlspace between the roof and the ceiling. Not the whole thing, just a hole placed in my ceiling with me looking up at the underside of the roof. I have been informed about what the contractors saw.
The crawlspace is just big enough for an overweight raccoon to hold a dance party, which Ricky the Raccoon has done. But for regular sized contractors it is not enough space to crawl in, making me question if “crawlspace” is the right word. I suspected as much since seeing the exposed ceiling in another house further along the row.
The contractor told me that there is no rot. Yay! However, previous renovators have been screwing around up there and not all the little beams go all the way. And some beams are split, but that’s no problem because that can be fixed.
Next. Make holes in wall. Hunt down structural engineer.