Cate, my experience with banks is that they don't like to give loans on houses with potential issues. For instance, someone I knew was buying a house that had a private well and septic, but the town had run water and sewer in the street that the present owner had not connected to. Before they would write the mortgage they required the house be hooked up to the sewer and water.
An artesian well, at least my definition is a well that is drilled to an aquifer, usually at least 100 feet deep. A steel casement is driven in to bedrock and keeps groundwater from getting in the well and are generally sterile giving clean water.
Personally, if I were you, I would call the bank you are going to use and talk to them about it. I would also talk to well company and the town building inspector. Once you buy the issues become yours, better to have a good understanding of the risks before you pay. ( I know you are trying to do this by asking for advice here, which is good, but people who deal with this all the time can be of great help.)
You definitely want to find a good home inspector plus get dirty yourself. Poke floor joists and sills with a screwdriver, if it sinks in then there is rot in the house, not good. Look for sump pumps and evidence of flooding, you can decide if you want to live with that, some people do, it's been a deal breaker for me. Open cabinets and look for rodent droppings, bugs and so forth.
It's a big move buying a house, don't be worried about talking to your bank or asking for inspections or upsetting the seller. In fact if the seller gets upset that you want inspections or answers, that's a sign you should run away and move on. Good luck.
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