I had a discussion with a agent this morning over coffee about the number of pages for inspection reports. He stated that all he really like to see as far as the number of pages are any where from 5-25 pages that includes a summary page at the front at the most.  Well I have found that I have been including to much information in my reports IE: type of flooring, wall covering, etc for every room in the house, any health or safety issues with photos. I felt I was providing a service for my clients with this information.  So I called a inspector friend and asked him what he is reporting on in his reports, and how many printed pages did he end up with including photos? He stated he ended up with 16 pages with summary. He stated that he only includes exterior foundation, roof, electrical condition. Interior, kitchen, bathrooms, electrical, windows/doors, and mechanicals. He stated that if he saw a safety issue in the other rooms he would call them out in the report.  So what say you to how many pages and what you are looking for in a inspection report? Thanks for reading my blog and may you have many happy sales and inspections. 

Question? If you could have unlimited sms text messaging to use to promote your homes for sale for $49.50 a month. Plus a free desk top notification service added into it. Would you be interested in it? I have teamed up with E Global Partners out of Wilmington NC and they are offering this program. I have researched this type of marketing and I could not find one for this price with all of the services that they are offering. Any thoughts? If you would like more information please feel free to contact me. Thanks and may you have many happy sales and inspections.

With economic hard times that we are seeing in the real estate market. What are you doing to bring in some extra income for your self and your family. I have teamed up with a video security program company where I can sell their program and make some money on the side let alone provide my clients with a great security program to help protect their home or business. Take a look and see if this is something you would like to join into, If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. http://members.guardyourplace.com/uid/gypmark  Thanks and have a great day with many Happy sales and inspections.

Ok, according to the ground hog, spring is just around the corner. Again, that all depends on where you live right now. The east coasters might want to kill the ground hog right now. But back to the point. People who are still trying to sell their home may want to consider the following tips.

Curb appeal, Curb appeal!!

1. Get out in the yard and pick up all of the downed tree limbs

2. Clear out all of the old dead flowers from the flower beds. Be careful not to damage the new growth that has started to emerge.

3. Make sure that your gutters are clean so when the spring rains hit, they will drain properly and not against the house foundation

4. Once you have all of the above done, get the thatcher or plugger out and run it across the yard. This will help get the water and fertilizer down to the roots.

5. Ok now it is time to spread the Scouts spring fertilizer to help bring to life the yard. Make sure you use the new water save fertilizer. This will hep you save on watering later on and make your yard the green of green on the neighborhood.

6. Spread some flower fertilizer around in the flower beds

7. For the trees and bushes. Insert some Scouts tree fertilizer plugs around the trees just below the outer most limb line. This will put it in the feeder roots,

8. Power wash the wood decks, and the cement side walks to get the dirt off of them and make them look like new.

Great, now that you have done all of this, it is time to find a new location in the yard for your sign. Having it in a different place will catch the persons eye just because it is not in the same place. Try it, you will be surprised.

Now you have completed all of this and your house looks better the your neighbors homes.  May you have many happy sales and inspections.

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Ok, winter is finally making it appearances. So it is time to get your snow removal equipment in order for that first snow removal date.

1. Get the right shovel,IE: ergonomically shove. This type makes it alot easier on your back and hips

2. Get your snow blower or thrower out, put in some fresh gas and check out the oil level. Start it up to make sure all is well and in proper working condition

3.Instead of using salt to melt the ice on your drive way or sidewalks. Buy calcium chloride, it will work at temps down to 5 degrees, where salt will quit working at 15 degrees. Also another added benefit to using calcium chloride, it will no burn you grass or shrubs.

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Spend a little, save a lot, or spend a whole bunch and save even more. Here is a tip to shave your energy bills year round.

Sure, it's nostalgia-inducing and all, but when it comes down to it, your fireplace is terribly—make that laughably—inefficient. According to the Department of Energy, a lit fireplace sucks about 24,000 cubic feet of furnace-heated air up your chimney each hour. Bonus: It's replaced by cold air that comes in the opposite direction through the same opening, causing your furnace to work extra hard to keep your house toasty. Still, we love gathering round the hearth as much as the next guy. Just remember to turn the thermostat down a little when you use it. Also, crack a window in the room where the fireplace is located and then close the door, so it doesn't suck too much warm air from the rest of the house. And remember to close your damper when it’s not in use.

Save even more by installing a programable thermostat

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The weather man tonight on TV stated that we may need the furnace tonight because it may have a chance of frost in northern Ohio. So before chilly autumn nights set in, you need to make an appointment for your furnace's annual checkup. Without this yearly cleaning and inspection, a system can wear itself out quickly, pump deadly carbon monoxide into your home, or simply stop working.

Whatever type of system you have, don't wait until it breaks down to call for service. A clean, well-adjusted heating system will save you money on fuel and prolong furnace life. Annual servicing is cheap - typically less than $100 - especially when compared with the price of a new furnace. "You wouldn't wait more than a year to service your car?"  "The heat in your house is just as important."

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 As the leaves turn and the weather cools, many of us begin outdoor cleanup. Consider the number of injuries in yard work accidents every autumn and you may begin to suspect that "fall" is actually short for "pitfall." Fall, it seems, is the season for back injuries, tumbles from ladders and lawn mower accidents. Approximately 42 million people seek emergency room treatment for such injuries each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some simple tips to avoid common autumn injuries while working around the yard. 

* Use a rake that is comfortable for your height and strength. Wear gloves or use rakes with padded handles to prevent blisters.

* Vary your movement, alternating your leg and arm positions often. When picking up leaves, bend at the knees, not the waist.

* Inspect ladders for loose screws, hinges or rungs. Clean off accumulated mud, dirt or liquids.

* Never use your hands or feet to clear debris from under a lawnmower. Use a stick or broom handle instead. Likewise, never touch the blades with your hands or feet, even if the engine is off. The blade can still move and cause serious injury.

For more lawnmower or ladder safety tips, visit the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons' Web site.

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At some point in the life of your house, the lumber that holds it together will get wet. The flashing will fail, the roof will leak, or, as demonstrated by last year's hurricanes, the rains will drive and the waters will rise. Frame a house with blue lumber, though, and the water won't wet the wood in the first place.

So says Bluwood, whose answer to the glaring question about the glaring color is unsatisfying. (It's a marketing gimmick.) What is satisfying is the Florida company's "infusion film" sealant, a waterproof barrier that they promise will keep moisture out of structural lumber while keeping the wood's insect- and fungus-fighting borates in. Borates have long been known as environmentally friendly wood preservatives; the problem is that when the wood gets wet, borates leach out and leave it vulnerable. Bluwood is backing up its claims in a walk-in petri dish they call the "mold house." Inside, an ongoing two-year experiment shows untreated samples rotting away while the Bluwood remains unaffected.

Just about any species of wood can be special-ordered from the lumberyard with a Bluwood sealant. The treatment adds about 20 percent to the cost, but the wood will be guaranteed for the life of the house. And if blue's not your color, just remember, it gets covered by the drywall. Visit Bluwood for dealers for more information on this product. I have found several homes here in the lancaster ohio area that have used this lumber.

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I did a inspection on Monday that when you walked in the back yard, you got ate up. I saw a area where the home owner had their dog tied out. The bugs that were biting were fleas and mosquito's. My client asked me what they could do to kill out the fleas and mosquito's? I told them that they could spread Scott's summer blend fertilizer that has a bug treatment that will kill out the  fleas and help kill out the mosquito's. I have been doing this now for 4 years and my dogs have never brought a flea into the house since I started treating, and the mosquito's are almost not ever seen. You also get the great benefit of having a lush green yard.

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