t hasn't happened very often, but a few times I have been asked to give a recommendation on Linkedin for someone that I really don't know. I have connected to them, usually through mutual connections, but that's the extent of our relationship. They are a name in a list. Don't do this to the people you're connected to. It puts them in an akward position. If I have never met someone, let alone, worked with them in some way, then how can I give an honest recommendation?

Brodie Brown

I found this ingenious setup between some townhouses.  Inside the grate is a sump pump.  All of the surrounding yards drain to this pump.  What's in the bag you ask?  It wasn't always in a bag.  Originally it was an electrical outlet that had been run across the ground and laid on top of the grate.  As soon as there was too much water, outlet was submerged and it shut off like it was supposed to.  Problem was that then the sump pump didn't have power and could no longer pump the water out to the street.  The home owner put the outlet in a bag to try and keep it running until a professional landscaper could come and do a proper repair of the drainage.  The home owner went out of town for the weekend and come back to a flooded house, thanks to this less than optimum drainage setup. 

Brodie
Georgia Home Inspector.

When I first started using Twitter I really liked it, once I understood it. But something has changed. Most of the tweets that I see are just advertisements. It used to be real people talking about real things and now its a bunch of Internet marketers talking about how to get 1000 followers in a day, or the best home based biz ever, and so on. I don't need more ads. I'll see how it goes, hopefully twitter users will swing back to the more personal side. I guess in the end twitter is still indexed by the search engines, so it will help build an online presence.

Brodie
Georgia Home Inspection
SocialCPR

I recently ended my cell service with Sprint. I had been with them for 10yrs, initially with Nextel before the merger. My wife worked for them until 2007 and even after she left them, we still got awesome pricing on our phones and plans. Basically, I got a price that no other carrier could beat. But, I had signal problems, service problems, billing problems, etc. So, if I can't get the service I need, is the super low price worth it? If I sold you a 2009 H2 for $200, would the low price be worth it if it didn't work and couldn't be fixed? Of course not, it would be a giant (very giant) paperweight. Price is definitely important, but in many things you get what you pay for. Home inspections are no different. You are asking someone to inspect one of the largest investments of your life. I have found that my prices are usually not the cheapest and not the most expensive either. I tend to fall in the middle. So when I price an inspection at $350.00, for example, and the potential client says that they talked to another company that will do it for $200.00, I have to ask why are they so much less expensive. I also wonder why ask me to match the price, if price were the only factor in the decision.

The point, be fair in your pricing, but don't de-value yourself. It's easy to want to give it all away when the market is down. We're all tempted to gain the business at all cost. Take the time to remember how much you have to offer. All of the education, years of experience, customer care and attention to detail that you bring to the table.

You usually get what you pay for, that's not a new idea. It just is what it is.

Brodie Brown
Browntree Home Inspections

Would you like to schedule an email for later using your regular email account? Lettermelater allows you to schedule an email for later using the site or your own email account. Up to 30 emails per month can be sent for free. They also offer an upgraded account that gives you more emails, etc. You can use outlook, gmail, yahoo, etc.

Brodie
SocialCPR

Brodie Brown
Browntree Home Inspections

Saving Energy :

1) Plant deciduous shade trees on south and west side of house.

2) Close all doors and vents in rooms not in use.

3) Install whole house fan to draw in cool evening air.

4) Exchange traditional light bulbs for fluorescents.

5) Install storm doors on all exterior doors.

6) Check, and repair if needed, caulking on all door and window frames.

7) Wrap all heating and air ducts with insulation.

These tips were sent to me courtesy of Mary Ellen Vanaken: MEVHomes.com

Brodie Brown
Browntree Home Inspections

  Hootsuite is a tool for your twitter account that has a lot of function.  Here are a few of the things you can do: