Brodie's Blog

New Innovations in bath remodeling

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:09:29 -0500

Think your bathroom is too small and you can't fit everything in? Think again. I found this brilliant(sarcasm implied) remodel at a recent home inspection.

The bath was too small to fit both a toilet and a shower. What's the solution? Combine them of course!

Brodie

Georgia Home Inspector

Linkedin Recommedations

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:33:49 -0500

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

Why did my house flood?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:25:54 -0500

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.

Has Twitter changed?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:04:43 -0500

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

Is price everything?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:21:05 -0500

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

Dry your clothes and heat your home at the same time, ingenious!

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:20:57 -0500

I''ve seen a lot of weird things during inspections. Most of the weird are home owners creative ideas when it comes to fixing things around the house. Luckily, I can still be surprised. Look at the picture to the right. See the fuzz on the wood grate in the fireplace? That's dryer lint. The home owner didn't know where to vent the dryer to, so they decided the best place for it would be to connect the dryer vent to the fireplace flu. Good thing for the buyer they didn't do a good job at finishing the drywall in the area, so I was able to see what they had done.
It gets even better. The house had no chimney. So where did the fireplace flu go you ask? It terminated at the exterior wall directly under a bedroom window. That way, when you're choking on fumes in your sleep, you'll have the fresh smell of a dryer sheet to make it more comfortable.

Brodie Brown

Schedule your emails

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:13:41 -0500

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

How can a small biz compete?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:23:45 -0500

I'm going to keep this one very short. I've been in some kind of sales for 8 years now, and I've seen all kinds of gimmicks to try to garner business. Free this, free that and so on. I must admit that I've tried a few with limited success at best. Most of the time it was a waste of time and energy.

Would you like to know the secret to making you and your business stand out in the crowd? Here it goes. Are you ready to be blown away? OK, enough suspense. This is the BIG secret: answer the phone. That simple. I always try to answer the phone. Even if it's just to ask them if I can call back, I try to answer. Sure, there are times when I just can't. We all have that. But, I will then try to call back as soon as possible. More than anything I've ever done in business, the one thing that has gotten me the most compliments is that I can be reached. It's that simple. With so many companies, big and small, using an answering service or a maze of press 1, then 2, then 4, now stand on your head and whistle Dixie, all you have to do is answer the phone and you have put yourself at the top of the food chain.

Brodie Brown
Browntree Home Inspections

Home energy tips

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:22:39 -0500

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 for Twitter

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:37:53 -0500

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

1. Update your twitter status

2. Schedule a tweet for later

3. Feed your blog to twitter

4. Send your status update to ping.fm thru hootsuite

5. Update multiple twitter accounts from one place

6. See a list of your updates, scheduled updates, DM's and @replies on one page

7. Set up multiple users

Hootsuite is free and easy to use, try it out and tell me what else should be in this list. It's a great twitter tool.

You can also follow them on twitter here: http://twitter.com/hootsuite

Dekalb County GA water rules

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:21:29 -0500

This is info about the rules from Dekalb county that affect sell/purchase of a house. Most of you have probably seen this already, but it's worth revisiting. It is not something I have been asked to do yet. I found this on ASHI Georgia's website.

Stay Connected.

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:32:44 -0500

One of the ways to build relationships with other people is by sharing our own interests. That way we find common ground with the people around us. Social media sites offer several ways to do this, and I find more everyday. read more here...

Twuffer

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:00:18 -0500

Here's another useful tool for twitter. I learned about it last week while I was at REtechSouth from@nik_nik. There are so many tools available for twitter that it's a little overwhelming. I find it is most helpful to me if I just try a couple of tools per week. I see what works for me and what doesn't. read more here....http://socialcpr.blogspot.com/2009/03/twuffer.html

Slow and steady wins the race

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:14:53 -0600

I'm a big believer in working the basics and the rest will take care of itself. Too many times it's easy to get caught up in the latest system for getting business or closing the sale, or whatever you're trying to accomplish. I go the other direction and adhere to the 'slow and steady wins the race' model. read more here.....http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

Heat loss in your attic

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:25:48 -0600

I am a home inspector in Georgia http://www.browntree.net/

but I'm originally from Indiana. We don't get much snow in GA but we may have some tomorrow. It will be a good time to see how well insulated your attic is. read more here...http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

Don't be afraid of social media

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:06:43 -0600

As I talk to people about social media and how to use it for friends and business, I always have at least one person in a group that believes that using Facebook is career suicidehttp://www.facebook.com. read more here...........http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

Profile pictures on social media sites

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:24:28 -0600

I don't see it alot but I do see some people who don't use a picture on their social media sites.http://www.facebook.com Some have just overlooked it and some are apprehensive about someone seeing their picture. read more here.... http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

Seller's inspection

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:39:07 -0600

I am a home inspector in metro Atlanta.http://www.browntree.net/ I occasionally have the opportunity to do a home inspection for a seller to help them get ready to sell their home. Seller's or pre-listing inspections can be great selling tools for the homeowner. Read more here: http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

Are utilities importantant for a home inspection?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:00:01 -0600

Many times when buying a foreclosure it's can be difficult to get the utilities on for your inspection.http://www.movegeorgia.com/ It is very important though, the house can be inspected without all of the utilities...read more here:

http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/2009/02/water-leaks.html

Social media connection with Ping.fm

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:16:47 -0600

Once you have yourself set up on more than one social networking site, it can be difficult to try to stay in contact with all of them unless they are connected. Ping.fm will help you connect them http://ping.fm/ .

Read more here: http://gahomeinspector.blogspot.com/

How to start using social media.

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:31:01 -0600

If you don't already use social media to grow your network it can be quite overwhelming. Even looking at one site like facebook can seem like an insurmountable task. I teach classes to realtors and other small business owners on how to use social media. This is my best advice: take baby steps. If you try to do too much at once, you will get overwhelmed and stop. If you will take it one step at a time, you'll be surprised at how quickly you are up and running.

This is how I suggest you start. First, get a facebook page. Start connecting to friends, family and other acquaintances and then expand out from there. Next, sign up for twitter. It's a great place to learn and you can connect it to facebook. Third, set up a Plaxo account. Plaxo is basically a business version of Facebook. It has some great connectivity with the other sites that you may already use. Last, set up a Linkedin account. Linkedin is basically an online resume. Take these steps one at a time. Get used to one site and then move on to the next. You don't need to try to master any one site. Technology changes at such a rapid pace that it's nearly impossible to keep up with it all. Pick and choose what works for you and go with that. Try out different tools as you find them. Keep the ones you like and get rid of the rest. Most importantly, have fun! Don't try to make it another job.

Brodie Brown

www.browntree.net

Interesting stats in the AJC on housing

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:48:20 -0600

This was in the AJC last week. Interesting housing stats.

This morning’s AJC published a graph of home values in Atlanta from 2000 through 2008. The headline was that prices dropped 11.2% in 2008. The REAL STORY, as illustrated by their graph, is that home values are up nearly 17% since 2000. People, particularly the media, have lost focus that homes are a long tem investment.

Is customer service a lost art?

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:55:08 -0600

My wife and I went to go car shopping today. We need to find an inexpensive car for my two teens. I don't usually name a company if what I have to say is negative, but I don't want others to have the same experience. Gwinnett Place Ford advertised great prices on used cars and then if you bought one then you got another used car for $1. We new already that the $1 car would not be much, but we were ok with that.

When we walked into the dealer, we couldn't get anyone to acknowledge us or the people that walked in behind us. The sales people were busy standing in the middle of the room arguing. Finally, they stopped arguing and one of them asked if he could help. We told him what we were looking for and he wanted us to set down so he could run our credit. We told him that we would be paying cash and not financing. We immediately noticed a change in his demeanor. He took outside and showed us some $10k and above cars at first. We told him we looking for much less than that. He pointed us in the direction of the cheaper cars and said he would be inside. He left and went back into his office. After we had looked, we went back in to ask him some details about a couple of the cars. He huffed, got up from his desk and said that he would have to go out and get the numbers off of the cars. We said that maybe we should just go because it seemed we were bothering him. He said, "that will be fine, have a nice day."

Here's the point: just because a salesperson may not make a big commission on today's sale, doesn't mean that that same customer will not be looking to spend more money the next time. If a salesperson would take the time to build a relationship with their customer today, it will pay off in the future. Every person you meet has worth. Every person has something to offer. Even if they are not the biggest spender, that doesn't mean they don't know someone who is. They have the power to refer business or to take business away. If a business expects to stay in business they must not forget that they are in business for their customers and that without them, they will fail. It is inevitable.

The secret to sales success.

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:38:19 -0600

There are countless numbers of books and other media out that tell you how to sale what you've got. Everyone seems to have a shortcut that will lead to the BIGGEST RESULTS EVER, in only 5 minutes.

Here's a secret: there is no secret. It's about people. If you approach your potential customer/client as a person instead of a dollar sign, then you will be a success. Simple as that.

People want to be acknowledged and appreciated. The sales secrets that concentrate on manipulating a person into doing what you want are the worst things you can do. Concentrate on the basics of good customer service and doing the best job that you can, then everything else will take care of itself. You will have satisfied customers, referrals and repeat business. It's a simple process and there is no quick fix. Now, you will have some people that cannot be satisfied no matter what you do. That's ok. Remember again, it's a world full of different people, each with a unique story. You or I can't please every one of them. It's impossible.

So here it is in the simplest term. Here is your guaranteed secret to success. Every business is a people business. Simple.

Brodie Brown

Browntree Home Inspections

Water heater maintenance

Brodie Brown (Browntree Home Inspections) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:06:24 -0600

There are many systems in our homes that many of us just forget about until they stop working. Once that happens it can be very costly to repair. Your water heater is one of the big ones. If you water heater springs a leak it can cost thousands, depending on where it's located. Here are few items that you can check on your water heater to catch small problems before they become big ones.

Check for corrosion and leakage around the pipe connections.

Check the vent hood for rusting or detachment.

Check the pressure relief valve for rust or leakage.

Flush your water heater each year.

Brodie Brown

Browntree home inspections