Hank Richter's Blog

Wear The Right Shoes!

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:57:19 -0800

I was just listening to the news. So far this January, we have recorded 41″ of snow in Rhode Island! There may still be more to come, but apparently we had more in 1992!

The snow, however, hasn’t stopped me from doing inspections. Yes, there are things I can’t do – walking on roofs, seeing all of the foundation, seeing the grade of the landscaping, etc. But, I do walk around the house no matter how deep the snow!

What I don’t understand is the client who shows up in loafers and still wants to walk around the house!! I appreciate their fortitude, but just don’t get their planning! I have a shovel with me and a lot of times I will shovel a walkway to gain access and make it easier for all parties. Did they expect the yard to be shoveled?

"Armed and Dangerous"

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:31:33 -0800

Armed and Dangerous! We hear this on the cop shows and sometimes on the news reports, but how many of us actually confront someone like this:

As a Home Inspector, I think I can get a pretty good idea about what I am inspecting from my first impression. This can sometimes be a big mistake! A well kept house on the exterior can end up being a complete disaster on the inside and vice versa. When we inspect, we find all sorts of things either because people don't think we will be looking in those places or they just don't care if we look! I have found guns (both big and small) in closets, under beds, behind the door, even in the toilet tank! The same goes for smoking paraphernalia, adult toys, and other sometimes unidentifiable objects! I have even found people sleeping in a bed when we were told that there was nobody at home!

The point is - we have to be careful because you never know whats there. I did an inspection yesterday on a "vacant" house. It turned out that the house was no so vacant! The seller had changed the locks and only she and the Realtor had the keys. This, however, created a problem for the individual living in the basement. It should have been a clue from the outside when I noted the broken and missing basement windows. This is how the basement dweller is getting in and out of the property! Luckily for us, they were not around during the inspection!

The picture on the upstairs window was apparently ignored!

Can a seller remain in the house during a home inspection? In Maryland at least.

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:14:17 -0800

Interesting blog about whether or not a seller should be present for the Home Inspection. I don't have a problem with it as long as it doesn't interfere with my ability to do my job!

Via Richard Iarossi, Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate (Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.):

Now, before you get all toasty on Rich, remember, the title of the post says "can,” not "should." I do believe a seller should leave the premise when a home inspection is being conducted. There have been periodic posts about this subject from time to time with a lot of great comments. One home inspector even said he asks the sellers to leave, if they hadn't already done so. As a listing agent, I'm not sure I would agree with that approach, since the home inspector generally doesn't know what was agreed to in the contract of sale.

Some of the comments I’ve read go so far as to say the seller has no "right" to be at a home inspection. Personally, I think that's taking it a bit too far. Rights are generally defined by law, or contract. While I do recognize the passion in these types of comments, I’ll stick with the contract to see what “rights” are granted.

In Maryland, the home inspection addendum actually gives the seller the “right” to remain in the home during the home inspection. Here's a direct quote, "buyer and seller shall have the right to be present during the inspection(s), and buyer shall give seller reasonable advance notice of the date and time of the inspection(s)."

There's no ambiguity there as far as whether the seller has a right to remain in the property during a home inspection…at least in Maryland. For many reasons, I don't believe they should be in the home, and I always encourage the sellers in my listings to leave.

That being said though, if you’re not sure what "rights" convey to a party in a real estate transaction, read the contract.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114

410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate
Bowie MD Real Estate
Crofton MD Real Estate

©2011 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

“Would You Buy This House?"

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:40:13 -0800

I get this question along with “Do you think I’m getting a good deal? “What would you pay for this house?”, etc.

In reality, this is the first time I have seen the house! I don’t know what brought them to this property, I don’t know what the price is, and I don’t know what their plans are for the property. These questions become difficult because that client is relying on you to help put the pieces in place for their purchase.

The client’s motivation may be to be close to their parents – I don’t know their parents! It may be to be near a school for their children – my kids are grown! They may want to be where there are lots of neighbors – I like the country!

My job is to make sure that they understand what they are buying from a physical aspect – Do things work? Are they safe?, What kinds of materials?, How do you maintain the equipment? How long (within reason) can they expect things to last?

A Home Inspector is usually the last person (sometimes appraisal) involved in the transaction. By the time they get to us, I hope that their motivation questions have been defined and answered. If they are working with a good realtor, this should already have been part of the process.

So, please don’t feel that I am avoiding answering the question. My view is different from where I stand. I only hope that the job I do will make their decision easier!

What Snow?

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 22:21:25 -0800

So, it is Sunday about 8:00pm, the day after Christmas. It is snowing like crazy in New England during our first blizzard of the year. The weather forecasters are predicting that the snow will continue through the night into tomorrow and that we will have accumulations of 1 foot to as much as 1 and a half feet. It’s blowing gusts at up to 40 miles an hour!

As I am planning my Monday – 2 inspections – I receive a call from my first client. I am expecting him to ask me to postpone and reschedule. However, that is not the case. He wants to go ahead with the inspection and is particularly concerned about the roof.

Hello! There will be a foot of snow on the roof in the morning! As I explain to him the safety concerns, he keeps telling me that tomorrow is the last day he can do the inspection. I guess it was up to me to read his contract.He wants me to get him an extension! I am not his Realtor!

I am more than willing to accommodate my clients and revisit properties to complete inspections. Depending on whether I can get back to them with little inconvenience, I may not even charge them for the revisit. But, I can not be responsible nor should I be made to feel guilty because they want to wait to the last minute!

I love what I do, I love meeting the people I am working for, but sometimes it is difficult to not say something! I will be there at 9:00am (actually 8:30am). I will do as much of the inspection as possible, taking into consideration the conditions. I will even return to the property to inspect the roof and submit an addendum. I can not, however, be a broker! That is not in my job description!

HomePro Inspections of RI now offers RecallChek with every paid inspection

Hank Richter (HomePro Inspections of RI) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:33:49 -0800

Since 1974, American citizens have been protected from dangerous products in their homes by federal law. If a manufacturer has designed a dangerous product, they MUST recall all those items and FIX THEM FOR FREE!

The problem in the law is that most often it is up to you the consumer, to find out whether or not your appliances are a potential fire or safety hazard.

There is a data base on line, but you would have to wade through over 195 million recalled items to find out if your air conditioner or dishwasher is a potential hazard. As a result, an alarming amount of these dangerous appliances are sitting in peoples homes today.

RecallChek is the first service for consumer recalls in the United States. RecallChek has compiled over 195 million recalls from public records, and created a fail-safe system to check for dangerous flaws with home appliances.

How it works:

HomePro Inspections of Rhode Island will copy the model numbers where accessible or visable of your built-in home appliances and HVAC system.
HomePro Inspections of Rhode Island will submit your recall model number report to RecallChek. (Only numbers that are accessible and or visable at the time of inspection can be submitted)
At HomePro Inspections of Rhode Island headquarters, your model numbers are computer matched against Millions of recalls using RecallChek's MODEL NUMBER ALGORITHM (MNA)
RecallChek then hand-checks the report , to eliminate wrong numbers from worn plates and ID cards, and other problems.
In the event of a potential recall, RecallChek issues a report within 48 hours of submission including:
1. The nature of the recall
2. Where the product was sold
3. How to remedy the defect
4. How to get the product or item repaired/replace
  (in most cases - absolutely FREE)
Use the following link to get started: https://recallchek.com/recallchek/ConsumerSubmit?companyId=97658