I haven't written a technical post for some time, so here it goes. There are myriads of ways to do SEO...or Search Engine Optimization. Many can be done at no cost, but others require strategic use of ones advertising dollars to gain the most exposure possible.

The tip for today has to do with one such company...Magic Yellow.com. It is an online yellow page directory. I have my websites in many such directories. Most, including Magic Yellow, will allow you to place a small courtesy advertisement for free. Be aware, however, that if you chose to upgrade to a paid advertisement, a couple things will happen. First, they will reward your loyalty by annually raising your rates about 40%. Second, should you decide not to continue with the paid ad, they will ban you from being able to place a free one...the same one offered free to everyone else.

It is always important to track where your direct links are coming from, and allocate advertising dollars accordingly. The world of on-line SEO is too dynamic to think of such things as long-term relationships with advertisers. Loyalty is not rewarded and dust quickly gathers on websites that are not managed proactively.

For example, I used one advertiser for 2 years. The click throughs were somewhat impressive the first 6 months, but then declined steadily for the next 18 months. I finally let them go after discussing my concerns and getting a rather lame answer. They wanted me to continue with them and wait to see if they could improve the direct hits. I told them they already had shown me their track record and I could not afford to pay for them to perhaps begin to do what they should have been doing all along.

I would not recommend Magic Yellow to anyone seeking paid advertisements!

In truth, the Keweenaw Peninsula is really an Island. It is surrounded by lake Superior on three sides and requires crossing the Portage Canal on the other side.

This area has so much to offer, I won't be able to do it justice in one article, so will write a short series, this being the first.

Primarily a tourist hot spot, the Keweenaw has some breathtaking mountains, world class biking trails, awesome ATV and Snow Mobile trails, and some of the best Cross County ski trails you'll ever find.

Today, I am going to focus on one small community on the northern tip called Copper Harbor. You can googleinformation on how this community was founded. Though many of the residents are seasonal, it is open in the winter and is a final destination for many Snow Mobilers.

The Harbor is sheltered, as you can see in the above picture.

Tours are given throughout the summer at the old lighthouse. There are a number of world class mountain bike trails including the Staircase to Heaven, which starts in Copper Harbor and runs up Brockway Mountain to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodgefive miles away. It should also be noted that drive along Brockway Mountain is the highest between it and the Rockies.

On a clear day, you can see Isle Royale 48 miles away.

There are several nearby lakes including Fanny Hoe and Manganese. Fanny Hoe has a park with RV hookups. Yes, you can fish in these lakes as well as in the harbor.

Fort Wilkens state park is another interesting destination. It is occupied by actors who show us what life was like in the past.

More secluded, but worth the dirt road drive, is Estivant Pines. This is about 80 acres of land that has been preserved due to some 50 or so old growth White Pines that are over 200 years old.

If you are considering moving to Copper Harbor, my view is that it's a great place in the summer, but quite isolated in the winter. It does have a one room schoolhouse, but the kids are bussed to Calumet most of the school year. It is a wonderful place to vacation and would be well located for a summer home.

Regarding Real Estate, yes, there are a few good deals in Copper Harbor right now as there are thoughout the peninsula.

I am sure many of you have seen inspection reports where step cracks have been found somewhere on the foundation of the home or garage. So, the question is; is that a major concern? Answer, it depends.

If the crack is narrow (hairline) and is not monothithic, it generally means that movement has stopped. Here is an example.

The Crack is visible showing some movement had occured in the past, but the movement has stopped.

In some cases, however, a footing has failed and movement has not stopped. My job is to know the difference. How bad cana failed footing be?

Take a look at this garage. It has been moving for 40 years now.

So, step cracks can be a major problem. It depends upon the cause and the clues a licensed and trained Home Inspector can decipher.

All of us know the importance of timely action in each step of a real estate transaction. For rural properties on private wells, water testing is one of the important steps in this process.

In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, there is only one public lab facility. It's located in Houghton. I personally bring all of my water samples there for a couple reasons. First, the the prices are reasonable, and my customers appreciate that. Second, the samples submitted for bacterial testing, which checks for such things as Coliforms, E-coli, ect...must be less than 30 hours old. If I were to mail the samples, I'd have to do all of my inspections that include water sampling in the morning and then Fed-X them that same day, before pickup at 1:00pm.  This would add $20.00 to my fee and make some remote properties untestable.

It is a concern because the proposed budget for the next fiscal year has slated this lab for closure. If it does close, selling homes and vacation properties with private wells may become more difficult. I would expect that buyers would begin to put contingencies in the purchase agreements that would require the seller to provide recent MDCH water tesing lab results attached to the disclosure.

I'd like the thoughts of all Michigan Realtors on this issue.

There are a few brands of electrical panels that have had some concerns regarding safety over the years. One such panel is Federal Pacific. It has a style of breaker called stab lock. They were involved in a class action suit many years ago due to some testing that showed the breakers have a higher than usual failure rate when put under surge. Specifically, they have been known to become fused open rather than trip.

Opinions vary. Personally, I have inspected at least a dozen of these that never had a problem.

As a Realtor, you should be aware that some home inspectors will say this brand of panel needs to be replaced. They used to make a retro-fit kit for Federal Pacific panels, but you can't get those any more.

As many of you know, tags are useful in linking keywords to your blog. In my case, Marquette, Michigan is one of my primary inspection areas. I've been doing SEO for some years now, so will share a small tip. The title of this blog will bring me more customers in Marquette than the tags will.

For those of you viewing this who need a home inspection in the Marquette area, take one minute to check out my website www.UPsBestInspector.comand remember that you can schedule an inspection time to your convenience from my on-line calendar and also pay with a credit card. See you at the inspection

1-800-935-9384 

Hey all, Just a quick note to vent about an issue that has been nawing at me lately. I am involved in a number of events and associations, sit on a couple boards...ect. and schedule myself to be available to particiapte in volunteer activities.

Lately, it seems, people keep asking me for help with various projects that they would never ask another. The feedback I have gotten is that..well, you have more time being self-employed.

For the life of me, I don't seem to be able to communicate that my job does not start and end at the Inspection. I can spend 40 hours in my office working without ever getting into the field. When you wear all the hats, so to speak, running a business...any business, is more than a full-time job. In addition to the Licensed Inspection Professional, I am the web developer, the payroll clerk, the secretary, the advertising manager, the marketing professional, the customer support manager...the list goes on.

It seems I will need to start referring people to my office hours and tell them I'd be more than happy to help...oh, but it would have to be before 9am or after 9pm and, I don't do philanthropy work on weekends...any more than I am already committed to, that is.

Is it just me? Have any of you run into this as an issue? Would love your thoughts!!! 

One of the benefits of having a home inspected is knowing what you're getting into regarding up-front repair costs. Still, there are times when a component or system could break down between the time of the inspection and the closing. That is why I offer a limited Home Warranty to my clients on generally well maintained and newer properties...under 30 years, free of charge. I pay for the warranty, which give some minimum coverage in such circumstances, and additional peace of mind to the buyer.

On an office visit a couple weeks ago, one of my Realtor partners questioned the usefullness of such a warranty offering coverage to the buyer, when the seller still owns the property. I answered his question in the email below.

Hi $$$$$,

You had asked a question a couple weeks ago regarding the 90 day home warranties I offer on newer properties through American Home Warranty...free of charge to your buyers. To answer how it benefits the buyer for the warranty to begin at the time of inspection since the seller is still responsible for the home...

 Well, it offers coverage during the gap that the realtors warranty does not cover. Also, though the seller is responsible, that does not mean they will pay to fix anything. You know how hectic things can get when you're down the wire to finish the closing. Let's say the electronic ignition burns out on the boiler and the buyer discovers it on a final walk through. The seller refused to have it fixed stating they have given all the concessions they are willing to give and can afford nothing more. The buyer demands that it be fixed or he is walking away. Your deal is about to fall through, unless you pay to fix it yourself.

 Had I inspected this home, and offered the warranty, the electronic ignition would be covered and the check would go to the buyer. The warranty company doesn't care who has custody of the property.

Granted, these are limited warranties, with a $500.00 limit on mechanical systems and a structural coverage limit of $2,000.00. All climate control systems have to be under 11 years old ect...But, I pay for the warranties as a free service to my customers. It's just an extra piece of security and "peace of mind" for them, should something happen.

 Please give me a call if you have any questions, and I hope sales continue to grow thru ought the year.

 Best wishes,

 Walt Fish

So, what do you think? Is this an added benefit to the customer? Does the general one year warranty offered by most Ralty offices give the buyer all the protection they need?

The Great Bear Chase of 2010 turned out to be quite a success today. Even with 2 weeks of warm weather and some rain, we managed to keep the course in nice shape.  If you're not in Calumet, Michigan this weekend, you have indeed missed an exciting time. As Chief of Course for the Bear Chase, my job was to map out the course and do everything possible to keep it in top shape. The weather forced us to make some last minute changes to the start and finish, but the quality of the snow was quite good, given the temperature. 

For those of you who like dogs, the awesome Copper Dog sled race began in Calumet last evening and will end in Calumet on Sunday.

There were and will be numerous events over the weekend, including dinners, pancake breakfasts, a ski tour, and even a square dance Sunday evening.

OK, as you know, I am a home inspector. I have a pulse on home prices and the culture of many communities throughoutMichigan's Upper Peninsula.  It may interest you to know that Calumet, has many things going for it as a community. It has a good school K-12 with a high school hockey team that is the best in the state year after year. It has a historic theatre, which only seat a couple hundred, but draws in big names such as Cathy Mattea, and Crystal Gayle. In fact, I'll be ushering on the 8th of April for Crystal Gayle here in Calumet. 

Calumet also offers some of the most affordable housing in Upper Michigan. If you are interested in leaving the rat race, or if you're retired and looking for a good community to kick back and enjoy your golden years, this is the place to be.  If you need help finding a good Realtor or if you want to get a home inspected, give me a call.

Walt Fish

1-800-935-9384

Here is one good reason why people should get a home inspection!!  I inspected this home a few days ago and ran across the above situation.  Can you see the potential problem here?

As a general rule, it's not a good idea to keep a plugged in lamp next to the kitchen sink.  In this case, the lamp poses an electrocution risk as the outlet is also ungrounded with no ground fault protection. If that lamp accidentally tipped over into the sink while the home owner was washing dishes, it would be an unfortunate and deadly situation indeed!!

Realtors...this is why we, as home inspectors, always state that outlets within 6 feet of a water source need to be grounded...preferably GFCI protected!  You can't assume people know better, and pointing out safety issues is a big part of our job.