Well, I adamently do not work on Sundays. That is my one day that I give completely to my family and faith. Well, ok... it means that I don't do "inspections" on Sundays (and, really, I am only asked to do inspections on Sundays a couple times a year anyway...). Every now and then I have to do
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09/04/2011
September has come and we, in the home inspection industry, will be having our final "big push" of the year: after September, things start to slow down through Christmas and the New Year. It is a beautiful time of year to work (September and October, being my favorite), and a great time to purch
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09/04/2011
Contemporary standards generally say that an attic space needs 1:300 (http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-102-understanding-attic-ventilation/) (among other variables). The majority of the time, this is sufficient. That said, the placement of attic vents is also important. For
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09/03/2011
Since I had such success with my previous post on fire places in rental properties (http://activerain.com/blogsview/2489191/having-a-fireplace-in-your-rental-me-thinks-that-is-a-bad-idea) I thought I would add another thing that I wouldn't have in a rental: spray wands at the kitchen sink. 1) A d
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09/03/2011
There are some things that may get brought up in a home inspection that are technically "ok" (per Code, etc.), but are really just bad ideas. Then there are things which are "technically wrong", but are unlikely to cause any problems. Technically speaking, the drip loop (see picture) is suppose
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09/03/2011
My percentage of investor clients in the last 2 years has increased with the lower interest rates, higher demand for renters (people who lost their homes due to foreclosure or did a short sale and can't buy), and low prices. Many of these homes, especially if they are from the mid to early 1990s
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09/03/2011
This article is fascinating. "Today, interest rates are approximately 4.5%. A two percent increase would bring them to 6.5% which happens to be about where they were prior to government intervention. On a $200,000 mortgage, a buyer’s monthly mortgage payment (principle and interest) would go fr
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09/03/2011
I don't know about the rest of the country, but moss on a roof is the norm here in the northwest. As I like to say, it is our State Plant. While it could be prevented if people would just preemtively treat their roof for moss annually regardless of whether moss is present or not, people (sigh)
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09/03/2011
We recently had the pleasure of doing an inspection at The Casey in the Pearl District of downtown Portland. What a beautiful building, and stunning condos. Ultra-efficient, beyond-high-end materials, well constructed and tastefully decored in every way. According to multiple sources, The Case
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09/02/2011
Great news for those living in SW Washington who are served by NW Natural. The gas company has announced a plan to decrease gas costs by 1.7%, putting a few bucks back our pockets this winter. Find entire article here: http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/sep/02/Northwest-natural-gas-seeks-rate-d
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09/02/2011
