Do you have a "one size fits all" home inspector? - 08/26/08 03:47 PM
What sets the inspector you use apart from the rest? I've heard the term "a dime a dozen" used for home inspectors many times and a lot of the time it's true! You'll call him and ask his price, he tells you and that's it! That's where I come in. Not only do my clients get a reasonable price, they get many valuable benefits as well. First and foremost, I offer many different inspection types because I understand that inspections are very far from "one size fits all". Read through this list of features that I offer and if you can … (5 comments)

Woo Hoo! Just passed 10,000 points! - 08/23/08 01:14 AM
The title says it all!! I've just recently found the world of blogging and am very proud to have found ActiveRain as my first venture.  Thanks for everyone who has read and commented on my posts!  I'll do do my best to keep the helpful info coming!
… (9 comments)

Avoid getting a "nit-picky" inspection report. Tip #4 - 08/21/08 11:37 PM
My client's safety is my number one priority when I'm inspecting a house.  If I come across a smoke/carbon monoxide detector that doesn't work, you guessed it, it goes on the report.  Every room in the house should have an operational smoke/carbon monoxide detector installed.  One very simple reason that they might not work is the battery.  An easy way to remember this task is to change the batteries when you change your clocks every six months.  Some fire departments will actually give you batteries for free!  So, follow this quick and crucial tip before an inspection to avoid another "nit-picky" item … (6 comments)

Avoid getting a "nit-picky" inspection report. Tip #3 - 08/20/08 11:14 PM
Caulk and grout will fail 100% of the time.  With exposure to moisture, expansion/contraction and normal wear and tear, caulk and grout will crack, peel and split.  Just like vegetation in contact with your home, failed caulk and grout are conducive conditions for wood destroying organisms.  Ignoring an issue like this can cause significant and expensive damage to your home.  However, it is very easily repaired.  Take a couple hours caulking around sinks, tubs, toilets, backsplashes and windows (don't forget the caulk around windows, trim and joints on the exterior) and re-grout as needed before the home inspection and you can easliy avoid … (14 comments)

Avoid getting a "nit-picky" inspection report. Tip #2 - 08/19/08 03:57 PM
Almost every inspection that I've done, I've come across light fixtures that don't work.  Regardless of the actual problem, I write these fixtures in the report as "inoperable" and that further investigation is required.  Some inspectors have long narrative scripts that could include possible wiring problems and possibly needing to have an electrician come and investigate.  This type of alarming item on an inspection report is very easy to avoid in most cases.  My experience has shown that more often than not, a light bulb needs to be replaced.  Follow this simple, very inexpensive tip of checking light fixtures and replacing bulbs as … (4 comments)

Avoid getting a "nit-picky" inspection report. Tip #1 - 08/19/08 12:00 AM
Wood destroying organisms like carpenter ants, certain types of beetles and wood rot are very commonly found during home inspections.  Home inspectors will report on the presents of these organisms but we also report on conditions conducive to them.  One of the most common conducive conditions that I find is vegetation in contact with the home.  This contact provides a route for the creepy crawlers and also moisture.  It's usually very easy to maintain an adequate amount of space between vegetation and the home, however, many people don't realize that it's such a serious problem so they don't give it a second thought.  If you're … (7 comments)

Paper or Digital? - 08/17/08 02:02 PM
Home inspectors use different methods for report delivery.  Some use the traditional method of typing, printing and delivering the report on-site.  Some will type and print just a short summary of the major findings and email the rest of the report at a later time.  Now we have enterd the "digital age" and inspectors are uploading reports to their website and emailing a username and password to clients giving them the option to download, print or forward the report at their convenience.
I use the "digital age" method.  I haven't had one complaint about not delivering the report on-site.  I explain that … (5 comments)

What's the highest number you've seen? - 08/15/08 01:36 PM
I was just browsing around blogs and noticed that there are 7,160 members online right now.  Wow!  Usually, when my eyes wander up to the top right, I see somewhere around 2,000 to 3,000 online.  What's the most amount of members that you've seen online at once?
"Be sure to check out my other blog entries. You can get your 10 daily comments in right here, right now! Simply scroll through the blog entries in the widget just under my picture at the upper right."
Certified Tacoma Home Inspector
… (9 comments)

Is your home inspector blind? - 08/12/08 11:17 PM
Is your home inspector blind?  If he's not a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), he might just be!
Other home inspection associations have no entrance examination.  Blind people, children, psychics (who claim to "sense" if a house is ok) and even pets have joined other associations.  InterNACHI is the only association with an entrance examination.  NACHI turns down more than 1/2 the inspectors who want to join because they can't pass the exam. 
InterNACHI inspectors:
Have to pass InterNACHI's Online Inspector Examination. (This is a general, not association-specific exam). Have to pass InterNACHI's Online Standards of Practice and Code … (6 comments)

Do you want to use VIDEO on your website? - 08/10/08 12:28 PM
I've seen many posts and comments educating and asking about posting videos to websites, blogs and emails.  You can see my method for emails here.  I'll discuss embedding to your website in this post.  I'm a home inspector, not a video professional but I know how it works and I like to help.  Video is catching on quickly and I strongly believe you should use video wherever you can to set yourself apart from many others before it becomes standard.  While posting your videos to YouTube and using the code provided is quick and simple, I've found that the quality isn't great … (14 comments)

Does your inspector limit his liability? - 08/09/08 09:58 PM
Your inspector may or may not be required to have a minimun amount of insurance coverage.  Some states have licensing requirements while others do not.  Here in Washington, all inspectors are required to be licensed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture to be Structural Pest Inspectors (SPIs).  The minimum insurance requriement is $25,000.  If your state requires such coverage, make sure your inspector is not limiting his liability in his pre-inspection agreement to the price of the inspection.  This is common.  Limiting the liability, in Washington, to lower than $25,000 will result in an immediate suspension of the SPI license.
                                                          
"Be sure to … (7 comments)

Do you ever......? - 08/07/08 01:26 PM
....perform any permit research for your clients?  I've been at inspections where there's an obvious addition that wasn't permitted.  A recent example was when I was walking on a garage roof and it felt soft, almost like it might give.  I immediately scurried down my ladder and went to check the framing.  My initial thought was that there might have been significant wood rot.  I entered the garage and realized that it was sheetrocked with no attic access.  However, there was an addition through the back door that acted as a shed or workshop.  I immediately looked up and found that the rafter's spans was about 15 ft … (7 comments)

What's a VidTip? - 08/06/08 01:18 AM
I have a feature for agents that I work with and past clients called VidTips.  It's basically a video newsletter with helpful information about owning a home.  I thought about emailing the actual video, however, that leaves you with only two options.  Either you attach the video to the email, which would be a huge attachment, not to mention most people don't open attachments in fear of viruses, or you embed the player in the email and host the video on your server.  The problem with the second option is that all email programs aren't alike and one might open the video … (9 comments)

You don't want to get sued.......do you? - 08/06/08 12:54 AM
I've read a couple posts on this site, and a few others, about real estate agents getting sued by their client because a home inspector missed something substantial and it was the agent that referred the inspector to their client.  I've read that because of this many agents will adhere to the philosophy of referring a minimum of three inspectors/vendors to avoid this type of litigation.  First of all, if you think one of your inspectors might miss something, you probably shouldn't be referring him at all.  Secondly, you should find a good quality inspector that also has this in his pre-inspection agreement:
11.  … (18 comments)

Take my challenge... - 08/05/08 09:28 PM
Hi everyone,
I don't intend on using my blog on Active Rain for advertising purposes exclusively but I'm a new member and I wanted everyone to be aware of my very different inspection business.  I'm so confident of my uniqueness that I'm willing to offer 50% off of an inspection if you can win this challenge:
www.takethischallenge.com
 
"Be sure to check out my other blog entries. You can get your 10 daily comments in right here, right now! Simply scroll through the blog entries in the widget just under my picture at the upper right."
Certified Tacoma Home Inspector
 
… (7 comments)

This was kinda creepy.... - 08/04/08 08:56 PM
So I was at an inspection today for a very excited, first time homebuyer.  The inspection was going fine, nothing too major to note and the client was very personable and the agent is a good friend of mine so it was very low stress.  After explaining all the fun technical, maintenance, possible repair talk, I suited up to go in the crawl space.  This is by far the worst part of the inspection for me.  I don't mind the confined area or how dirty I always manage to get but I absolutely hate spiders.  Needless to say, I suit up appropriately, … (16 comments)

Sell your listing faster and for more money - 08/03/08 02:21 AM
"Move in Certified" is a great marketing tool that all sellers should take advantage of.  Give prospective buyers the trust and confidence they deserve by listing a home as "certified" from a third-party, un-biased point of view.  Also, give them the convenience of being able to view the pre-listing inspection report in the comfort of their own home on the internet.  Furthermore, the "Move in Certified" yard signs set your listing apart from the others and attract potenial buyers.  There are many other benefits of having a "certified" listing.  Contact me anytime for more information or to schedule an inspection. 
"Be sure to check … (7 comments)

 
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New Construction Warranty Management - Kevin Pierce

Tacoma, WA

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