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home inspection: Relocation Inspections (Whatcom County) King of the House Home Inspection - 05/26/12 08:06 AM
The number of people moving to this very northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest, Whatcom County, is ongoing and the numbers are impressive. This is, to a large degree, the result of our geographical location -- the proximity to the USA-Canada border.
We have major border crossings in the county -- Blaine (two crossings), Lynden and Sumas. The Department of Homeland Security, over the last several years, has been moving more personnel to this part of the country. That includes U.S. Border Patrol, Customs, Immigration and all of the staff that guards or manages the border. The other phenomenon that we … (4 comments)
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home inspection: Lynden Home Inspection (King of the House) Foundation Cracks - 03/27/11 09:50 AM
Foundation cracks are something that the professional home inspector has to think about, but not too much usually. There are foundation cracks that can indicate serious problems, certainly the case with horizontal cracks. But many, to most, of the diagonal or vertical cracks that the inspector sees are probably not a big issue. With a wide crack, well that can be a concern all right and any crack that could allow water through into the crawl space or basement is a worry in this wet climate.
The thing about foundation cracks, even though they usually are not much of a problem, is … (9 comments)
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home inspection: Spring Renewal = Spring Cleanup -- Really! - 03/20/11 05:11 PM
I have noticed Sally's Spring Renewal Contest and had planned to enter. But I have been really busy between inspections and coordinating the home inspection training course at Bellingham Technical College. Plus, I was having trouble trying to think of a theme.
When you are really busy, morning till bedtime, it is hard to find the time or energy to be creative. Then I realized, this morning, that I do not need to be creative. I can simply rely on being truthful.
Fact is, my spring renewal, and it will make me feel so much better, is going to be removing … (12 comments)
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home inspection: Lake Whatcom Water Supply -- Bellingham, WA - 03/20/11 11:03 AM
In Bellingham, and many of the outlying communities such as Sudden Valley, the water source for the city is our old friend Lake Whatcom. Lake Whatcom is a large lake that is not only the water source but it is also a favorite recreation spot. You got it, the community loves it, but over the years it has been a home to not only ducks and geese but also swimmers, water skiers and boaters with those gasoline powered engines.
Although the recreation part sounds like fun, and it is a valuable part of the community, the thought of the gasoline spills … (6 comments)
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home inspection: Citizens Work To Save the Lummi Island Ferry - 03/13/11 12:25 PM
At first, I believe that everyone thought that Whatcom County and the Lummi Nation would resolve the dispute over the mainland port for the Lummi Island ferry. But the negotiations are at an impasse and there is now less than one month left before the deadline that has been imposed by the tribe. The Lummi's have notified Whatcom County that the ferry must vacate their land by April 10, 2011. Below is a photo of the ferry arriving at the mainland port, Lummi Island in the background.
About 1000 people, or fewer, live on Lummi Island and there are very few businesses. … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Lummi Island Ferry Service - 02/27/11 11:57 PM
The on-again, off-again saga of the Lummi Island ferry, Whatcom Chief, seems to be off-again. At the end of 2009, here in Whatcom County, there was a rumbling that the county was going to lose the mainland dock -- that they were going to have to find an alternative way to get the 700 or so Lummi Island residents back and forth across to the island. The ferry, Whatcom Chief, leaves from Lummi reservation land on the mainland. And, over recent years, the tribe has been making it plain and clear that they would like to have the ferry permanently vacate that … (3 comments)
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home inspection: Slippery Slope -- Problem or Not? - 02/12/11 07:04 PM
Sometimes a professional home inspector has to point out, as a potential problem, a condition that may or may not end up being an "actual problem". An excellent example of that scenario is provided in the photo below.
Here in the northwest we have ongoing and frequent rainfall. This home is built into or at the bottom of a hillside, which is very common. That is a conducive condition when the earth slopes toward the building. At an older home, like the one above, there is some history so the inspector can look for signs of past moisture intrusion from … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Dreaming of Warm - 02/11/11 07:00 PM
So much of the country is cold that my recent posts with photos of Oaxaca, Mexico, taken less than a month ago, are being well-received here in the rain. In Italy, and Mexico, the town square is a big deal.
In Italy they call it the piazza. In Mexico it is the zocalo. Same thing. Townspeople are loyal to the square and, most nights, they all go out on the town or at least walk around. Even though it was winter in Oaxaca, the weather was warm and the zocalo was full of vitality. Oh, and plants too.
… (6 comments)
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home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) B-vent Safety - 02/01/11 07:17 PM
One of the most common issues that I find, when doing home inspections in Bellingham and Whatcom County, is the B-vent from the furnace, the water heater or the gas fireplace buried in attic insulation. Even though the B-vent is designed to reduce the spacing required for proper combustible clearance, it requires at least an inch of clearance to flammables and that includes insulation.
The temperature of a B-vent, if it is against wood, can lead to pyrolysis (lowers the combustion point of wood) or a fire. As I said, normally the inspector sees insulation around the B-vent. A metal shield or collar can take … (2 comments)
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home inspection: Uncooperative Home Inspector May Not Be Mr/Ms Crabby Pants - 01/06/11 12:57 PM
A home inspector is not necessarily uncooperative, or crabby pants
if he or she will not, in every situation, go along with each request that might be made by a paying client.
Recently, an inspector in this state was contacted by prospective clients. They had mutual acceptance on a property that they wanted to buy and the request was simple: Would the inspector perform a standard home inspection but, to save them money, could he bag the written report and give them a verbal debriefing only? They figured that the inspector could charge less if he had less time tied up … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Helloooo Dooown Theeeere! - 10/05/10 07:31 PM
This is a photo I took today while standing on the roof of a three story condo that overlooks some of Bellingham's prime waterfront. The photo gets two things across (1) I felt like a kite way up there (2) we have some pretty incredible views in Whatcom County. And, compared to many areas, the prices are still reasonable. Oh oh, I sound like a realtor now.
I am a jaded home inspector so I seldom take view shots. But this gives a pretty nice idea of the view from some of the condos along State Street on Bellingham's south … (13 comments)
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home inspection: She (Or Maybe It Was He) Had Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - 07/09/10 06:53 PM
The day before yesterday, my wife and I took our grandson to the Outback Christmas Tree and Kangaroo Farm. This is located in Arlington, WA -- just a bit north of Seattle.
They had all sorts of animals, with the kangaroos and the wallabies receiving the front billing. But, the highlight of the day was the kissing booth.
The llamas and alpacas, and I had not realized this until my friend Charles Buell told me that he knew it all the time, are known for sweet and gentle kisses. Here is one of the best kissers on the farm right here.
… (12 comments)
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home inspection: Does The Discount Discount Your Confidence? - 05/12/10 08:58 PM
I was driving away from a re-inspection today and I saw a little trailer with ladders and equipment attached.
Now that you have seen the view from my vantage point, let's take a look at the sign or billboard.
I know that successful marketing is often fueled by discounts, especially at department stores and super markets where we might get name brands at discount prices. Heck, even some local dentists advertise discounts and, early in my career, I used a few modest discount coupons. But when I see a 50% discount for services that require hard labor, that does not instill … (45 comments)
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home inspection: Washington State Approved Home Inspector Field Training - 04/01/10 09:41 AM
At Bellingham Technical College we are wrapping up another four week session of state approved fundamentals of home inspection training. Actually, two members of the class have just completed a state approved supplemental course as well and they are presently doing the 40 hours of field training.
Below is a photo that was taken recently. One student is checking the gutters and others are waiting their turn or looking at other exterior issues.
These field training courses are interesting and a learning experience for the instructors and the students. We get some interesting students -- tradesmen -- from licensed … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Twin-Pick Music Trivia Quiz - 10/05/09 11:12 PM
It has been awhile since I have written a Twin-Pick Music Trivia Quiz. They were popular here in the rain, but I have been busy lately and putting these together consumes more time than the average post.
We will try another one. This question will take you back. Let's think about the early girl singers, of the late 1950's and the early 1960's. This young lady was the first female singer to have two consecutive singles go to #1 on the charts and, until Diana Ross went solo, this girl was the most successful female singer of the era. She, to this day, … (13 comments)
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home inspection: My Luck Runneth Over -- Good News From Nutsy - 08/22/09 08:49 PM
Sometimes I am just so blessed by the events that occur in my life. I think it would be safe to say that Nutsy gets lucky! As many of you know, I have had quite the wild ride in Hollywood as a celebrity and I am also known as a certifried home inspector assistant. In that role, I have had the opportunity to work with my boss and, also, to help train Mr Charles Buell in the finer points of the field.
Even though all that makes me seem lucky, maybe or maybe not, the final stroke of luck, or perhaps … (30 comments)
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home inspection: I Ought To Do A Series - 08/20/09 07:45 PM
I can only guess how many times I have posted photos like this. I have said it over and over again, yet every time I go out to Sudden Valley, near Lake Louise and a part of Bellingham, I see deer. Today I only saw one. He was so tiny that, at first glance, I thought it was a dog.
This guy, maybe a girl, almost looks like a plastic deer. But that is not the case. Active Rain is giving points for various series, this should have been mine. I have plenty of material.
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA … (17 comments)
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home inspection: Whatcom County Waterfront Homes -- Need a Dock Inspection? - 07/02/09 12:12 PM
In northwest Washington we have many waterfront homes. Homes so situated include wonderful bay and lakeside lots. Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Sudden Valley and Glenhaven come to mind. As one would expect, when water views are involved, the prices may go up.
When a home is right on the water, a dock might be involved in the real estate sale. I was scheduled for a home inspection the other day, for a past client, and he asked me if I could also inspect the dock. Well, "no" on that one. Inspecting a dock is, shall we say, "way over my … (2 comments)
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home inspection: Stories Behind the Music -- A Very Good Year For the Sinatras - 01/26/09 09:23 AM
Frank Sinatra did not beat around the bush. He made it clear that he did not like the phenomenon known as rock n' roll music. In 1957 he was quoted as saying: "It is sung, played, and written for the most part by cretinous goons; and by means of its almost imbecilic reiterations and sly, lewd, in plain fact, dirty lyrics, it manages to be the martial music of every sideburned delinquent on the face of the earth. This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore."
I do not know, really, if Frank ever changed his tune. While I heard him toy around with some … (7 comments)
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home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Rot is not a normal and acceptable part of aging - 06/09/07 08:52 PM
As a Bellingham home inspector, in the Pacific Northwet, I see this problem a lot. A month back, I wrote a blog much like this regarding moss on roofs. In a similar vein, I have heard sellers claim that their wood shake or shingle roof would last 50 years, guaranteed. Then, when I went up and inspected, I found that the shakes were rotting away. And the problem with rot, outside the house, is there is not much you can do about it once the process starts. Rot will grow and thrive if moisture levels are 20% or higher, and in our … (1 comments)
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Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector
Bellingham,
WA
More about me…
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc
Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225
Office Phone: (360) 676-6908
Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038
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