| |
sudden valley home inspector: Ethics -- Past, Present and Future - 04/10/11 04:56 PM
In the past, I have been appalled by the limitations, conditions or controls that a small number of real esate agents try to put on the home inspection process. I know that agents do not get paid if home sales fall apart. I also know that, when a sale goes through and the house ends up being a money pit, that agent and the inspector will both be looked upon with disdain by any buyer who was burned by an aggressive agent or a poor home inspection.
As an inspector, I go to great lengths to make sure that those issues I cite are … (5 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: It Looked To Be So Innocent -- At First - 04/01/11 07:58 PM
I do not understand why some people have decided that venting the dryer under the house is a commendable idea. In some cases this issues is an unexpected problem, at least on the part of the homeowner, because the hookup was done with the wrong type of ducting. That would be the case below. It might look like an innocent enough problem. No big deal, right?
But let's take a look at the amount of lint produced, and discharged into the crawl space, in real terms.
That might look disgusting, and it is when you realize that it is about … (6 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: What Comes From Down Below, Must Go Up - 04/01/11 02:23 PM
We have all heard the expression about water, and sewage, always running down hill. When dealing with water, that is true except, of course, in those instances where it is not true. For example, if wind or some other force is overriding gravity.
In the case of fireplaces or wood stoves and chimneys, when the fireplace or stove down below is full of ash, soot and creosote, you can figure that the chimney above is going to show the some characteristics. When people use the fireplace or stove to burn all the trash, now that can really make a mess in … (3 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Do You Want Six Inches or Twelve Inches? - 12/02/10 04:39 PM
Sometimes it can be startling to realize what some people do not know. I mean, by looking at someone, you seldom have any clue what they do or do not know. There are exceptions, for example, we expect that a doctor knows something about anatomy and a dentist understands teeth.
But today I stopped by a sandwich place for lunch. In line, within earshot right behind me, were a young man and a young woman. They were conversing about various topics.
Then, when their turn came, the guy making the sandwiches asked the woman if she wanted a six inch or … (10 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) Handy Tools - 11/05/10 06:03 PM
When an inspector is down in the crawl space, the fewer tools you carry the better off you are in most cases. I cannot tell you how many times, when I have gone down loaded like a burro, that I have gotten distracted by one thing or another and, by the time I was done, I had left something somewhere. Then, dead tired at the end of the inspection, I have had to go back in and crawl around again looking for a needle in a hay stack.
Sometimes, to avoid carrying too many tools that I might lose, or to … (5 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House) -- Subtle Oops - 09/05/10 11:47 PM
In the course of a home inspection the inspector looks at hundreds to thousands of items. And, let's face it, it can be hard to remember to look at and process and report all of the information. A checklist helps but it goes way beyond that and there are so many distractions during an inspection that dedication, experience and being unflappable tend to lead to the most thorough home inspections. Regardless, every home inspector misses a few things when doing the job -- that is life. You try not to miss the significant stuff!
I attempt to determine, during the course … (7 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Rosario Resort -- An Old Friend Is Back - 06/06/10 12:41 PM
Years ago, back when I owned a radio station in Bellingham, I had a cooperative business relationship with the resort at Rosario on Orcas Island. They received radio advertising and I received lodging and dinners in their kitchen. I cannot tell you how many times my wife and I took friends over there to the "Moran Mansion".
Largely due to the difficulty of getting from the mainland to Orcas and back again on weekends, operating this tourist attraction can be quite the challenge. It has been open, closed, off and on for many years. Last that I heard it was … (4 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Washington State Home Inspector Law -- Do You Know It? - 03/28/10 11:04 AM
I have, below, a sample of a test question that relates to home inspector laws in Washington state. See if you can get the answer correct, then I will have some explanatory comments below.
In Washington state, an inspector may NOT disclose information, without permission, to any party other than the _________ except for certain issues involving health and safety.
A. Referring real estate agent
B. Client
C. Seller's agent
D. Resident or owner of house being inspected
The answer is B. And, if agents are not aware of it, the inspector may not give a copy of the inspection report, … (11 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Moldy Old Secrets - 02/28/10 05:17 PM
Mold is a hot topic, probably a hotter topic than it should be. Just how big of a problem it really is and for whom has been argued by health professionals and environmental scientists. What is mold, what is mildew, what are microbial growths? Enough already!
Despite all the big talk, I will show you a place where I often find mold. In fact, I would put this right up there with under sinks where there has been a leak or right up there with leaking roofs over attics or just plain poorly ventilated attics.
You recognize that location? … (9 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Spoiling Everyone's Day - 02/26/10 05:06 PM
One tough find, especially at a new house that looks good otherwise, is discovering a wet crawl space. Dry is necessary in a crawl space. It is important to keep not only the lumber in the crawl space dry but the humidity levels upstairs will be a problem if water from below evaporates up. I once had a client query if it was not okay to have substructure water, just as long as there wasn't a plumbing leak causing it.
The resounding answer to that question is "no." In a practical sense, seasonally, we northwest inspectors see some crawl space water at … (3 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Just A Little Stroll In The Neighborhood - 02/23/10 10:39 PM
I have, over the last several years, made a habit of posting my deer photos at Active Rain. Deer are very photogenic. Over and over again, when I see deer, it is at home inspections at Sudden Valley. Heck, they might be on the road but, more often than not, they come right up to me to visit. Here is one that I took a shot at (camera shot) right after the creature went meandering by.
Thanks for stopping by,
Steven L. Smith
… (10 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Bellingham -- The Tallest Christmas Tree In The World - 12/19/09 02:33 PM
The city of Bellingham, for many years after WWII, competed with other municipalities to see who would have the largest downtown Christmas tree. I remember some of that excitement as a kid. It was the 1950's and there would be a huge city Christmas tree by the Whatcom County Museum or by what is now the bus terminal downtown or on Railroad Avenue and Chestnut Street.
In 1948 and 1949, the city had a couple of the tallest trees ever. In 1949, Bellingham boasted that the tree was, in fact, the tallest in the world. It was 153 feet tall -- as tall as … (15 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Less Than Welcome Visitors - 10/21/09 08:49 AM
I have done a number of posts about friendly creatures that have dropped in to visit during rural home inspections. There are the deer at Sudden Valley and Lake Whatcom areas, then there are the frogs and the squirrels, of course. And don't forget all the purrrring kitties.
There are even the friendly dogs that lapped at my mug. This post is not about that kind of dog. I had an inspection recently where the neighbor's substantial dog, a wire fence away, was really not such a treat. He spent the whole time growling and barking and charging the fence any … (10 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Busy Carpenters Are A Bad Thing - 08/28/09 06:08 PM
In Washington state, at least up until recently, most of us home inspectors are also licensed structural pest inspectors. I have seen plenty of carpenter ant activity and damage over the years. I teach the course in wood destroying organisms for Bellingham Technical College.
I have seen more ants on premises previously, but nothing to compare to the amount of frass that I saw the other day. It was quite amazing. Frass consists of sawdust and byproducts of insect tunneling or feeding.
All of those shavings came from carpenter ants. At first, based on the amount of frass, I was surprised. I … (18 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Oh Where, Oh Where Did That Filter Go - 08/22/09 10:28 AM
During a home inspection, buyers have certain routines that seem to be common. Tip: If you are a home inspector have an extra measuring tape the buyer can use and, if you have a really long tape or one of those measuring wheels, a buyer can spend lots of time measuring the lot, the house, etc.
Another thing buyers are always on the lookout for is the furnace filter. They want to know how to change the filter. Often, they are more concerned about where to find the filter than they are by the fact the furnace is old or rusted-out.
… (8 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Twin Pick (Music Trivia Quiz) -- The King Sings - 06/03/09 08:13 AM
In the past, I have written about big differences between the two major record charts -- those in the USA and those in Great Britain. It never fails to amaze me how two English speaking countries can, at times, have such different tastes. We are gonna talk Elvis here.
One of the best examples ever of this phenomenon involves the King. Being a homegrown American boy, worshiped at home and around the world, one would think that anything he did that was big in the UK would be equally popular back home. Believe me, that is not the case.
Here is a … (9 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Twin Pick Memorial Day Weekend -- Tickle Your Memory Gland - 05/23/09 12:46 PM
The music trivia posts that I call Twin-Pick, are interesting as far as statistics here at Active Rain. They get few comments but a ton of clicks. I think that people like to tickle their memory glands in private but they do not have much to say afterwards. They do not want to brag about their success or wallow in self-pity. Regardless, I have a good time putting the trivia together, so here goes another one.
Since Broadway and London's West End are big parts of our musical culture, I think that focusing on show tunes is a good way to look … (10 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Oh Deer, I Saw Another One - 05/07/09 10:54 PM
In my travels I go to Sudden Valley, out by Lake Whatcom, a whole lot. For some reason I always forget about it, on the way out, but there are deer in them there woods. I see them every single time I go to Sudden Valley to inspect. I am not, officially, there to inspect the deer.
This time, I had no more than pulled up on site, and I heard this noise off to the side. When I looked, there was a deer peaking through the brush. This deer was not exactly shy and came out to chow down. Usually, … (14 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Downspout Extensions - 04/20/09 12:39 AM
In Bellingham and Whatcom County an inspector sees more than his or her share of problems with downspouts and gutters. Gutter problems include mechanical damage, leaks, lack of slope or slope the wrong direction, fasteners that are loose and, the most common problem, gutters that are full of leaves and debris.
Once we get past the gutters, we have downspouts to deal with. Common problems include those downspouts that are loose or those that leak. Probably the most common downspout problem involves the location of the discharge point. Often they are installed to empty next to the foundation. Especially in the wet Pacific … (19 comments)
|
sudden valley home inspector: Stories Behind the Music: The Boss and the Girl - 04/12/09 10:10 PM
I recently read an interesting blog post, members only so you can read it if you are a member of Active Rain, by that Jersey boy, Jim Albano. Jim wrote a post about another Jersey boy -- a guy they call "the boss". Active Rain members can read Jim's post here.
It is interesting that Jim wrote that post, since I have had an offbeat Springsteen blog post in the coffers for some time. Fact is, it was a tough road for Springsteen to become a hit maker, even after receiving an early boost in his career when articles on him were published in Rolling Stone, Time and Newsweek. Shortly after … (22 comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
Email Me
 Listings
Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
;)
