Merino's Home Inspection & Education Inc.

SEO and Link Exchange

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:48:19 -0700

Everyone is is always trying to be on the first page on the search engines, if not in that top spot. One way is to have many other websites linking to your website. When a site links to your page it is tantamount to that linking site telling the internet community that you have a site worth visiting. The more links to your site the better your SEO. But, be aware of using link farms, the search engines are much smarter that they used to be and link farms can actually hurt your SEO. You should only link with reputable websites. Many home inspectors around the country exchange links with each other. I will send an email to a home inspector in California, for example, asking if they would like to link. Usually, the answer is yes. I will send my link information to them and they send me theirs and we then place the links on our link page. You get a vote and they get a vote.

Another thing you can do is build a "Link Submission Form". This form allows a webmaster to visit your site and add their info to the form, it also has my link information on that form that they can copy and paste to their site. Then you can add that information to you link page. I have a link submission form on both of my sites, and I get an email when someone fills in the information.

I do not know if AR has an active board for link exchange, but if anyone would like to exchange links with me I would be happy to link. My link submission forms are below or you can send me an email.

www.merinoshomeinspection.com/Oak-Forest-Mokena-home-inspector-link.html

www.orlandparkhomeinspections.com/Orland-Tinley-Park-home-inspector-link.html

MerinosHIE@gmail.com

Don't settle for the agents home inspector!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:32:15 -0700

First, let me acknowledge that this blog will be viewed by some as being controversial. In my opinion, I think it is educational. I want to be clear that I am not accusing ALL real estate agents and home inspectors of wrong doing. But, with any group of people there is going to be those bad apples.

Most home buyers know that a home inspection is a good idea, they just do not know which home inspector to choose. There are a few resources that can be used to find a good home inspector. Some resources are real estate agents, friends, family, lawyers, mortgage brokers, and the internet. This is not an all inclusive list, but gives you a general idea of the resources available.

Home buyers have a lot to do when trying to purchase a home, sometimes it can be overwhelming. The real estate agent many times offers a few names of home inspectors or home inspection companies to the buyer. This can appear to be a beneficial service for the buyer. The problem with this is that the agent and others involved in the home buying process have a vested interest in the buyer purchasing the home, this presents a conflict of interest in my opinion. Why is the agent referring a certain home inspector(s)? Some agents refer certain inspectors because they feel that the inspector will not "kill the deal".

The derogatory phrase "Deal Killer" is used by real estate agents to describe those home inspectors who are objective and provide the buyer with an inspection report which may cause the buyer to renegotiate or cancel the purchase of a property. Many real estate agents believe that the home inspector "Kills the Deal", when in fact, it is the condition(s) of the house that kills the deal. It is the classic "kill the messenger" mentality. Real estate agents believe this hurts their ability to earn income. Real estate agents will use a number of tactics to control which inspector that you select. Be wary of the agent who objects to your desire to use an inspector that they have not referred. Their objection is your clue that your desire to use a different home inspector is the right thing to do.

Some home inspectors are willing to minimize issues that are found with a house so as to not "kill the deal" in order to gain more referrals from the agent. The agents learn which inspectors are willing to minimize issues and will continue to refer them. Some home inspectors are related to or married to the agent, and do not disclose this to the buyers.

Home inspectors are the only service providers involved in the home buying process that do not benefit when a buyer purchases the home. We benefit before the purchase is complete. My job is to inform and educate you on the condition of the home, then you decide what you want to do.

My advice is to search for a home inspector before, or at least, at the same time you begin to search for the other services needed to purchase a home. Talk to family and friends, co-workers, search the internet and interview potential inspectors. Remember, you have the right and responsibility to choose your home inspector.

Don't settle for the agents home inspector.

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:04:40 -0700

Home Inspector Inspect thyself!!

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:09:41 -0700

This morning I went to the eye doctor for my annual check up. I was driving home feeling good that all is well with my eyeballs, and thinking about fixing the brakes on my daughters bicycle. I get a few houses away from my house, and I noticed something about my house that just made me say, UGH!!!! It is that time of year again. ALREADY!?!? When you think about doing something twice a year it seems pretty easy. But, when it is this. it seems like just yesterday that it was done. If I let it go it can lead to all kinds of problems like water in my basement, rising damp in the exterior brick work, efflorescence, insects and other issues. Whenever I perform a home inspection I suggest to the clients that they perform this maintenance twice a year to avoid the issues already stated. Here is what I saw.....

Time to clean the gutters!!! AGAIN!!

Home Inspector versus City Building Inspector

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:38:21 -0700

I received a phone call just a few minutes ago from a prospective (hopefully) client. It got me thinking that I should blog this issue. She is looking at a house in Markham, Illinois. She wants to have the house inspected, but her husband said it didn't need to be inspected because the city of Markham requires that the home be inspected by the city inspector, for a $60 fee of course. She wanted to know the difference in the inspections. I told her that the "city inspector is basically going to check for code issues, will probably do the inspection without them present, would most likely only spend about 30 minutes on site, they would receive no education about the systems or components of the house, and that a code inspection does not necessarily mean best practice or safe". A home inspector is a different animal.

Home inspectors may, but are not required to perform a code inspection. But, more importantly, a home inspection is not a code inspection. It is about educating the client about the condition of the home and the components. I will give you an example, the city of Chicago requires that all electrical conductors be installed in metal conduit. Other cities in Illinois do not require this, non-metal clad conductors can be used. Is one way safer than the other? Do the laws of physics work differently in Chicago than other cities? Probably not, the point is that code is dependent upon the municipality. Home Inspectors are more concerned about safety, the condition of the components, and how likely systems will fail. There are other issues that are addressed, but those are the three major areas in my opinion.

If something is code but not safe or best practice, I tell the client that it doesn't matter if it is code. Code means that it is the bare minimum that needed to be done. Using our electrical example above, metal conduit is code in Chicago. This means that most installs will not have a ground wire because the metal conduit acts as the ground conductor. But, best practice would be to install a ground wire anyway. It is safer, and in the case of the metal conduit disconnecting for any reason, it keeps that ground source connected. A city inspector will just check on a sheet of paper that the metal conduit is present, a home inspector goes further.

The real difference is the education. The home inspector will spend an average of at least 2-3 hours performing the inspection with the client present. The client can ask questions and have issues addressed in real time, learn about the systems, an get an unbiased report of the condition.

The What and Why of a Home Re-Inspection

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:28:17 -0700

Many home inspectors advertise that they preform re-inspections. This service seems to generate several questions from both real estate agents and clients; What is a re-inspection? Why have a re-inspection? Why do you offer free re-inspections? I will try to offer my opinion on how the industry answers these questions and how I answer them.

A re-inspection is when you have a home inspector come back and inspect a property that the home inspector has already inspected for a fee. This is an inspection that can range from component(s) to the whole house, to identify whether defects or issues have been corrected, or just to re-evaluate the property. Any inspection services that were not performed during the original inspection usually are not included, but may be added for a fee at the clients request. Now, the important part of this is that you have the SAME home inspector perform the re-inspection, as performed the original home inspection. If you were to call a home inspector to perform a re-inspection on a property that they did not perform a home inspection on previously, you will not be getting a re-inspection but a home inspection. This of course will cost extra dollars.

Whether you are the buyer or the seller, re-inspections are a great way to determine if an issue that was cited in the original home inspection has had the appropriate corrections. The service is usually limited to the services or components from the original inspection. Some inspectors will only re-inspect the noted defected items. Any additional services would be available for a fee. Some home inspectors offer free re-inspections, some charge a fee. Some home inspection companies may offer "free re-inspections" that may not be free. The inspection part is free, but they will charge a mileage fee, or a fee for weekends, or a fee for after hours. These fees can range from $25 to $150. To be clear, I am not saying that home inspectors that charge these fees are doing anything wrong, it is perfectly legitimate to charge such fees. I am only suggesting that when you are inquiring about hiring a home inspector; that this question be considered along with all the other questions you will ask.

I offer free re-inspections for one year from the date of the original home inspection.The free re-inspection not only covers any issues that were corrected, but it includes any future home inspections during that year that you may want. This is especially helpful if you have a warranty on your house that will expire within the one year free re-inspection time frame; call me at about the tenth or eleventh month of the warranty and I can help you identify any issues. This saves you money because home inspectors, as do I, charge for home warranty inspections as a separate service. I do not charge a mileage fee, after hour fee, weekend fee or any other fee.

I offer free re-inspections for several reasons.

1) You have already paid me to inspect the property, and had an issue(s) corrected based on my opinion.

2) If I were to charge you for the re-inspection, it would create what I believe to be a conflict of interest. What I mean is this; I remove the possibility that I told you that there was an issue so that I could come back and do a re-inspection and charge you a fee.

3) Many questions and issues will only become apparent after living in a home for a period of time. I will already be familiar with your home, and will be able to offer a more educated opinion based on my previous knowledge of your home.

4) Not providing free re-inspections would be like doing only half the job.

Radon action month

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:59:45 -0800

The EPA has designated January as "Radon Action Month". This of course is to help raise awarenss of the effrects of Radon. For more information from the EPA click here http://www.epa.gov/radon/nram/.

Radon is a Radioactive Gas
Radon-222 is the decay product of radium-226. Radon-222 and its parent, radium-226, are part of the long decay chain for uranium-238. Since uranium is essentially ubiquitous in the earth's crust, radium-226 and radon-222 are present in almost all rock and all soil and water. Radon is a radioactive element that is part of the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in soil. You can't see radon. You can't smell radon and you can't taste radon. Unlike carbon monoxide and many other home pollutants, radon's adverse health effect, lung cancer, is usually not produced immediately. Thus you may be exposed to radon for many years without ever suspecting its presence in your home. The USEPA action level for radon is 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). The risk of developing lung cancer at 4.0 pCi/L is estimated at about 7 lung cancer deaths per 1000 persons. That is why USEPA and IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) recommends reducing your radon level if the concentration is 4.0 pCi/L or more. Lung cancer in humans arising from radon exposure is recognized by the following health and environmental organizations:

American Medical Association
U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Public Health Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Disease Control
National Academy of Science
National Cancer Institute
World Health Organization

You Should Test for Radon
While scientists can estimate the approximate lung cancer deaths per 1000 people, no single individual's risk can be estimated. Testing is relatively inexpensive, easy and is the only way to know whether you are at risk.

If you are involved in a real estate transaction in Illinois, read the IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions. Radon testing in real estate transactions, which involve multiple parties and financial interests, is unique, and specific testing protocols are required.

Controlling Radon Exposure
Radon reduction techniques are used to stop radon entry and reduce indoor radon concentrations. Hiring a licensed Radon Mitigation Professional is the best way to reduce your indoor radon concentrations.

Brass Gas Lines

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:16:09 -0800

There are some older brass gas connectors (lines) that can cause injury or death. The connectors have not been made for at least 20 years, but some are still in use. The way the tubing was joined to the end pieces has a flaw that may cause gas leaks, fires, or explosions. You will recognize the the flawed brass connector because it is all brass in color (tubing and end pieces). If you are not sure if you have the connector in question, replace it anyway. They should be replaced IMMEDIATELY with a new plastic coated brass or stainless steel connector.

Where did the extra points come from?

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:13:25 -0700

I am wondering about the scoring system. I noticed that when I post a blog I get 200 or 225 points. What makes it worth those amounts and why aren't they all worth 225? Then I saw that points are added to the blog over time. What causes that to happen? I like the additional points...I am just curious as to where the additional points come from. Does the amunt of groups that you post to make a difference? Does it depend on how many people view your blog?

I got no clue. But I posted some of my points to illustrate my dilemma.

Score Details

DatePointsDescription

10/26/2008	200	Blog Entry: Component or system inspections.
10/26/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
10/26/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
10/26/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
10/26/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
10/25/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
10/24/2008	25	Had your post re-blogged: President Bush Quits!!!
10/24/2008	25	Re-blogged: Notes on Trickle Down Economy & Re- Distribution of Income through Taxes
10/24/2008	362	Blog Entry: President Bush Quits!!!
10/24/2008	25	Commented on Blog (Max 10 scored per day)
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10/22/2008	291	Blog Entry: Do your alarm signs attract burglars?
10/21/2008	341	Blog Entry: Halloween Trick or Treat?
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10/16/2008	244	Blog Entry: ActiveRain Instant Messaging?
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10/13/2008	436

President Bush Quits!!!

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:36:48 -0700

This is a copy of an email sent to me by a friend. It is unaltered. Please do not blame me for the grammar and spelling. THIS IS WHAT BUSH MIGHT SAY IF HE WERE TO QUIT.

Bush quits -----
President Bush's address to the nation

Normally, I start these things out by saying 'My Fellow Americans.' Not
doing it this time.

If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you
are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're
really not fellow Americans any longer.

I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in
a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution
or something, let me assure you: There's been no breaking of laws or
impeachable offenses in this office. The reason I am is simple. I'm fed
up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's
really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great
nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out.

Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and
the news media. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small
handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beachfront property than your economic security. We face real threats in the world.

Don't give me this 'blood for oil' thing. If I were trading blood for
oil I would've already seized Iraq's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied...People Died' crap either. If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty.

Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the
goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office.

Some guy named 'Clinton' established that policy. Bet you didn't know
that, did you?

Now some of you morons want to be led by a junior senator with no
understanding of foreign policy or economics, and this nitwit says we should attack Pakistan, a nuclear ally. And then he wants to go to Iran and make peace with a terrorist who says he's going to destroy us. While he's doing that, he wants to give Iraq to al Qaeda, Afghanistan to the Taliban, Israel to the Palestinians, and your money to the IRS so the government can give welfare to illegal aliens, who he will make into citizens, so they can vote to re-elect him. He also thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons, and we should stop our foreign aid to Israel. Did you sleep
through high school?

You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during
the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them. That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you, and the bastards are all over the globe.

You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in
the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that.

When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and
difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and
difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.' Instead, you've grown
impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops.

Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy.
Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dang it, you might just as well Fed Ex a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over
the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times, USA Today, or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter.
Most of you would rather watch American Idol or Dancing with Stars.

I could say more about your expectations that the government will always
be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below
sea level and has a hurricane approaching.

I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own
wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads.

So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient
house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully
self-sufficient for years. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.

Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new
President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008.

So that's it. God bless what's left of America.

Some of you know what I mean. The rest of you, kiss off.

PS - You might want to start learning Farsi, and buy a Koran.

I Quit....

Do your alarm signs attract burglars?

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:38:59 -0700

Having a security alarm system for your home is a good idea. Having signs that advertise that you have an alarm system is a good idea----MAYBE!! Thieves are looking for an easy target, they will bypass your home if you have a sign publicizing that you have an alarm system, SOMETIMES. Having signs posted is a good time for the "less is more theory". When you have a sign that advertises the BRAND of alarm system, you have just told the thief how to disarm your system. The schematics of security alarm systems are available through many sources, and the professional thief will use these sources. One source is the internet, another is an employee of the alarm system company. Thieves will actually pay the employee for a copy of the schematic. Now the thief knows how to defeat your system.

The best way to deter a thief and make it more difficult for them to defeat your system is to use a GENERIC SIGN, like the sign on the right, the one on the left tells the thief which schematic he needs. I tell my clients to change the signs to generic.

This sign is no good!! This sign is better!!!!

*THE BRINKS SIGN IS USED TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT ONLY.

What the heck did that Blog say?

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:18:23 -0700

Have you ever read a blog and you can't figure out what they said or meant? I have, and I have probably written a few like that. The point that I am making is that when you compose your blog, do it in a way that the reader can follow. You have to write it as if it were a novel. I have read a few blogs in the past few days that I just could not understand because the author did not use proper grammar, punctuation, quotations, etc. Blogs must have the following properties for the reader to follow and understand.

1-Proper grammar.

2-Proper spelling.

3-Proper punctuation.

4-Proper quotations.

5-Proper flow of an idea.

Always check your spelling and grammar. Use the spell checker, but do not rely on it. Always proof read it yourself a few times. Use a dictionary to check spelling or got to www.dictionary.com. They also have several other resources for composition.

Place punctuation at the proper locations. When proof reading your blog, listen to yourself, when you hit a natural pause, you probably need a comma. Remember to end sentences with the appropriate punctuation. Not placing the punctuation causes confusion for the reader.

Quotations, In my opinion, is the biggest problem I encounter when reading blogs. Many of us will relate an experience or conversation that we were involved in. When you are telling the reader what you said and what another party said you must use quotations and you must express who said what with identifiers.

Example: I told my client, "that the wiring in this house is old knob and tube wiring". My client said, "Is that an issue of concern?". Pretty easy to follow don't you think?

Now let's see how that looks when it is written without the quotations or identifiers. The wiring in this house is old knob and tube wiring he said Is that an issue of concern? Does that seem a bit more difficult to follow?

Your ideas should flow in an easy to read format. Do not jump from subject "A" to subject "B" then back to subject "A". Subjects or ideas should be separated by a space.

Remember that you know what you mean, but your objective is to convey your meaning to a reader.

Also, remember that the public has access to some of your blogs. They are possible clients. Will they hire you if you blog is messy or incomprehensible? Your blog is your marketing.

Where did Q&A go?

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:59:28 -0700

I know that there have been a few changes to ActiveRain, and I am not complaining about the changes. I am sure that it makes navigating the site easier for everyone. I just can't find the Q&A section. I enjoy reading and answering the questions. I learn much there, by reading the answers. Anybody know where to look?

I AM your insurance policy

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:58:57 -0700

I AM your insurance policy. I know what your thinking...What the hell is he talking about?

I am talking about reducing an Real Estate Agents liability. Have you ever had a home inspector find an issue that saved you and your client from a nightmare? Maybe it was a structural problem that no one, including the seller, had any knowledge about. Maybe it was an issue that would have cost the buyer thousands of dollars to correct had they bought the home without an inspection.

If there is a major issue that can cause the buyer to walk away from the deal, but it goes undetected until some time after they have purchased the home, YOU JUST INCREASED YOUR LIABILITY.

But, when that issue is discovered by a home inspector, and the buyer is informed, whether or not they purchase is irrelevant. YOU HAVE JUST REDUCED YOUR LIABILITY. If the issue kills the deal, YOUR LIABILITY IS REDUCED. You will have a second chance to find the house that is right for your client. If the buyer purchases the property after being informed of the issue, YOU HAVE REDUCED YOUR LIABILITY. There is another benefit. YOU BUILD TRUST WITH YOUR CLIENT. When you refer home inspectors that perform their jobs well; the client will thank the inspector for finding the issues, BUT THEY WILL THANK THE AGENT FOR FINDING THE INSPECTOR.

Don't think of inspectors as "deal killers".... think of us as......your insurance policy......your second pair of eyes......your partner......your client retention specialist......your friend in real estate.

I AM your insurance policy.

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:14:01 -0700

I AM your insurance policy. I know what your thinking...What the hell is he talking about?

If there is a major issue that can cause the buyer to walk away from the deal, but it goes undetected until some time after they have purchased the home, YOU JUST INCREASED YOUR LIABILITY.

Foreclosures in Cook County Illinois suspended.

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:36:14 -0700

Thomas Dart, the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, the county I live in, has suspended home foreclosures. Chicago is in Cook County. The reason he says is that he is having to evict renters whom have paid their rent, but the home owner has defaulted. He says it is not fair to take action against the renter since they are not in default.

Sheriff Dart is being held in contempt of court for suspending the foreclosures. He wants the banks to send out investigators to determine who owns the home and verify the people to be evicted are the people who are in default.

I say good for him.

Which type of smoke alarm?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:08:42 -0700

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TYPE OF SMOKE ALARMS YOU HAVE?

There are basically two types of fire; flaming and smoldering. Thus, there are two recognized types of smoke alarms; photoelectric and ionization. You guessed it, each one is geared to work better depending on the type of fire. Either type will give you enough time to escape for both the smoldering and flaming fires. But having both types is best.

Ionization alarms work better in flaming fires and photoelectric work better in smoldering fires.

Ionization type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm.

Photoelectric type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor; triggering the alarm.

The best protection is to have both types of alarms installed. You can also purchase a dual alarm that uses both technologies.

I also like the idea of having the alarms interconnected or hardwired to each other, with a battery backup. This way if one alarm sounds then all alarms sound. There are some new alarms available that are wireless and will activate all alarms, but this is a newer technology and I do not believe it to be as reliable as hardwire.

Place an alarm in each sleeping area as well as outside every sleeping area. There should be one on every level including the basement.

When I inspect a house I report on the presence or absence of smoke alarms. I also test them, with a disclaimer to my client. The test only tells me that the batteries work. It does not tell me if the detector functions. In order to really test the smoke detectors, I would have to smoke up the house. of course most sellers do not want their house smoked up. I suggest to my clients that they have the smoke alarms replaced. This is a small investment for a life-saving precaution.

Some municipalities are now requiring sprinkler systems in residential building codes. I will cover this topic in the near future.

Social Security and Identity theft

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:32:39 -0700

I was reading Richard Ives blog http://activerain.com/blogsview/724604/Home-Mortgages. He has listed what is needed for obtaining a mortgage. Social Security number is listed. This got me thinking, and I know that thinking can be dangerous, but I do it anyway. Is it necessary to have your SS#?

I recently went to a seminar about protecting your identity. One way of protecting yourself is to not give out your SS#. They said that you are not required to give your SS# to anyone but the government. How can that be done? Everyone asks for SS# from hospitals to mortgage companies to utilities. If you refuse to give the SS#, can they refuse service for utilities, for example? Can you refuse to give SS# for a mortgage?

Recently the news had a story about some hospital employees that used patients SS# to get credit cards, some of you may have seen that story.

Is there an alternative? I may be wrong, but isn't the SS# used to verify your identity? Or is it used for something else?

I would love to hear from everyone about what you know.

Real estate agents held harmless.

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:49:54 -0700

How many real estate agenst out there have been sued because the inspector missed something?

In my opinion:

One way to avoid this is to ask your inspector if they have a "Hold Harmless" clause in their contract. Many home inspectors including myself have added this clause to protect the real estate agents. If I miss something, the agent should not be responsible. It was my mistake, not theirs. This is an easy way to let the realtor know that the inspector "owns" his/her mistakes.

Another way to avoid suits is to have a clause that states arbitration will be the first course of action before a suit can be filed. The BBB will provide arbitration to members. Most of the time the arbitration will resolve the issue.

Also, The inspector having E&O insurance may not be the best protection for anyone. Most Home inspectors limit their liability to the fee paid for the inspection. Errors and Omissions insurance companies usually require you to file a lawsuit against the inspector. Since most of these lawsuits are too big for small claims and too small for an attorney to take as a "commission-only" case, your client will probably be left paying for the repairs. If I miss something, and I am allowed back to the property to inspect it again, and I find that I messed up, I get my checkbook out and I pay for the mistake.

My point is this: Insurance is not the only, or always, the best tool to protect the agent, client, or inspector.

What are we doing to my country!!

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:59:58 -0700

This is from a comment I left on somone elses blog that I decided to post it here.

The bail out!!

I don't like it. Now that this lady in Ohio has shot herself and Fannie May has forgiven the debt , many more will try to do something drastic get out of their debt. The people that benefit from this will be people who should not have bought what they couldn't afford. It is personal responsiblity. I do not care what the banking industry was doing. Many say that they were predators. But, the people that bought the house decided to sign the contract. No one forced them to sign. If they didn't know what they were filing then they should have had a lawyer, or someone who could read the contract and explain it to them. A lawyer would have charged a few hundred dollars to provide that service, a fraction of the cost of the house. This could have protected them.

I have just started a business and my wife has recently gone back to work. We were doing great until recently. But we had an emergency fund that covered us for almost a year. That is being responsible. If everyone else gets a handout, why don't I? Because I dont' want it. We have made decisions about what we want in life and will reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of those decisions. I do not WANT ANYONE PAYING FOR MY DECISIONS, GOOD OR BAD.

If you have a home that you can't afford, then tough sh**. Do what you have to do to pay for it. Get a second job, collect cans, sell some of the furniture, find a way to pay the debt that you incurred by your own actions. PAY YOUR DEBTS!! You're an American for Heavans sake!! Americans do what needs to be done, we don't ask for handouts.

We (America) has lost something since the era of the Greatest Generation. I do not know what it is, what you would call it. But, I call it Moxy. They did what was needed and did not complain, didn't ask for handouts, fought a war that needed to be fought in order to protect our value system. We have tossed all that out the window. I love my country, I want our Moxy back. We are a nation of whiners. We complain about everything, and everything is someone elses fault. Bull****!! This is life and it's not fair. Get used to it. By all means take a few days and cry about the mistakes you have made, then, stop the crying and get up an go at it again. Learn from your mistakes and keep pushing. Make your country proud, make your country great again, GET THE MOXY BACK!!

Shame on those people that want the U.S. taxpayer to pay for their foolish, stupid decisions.

Who has a right to the inspection information?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:22:14 -0700

Illinois is very specific about who has a right to the inspection information. In Illinois, the inspection report is confidential. The only person to whom the Home Inspector can disclose inspection results is the client of the Home Inspector. The client has to give permission to the inspector to allow an inspector to release information to anyone else. The only time an Inspector can release information without breaking the law is if there is an imminent danger to the occupants.

I have read some posts from realtors where they describe that they like that everyone involved gets a copy of the report. I am wondering how other states deal with this issue, if at all.

If the Home inspector violates any part of the home inspector laws, they will have disciplinary action take n against them by the state. This includes a suspension, $10,000 fine, and/or loss of license or other action as deemed by the state.

Bailout for Wallstreet bails us in

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:40:35 -0700

So the politicians have said that the public should not have to pay for this bailout...umm..I mean "investment". From my understanding we (I mean the taxpayer) are "investors" and possibly could make money or break even on this deal. They also said that Wallstreet will have to pay their share and make up any differences. Well, there you go, WE are Wallstreet. It is our money that will pay for it, both by taxes and our investments.

What does Congress think is going to happen? Wallstreet will hike their fees that we have to pay them to "manage" our money, well really it is a fee we pay to let them use our money. Then they will find a way to cut our interest and dividends, or add another fee to pay for this "BAIL IN".

Just my thought.

Deal Killers?

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:55:27 -0700

I have been trying to decide how to broach the subject of home inspectors that are considered "deal killers". Since I can't seem to think of a way to broach it lightly, I am just gonna let it out.

I would assume that Real estate agents want to service their clients to the best of their ability; be able to go home knowing that they did what was right by their client. It is the same for home inspectors. I just wouldn't feel right generating a report, that may diminish a defect or defects because I want more referrals from a Realtor. Is it the home inspector that kills the deal? Or is it the condition of the home that kills the deal? I would venture to say that most would agree it is the latter. I think that this is the classic "Kill the messenger" mentallity. All that we are doing is a thorough job. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let a defect pass, and someone got injured or killed.

I do not think that most agents think about how the home inspector is a benefit to them. If home inspectors miss something, and a law suit is filed, the agent will be probably be named in that suit. So if home inspectors find the defects, it limits the agents liability. If the buyer purchases the home knowing the issues or defects and tries to sue, the report can save a few butts.

I want to be clear. I do not blame agents for having this "fear" of losing the deal. We all have bills and mouths to feed. We are both working for the client, working together to help them find the home that they want, and allowing them to make an informed decision.

I say blame the house, or maybe even the seller for killing the deal. I am just the messenger.

Thanks for listening

Code or not code

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:57:20 -0700

I have a lot of questions from people about what "code" means. Lets remember that code is a bare minimum, but does not always represent best practice.

When you see your doctor do you know what his/her class rank was when they graduated? They graduated, they met the bare minimum at the very least. They could have been number 1 or number 501, but they all got the same diploma. It is the same with code. We all would rather have the doctor that graduated number 1.

For example, I went on an inspection recently with a young couple and their 3 year old son. The front porch was two risers and and about 18 inches high, not high enough to require, by code, a porch railing or guard. All I saw in my head was the 3 year old son falling off the porch. I also, asked my clients if they would have elderly visitors and they said they would. This sealed the deal for me. Although the porch was "code", it was not safe for their circumstances. Especially in the Chicago area, where we have snow and ice.

I noted in the report and told them that it would be a good idea to have a railing installed to prevent their child and elderly family members from falling off the porch. I felt that if I had not noted this, that I was doing my clients a disservice.

Ever wonder why different municipalities have different codes? Seems arbitrary doesn't it? That's because it is. It is at the whim of the building department of that municipality. It depends on what they are comfortable with, or what they think is best. So, let's not get too caught up with "code". Certainly if something is below code it should be noted. But, if it is code, but still unsafe it should be noted also.

SAFETY FIRST! :)

Blog question 2

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:02:33 -0700

I noticed that some folks have text under their pictures and name in the blog that is not present on mine. Why is that? Is there a setting that I need to activate? I am not able to find anything that mentions this. I am new to blogging so please be patient with me. I appreciate the help.