idaho: Getting Ready for the Home Inspection
- 07/11/12 12:39 PM
Congratulations! You have an offer on your home and the inspection date and time have been set. Now, let’s try to make this work as easily as possible for everyone and have an inspection process that helps you get to a successful closing.
First, let’s take care of some basic maintenance issues that might distract from the inspection:
· Have you changed the furnace filter recently? A dirty filter will be mentioned in the report and causes the buyer to question other issues like the ductwork and cleanliness. · Are all the light bulbs working? Test your interior and … (19 comments)
idaho: Is Your Building ADA Compliant....?
- 05/06/12 05:34 AM
Is Your Building ADA Compliant....? There is an interesting little fact about the American with Disabilities Act that should worry any commercial property owner. The ADA permits disabled individuals to help enforce the ADA by suing you. You will probably never have met the person. Occasionally,lawsuits are valid due to a business owner’s complete disregard for the ADA but many of these lawsuits - especially in California and Florida - are “drive-by” lawsuits. If a disabled individual drives past your builidng and notices that the handicapped parking spot is not wide enough, he or she can bring suit against you. It's that simple. … (0 comments)
idaho: Who Let the Cats Out?
- 05/01/12 02:26 PM
One of the hobbies that I have developed in the last couple of years is gardening which sounds awfully mundane and fuddy-duddy-ish. It probably is but I'm balancing it out by learning to kayak. The rules for my garden are simple: anything I plant must be edible and I don't weed. That's pretty much it. A huge assist was discovering the Square Foot Gardening method popularized by Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer. His book takes you on a journey to a simple garden that is both productive and easy to manage. My ego and taste buds need the former, my career … (4 comments)
idaho: Aging in Place or Nursing Homes?
- 04/30/12 02:04 AM
The image of the old model of senior citizens finishing their lives in nursing homes or extended care facilities has never truly been accurate for the retirement years of most seniors. Just under 7% of seniors are in nursing homes. The remainder are either still in their own homes were living with their children. In fact, among those people 85 years old or older, only 11% of men and 23% of women are in nursing homes. The nursing home model costs too much and institutionalizes the residents. A further complication is an inability to get enough nursing homes … (2 comments)
idaho: We're Not Getting Any Younger - Aging in Place
- 04/24/12 02:59 AM
We’re Not Getting Any Younger Darlene, my neighbor, still gardens and has the prettiest roses on our block. She is backing to walking to and from the United Methodist Church just down the block which is a major step for her. She had her hip replaced this past year, a serious issue for someone who lives in a turn of the century Victorian home. In her mid-80’s, Darlene is emblematic of the new senior citizen. Today’s senior citizens are living longer, healthier and more independently than at any time in the past. The vast majority expect to live in their homes … (0 comments)
idaho: What does the manufacturer know?
- 02/14/10 03:15 AM
Here's my most recent video. Nothing very fancy here but I ended up telling my clients that the fault that was found just isn't correctable in any practical way. Hate it when that's the case and especially in a brand new home. This was a house built in 2008 that has not yet been occupied - they were using it as the model home - so there's a limited warranty on the place. The buyers wanted to get ahead of the curve and hired me to go through the house to help them develop a punchlist. The siding issue was actually … (7 comments)
idaho: Why don't you put Earth against Wood?
- 02/09/10 04:10 AM
Because bad things happen. I took this video last week at an inspection I did out in the country in Idaho. Beautiful house and land but some things just don't work. In this case, the wall of the root cellar has already collapsed and I think the generator shed isn't far behind. … (3 comments)
idaho: Sandpoint Scenic Half-marathon
- 09/21/09 06:35 AM
Below is an email to my running friends with a race report about the Inaugural Sandpoint Half-marathon in Sandpoint Idaho. It was a pretty course, well-organized and the people were just wonderful. Very nice race and a nice addition to the running schedule.
Howdy everybody! Numbers first, I guess. I turned a 1:47:31 for the half which placed 4th in my age group, 52nd overall at the Sandpoint Half. While it's a minute per mile slower than I ran 5 years ago, it's still really nice to be able to step to the line and race. I didn't realize how … (0 comments)
idaho: Moscow - "Heart of the Arts"
- 02/10/09 01:50 PM
A devotion to the arts is a signature quality of Moscow, Idaho. The city is divided between the more liberal university students and professors and the somewhat conservative farming community but one area of agreement is the appreciation of myriad forms of art. The local paper, the Moscow Pullman Daily News, had this article of one of our local artists. The rural life: Local artist inspired by life in small southern Idaho town Forrest Gilchrist usually starts a piece of art without knowing what the final product will look like. "It all has a human element, but there is no predetermined … (2 comments)
idaho: Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow ID
- 02/09/09 11:37 AM
If you're a jazz fan, Moscow ID has a treat that you really should indulge in at least once, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. I know - Idaho. Not where you would expect to find a hotbed of jazz. but there is a long jazz tradition The University of Idaho sponsors the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival every year. The Festival is a major regional highlight. Imagine an environment that has world class jazz musicians sharing the stage with elementary, junior high and high school students. I've had several childern participate in the competition. The level of commitment that even the youngest bands … (2 comments)
idaho: Appaloosa Museum
- 02/03/09 11:53 AM
Quoting the webpage for the Appaloosa Museum, The Appaloosa Museum is a non-profit organization established in 1975 to collect, preserve, study, and exhibit objects and information that illustrate the history of the Appaloosa horse. The Appaloosa is a breed of horse known for its spotted coat pattern and other distinctive physical characteristics. The Nez Perce people of the American Pacific Northwest are credited with developing the breed. They were once referred to by white settlers as the "Palouse horse", possibly after the Palouse River, which ran through the heart of Nez Perce country. Gradually, the name evolved into "Appaloosa". The Museum has … (1 comments)
idaho: Company Towns
- 01/26/09 09:42 AM
Whenever I think of company towns, I think of the Jimmy Stewart classic "It's a Wonderful Life", of Bedford Falls and the evil Mr. Potter. That is the usual image - big bad company taking advantage of the little worker. And there were far too many instances where this actually occurred. But I also think of a town like Moscow ID. The largest employer is the University of Idaho (with the quite excellent Gritman Medical Center and the local school district as the next largest). When the University facing cutbacks, the whole town is substantially impacted. In a diverse economy, a downturn … (0 comments)
idaho: Retrofitting
- 01/25/09 03:51 AM
Heating can be one of the greatest recurring costs associated with owning a home. The rising cost of fuel doesn't just hit you hard at the gas pumps - it can be a difficult pill to swallow when you get that monthly oil or natural gas bill too. And despite the current downturn in fuel costs, those expenses will rise again. This double whammy has caused many people to think outside of the box and look at options outside of traditional climate control systems. Some people are a little wary of green heating and cooling systems because they worry that they might have … (4 comments)
idaho: "We Don't Need Gutters"
- 01/21/09 03:57 AM
In addition to being a home inspector, I am also an infrared thermographer - the two don't always meet in the middle - and I have been keeping busy checking on wet basements for the last two weeks. As many of you know, the Pacific Northwest has been getting hammered by snow. That has caused all sorts of hazards on the roads and roof collapses and several deaths - one when the snow on a roof slide off and buried an elderly lady on her sidewalk. But what you may not know is that we also had a brief warming trend, … (5 comments)
idaho: Home Performance with Energy Star in Idaho - Financing Options
- 01/21/09 03:24 AM
Most Idaho residents aren't aware of a wonderful benefit that the state government has for remodelers. During one of the periodic sindfalls that came to the various states, Idaho developed a self-funding mechanism for funding home improvements that target energy savings for residential customers while most other states committed the dollars to "one-time" capital improvement projects. The result is that Idaho still has funding for home improvements tht are lacking in other states. You get to: Borrow up to $15,000 4% annual interest 5 year repayment term Under the loan program, you have to tackle the most effective (lowest cost/highest … (0 comments)
idaho: Wow! The Law of Unintended Consequences
- 01/14/09 03:07 AM
In my profile, I mentioned that I am a runner -at least when everything is going well. Every once in a while, things don't quite go according to my plan. An example; I trail run, often solo (I know, it's dangerous but I'm careful), and will turn 20 or 30 miles. Every year, I like to make the trip down to the Seven Devils Wilderness Area just outside of Riggins, ID. For those of you not around here (and that's most), the Devils are an absolutely spectacular area to hike, fish, horseback ride and camp. It is a family favorite when … (1 comments)
Congratulations! You have an offer on your home and the inspection date and time have been set. Now, let’s try to make this work as easily as possible for everyone and have an inspection process that helps you get to a successful closing.
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