Prolonging the Life of Your Car Battery... - 02/26/10 03:11 PM
Prolonging the Life of Your Car Battery...
     As busy real estate professionals, the last thing we need is a dead car battery. Car batteries are the last thing one ever thinks about until you turn the key and nothing happens. As we all know, car batteries seem to go dead at the least opportune time. This is not only annoying, but can put a strain on the finances as well. As we approach the spring equinox, aging batters will be more prone to failure.
     These few tips will help you extend the life of your batter:
     … (14 comments)

Friday Fotos... - 02/26/10 04:28 AM
Friday Fotos...  
     Dragonflies. That magical, mystical creature that bridges the gap between prehistoric times and today.   
     We see them darting to and fro over ponds and glens. Their dances on air are something to behold. Their aerial acrobatics put trapeze artists in the back seat. Even at rest, these throw-backs to prehistoric times have a sense of mystery about them.
     Next to butterflies, dragonflies are one of my favorite insects to capture on film.

 
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Stop having a bass ackwards approach to sales.. - 02/23/10 04:44 PM
Stop having a bass ackwards approach to sales...  
     There are a lot of ways to sell to a prospective client. Most agents sell to their clients in the order of price, deal and payment. When one dissects the sales process, and what makes top producing sales folks successful, it all boils down to payment, deal, and price - in that order.  
     In the housing market, when a couple is involved, generally speaking, the woman buys the house. Women are more interested in the payment. They want a home that they can comfortably afford. They want … (9 comments)

Inspecting New Construction in the Nashville, TN Market... - 02/23/10 06:38 AM
 
Inspecting New Construction in the Nashville, TN Market...      With the housing market recuperating from the slump, new homes sales are starting to increase. Many new home buyers forgo inspections on new homes because "they have been inspected by codes" and are in compliance. Yeah Right.       I am still scratching my head on as why the "codes" department passed overlooked this one. The water heater in this new construction home in Brentwood, TN does not conform to trade standards. The pressure tank is missing, and the water heater is undersized for a 4-1/2 bedroom house with a whirlpool tub. … (16 comments)

Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder... - 02/22/10 04:35 AM
Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder...
     Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. 
~Winston Churchill
     Attitude becomes a mirror of who we are and what we are like. The way people treat us and what we perceive, are all a part our attitude.
     It is our attitude that makes a place what it is ~ whether it be the workplace or where we live.
     Attitude eventually becomes a mirror of who we are. Do you like your reflection? Do you like what other folks see? If not, … (25 comments)

High Water Pressure... - 02/21/10 11:18 AM
High Water Pressure...  
     The Nashville real estate market, with its diverse blend of older and newer construction, can lend itself to some challenges to the home inspector. One of the items we check during is the water pressure. Older properties, that have the original plumbing system tend to have high water pressure. While this is not a "deal killer", we inform our clients of this issue.
     Many home warranty companies will not honor claims if the water pressure exceeds 80psi. Also the higher pressure will wear out valves and washers quicker than houses that have a … (8 comments)

Gawgis... - 02/20/10 03:21 PM
Gawgis, Absoultely Gawgis...  
     With the memories of last weeks winter storms just a bad memory, today had middle Tennesseans basking in warm 60 degree temps and pulentee of sunshine. It was so nice, that I just had to get on the old grubs, cop a few rays, and take in some aroma therepy. There is something so relaxing and thereputic about digging in the garden...
 

 
Complete Home Inspections/Complete Video Promotions  © 2010 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc./complete video promotions | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com Helping YOU Help Others Live THEIR … (19 comments)

Friday's Fotos - 02/19/10 07:06 PM
Friday's Fotos ~ Looking forward towards warmer weather...  
     Winter. Okay, enuf is enuf. Give me 2 days of flakes and cool temps and let's be done with it. Weeks upon weeks of drab, gray skies and frigid temps makes one think of the warmer/better days not too far ahead.
     I am so-o-o-o looking forward towards walking my favorite wooded walks and basking in the warmth of a soft summer rain. Can it get here soon enough? I certainly hope so. All this damp cold weather is adversely affecting my positive frame of mind...   

 
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Inspecting Real Estate in Nashville, TN ~ Garage Door Safety - 02/17/10 07:40 PM
Inspecting real estate in Nashville, TN ~ Garage door safety...     Garage doors are the largest moving object in your home. Child and pet safety are major areas of concern when purchasing or having your new home inspected. Municipalities and insurance companies now require photo eyes to be installed on all mechanically operated garage doors. As a general rule, these are to be placed between 4-6" above the garage floor.       Every now and then, the placement of these safety items is overlooked during the new construction process. While these are supposed to be checked by local building officials prior to a … (10 comments)

Ketchup... - 02/16/10 04:47 AM
Ketchup...  
     Today is ketchup day. Why not? With everyone still seeing red from Valentines day sounds like it would be a logical progression in annual events. But then, what does logic have to do with the price of onions?
     Today is a day dedicated to those who want need to ketchup on all those unfinished tasks. Look at it as an extended holiday. Personally, I need to ketchup on goofing off. When was the last time you spent a whole day just goofing off? Work? P-f-f-t! Customers calling? How Dare!!! After listening to your voice mail … (34 comments)

Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder... - 02/15/10 04:10 AM
Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder...
"Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self esteem, and personal satisfaction."
~ Brian Tracy ~
     To discipline oneself is difficult. Try to break a bad habit, lose weight or even start a new habit or goal. It takes a lot of hard work, focus and discipline.      To discipline oneself to do what you know is right is even harder. It takes a lot of internal focus and pressure. A lump of coal will always be a … (22 comments)

Who Dat? - 02/14/10 07:09 PM
Who dat, I say? Who dat?        Do any of you know who dat behind the camera? Can he be a member of the who dat nation in incognito?      The only true test is to see if he can decipher this conversation: "Saville der dago, Toussin buses inaro, Nojo demis trux, Summit cousin, Summit dux."     Help our unknown photographer. He seems to be a bit dazed and confused. He he doesn't know what these folks just said. Do you?     Complete Home Inspections/Complete Video Promotions  © 2010 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc./complete video promotions | brentwood, tn | … (10 comments)

Tiny url's ~ The Next Threat to Computer Safety? - 02/14/10 02:34 PM
Tiny url's ~ The Next Threat to Computer Safety?        As social media and social media sites increase in popularity, so do internet threats. Speaking to last Thursday's Rotary meeting in Franklin, TN a field agent from the local FBI office warned folks about the latest and greatest internet threats.     While we are all aware of phishing and similar tactics, many of us are not aware of the new lows hackers are using to invade our computers. The latest scams are now using Twitter and tiny url's. Folks clicking on these abbreviated hyperlinks sometimes wind up on "poisoned" sites where malware … (16 comments)

Silly Saturday Afternoon Post... - 02/13/10 03:26 PM
Silly Saturday Afternoon Post...          I'm sure that you have heard the old adage, use 'em or loose 'em. The busy week has left me Faced with the dilemma of having a lot of unused posts to get out before the end of the week. Too bad that the ActiveRain guru's don't have roll over blogs like some of the cell phone companies have roll-over minutes. <sigh>        While in Vegas a few weeks ago, I certainly got my fill of eye candy while walking around with Vegas Bob and John Novack. The picture below is of an ice cream shop … (19 comments)

Fridays Fotos ~ ET Come Home... - 02/12/10 06:06 AM
Friday's Fotos...          I am a sci-fi buff. Give me a movie about ET, Area 51, X-files or what have you, and I am mesmerized. And no, I do not think that we are alone. If we are the only ones in this universe, what can I say but, "What a waste of space."       While meandering around Vegas early one morning, I was fascinated by the color and form of the repeating arches in front of Bally's. Being in my "right mind" I wondered, Could this be the entrance to a space ship or another dimension? What do you think?
… (26 comments)

Now IS the time to buy... - 02/11/10 05:04 AM
Now IS the time to buy...          I have read at least 1001 posts on this topic over the past few months. Yeah! Right! Finally, I saw statistical proof to back this up.      At yesterday's WCR (Womans Council of Realtors) meeting, a national real estate consulting firm presented its annual market predictions for 2010. Their predictions for Middle TN are as follows:      1. The downward slide of housing sales for the Nashville/Metro area has leveled and is starting to tick slightly upward.      2. Montgomery County (Clarksville) is kicking butt. What recession?      3. The outlying counties surrounding … (20 comments)

Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder... - 02/08/10 06:31 AM
Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder..."I believed and I still believe that every moment is there to be savored and to be improved upon and invested with humor and with beauty and solemnity. We don't ever get to skip a single part and sort of fast forward to the life still to come."     ~~ Garrison Keillor    Life is a journey. We travel down this road of life, with millions of others. Some run. Some hop and skip. Some laugh. Some cry. Others walk slowly, intently looking about and taking it all in. Happy are those who take the time … (19 comments)

Inspecting real estate in Nashville, TN... - 02/07/10 03:13 PM
Inspecting real estate in Nashville, TN...     Electrical problems, both large and small, are sone of the issues that I find while inspecting properties in the Nashville real estate market. Other than the rust on the plug face, all looks well. The trained eye of the inspector not only focuses on the rust, but the burn mark on the upper left corner of the outlet.         While not a "deal killer" when GFI (ground fault interrupter) outlets get burned, it is best to replace them to prevent future failures. Replacing this $20 item can be the difference between serious injury or … (14 comments)

Resolving T-RackS-3 issues in FCP (Final Cut Pro) - 02/07/10 07:21 AM
Resolving T-RackS-3 issues in FCP (Final Cut Pro)     Most folks haven't a clue what I am talking about, but to those techies who are making the upgrade from FCP 6 to FCP 7 do. After spending 4 hours shoving disks down the gullet of your disk reader, the last thing you want to encounter is to have the program abort due to "T-Racks-3" error or a "VPA compatibility error".          While most MAC or FCP forums mention these, no one says how to resolve the issue. This is equally as frustrating. Go to the IK Multimedia website and download the … (6 comments)

(not so) Speechless Sunday... - 02/07/10 04:00 AM
(not so) Speechless Sunday...           Vegas. What a town! While, I do not gamble on games of chance, I do gamble when it comes to, photography.
Much of photography comes from working on a sure bet. This shot was accomplished by playing on the reflected light off the hotels on the other side of the street, and the repeating patterns of the streetlights and walks.
Repeating patterns add intrigue. The angle of the shot draws your eye into the photograph. The rest is timing and exposure techniques. 
Lighting and exposure techniques comes from knowing your camera. These are techniques … (27 comments)

If it Doesn't Look Right, It Probably Isn't... - 02/07/10 03:37 AM
If it Doesn't Look Right, It Probably Isn't...     Home inspectors are expected to be the know all, see all Swami. Kinda like "Mr. Know-It-All", they are expected to have an answer for everything and anything. Some do. I don't!        Well meaning home owners and contractors often do things that might look right at the time without giving much, if any thought, to the consequences of their actions.      While doing an inspection of a Nashville real estate listing, the garage area was converted to living space. The problems are many.      1)  The floor joists are about 8 inches … (4 comments)

Amateurs and Electricity - A Dangerous Mix... - 02/06/10 05:46 PM
Amateurs and Electricity - A Dangerous Mix...     What is it about electricity and wiring that make amateurs think that they have the same skill set as a licensed electrician? Is is because there are so many DIY books and videos out there in the market place?       I wonder if someone has produced a DIY video on how to extinguish electrical fires? Maybe this amateur electrician needs to watch it. This is certainly an electrical fire hazard just waiting for a place to happen... 
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Needing a little support... - 02/06/10 04:53 AM
Needing a little support...      From time-to-time, we all need a little support. Support often comes through our peers, family members or other social interactions.
     Structures need support too. Properties need to have all the live and dead loads properly transmitted to the earth to prevent structural damage. 
     Having suffered damage from WDO's (wood destroying organisms), the contractor repaired the damage to the band/rim joist and joist tails but forgot or totally ignored properly supporting the joist tails.Through time, gravity takes it toll and the joist are now sagging and pulling away from the flooring. 
     This … (14 comments)

(not so) Wordless Wednesday... - 02/03/10 03:59 AM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...                I love the colors of the high desert. Unlike the gray, drab colored limestone that is so prevalent in middle Tennessee, the vivid red rocks of the high desert really pop and sizzle. On a visit to Vegas a few weeks back, I played hookey and swished through Red Rocks a few miles out of town. I wished I had more time <sigh>...

  Complete Home Inspections/Complete Video Promotions  © 2010 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc./complete video promotions | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com Helping YOU Help Others Live THEIR … (20 comments)

Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder... - 02/01/10 05:15 AM
Monday Morning Motivator & Some Points to Ponder... "The more you express gratitude for what you have the more you will have to express gratitude for. "      ~~ Zig Ziglar     The Secret talks about having an attitude of gratitude. What are you grateful for today? I am grateful that I have been given another day. Another day to spend with my loved ones, pursuing my passions, and enjoying what the Creator has provided. Spend a little time today in contemplation. You may have more to express gratitude for than you think... 

Complete Home Inspections/Complete Video Promotions  © 2010 michael thornton … (22 comments)

 
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Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector - 615.661.0297

Brentwood, TN

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Complete Home Inspections, Inc.

Address: 217 Jamestown Park Road, Suite 12, Brentwood, TN, 37027

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