nashville real estate: Who Sez Blogging on ActiveRain Is a Waste of Time? - 03/14/13 01:33 AM
Who Sez Blogging on ActiveRain Is a Waste of Time? Think Again...
      I have long been taught by my coaches, anything tracked brings success. I do track referral sources.       During the course of conversation with one customer, when asked, "How did they hear about us?" their reply was, "The Internet. More specifically, your blog on ActiveRain. We got an in site to your level of professionalism and knew we wanted you to inspect our house."        Now testimonials such as this is rare for the inspection industry. However; it does prove that blogging here on ActiveRain does produce … (19 comments)

nashville real estate: Buyer Beware... - 11/12/11 05:32 AM
Buyer Beware...          There are some folks that seem to put a lot of time and energy into doing things half a$$ed and pass it off to the unsuspecting public as "the norm". Now there is nothing wrong with maximizing profits. We live in a capitalistic society.      However; there is a lot to be said about taking pride in the job that one does, their sense of doing right to others and total folly. Then too, there is the right way and the wrong way to do everything.      When I see slipshod work, it often makes me wonder, if … (26 comments)

nashville real estate: More Time On Their Hands... - 10/14/11 05:14 AM
More Time On Their Hands...     I often encounter things during my inspections that really make me wonder. I reckon there are some folks that have more time on their hands than they know what to do with.     Being the inquisitive type, I pondered, how long did it take some schlep to chisel the hole in the foundation pier vs how long would it have taken them to route the pipes around it? But then, maybe that is why plumbers make so much money...
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nashville real estate: Just When I Think I've Seen it All... - 10/05/11 04:48 AM
  Just When I Think I've Seen it All,someone sets the limbo bar on creative and innovative ways of doing things to an alltime low. Need extra outlets in your room addition? Why bother with the hassle of having meddlesome codes inspectors or the expense of an electrician to do things right when you can do things the half-fast way and save a bundle with the handy-dandy "Jumper MY Circuit" expander.      Run as many extra outlets as you feel you need and plug one end of the "Jumper MY Circuit" expander in one outlet or is that inlet and the … (74 comments)

nashville real estate: A Few Bricks Short of a Happy Meal... - 10/02/11 04:44 AM
A Few Bricks Short of a Happy Meal...     I ♥ new construction - never a dull moment. You know the drill, the lowest bid gets the job. And, along with that comes the short cuts to profitise the project.     As we all know, home inspectors are not "Codes" inspectors; however, we must know and understand the "accepted trade practices" for the various professions in the municipalities in which we serve.     The HVAC contractor who installed the furnaces and air handling units for this property must have either been a few bricks short of a Happy Meal or was … (53 comments)

nashville real estate: Looking for the not so Obvious... - 08/25/11 07:04 AM
Looking for the not so Obvious...     Like everything else on this planet, there is an expected service life for products. Older cast iron waste systems prevalent before the early 70's certainly fall in this category. Typically, this material rusts from the inside out, gets sclerosis (much like your arteries), and is prone to clogging as the system ages. However, rehabbers often overlook these aging systems as they are often expensive to replace - especially between the house and the main.      Service caps in the yard should be securely threaded into the pipe to prevent raw sewage from exiting the pipes … (19 comments)

nashville real estate: Things that Go BOOM in the Night... - 08/23/11 05:58 AM
Things that Go BOOM in the Night...     Gas is one of those commodities we bring into our homes, and like electricity, we take them for granted. Homeowners and sometimes service personnel often neglect simple safety features - that is until things go BOOM!!! in the night.      The property was no stranger to inspectors, having been inspected twice by two other local companies. As the reports were lying on the counter, I had to snoop. Much to my amazement, neither had anything to say about this potentially unsafe condition.      Even though there is a gas shut-off installed, shut-off valves can … (26 comments)

nashville real estate: What's Right with the Property? - 08/22/11 04:37 PM
What's Right with the Property?     As home inspectors, we are hired by agents and prospective owner alike to find what's wrong with the property. Far too many times, inspectors are quick to start the litany of what is wrong. This often leaves the buyer with a "bad taste" in their mouth and second thoughts about the dwelling. Every property, challenged or otherwise, has some good points too. It could be the neighborhood, new floor covering, or beautifully manicured landscape.      I have talked to many real estate professionals over the years searching for the number one reason why agents look elsewhere … (8 comments)

nashville real estate: Quit Peeing on My Floor... - 08/19/11 07:53 AM
Quit Peeing on My Floor...     Let's face it, occasionally all of us at one time or other has had bladder control problem. Pressure builds up, a slight sneeze and... OOPS!!! How embarrassing.      The same thing happens in your home's plumbing system. Pressure builds up in the storage tank, water valve gets turned off quickly and… Now, one could put a bucket under the valve extension or do something stupid like put a cork in it, but hopefully we ARE smarter than that.        Odds are, the bladder in the expansion tank is either waterlogged or defective. Expansion tanks are … (18 comments)

nashville real estate: Did I Hear the Words, "Sellers Market"? - 07/21/11 05:47 AM
Did I Hear the Words, "Sellers Market"? Yesterday, the Woman's Council of Realtors met at the Williamson County Association of Realtors office to hear Edsel Charles, the founder and Chairman of the Board for MarketGraphics Research Group, Inc., present his forecast for the Nashville real estate market for the next few years. Edsel, was one of the few that warned investors, builders and real estate professionals of the impending burst of the bubble back in 2006. Edsel's forecasts have been both factual and accurate for the past 12 years.
His predictions are as follows:
1) A steady recovery for the Nashville/Williamson … (24 comments)

nashville real estate: Has Your Pot Gone to Pot? - 07/20/11 05:25 AM
Has Your Pot Gone to Pot?     Having been in the home inspecting business for over a decade, nothing really surprises me anymore. Seen it. Probed it. Wrote it. There are, however, some things that would seem to me that the average home owner would take note of. <sigh> But they don't.      One of the more common issues I find in properties is with the china --- facility that is. Most folks sit, use, flush and get on with life. Loose toilets and leaking wax flange seals can literally eat you out of house and home. The nutrients in Black Water … (42 comments)

nashville real estate: You've Got to be Kidding Me... - 06/28/11 05:48 AM
You've Got to be Kidding Me...     One of the things that makes for a good home inspector is exceptional bedside manners. By this I mean just staying calm and collected no matter what one encounters. Believe me, I have seen stuff that just makes me want to scratch my head with a pick axe.      In the "You've Got to be Kidding Me" department, comes this interesting little diddy I ran into yesterday while inspecting a "Flipper". My first impression was, "Oh, this is a CO detector." Wrong! This be a smoke detector. Guess where the CO detector was? I'll give … (30 comments)

nashville real estate: Needing Some Feedback... - 06/27/11 06:24 AM
Needing Some Feedback...     As most of you know, I run two businesses, a home inspection company and a photography company that focuses primarily on real estate. As I am wanting to grow the photography side more, I am looking for ways to make the product better for my customers. So I need some feedback from you, my ActiveRain critics. Below is a YouTube video of a listing I just shot and the link to the listing is as follows: 6326 Sunnywood Dr.
     What do you like about the video and what don't you like? The same goes with the webpage. … (38 comments)

nashville real estate: Percy Warner Park... - 06/03/11 05:24 AM
Percy Warner Park...Located at the end of Belle Meade Blvd in the prestigious Belle Meade section of Nashville, TN stands the entrance to Percy Warner Park the "Crown Jewel" in Metro Nashville's park system. Percy Warner Park at 2058 acres is the larger of the two Warner Parks. Together Edwin Warner and Percy Warner combine to make the largest municipality administered parks in Tennessee with a combined acreage of 2,684.Variety is the one word that comes to mind when describing Percy Warner Park. The approximately 10 miles of scenic roadways meandering through the hills and valleys, offer motorists a leisurely drive … (32 comments)

nashville real estate: Doing Things Bass Ackwards... - 05/26/11 01:15 PM
Doing Things Bass Ackwards...I like my job. As long as there are fix-er-uppers, unhandymen, and folks to buy, I will never run out of blog fodder.I just love it when I get a call from an agent or buyer and they say, "This house is immaculate. We couldn't find anything wrong, I'm sure you won't either; but 'as a formality', we are going to have you inspect it.""As a formality"? Oh gawd how those words strike fear to my heart and give me that churning feeling in the pit of my stomach. Having had a lot of experience with flippers, I … (19 comments)

nashville real estate: Friday's Fotos... - 05/20/11 05:54 AM
Friday's Fotos...
Today I will deviate from my typical, picturesque type of photo - maybe tonight. There are some photos that belong in the hall of fame, while others belong in the hall of shame. Not that they were badly taken, but for the subject matter. This one belongs in the latter category. One expects a certain level of workmanship based on the location and price point of the property. On a renovation of an early 1900's Victorian, with a price point of over $700K, I expect a lot. What some folks do to desecrate a property is a crime, and … (26 comments)

nashville real estate: Putting it All Together... - 05/12/11 06:06 AM
Putting it All Together...
Whether we like it or not, we are in the digital age. Smart phones are going to continue to get smarter and folks are going to want information on your listing - like now. As professionals, we, like the market, are in constant flux, ebbing and flowing with the changes in the digital tides. Boomer's, as an entity are slowly being replaced by the Millennial's as the next major block of home purchasers. Marketing strategies are changing, so too will we. Boomers were "Turned On and Tuned In" - Millenial's are "Tuned Out and Plugged In".Today, we … (32 comments)

nashville real estate: Friday's Fotos... - 04/15/11 07:10 AM
Friday's Fotos...I'm not sure if the title of this post should be something more like; "Ask and ye shall receive", "sometimes you just get lucky"; "I get by with some help from some friends"; or a combination of all these. Wednesday, while at RE-BarCamp at the Icon in downtown Nashville, I got the opportunity of a life time.Nashville is an upscale, interesting, musically talented, historic, and IMHO a photogenic town. But then, I may just be a tad biased. Mesmerized by view of downtown from the 9th floor of the Icon, it dawned on me that there are very few public … (31 comments)

nashville real estate: (not so) Speechless Sundae... - 04/10/11 05:57 AM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...In the cool of the dawn, he awakens his lover with soft caresses. She responds to his gentle touch. Smiling, she opens her arms and embraces him. Bodies and hearts intertwined, they sway to the music wafting on the whispering morning breeze. Like two lovers caught in the throws of a forbidden affair; he steals a kiss as the sun breaks. He leaves, promising to return on the morrow… The Dew and the Rose radnorlake

… (31 comments)

nashville real estate: (not so) Wordless Wednesday - 04/06/11 06:00 AM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...Wow! Hump-day already? Where does the time go?  The sun is beginning to inch its way upward on the southern horizon bringing with it warmer days that I have so longed for. Spring has shed its heavy, drab overcoat. Songbirds sing choruses of praise. New life abounds everywhere. Everywhere I look, the landscape has been painted with soft pastels. Even the boys of summer have come out to play…

… (42 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

Office Phone: (615) 661-0297

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