Finally - A promotional items company that has it together! (Long Island) - 04/30/08 08:05 AM
I have finally found a promotional items company based on Long Island that knows what they are doing. Helen Zagaro owns Star Promoz in Islip NY. She and her staff are knowledgable, and they treat you like you should be treated - like you are their only customer.
Helen fought with her vendor to get me a real good price on coffee mugs with my logo and info on it, without shipping. I was looking at spending $500 on mugs, but these online companies want $300 to ship them. She has a local LI mfgr, and I can pick them up to … (2 comments)

Rainy day inspections are good for buyers. - 04/28/08 04:20 PM
I sometimes get cancellation calls when it is expected to rain, and the buyers don't want to go out in the inclement weather. This is actually the best time to do an inspection. Leaks in the roof, or basement water seepage may make itself evident during these rainstorms.
So many homes have negative grading, which keeps the rainwater pooling near the foundation. This may penetrate the concrete wall causing water seepage. This is also a big turnoff for the buyer. Most people want to finish off the basement, and water seepage and finished basements don't mix.
I always tell buyers to live in the house for one year before … (1 comments)

Old TV antennas should be removed from the chimney (Long Island) - 04/25/08 07:08 AM
I see many houses that still have TV antennas, and the preferred mounting location in the chimney. Sometimes they are in use, but many times they are not. When it gets windy, these antennas can sway and twist, cracking the mortar joints between the bricks. Not always, but often this is the case.
I was at an inspection last week, and on a windy day a large antenna was 'doin the twist'. When I got onto the roof, I noticed nearly all the mortar joints in the area where the two straps were located to hold the antenna were cracked, and some of … (2 comments)

Is the house ready for an inspection? - 04/24/08 03:09 AM
More and more lately I am finding home inspection difficult in peoples homes because of the clutter and debris. The short sale and foreclosure market is big these days, but homes must still be inspected. This can only affect the whole process negatively. I have run into the following:
1- The seller is annoyed that they have to move the clothes in the closet so I can get into the attic.
2- The seller is annoyed I tracked dog poop into the house from their own backyard.
3- The seller is annoyed that I have to turn on the heat when it is already … (3 comments)

Canadian agents - I need your help!!! - 04/18/08 06:28 AM
I was ripped off by a printing company by the name of Global Grafix and their rep, Alex Goyette. They were supposed to deliver presentation folders to a friends Remax office here on Long Island. We all were taken by this company and want to find this thief and have him prosecuted!
They were from the Quebec area, and you can still see remnants of their website if you google 'Global Grafix'.
PLEASE PASS THE WORD ABOUT GLOBAL GRAFIX AND ALEX GOYETTE! Thank you!
… (2 comments)

I used to think the way to a womans heart was through shoes! - 04/15/08 09:54 PM
But I have found something better - emery boards! I had 3000 emery boards printed with my company tag line: Don't be ridiculous, call Meticulous! The phone # is also on these emery boards. What a show stopper. Everyone says "Wow - I really need one of these!" Most of the real estate agents I deal with are ladies.
I ask everyone I see: "Lemme see your nails" and everybody shows me their nails - even the guys! On line at the Home Depot, or at the supermarket - even at the gas station!
The online promotional companies have these, but the … (7 comments)

Please don't feed the termites, or the carpenter ants. (Long Island) - 04/14/08 07:02 AM
The crawl space in a home seems to be a popular dumping ground for homeowners. Wood scraps seem to be the preferred item discarded into these areas. These people may be the same people who go to the zoo and feed candy to the bears.
Wood-to-soil contact in these moist areas is condusive to bringing termites into the home. These insidious creatures are happily invited by this practice. This makes it so easy for termites to gain entry, it is like ringing the dinner bell for the termites. Carpenter ants can also cause a lot of damage, but powder post beetles … (2 comments)

The illegal basement apartment is not an issue for me, but may be for you. (Long Island) - 04/13/08 02:43 PM
Many homes on Long Island have illegal apartments in basements, or converted garages, as well as second floors in houses. Some sellers are concerned that, as an inspector, I will blow the whistle on them. I do not. I really don't care about the illegal apartment, I care about the safety issues related to this apartment.
The most prevalent of which is the lack of egress windows. Egress windows are required for apartments that are in the basement. A second means of escape is needed if the main entrance to the apartment cannot be used for escape, for whatever reason. These windows must … (0 comments)

Make your blogs readable! - 04/12/08 10:37 PM
I have found some of the blogs on AR very lengthy, but completely readable IF there are enough spaces between paragraphs. I will not read a blog if the text is one complete paragraph. It is just too difficult to read. I never thought this would cause me to not read a post. Maybe it is cause I am getting older, but without breaks between paragraphs, or pictures, or other things to 'break things up',  I find it difficult to read.
The criteria for me is: 1- Is it relevant? 2- Will I learn something or enjoy the subject matter. 3- Is … (7 comments)

Heating systems with ductwork don't always make an easy upgrade when adding central A/C. - 04/12/08 06:54 AM
Many people have this pre-conceived notion that if you are buying a house with forced air heating, the pre-existing duct work makes it unnessesary to add any ductwork for the addition of an a/c system, saving money and labor. This is not usually the case.
New a/c systems almost always use insulated flexible ductwork as the insulation keeps the cold air cold within the ducts as it travels to the different registers. When you have uninsulated ductwork, you loose some of the cooling effectiveness.
Many older homes have ductwork designed for 30 year old systems, and the size may not be big enough or … (4 comments)

Power venting a hot water heater may save money. Long Island) - 04/10/08 05:16 PM
One of the most common things I see is improper exhaust piping on hot water heaters, and again I saw this today. If the breach (hole in the base of the chimney where the exhaust piping enters) is lower that the exhaust piping for the unit, and the exhaust piping is at an angle downward towards the breach, this is an improper installation.
Putting a new breach into a chimney can be an expensive job. Many times a power vent can be installed to blow the exhaust gasses into the chimney or through the side of the foundation or house. This is usually cheaper as well.
I see new … (1 comments)

Have you dealt with anybody who has TBS? - 04/10/08 06:13 AM
It seems I attract many people who suffer from this very common affliction. This disease is known as TBS - Tiny Brain Syndrome. I find this disease affects almost anybody I order business cards, promotional items, or other similar services from.
I ordered letter openers from an online company who promised the items I needed in plenty of time for an event I was invited to. The items arrived the day before the event, but the printing on these letter openers was blotchy, and on some you couldn't read the company name or phone #. Too close for comfort, and these items I … (16 comments)

Does any one know why the Roman Empire fell? - 04/09/08 08:02 PM
Lead poisoning! Many scientists believe the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire was due to lead poisoning. The Romans were ingenious people, but they lined the aquaducts that brought the water into Rome with lead because it sweetened the taste of the water. 
They also lined their cooking pots and pans with lead, and their wine vessels with lead. This sweetening of their food and drink via cooking and drinking implements is what many scientists believe caused their demise.
I sometimes bring this up at the home inspection when I see peeling paint or deteriorated trim in older homes. This is so common in older homes, but it … (7 comments)

Incomplete access bothers buyers. (Long Island) - 04/08/08 05:37 PM
I performed an inspection in an older home with a crawl space in the front of the basement, and a second crawl space in the rear. The buyer, who followed me throughout the entire inspection, was curious as to what was in the crawl space that could not be accessed as the area was covered with a wood panel, with about 30 screws and nails holding it in place.
We found evidence of termites in the first crawl space, and missing insulation, wood scraps (termite food), and an electrical wire that was exposed and resting on a copper pipe. After seeing these … (0 comments)

Homeowners who do their own repairs can hurt the sale. (Long Island) - 04/06/08 02:21 PM
When performing an inspection, there are many tell-tale signs I look for that let me know a professional did not perform the repair or the installation. I opened a bathroom shower door that was made of glass, and it hits the metal towel rack because the homeowner put it too close to the shower. I see insulation installed backwards all the time -  and have found out in some cases that a licensed contractor installed it, not the homeowner.
Poorly fitted entrance doors are commonplace, as well as plumbing issues such as having the hot and cold faucet plumbed in reverse. … (5 comments)

Leave room for client parking. (Long Island) - 04/05/08 10:01 AM
I was early arriving at an inspection the other day. I park my car, and I ask my termite guy to park far enough away so the client has the easy parking spot as close to the house as possible. A client pulled up to a spot in front of the house next to the house being inspected, and arrived in a handicap-accessible van so their aunt, who is in a wheelchair, could see the house. The spots in front of the house were taken.
It was a good 10 minute production to get this woman out of the van because of the … (4 comments)

Carbon Monoxide poisoning from within your own house. - 04/04/08 05:46 PM
Many people that have attached garages don't realize that the door from the living space into this garage should be a self-closing fire rated door. Older homes sometimes have a sheetmetal skin on this door, but many times this is not sufficient.
The self closing part is even more important. When you have a garage floor that is the same height as the floor in the house, a self closing door is absolutely essential. Why? Have you heard of people leaving the car running in the garage, then falling asleep in the next room and dying from carbon monoxide poisoning? Today, modern building … (3 comments)

Beautiful old homes require special buyers, and special agents. (Long Island) - 04/04/08 03:56 PM
Performing an inspection on an old home has its challenges, but I am a woodworker and I enjoy seeing older homes that have been kept up. The woodworking that was done by artisans of the past I find fascinating. I do not like seeing updates that are not period style, but have no control over this.
I find it frustrating that buyers who fall in love with these homes do not know sometimes what they are getting into. Most people see only the good stuff, and when you show them some of the bad things, they get cold feet. The agents sometimes get … (3 comments)

I saw a Joe Meyer presentation today, and it was great! (Long Island) - 04/03/08 08:39 PM
I attended the Long Island Womens Council of Realtor monthly meeting as I am a sponsor of this council. Joe Meyer was the featured guest speaker and he was great. One of the points he drove home was overpriced listings do not sell, and you are wasting your time taking them.
I am very much in tune to the dilemma todays agents face, as many of my friends are realtors. The difficult part about standing your ground as a realtor, and not taking overpriced listings, is that there is always another hungrier agent willing to take the listing, then reduce the price … (2 comments)

 

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