certified structure inspector: Two Giant Observations Wheels set for Las Vegas.
- 05/10/12 03:08 PM
While doing research for my next trip down to Las Vegas I was excited to see they have broken ground and poured the foundation for the SkyVue observation wheel at the south end of the strip. This wheel will be almost 500 foot tall and have air conditioned gondolas. It will be very noticeable with its 50,000 sqft of led signage on each side. The site will also include 140,000 sqft of retail space. This is an exciting new attraction but it appears it’s not the only one. I also discovered that Caesars Entertainment was adding its own observation wheel to … (4 comments)
certified structure inspector: Monthly Maintenance Tips for May
- 05/08/12 03:56 AM
Mays tips are about life expectancy of appliances in the home. While regular maintenance and care will help extend the life of your appliances and home this is not always a good thing. Older appliances can consume allot more energy than a newer appliance. Some of this is due to new technology and some is due to lack of maintenance or aging parts. New appliances can be 25% to 50% more efficient than appliances that are just 10 years old. Eliminating the old fridge or freezer in the garage can save your $150-$200 a year. Read my previous post about refrigerator recycling … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: Wasting Money for 30 years in Incline Village. A homes poor Energy Performance.
- 04/27/12 10:28 AM
Incline Village is a lovely place to live. It’s usually colder than the nearby Reno area where I usually work. The cost of living is also more. With the economy today people are looking to save money. People are also becoming more environmentally conscious. This is where the Energy Audit usually comes into play. I’m surprised that I don’t get called to the area more often. I recently performed an Energy Audit on a home in Incline Village and like many homes that are older than 12-15 years there was allot of room for energy improvements. This house was well maintained … (4 comments)
certified structure inspector: Range Anti-Tip Bracket. A small solution for a Big problem.
- 04/27/12 09:05 AM
As a Home Inspector I’m called in to give my opinion of a properties condition but there is also a need to educate buyers about safety upgrades that might be needed. One thing that is often over looked by home owners and home inspectors is the range anti-tip bracket.
If you haven’t heard about this you’re not alone. At one time Sears estimated that only about 5% of these brackets were being installed. The purpose of the bracket is to prevent your range from tipping over. Opening the oven door and placing a heavy Thanksgiving Turkey on it or a … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: Earth Day is almost here. What's your act of Green? I have an idea for you and your buyers.
- 04/20/12 04:00 AM
Earth Day started in 1970 and continues on every April 22nd. What is your act of Green going to be? Changing out light bulbs, planting gardens, and recycling are all a good place to start. But how about going big? This is your chance to make a difference. An Energy Audit can guide you towards reducing your energy consumption. Every day some energy you pay for in your home is wasted. Not only does this cost money but it adds pollution to the environment. Some studies have proven that by performing Energy Retrofits on your home can make a bigger … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: April -Spring Maintenance Tips
- 04/04/12 02:35 PM
April’s Monthly Maintenance Tips are here. This month focuses on Spring Maintenance. Hopefully the rain and snow are on the way out so you use these tips to get started on exterior maintenance. While you’re outside this spring take a look around. A quick glimpse around the property can reveal things that need work.
Now is also a good time of year to have a Home Inspector like myself come out and do an Inspection. We can point out maintenance items and proved a report that you can organize your repairs from. … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: CPSC Recall of Push ‘N Snap Cabinet Locks.
- 04/04/12 12:30 PM
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall of thePush ‘N Snap Cabinet Locks. These were made by Safety 1st and have the model numbers of 48391 and 48442. The model numbers are located on the back of the product. If you have or believe you have this product you can contact DJG toll-free at (866) 762-3212 between 8 a.m. & 5 p.m. ET Monday - Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.djgusa.com. The CPSC recall is here http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12136.html There are over 200 million recalled products. That’s why when I perform a Home Inspection I submit the … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: Had to travel to South Lake Tahoe for work today. Things could be worse right?
- 04/03/12 02:19 PM
People are lucky enough to live up at the lake but some of us only get to visit. Spring is here but today when I was in South Lake Tahoe it almost felt like summer. The warm weather and the lack of snow were a nice surprise for this time of year. People were out walking with no need for boots and jackets. Cars were driving without the rattling of chains. I’m not sure if everybody likes the lack of a winter this year but I think it was a nice change.
If it’s for work or pleasure … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: New Home Expo @ The Cottages in South East Reno. March 31st 11am-4pm
- 03/30/12 03:24 AM
An Agent friend of mine Pam Franzen from Coldwell Banker Select is hosting a New Home Expo at The Cottages in south Reno Saturday March 31st from 11am-4pm. These Silverwing Developments DUET homes range from 1,076 to 1,737 sqft. You can tour the 2&3 bedroom units and attend a Home Buyers Seminar at 12pm and 2pm. Of course no open house event would be complete without refreshments and door prizes. I plan on stopping by myself to take a look at this community and you should too.
http://www.silverwinghomes.com/cottages/about_cottages.htm *Remember that just because a property is new doesn't mean … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: Are you ready to Discover Your Nevada?
- 03/29/12 07:58 AM
TravelNevada.com is holding a contest called Discover Your Nevada. The contest is divided up in 6 regions. You can vote for your favorite Nomination or Treasures. This is round 1 and you can vote once a day so log on and vote for your favorites today. In three days round 2 will begin and starte narrowing the field. You can click on the link below and cast your vote. http://travelnevada.com/discover/
After casting your vote make sure you click on the Nevada Magazine link at the bottom for more information about Nevada and Events. I’m a subscriber and … (0 comments)
I will be posting a set of Homeowner tips each month so check back each month and feel free to share them. Please take a look at February's tips on Electrical here. http://actvra.in/y4x
… (3 comments)
certified structure inspector: HomeFree Nevada program helps ease the pain of high Energy Bills.
- 03/21/12 02:47 PM
Have you been thinking about getting an Energy Audit on you home? If not you should be. Nevada imports 6-8 Billion a year in Energy. When you save on energy you keep money locally. There is a program right now called HomeFree Nevada that is willing to help pay for some of those energy upgrades. If you make a 20% improvement the program will give $1000 towards those upgrades. Any home over 15 years old is a good candidate. It’s surprising how easily a twenty percent improvement can be made, especially in an older home. The program only uses properly … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: NV Energy Refrigerator Recycling Program. Save Money,Make Money and Environmentally Responsible
- 03/21/12 02:05 PM
Do you have an old Refrigerator hanging around? Maybe one in the garage that sits mostly empty? It’s time to dump it and save energy and money. A refrigerator that is over 10 years old can use twice the electricity as a new Energy Star Refrigerator. With the model number you can look up your old refrigerators energy consumption and compare it to a new one. If you can’t find it you can ask an Energy Auditor like me to help you find that information. You can look at the Energy Star web site for an idea of how much … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: St. Patrick's Day Wine Walk downtown Reno- March 17th 2-5pm
- 03/16/12 05:59 AM
Many people associate St. Patrick’s Day with drinking. Usually it’s Irish Whiskey or Green Beer. But the Reno wine walk is doing a St. Patrick’s day walk. You can sample up to 25 different wines and proceeds benefits NV Colon Cancer Partnership. It’s on March 17th from 2-5 PM. Head to any participating merchant and for $20 you get your glass. Then stop at any merchant on the list located on the Reno Riverwalk District site http://www.renoriver.org/wine.html to get your sample.
I recommend heading over to Niko’s Greek Kitchen in the West Street Market for a bite during … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: One of the best things about living in Reno is dining deals. St. Patrick's Day Dining Deals
- 03/15/12 02:47 PM
We have allot of dining variety in the Biggest Little City In The World. But who doesn't like a deal and Reno has daily deals. The best part is there are also deals on Holidays. St. Patrick's Day is a popular day for people to go out and with these dining deals it might leave some extra change for green beer. http://food.visitrenotahoe.com/uncategorized/st-pattys-dining-deals-in-reno-tahoe/ One of my favorite things about Reno is the buffets. With that said I'm always happy to check out the holiday buffet at the Eldorado. Click on the St. Patrick's Day Buffet tab for a menu. I will … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: Window Manufactures settle with FTC over false claims. Some truths about Windows.
- 03/14/12 04:22 AM
We all love windows in our home. Often time windows are sold as an energy saver upgrade. New windows can save some money in energy cost but most of the time they don’t pay themselves back in Energy savings like other energy retrofits can. People often take in to account the possibility of energy savings when buying windows. This was due to some marketing done by 5 big window manufactures. These 5 window manufactures just recently settled with the FTC over false claims of large savings. http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/02/windows.shtm A good rule for window change out is the condition of the old window. … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: Zonta's 5th Annual International Women's Day Celebration
- 03/07/12 01:12 AM
In my previous post http://actvra.in/wQk I wrote about the International Women's Day celebrationevent that is being sponsored by the Zonta Club of Greater Reno and is being held March 8th from 6-10 pm at the National Automobile Museum in Reno. The time is near I will be in attendance at a booth to talk to people about Energy Efficiency and Home Maintenance. If your there please stop by and say hello.If not make sure you celebrate Women's Day in another way. I’m happy to be a part of this event. … (0 comments)
certified structure inspector: I'm now a double license holder with the Nevada Real Estate Division.
- 03/06/12 09:04 AM
It’s Official, after several months the call came in today from the Nevada Real Estate Division that my Energy Auditors License was being put in the mail. Up until now I was able to perform audits since my license application was submitted. Last year when the Nevada Legislator passed AB423 it required Energy Auditors to be Licensed by the Nevada Real Estate Division. The Energy Auditor will fall under NRS 645D just like the Inspector of Structures (Home Inspector). There is quite a bit of training that is required and several difficult tests that have to be passed. Currently there are … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: Sparks Fire Departments Project Safe offers free Smoke Detectors
- 03/06/12 08:31 AM
In a recent tragedy two teenagers died in an apartment fire in Reno. The Fire Department stated that the smoke detector didn’t contain a working battery. Death from fire can be prevented and a working smoke detector is essential to the safety of the people inside. Fire spreads fast and the smoke detector can provide notice before it’s too late. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths in 2005-2009 were in homes with no smoke detectors or no working smoke detectors. About 25% of the smoke detectors that fail to work have dead batteries. http://www.rgj.com/article/20120305/NEWS/120305014/Officials-Two-children-last-week-s-Reno-apartment-fire-died During a Home Inspection I always check … (2 comments)
certified structure inspector: How I have Eliminated Inefficiencies in my Home Inspection and Energy Audit Business.
- 03/04/12 11:03 AM
The DocuSign contest called Eliminating Inefficiencies In Real Estate - A Contest got me thinking about how I have dealt with some inefficiencies. I’ve never heard of DocuSign but it does seem like a useful service. How I have cut out some inefficiencies out of my business As a Home Inspector and Energy Auditor I prefer to have contracts signed before the inspection. Printing them out and bringing them with me proved to be a bad idea. Often buyers are late or don’t show. You then have to spend time tracking them down and holding the report till it’s signed. With … (2 comments)
While doing research for my next trip down to Las Vegas I was excited to see they have broken ground and poured the foundation for the SkyVue observation wheel at the south end of the strip. This wheel will be almost 500 foot tall and have air conditioned gondolas. It will be very noticeable with its 50,000 sqft of led signage on each side. The site will also include 140,000 sqft of retail space. This is an exciting new attraction but it appears it’s not the only one.
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