home inspections reno: 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)
home inspections reno: 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)
home inspections reno: What has water, fire, fuel, and toxic gas and is in your home? A hot water heater.
- 03/01/12 03:27 AM
Water heaters are one of those things that no one ever thinks about until it’s broken. They are tucked away in a closet or covered by junk in the garage. Water heaters need regular maintenance just like anything else. These are large tanks of pressurized hot water, connected to a flammable fuel (or high voltage electricity), and heated up by fire that produces carbon monoxide. Ensuring they are operating correctly and preventing problems is extremely important.
Draining a gallon of water out of it every month is a good idea but at least do it once a year. If … (4 comments)
home inspections reno: Two Houses same issues. Attic Moisture and Organic Growth
- 02/26/12 11:47 AM
I inspected two houses on the same day with the same problem, major attic moisture issues. Most of the time you hear about crawlspace moisture which I will cover in more detail at a later date so stay tuned…. Believe it or not crawlspace moisture can contribute to attic moisture. Both houses had an attempt at solving this but not a very good one. They also shared the fact that the master bathroom had no exhaust fan due to having a window and both hall baths had fans. One house had the fan venting into the attic and the other went … (0 comments)
home inspections reno: Architect Arrested for Manslaughter in Fire Fighters death.
- 02/17/12 01:32 AM
A Los Angeles Architect has been arrested after a year of investigation for involuntary Manslaughter after his home caught fire and a Firefighter was killed while fighting the fire. The owner who was the Architect on the home apparently made changed to the home after inspections and did follow safety recommendations. The fire started from an outdoor fire feature that was placed inside and installed after the final inspection. The materials that were constructed around it were not fire resistant. According to the building department the owner was a constant problem and not receptive to the codes and procedures in place … (0 comments)
home inspections reno: When a Brokerage asks you to Pay to Play is it right?
- 02/08/12 07:43 AM
Some Brokerages are asking Home Inspectors to pay a fee to be in their “Preferred” list or to be able to speak at their offices. Is this ethical and should it be allowed? What about calling the local Home Inspector to “Sponsor” training, would this be the same? Why do Brokerages do this? Is it to generate income, limit the amounts of request by vendors, or to find the best businesses to be associated with? I think this way of operating eliminates the last suggestion. Do agents really care who’s on the list or do you seek out your own? I … (2 comments)
home inspections reno: Blower Door and Duct Blaster the diagnostic weapons to kill high Energy costs.
- 02/02/12 01:50 PM
Going Green is a popular want for many people these days. The idea of less impact on the environment makes people feel good about themselves. Recycling and reducing trash don't usually save or make you much money. Saving energy in your home does. Energy improvements not only pay themselves back once paid off they continue to save. Energy prices always go up so the payback could be quicker than projected. When I perform an Energy Audit the client often has problems and even ideas of what is needs to be done to their house. I can often discover the cause to … (2 comments)
We have all been unhappy with a service provided to us at one time or another. This article in Journal Star is a case where a Real Estate agent sent out an e-mail to 400 colleagues with a comment that the Home Inspector was a “Total Idiot”. That comment cost the Home Inspector an estimated $50,000 in business. He felt that the agent thought he was “overly critical”. The Home Inspector asked for a retraction and formal apology from the agent. Since he didn’t get what he asked for the Home Inspector from Lincoln Nebraska sued and filed a … (6 comments)
home inspections reno: You Want the Best You Got the Best the Hottest Band in the World! KISS mini golf
- 01/17/12 04:00 PM
Gene Simmons and the guys of KISS are at it again. A band that is well known for putting their brand on just about everything now brings their brand to Las Vegas. Craziness and costumes fit right into Sin City. Mini golf company Monster is opening up their newest mini golf in Las Vegas and it will be KISS themed. The opening date is March 15th at 4501 Paradise across from Hard Rock Hotel.
This will not be your normal mini golf. It will be an indoor (great for those hot Vegas days) 18 hole mini golf. Mini golf will not … (1 comments)
home inspections reno: Friends(Agents) don't let Friends(Buyers) hire cheap Inspectors.
- 01/14/12 06:46 AM
It seems with the drop in house prices buyers are looking for the cheap inspector in town. I've been getting more and more calls from people shopping around for price. I'm one of the few inspectors I know that advertise my prices. About 90% of the time people are looking for the price and not the best inspector. This is bad, bad, bad. When I hear the line "I'm just calling around to see what the prices are" I explain that I'm not the cheapest but you get what you pay for with me. I also tell them if they would … (2 comments)
home inspections reno: Are buyers willing to pay $1000 for a Home Inspection and remove the Agent from the process? Mike Holmes thinks they should.
- 01/12/12 07:03 AM
Anyone that watches HGTV has probably watched famous Contractor Mike Holmes from the shows Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection. I often enjoy the shows but like many contractors and home inspectors I don’t totally agree with everything on the show but I do agree with some statements from a recent interiview with Mike Holmes. I agree that what appear to be obvious defects that are missed. The Home Inspection process is a visual non-intrusive, not technically exhaustive inspection. The inspector is to give his opinion of the visible condition of the home at that day and time. We don’t have the luxury of … (9 comments)
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. 
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