dana point: Ritz Carlton Yappie Hour - Dana Point, CA
- 06/11/13 05:05 AM
It's that time of year again for one of the best monthly events in Orange County, "Yappie Hour" at the Ritz Carlton. Held one Thursday per month from May through December this event has turned into an Orange County Gold Coast favorite. May's event was attended by approximately 150 Dogs and 225 Owners and Friends. The event tends to grow larger and larger as we move towards the "Howl-O-Ween" costume party which last year was attended by over 500 Dogs and 750 people. Follow Fido to Yappy Hour, enjoy complimentary hand-made dog biscuits and lapping up refreshing libations, thanks to bacon, chicken, … (0 comments)
dana point: Dana Point Tall Ships Festival
- 09/04/12 10:58 AM
For those of you who haven't visited Dana Point during the Tall Ships Festival you're missing out on quite a treat. Fun for the entire family including great weather, excellent food, boat rides on some historic replica vessels manned by theme attired crew. There are normally around a dozen or so Tall Ships from up and down the west coast can attend the event. It's head quartered at the Dana Point Ocean Institute. Check it out! http://www.tallshipsfestival.com/ … (2 comments)
dana point: Faulty Flat Work Elevation?
- 05/06/12 01:27 PM
What is faulty flat work elevation? Why do you care? You've heard of faulty grade elevation and or wood to soil contact but flat work? Flat work is any paved or covered surface resting on grade, ie; concrete, brick, stone, asphalt pavers, etc.. Unlike open grade needing 4" deflection or separation from the sill plate frame/wood, flat work reguires only 2" of deflection. The photo below shows a finish front porch brick flat work installation at or above the exterior wall sill plate framing, vinyl siding and or wood trim. This causes water to be trapped against the exterior wall cladding, … (2 comments)
dana point: Hard Landing For China?
- 01/23/12 06:27 PM
Doesn't seem possible that our housing industry might be in better shape than Europe or Asia but that maybe the case. China is facing an implosion on a grand scale of their housing industry bubble. Investors had been driving their market up at 20% to 30% per year since 2008. With a Euro zone recession on the horizon the devastation in the Chinese markets will be brutal.
Talk about sub-prime mortgages, it is typical for a Chinese buyer who makes from $20K to $30K annualy to obtain a mortgage on a $600K property. Rental income on that property is $1K per month tops. The … (4 comments)
dana point: Attic Mounted Central Air Systems
- 01/21/12 07:20 AM
So today's post isn't about the entire central air system but rather focused on a common issue that pops up with horizontal attic mounted units equipped with air conditioning. Since we have an attic mounted unit, we know it has to be a split system with the condensing unit or heat pump located at the exterior of the structure. The area I want to discuss today is the attic mounted "A-Coil" or "Evaporator". This is the portion of the system that extracts moisture from the air thus cooling the supply air. It produces water in the form of condensate much like your car air conditioning … (0 comments)
dana point: Negative Slope and Faulty Grade Conditions
- 01/20/12 07:44 AM
So! The Owner tells me he's got new landscaping at his commercial property and he's so exited. It looks great, the tenants love it and then "Progressive Inspection Service" shows up. My first question is, "Was this installed by a licensed landscape contractor", Owner's answer, "Why does that matter"? Well, I've got my answer! Come to find out, the Owner had a termite inspection. The termite inspection revealed faulty grade conditions, excessive moisture and damage at the exterior siding, interior wall surfaces and of course subterranean termites. He advised the Owner about the poor drainage and faulty grade conditions which are causing the problem. Now for the sad part, the attached video I shot will … (0 comments)
dana point: Are FSBO's fizzling?
- 01/17/12 08:47 AM
You bet! I've been wondering why I seem to have fewer inspection orders from FSBO buyers, (btw, I don't mind as they are normally problematic). New industry figures show that 89% of all residential transactions were performed with help or assistance from a Realtor. That's a substantial increase in Realtor assisted transactions over the prior study. Keep up the good work guys, your hard work and marketing is paying off.... http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20120117_youragent.htm … (0 comments)
dana point: Restricted Stucco Weep Screeds
- 01/13/12 06:18 PM
Boy, do we need to spread the word about this poor construction/landscape practice or what. After almost 27 years of inspecting properties I'm still amazed at how frequently I find faulty grade and or flat work elevations with buried stucco weep screeds and or siding material. Let's keep this simple. As with roofing, siding and or exterior wall cladding surfaces aren't the actual waterproofing system. They are simply protecting the underlying paper, substrate, house wrap or flashing. In almost all cases we must allow the penetrating moisture an avenue to exit the envelope so to speak as well as to provide … (0 comments)
dana point: Can Zillow Be Right?
- 01/12/12 05:30 PM
CNBC interviewed Zillow's CEO today at the Inman News Conference in New York City. His views on the near term housing market are less than ideal. Zillow believes about 90% of the 150 or so major markets they track across the nation are still dropping with regard to price. They do believe we are nearing the bottom with another 2-4% drop in pricing through 2012. On a more positive note, Zillow believes "Mobile" real estate marketing/media will continue to dominate the manner in which clients and professionals access web and more broad based information regarding the housing industry. Sounds like those … (5 comments)
dana point: Builders Target Bigger Families?
- 01/12/12 08:06 AM
Remember just a few months ago, we were constantly hearing of new home builders down sizing property sizes for the new lean mean demographic. Well, that may still be the case, but a new industry figure indicates something quite surprising. 5.1 million multi-generational households now exist across the country. Builders have begun to target that new demographic building larger homes with in some cases up to 10 bedrooms and enough bathrooms to supply a small army. Four and five car garages are also popping up. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-16/homebuilders-target-in-laws-and-dogs-as-extended-families-grow.html … (4 comments)
dana point: ASHI Inspection World 2012
- 01/09/12 04:34 PM
Just finished attending this years #1 rated home inspection industry conference, ASHI Inspection World 2012 in Phoenix Arizona. Four days of outstanding educaction tracks, events, tours, vendor displays, marketing and networking with industry professionals from around the world. For you history and fine dining buffs who have an opportunity to visit the Phoenix area, don't forget the "Wrigley Mansion" directly adjacent to the Arizona Biltmore Resort. http://www.inspectionworld.com/ Happy New Year! … (2 comments)
dana point: California to target property taxpayers
- 01/09/12 04:31 PM
In a never ending battle to generate more and more tax revenue on a depressed economic base, California has yet again decided to throw the taxpayers under the bus. The democrat controlled legislature is already trying to dismantle prop. 13 and in the meantime will go after individual taxpayers through lower deductions on their income tax filings. If all this goes through, our housing industry in the state will be on life support. http://economy.ocregister.com/2012/01/09/state-targets-property-tax-payers/101799/
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dana point: Preparing for an REO Inspection
- 01/25/09 01:45 PM
Involved in an REO transaction? I'm amazed weekly, at the number of REO property inspections I arrive at only to find that water, gas and or electrical services are not active. You know the drill. You've finally got an accepted offer and have been given 5 to 7 days to complete your inspections. The listing agent has assured you that the utilities are "ON" and the property is ready for inspection. You plan your day for a 3 hour inspection window, the buyer takes of work to be present, I arrive, (Early I might add) only to discover that one or more of the utilities is still … (2 comments)
dana point: Inspections- Buyer Protection
- 07/22/08 10:14 AM
For Your Protection Get a Home InspectionWhy You Need a Home Inspection Buying a home is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a home's condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will Evaluate the physical condition of the structure, construction and mechanical systems. Identify items that should be repaired or replaced. Estimate … (0 comments)
It's that time of year again for one of the best monthly events in Orange County, "Yappie Hour" at the Ritz Carlton. Held one Thursday per month from May through December this event has turned into an Orange County Gold Coast favorite. May's event was attended by approximately 150 Dogs and 225 Owners and Friends. The event tends to grow larger and larger as we move towards the "Howl-O-Ween" costume party which last year was attended by over 500 Dogs and 750 people.
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