Win Home Inspection's (winhomeinspect) Blog

The new Facebook changes will be HUGE for Brands

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:50:49 -0700

The “Ticker” which I forgot to mention in the video, has greatly improved my marketing efforts on Facebook because I do not need to worry about bombarding my followers’ newsfeed. All comments & likes go into the “Ticker.” Now I can engage with brands all over Facebook and I don’t need to worry about the Post Once-a-Day rule. It hasn’t been announced that Timeline will be available for Business Pages in the future, but one can only hope. They have announced that they are making changes though. I discuss how I think this feature would totally transform how your business is portrayed.How do you think the new Facebook changes will affect brands? Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

20 tips for conserving water at home

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:01:58 -0700

Those of us who have always had a clean and reliable source of water often take it for granted that the taps will always run. With many areas having to cut back on their water usage due to recent droughts, though, it doesn’t hurt to conserve what we have and even get in the habit of saving water for a time when we may not have a choice. Read full article here: http://bit.ly/r7dSLY 1. Shower Bucket. Instead of letting the water pour down the drain, stick a bucket under the faucet while you wait for your shower water to heat up. You can use the water for flushing the toilet or watering your plants. 2. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Don’t let all that water go down the drain while you brush! Turn off the faucet after you wet your brush, and leave it off until it’s time to rinse. 3. Turn off the tap while washing your hands. Do you need the water to run while you’re scrubbing your hands? Save a few gallons of water and turn the faucet off after you wet your hands until you need to rinse. 4. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. This tip might not be for everyone, but the toilet is one of the most water-intensive fixtures in the house. Do you need to flush every time? 5. Fix your leaks. Whether you go DIY or hire a plumber, fixing leaky faucets can mean big water savings. What should #6 include? Photo credit: Alltop.com Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

"Win with WIN" Trivia: What does WDI stand for in regards to homes?

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:15:43 -0700

A) Who Does It B) World Development Indicators C) Wood Destroying Insects D) WIN Developer Investments Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Replacing an outside stairway?

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:36:00 -0700

Great tips that can help increase the curb appeal of your home and improve safety for your visitors.This is a good home investment that will show its return when it comes time to sell. If the replacement of an outside stairway is in your future plans, and the stairs do not have a 'landing', think about adding one. A landing is just an area to stand in as you open the door and enter the home. It makes entering the home much simpler. I have viewed several older homes recently that had steps to a secondary entrance built without a landing. The lack of a landing makes it very difficult for people under six feet tall to unlock the door with a key. Before you replace the steps, give some thought to spending a little more money and making the entrance a little more appealing and accessible. When you decide to list your home for sale the investment will be repaid and the buyers will appreciate your efforts. And the appraisers will not question the safety of the stairway. And don't forget the handrail. You might also consider adding a shelf to set items on while opening the door. It will add a touch of convenience. Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Top 10 Woodburning Tips to prevent Chimney Fires

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:46:21 -0700

To aid in the prevention of chimney fires and carbon monoxide intrusion and to help keep heating appliances and fireplaces functioning properly, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) offers the following safety tips: 1. Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary, by a qualified professional chimney service technician. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys. 2. Keep it clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.3. Install a chimney cap to keep debris and animals out of the chimney.4. Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose wellseasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months - one year and stored in a covered and elevated location. Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove.5. Build it right. Place firewood or firelogs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate. To start the fire, use kindling or a commercial firelighter. Never use flammable liquids.6. Keep the hearth area clear. Combustible material too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36” away from the hearth.7. Use a fireplace screen. Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.8. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Place detectors throughout the house and check batteries in the spring and fall. When you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, remember to check your batteries.9. Never leave a fire unattended. Before turning in for the evening, be sure that the fire is fully extinguished. Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.10. The CSIA recommends annual inspections performed by CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. These chimney sweeps have earned the industry's most respected credential by passing an intensive examination based on fire codes, clearances and standards for the construction and maintenance of chimney and venting systems. The National Fire Protection Association also recommends that all chimneys are inspected on an annual basis. You can find more safety tips on their website: http://bit.ly/qGkMAk Have you started your fireplace yet? It's chilly here in Seattle today, I'm thinking about it!

Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Facebook announces more changes today.

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:17:06 -0700

There's more, changes that is. I guess I'll keep blogging about it. : ) Not everyone was able to stream the live conference today so I thought it would be helpful if I provided a summary. I Hope you find it helpful, feel free to ask me any questions you have. Below are my takeaways from the F8 conference today. Here are some of my tweets that I posted during the live streaming of the event. I’ll provide a brief summary below each tweet. Excited about #timeline, since I moved 3,000mi away, no one in #Seattle knows my history. Will b great to share that w my new friends digitally. #f8 “Timeline” is what Mark Zuckerberg is now calling personal profiles. It will become a story of your life, beginning to end and everything that happens in between. Including not only pictures and video, but TONS of new apps. Most importantly lifestyle apps which I’ll discuss below. I saw many tweets from my followers saying that they don’t want to share their life story on Facebook. Well that’s fine because you can control who sees what, but for those of us who want to tell our story the new profile design is going to allow us to do so easily. Starting with one large image at the top of your profile. Is #timeline going to be available for Business Pages? It would be awesome to show a company’s history and growth! #f8Since marketing is most successful when you tell a story, I immediately thought how this could be huge for advertising your brand on Facebook. You would be able to show your company’s growth over the years and everything you are involved in. I am excited to see if this launch will also take place. Love that they already factored in the mobile version for #timeline on Facebook! #f8Only one minute after Zuckerberg announced timeline he showed what it will look like on your mobile device. I love that they have already considered this aspect. The number of mobile users is growing at a very rapid rate everyday, which alludes to my tweet below. Again they’ve already factored in a mobile version for #timeline. Think you should make sure your website works on a mobile device? #f8Mobile is here to stay. Get a mobile friendly version of your website! Spotify integration. For those of you who are not familiar with Spotify, it is a music streaming service that was just recently released in the United States. The reason I like Spotify is that you can demo whole albums and listen to the whole song, unlike in iTunes where you can only listen to 30 seconds. Now in Facebook you will see what your friends are listening to and if you like the song you just run your cursor over that story in your ticker (the new left hand sidebar with most recent actions) and you can listen to the song at the same time. Will we need cable TV if Netflix streaming will be in Facebook? #f8Netflix streaming. Now you will be able to stream Netflix through Facebook. Well hopefully, we are the only country out of 45 that are not allowing it at the moment but there is currently a bill in Congress to allow this to happen. Let’s cross our fingers. Social Gaming. I’m an amateur when it comes to social gaming. I have not experience much in the space or am I very familiar with its capabilities. I do know it is what I read a lot about in the social space and how it is going to be the next big thing, and I definitely see that. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Lifestyle apps: Nike+ running app was one app that Zuckerberg demoed. It uses GPS to track your progress & location while you’re running. My first thought was that it could be good if you run alone, although it could be bad for that same exact reason but since you can add your friends you are running with maybe that gives you the safety back. This app will track your progress all year long and will provide you with a summary of your accomplishment whenever you would like. Foodspotting app: This app is aimed to show you what you have eaten over the year; you can also include a photo. My first thought was who cares, or why do I want to track what I eat. Then I took a more strategic approach and thought well if I was traveling or on vacation and I had an amazing meal it would be great to track that so the next time I visited that location I could remember that amazing restaurant and what I had that night. Also it could be aimed at those trying to lose weight; it will definitely make your more accountable. One thing Zuckerberg didn’t mention was the new FB video chat. I love this new integration with Skype and I was really hoping they would address some new changes or a new reason why you should be using it. There really needs to be a mobile version for this feature but I guess we’ll have to wait for that. All of these exciting changes are said to be launching in the next couple of weeks but Music & Movies is launching today. We will ever log-off of Facebook with all of these new tools? Will we even need to visit the world-wide web ever again? Photo from mashable.com Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

OMG Facebook!

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:46:18 -0700

Talk about change. I'm not a huge fan of the new layout. Probably becuase I am on Facebook all day and so I don't like the "top news" being in the main feed. I would rather have "most recent" be there instead of in the tiny sidebar. That being said it is even more important for brands on Facebook to always include Pictures or Videos in their status upates so that they will appear in "Top News." Also always try to get interaction from your followers, questions are a great way. Facebook is ranking Top News by the # of likes & comments, as well as photos, video and your relationship with that friend. What do you think of the new changes? Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

SO YOU WANT YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT BACK?

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:17:51 -0700

Know what you are signing and be responsible before, during and at the end of your Lease. Many issues can be avoided by communicating effectively and IN WRITING! Thank you to Paula for this great article.SO YOU WANT YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT BACK? The all-important Security Deposit from a lease agreement can sometimes be a very tricky thing. Tenants need to really understand their Lease Agreement and the proper procedure in receiving the Security Deposit back at the end of a Lease. Common misconceptions tend to concern: Thinking incorrectly that the last months lease payment can be used with the Security Deposit. WRONG - in Texas the Security Deposit is never used for paying the last month of the lease. The security deposit is there per its name - security. The Landlord has risk when leasing a property to a tenant. Damages to the residence, not returning all keys or garage remotes, etc. Not putting in writing the termination notice within the correct time frame. You must read your lease carefully and make sure that this is done according to the terms of the lease. Failure to do this can revoke your security deposit. Not conducting a final walk-through or providing the paperwork regarding the Move-Out condition. Without this final step, the Tenant is risking losing part or all of their deposit. Make sure that you schedule this all-important step within the time frame outlined in your lease. Most Landlords are very fair and want to work with their Tenants. However, Tenants MUST realize that they need to read and understand the Lease and provide termination dates, walk-throughs, etc. with diligence and in a timely fashion. Know what you are signing and be responsible before, during and at the end of your Lease. Many issues can be avoided by communicating effectively and IN WRITING! A hand shake, a phone call or a text will not suffice. Paula Hamilton~McDonald ~ REALTOR® Broker ~ Managing Principal 9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 8210 ~ The Woodlands, TX 77380 ~ 936-203-0279 Paula@ChevauxGroup.com Copyright 2011 Paula Hamilton~McDonald Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Are you a Facebook Rockstar?

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:35:42 -0700

I do a weekly Video Blog that features one of our followers from Facebook or Twitter and discuss a few tips they have for homeowners or renters. Now that I'm actively on ActiveRain I thought why not feature members here as well. You guys defintely know how to rock it! : ) If anyone is intersted in being featured please email me at jmacdonald@wini.com. I will send over a few questions for you to answer and discuss your answers in a blog post in the upcoming weeks. You can see our past rockstars on our YouTube page here! Really looking forward to sharing your expertise with our community!!! Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Safe and Sound: Value of a Home Inspection

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:52:09 -0700

Unlike other major purchases such as an automobile or a college education, your visits to and use of a home before you actually live in it are very limited. You can't "try before you buy" when you're shopping for a house or condominium. As a home buyer you seek out a property that fits your aesthetics, household needs and price range. Much of a home's value (and eventual cost to you) rests in how sound the property and its systems are - but the untrained eye isn't able to determine the significance of common home issues that might be apparent during a walk-through. A home inspection is designed to give you the information you need to decide if you can accept the home as it is, if you'd be willing to buy it under certain conditions (such as the sellers addressing certain issues before closing), or if you should keep shopping for the right property. A home inspection first and foremost lets you know whether the property is safe to occupy. Assuming the home is safe, the inspection then reviews the condition of the home's structure (foundation, roof, walls, interior and exterior) and systems (electrical, plumbing, air and heating systems) so you can determine the degree of upkeep, anticipated repairs and other work you'd need to do to maintain a safe and habitable property. Is this an older home that has, over time, been updated with newer materials? Does the property have updated electrical wiring? Is it a newer property made with sensitive materials, such as synthetic stucco? If the home is in a moist climate, is there evidence of water penetration? If the home is in a dry climate, is there evidence of insect infestation or a risk of fire? Are there any signs of deterioration? Is the foundation settling? How is the roof holding up? Inspections answer these questions and many more so that you can make an informed decision about buying and maintaining the property. Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

"Win with WIN" Trivia:

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:34:11 -0700

Weekly I conduct "Win with WIN" Trivia on our Facebook Page but I thought why not bring it to ActiveRain? What is the general term for removing radon gas from a structure? Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Fall Home Selling Tips.

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:52:42 -0700

The last three months of the year can cause some property sellers to worry if their home hasn't sold yet but remember that the number of buyers may be reduced as we head closer to the holidays.-->Great article, I had to share!The last three months of the year can cause some property sellers to worry if their home hasn't sold yet since the majority of buyers are eager to move to get settled before the school year and holidays begin. Yet if you have a home on the market that doesn't mean you should be discouraged as fall approaches. While the spring is considered a peak selling period, I recall helping six different buyers look for a home last fall. All six successfully closed. There are key factors that may help sell your home. First remember that the number of buyers may be reduced as we head closer to the holidays. Many people simply don't want to juggle the holiday rush and house hunting. Still there will be some serious buyers looking during this time. If they're out shopping in less than great weather or nearing the holidays, it could be because they're extremely serious about making a purchase before the end of the year. With this in mind, be sure to make the most of every showing. Don't let things slide with the upkeep of your home because you are juggling selling a home, working, or taking care of the kids. Selling your home in the fourth quarter must be a priority. When considering how long to keep your home listed through the holidays, experts suggest looking at the rates of sales activity in your market. Some areas can be pretty bleak, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's no chance of selling. Remember, that some people may even have tax reasons and need to purchase before the end of the year. Staging of your home will help as well. This is a time of year when homeowners bring out a lot of stuff that may be very appealing to them–pumpkins, turkeys, holiday and religious ornaments–but those things don't always impress buyers. In fact, they can annoy them and make the house seem cluttered. This is not to say you can't have some nice seasonally appropriate decor. However, the fourth-quarter sale requires a good strategy like using a stager. If there are a a reduced number of buyers seeing your home, make the most of each showing by having a spectacularly staged and clutter-free house to show off. Staging will provide a competitive advantage. Another reason the fourth quarter of this year may see more buyers is that interest rates remain historically low. The potential threat of a rise in mortgage rates could have more buyers eager to lock into an excellent rate.All The Best, Herb Johnson 859-372-8019 Direct Line Herb@HerbJohnson.com Email www.HerbJohnson.com Website Buyers and Sellers wanted. Referrals Appreciated! 4895 Houston Road Florence, Kentucky 41042 Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Make sure your gutters are working before the flooding starts!

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:22:46 -0700

This is a great article from This Old House that I had to share on Installing Rain Gutters. Most of you probably already have gutters installed but don't forget to always check them and clear away leaves and debri that might have them clogged. Rain gutters and downspouts are necessary to collect and carry away rainwater. Without them, water would erode the soil around the foundation, splash dirt onto the siding and likely leak into the basement or crawlspace. Here is the step-by-step guide on Installing Rain Gutters: http://bit.ly/naFQvQ Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Does A Tenant Get The Short End On A Short Sale?

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:32:17 -0700

Gabrielle hihglights an important issue in the home buying process. It's not only home buyers who need to be educated and aware, renters need to be prepared too.So - you decided to rent your home. All is going well and you get it rented with someone who signed a one year lease. A month later, you decide to sell the home - and it's short sale - and it sells in about five months. The new owner (buyer) comes along and is now threatening to evict the tenant because the tenant hasn't moved out. Can the tenant stay in the home for the rest of the lease term? Yes. Because of a 2009 federal law that requires a new owner after a foreclosure to honor the lease of any existing tenant. Generally speaking, a lease for a home entered into before any sale of a home, including a short sale, over-rides new homeownership interest. What should you do if you are a Buyer in this situation? First of all, if someone is living in the home that you are about to buy, ask questions. If they are tenants, ask for copies of the lease and make sure your agent works the security deposit into the settlement agreement. Find out if the home was rented vacant or furnished. If it was furnished, the furniture has to be returned to the original owner - which was the previous owner/landlord. Be nice to the people living in the home, don't threaten and if you cannot wait out the remaining time on the lease, you can always try to work something out with the tenants. What should a tenant do in this situation? Keep paying your rent on time. Not paying your rent does not solve any issues and only creates more. Ask questions about the new owners and their plans and try to work with them. If you know the home you are in is being sold, and you know that you will eventually have to move, why not start looking for another home before you have to!? Buying or selling Tucson real estate, Mt Lemmon, Tucson bank-owned homes, Tucson rental homes, or Tucson lease option homes? Visit www.KGCPropertiesLLC.com! This blog is written with my opinions and my opinions are presented with accuracy but not guarantees. Please talk to a professional before making any real estate, financial or agency decisions. Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind - 2011. If you want to reprint parts of this - just email me for my permission: TucsonsRealEstate@gmail.com. Our goal is to provide real estate professionals and their clients with the best service, the most professional inspectors, and the finest inspection report in the industry. Find out why we SEE MORE. CLEARLY. Click here to find an inspector in your area. Connect with us! www.wini.com | 206-694-8042

Home warranties are a good investment!

Win Home Inspection (National Home Office ) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:12:50 -0700