Great Views = Landslide Waiting to Happen? Looking for a Geologist to Evaluate Slope Stability January 31, 2008
Wow, what a view! It takes your breath away…now let’s not let it take away good judgement too.
Sometimes a great house, with a fabulous view needs a little extra inspection and evaluation to help our clients make informed decisions when buying a house. I have been working with a wonderful couple for awhile now and it looks [...]
A lesson in the dangers of distressed property purchases… December 20, 2007
A friend of mine contacted me the other day about a property investment opportunity that her brother-in-law (BIL) was placing in front of her and her husband. The property in question is located in the city and state where the BIL lives - and it’s far from the Seattle area at roughly halfway across [...]
Mythbusters takes on water heaters as rockets…. November 15, 2007
The other night I watched Mythbusters with my partner, Michael, a show which I have to admit I only see occasionally and only when he’s watching it. It’s okay, but I usually prefer reading. Anyhow, one of the myths that they were attempting to bust is the idea that a water heater can [...]
The (legal) importance of a home inspection April 26, 2007
(This post is not legal advice. For legal advice, consult a lawyer about your particular situation.)
First, my apologies to the RCG community. I recently took a lengthy vacation and have been quite busy since my return. Moreover, I now need to hire additional staff and thus move to a larger office space. So, please forgive [...]
Phinney Neighborhood annual home fair, Sunday, Jan 28th January 27, 2007
Phinney Neighborhood Center is hosting their annual home fair this weekend. This is a wonderful event with a lot of great information about home upkeep, upgrading, and overall design concepts. Several builders and architects attend this event and provide their expertise in a comfortable environment. One of my clients, Kirk Jolley, of Kirk Redo is [...]
ASBESTOS - Buyer Beware!! August 10, 2006
I am just beside myself on the topic of home inspectors and asbestos. I don’t care how many inspectors want to tell me why inspectors aren’t “obligated” to call asbestos in the inspection, I will still keep saying: “You have GOT to be KIDDING me!!
I’ve seen more asbestos in homes in the Seattle area [...]
Sales that “fall apart” on Home Inspection July 24, 2006
Tim’s Comment: “What many do not realize is the extent and frequency in which commissions are reduced via credits to the parties at closing. It is very common.’While Tim raised this subject as if these credits were commission negotiations, and sometimes they are, more often these credits are how agents help the buyer and seller [...]
Top Ten Things A Home Inspector Says July 18, 2006
It’s Time for another Top Ten! Those of us who have been to 100 too many home inspections can practically stand behind a home inspector and mouth what he is going to say next, when it comes to these “Top Ten Things A Home Inspector Almost Always Says”. No we don’t do [...]
Which Home Inspection Addendum to Use? May 15, 2006
Here in the Seattle area, the buyer of a property gets to choose which Home Inspection Addendum to use, when making an offer to purchase. The primary difference between the two, lies in who has the “unilateral” POWER to keep the contract in-force or not, after the inspection.
The seller can counter by replacing the [...]
Home Inspections January 30, 2006
Having attended many, many home inspections, I would like to offer a few tips regarding getting ready for an inspection (sellers) and what to bring to an inspection (buyers).
There are a few things that a seller should do to get ready for an inspection. One is to change your furnace filter. I like the [...]
