In almost all cases mold grows where there is excess moisture in a building or on building materials that contain cellulose or other organic material. This means that to find mold you must first “find the water.”
Mold grows by using moisture in the form of water and vapor. Catastrophic events such a roof leak, sewage…
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Insurance companies, adjusters and other real estate professionals need to be aware of the destruction that rodents can cause. Rodents, such as rats and mice, start fires by chewing on electrical wires that cause millions of dollars of structure damage each year.
It has been estimated that rodents cause up to 20% of undetermined fires in…
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Historically, the relocation industry has been challenged by such environmental issues as UFFI (urea formaldehyde foam insulation), asbestos, radon gas, synthetic stucco, and black mold. Currently, the industry is challenged economically by an oversupply of homes, decreasing home prices, a credit crisis, an unstable stock market, record foreclosures, and a global recession. What is next?…
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Editor’s Note: Though a water heater is relatively inexpensive compared to the price of a house, repairs for the damage caused when one suddenly has a catastrophic failure is likely to be expensive. This is the reason many inspectors want to be able to give their clients some idea of how old the device is…
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As I approach my 10th year in business I am still learning about homes and perfecting my trade. Our clients expect a perfect inspection that will catch 100 percent of the issues. However, few are willing to spend the time or money such an exhaustive inspection would require.
Agents wouldn’t support it because a multi-day inspection…
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Fritz Kelly, inspecting for 12 years in Arizona, has a problem common to inspectors: “I declined to go into an attic the other day. The access was in the master bedroom closet, full of clothes, etc. When I attempted to open the scuttle cover, it was obvious there were about 15 inches of blown in…
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Editor’s Note: Most homeowners take smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms for granted but they are important pieces of safety equipment that we as real estate professionals need to be aware of.
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Editor’s Note: Inspector Peter Hawley reminds us how important safety concerns are. Home Inspection– Staying Safe Out There by Peter Hawley A few years ago, in my hometown, I was surprised to learn that a home inspector friend of mine had died. It was shocking and surprising because he was a fairly young man and…
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