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It doesn’t take long to figure out that the electrical needs of homes in the 21st century far surpass those of homes that were wired in the 1920s. Often, while inspecting older homes, I will still find electrical systems that are considered antique and cannot reasonably or safely handle today’s electrical loads.
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Editor’s Note: This is a side by side comparison of the Scope of Practice documents of several home inspector associations: AII, ASHI, NACHI, NAHI. Author Michael O’Handley offers several caveats: the comparison was completed in 2006, with the associations making minor changes since. Also, the comparison is based on O’Handley’s interpretation of the documents, which…
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Editor’s Note: Low-level exposure to carbon monoxide can cause chronic health conditions from cardiovascular disease to an illness similar to Parkinson’s. It’s easy and inexpensive for appraisers and inspectors to stay safe in other people’s homes (and in their own). Some inspectors also include CO testing in their reports to add value to their service.…
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Beware: Inspecting for Hantavirus By Rich Parker As inspectors (and appraisers) we face potentially dangerous situations daily, from a simple broken step on a front porch that might cause us to trip and fall, to a backyard hole, obscured by overgrown grass or weeds, that can cause an ankle sprain, to breathing mold, to a...…
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Rose is a Rose Inspecting AND Writing You wouldn’t expect home inspectors to be discussing the fine points of misplaced modifiers or use of the passive voice when sharing report writing tips, but this is exactly the advice veterans gave to a newbie inspector asking for report writing do’s and don’ts, recently on a home…
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Editor’s Note: First of a multi-part series on report writing from Alan Carson. You can find the piece in its entirety by clicking Home Inspectors: Report Writing 101. Inspecting is Easy – Writing is Hard! by Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop An inspection report must serve both the inspector and the client. That’s why report writing...…
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Home Inspectors: Report Writing 101 By: Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop Introduction We all like inspecting houses. It’s fun and challenging and we are really good at seeing things that mere mortals can’t. The “show and tell” with clients is rewarding, and the appreciation they feel at the end of the process gives us real job…
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Inspecting On a Rainy Day In many places this winter there’s more rain then snow – at least so far. Do you inspect on a rainy day? In case you’re wondering, most inspectors we talk to do not slow down when it rains – in fact many assert there are items they can see far…
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Inspecting Wet Basements by Alan Carson, Carson-Dunlop The problem is all-too-familiar to many homeowners. It is said that more than 98 percent of all houses have had or will have basement leakage at some point. Identifying the Problem The presence of efflorescence, a whitish mineral deposit on the interior of foundation walls, indicates moisture penetration....…
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Editor’s Note: The following is a (brief) excerpt from the story Successful Report Writing by expert Alan Carson. (Find answers to these questions and others: What are you trying to accomplish with the report?; What do clients want?; Format: electronic or paper?; Should you purchase vs. create your reports?; How to build a knowledge base?;…
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