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It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections!!! Inspections are going strong and my year end goal is within reach. I never know if December is going to bring with it feast or famine. This year it is going strong with larger homes being a regular order.
I expected feedback on last week's issue of the MMM dealing with my newest "Online Order Form," but I only received one response. This was from Steve Bradley who is also heavy into the works of his very own. I received two more online orders this past week and it looks very promising. The one came through on Saturday at about 3 PM in the afternoon. It came after the person tried to call me on both my office and cell phone. My answering machine message directed them to the website and the whole high-tech approach kept me guilt-free as I refused to answer the phone. I envision the conversation where I can quickly direct the client to my website. This will free up a lot of my time that I now spend on the cell phone educating clients and agents.
Last week I promised to share Sylvan Stenge's field test of two separate Infrared Thermometers. The use of an Infrared Thermometer is very productive for Home Inspectors. Although there is quite a bit of healthy debate over other potentially "Technically Exhaustive" tools, the Infrared Thermometer does not fall into that category. Instead, it is a tool that greatly increases the productivity of the Home Inspector. It is a great time-saving device and it never gets left at the inspection property because it never leaves your hand or tool belt.
Let's enjoy Sylvan's observations.........
"I have just completed some testing on two infrared thermometers. The first is the unit that Michael owns, the QuickTemp. The laser pointer in this instrument is much more than just a toy. It definitely helps sight in on the target register, which is a big plus. Also, this thermometer is a very convenient size. The downside to the QuickTemp is the 3/1 optics. I find that the temperature readings have an increasing error as the distance from the register increases. For tall guys like Michael, this does not present a challenge on an 8' ceiling as he can just reach up and take a reading at the register. For guys like me (and higher ceilings), this equals BIG "problem." The closest I can reach is 15" below the register in a home with those typical 8' ceilings. As you can see in the chart below, I start out with a 12 degree error using this instrument. The challenge increases with higher ceilings. Generally however, there are some 8' ceilings in most houses and hopefully they are close to the furnace.
The second unit tested is the Optex Thermo Hunter from Professional Equipment. It is on sale for $199 in their latest catalog. It is somewhat larger than the Quick Temp but still small enough to fit in a shirt pocket(about the size of an older Motorola flip phone. With 10/1 optics there is very little error at 15" and no sighting is necessary so there is no difficulty for me on 8' ceilings. Without a laser beam, sighting the Optex Thermo Hunter becomes more of a challenge as the ceilings get higher and it was further exacerbated because the unit must be cocked at a slight angle to get the best reading. (The sensing unit inside the instrument I was using must be mounted slightly crooked. I will address this anomaly with Professional Equipment next week.)
As you can see from the chart below, the best thermometer for short guys may be the Optex since the reading at 15" (8' ceiling) is reasonably accurate. Even with higher ceilings the readings are more accurate with this unit. On higher ceilings, care must be taken to get the highest reading; a few extra seconds well spent. The optimal tool would be the Optex with the 33/1 optics AND laser sighting, but at $545.00.... forgedaboutdit!
ACTUAL TEMP. AT REGISTER 140 DEGREES
QUIK TEMP
OPTEX
128
138
127
118
135
114
133
115
The following is a current article that I published in our local Board Of Realtors monthly newsletter. It is seasonally topical and perfect fodder for an office presentation in snowy climates.
7 Winter Safety Tips for Vacant Homes Listing a vacant home in the winter season brings with it many challenges. The snow and ice cause safety hazards for all of those people viewing the property. In an effort to save a few dollars, some sellers have the utilities shut down. This also creates an unsafe, miserable environment for agents and buyers to view the property. Having the utilities shut down also makes it impossible for the Home Inspector to fully evaluate the property. The following is a list of 7 often overlooked winter safety tips for vacant homes. 1) SHOVEL THE WALKS - As the snow piles deeper from the winter storms, it is very important to keep the pathway from the street to the front door cleared of snow and ice. It is difficult for buyers to get real enthused about a home when they have to wade through snow to enter the house. It is also important to lay out a blanket or sheet on the home's interior entry so that perspective buyers do not track in snow and dirt off their shoes. #I have found that everyone appreciates it when I shovel off an entry path for the walkthrough at the end of the home inspection. The extra effort is also a major source of safety. If our clients get hurt due to snow and ice, it will be our general liability insurance that will help to pay for the treatments. This means money out of our pockets to pay the deductible. 2) PLUMBING - Water leaks are the leading cause of structural damage to Northern Utah homes. It is important to leave the plumbing "ON" in vacant homes to allow the Home Inspector to test and evaluate the fixtures. If the seller is adamant about saving money and shutting down the plumbing during the winter, then it is important to have a licensed Plumber shut down and winterize the system. This includes draining the lines, draining the water heater, and adding anti-freeze to the toilets. The winterizing process can cost considerably more than just leaving the water on. 3) SPRINKLER SYSTEM - Sprinkler systems left on during the freezing temperatures are prone to pipe and valve freezing. I inspected a vacant Pleasant Grove property where the rear yard drinking fountain supply line ruptured and water was shooting up 12 feet in the air. I spent over 20 minutes shoveling off the snow in the front yard to find the access to the underground sprinkler system shut-off valve. This could have been avoided if the sprinkler system had been shut down when the valve was easy to find. 4) SWAMP COOLERS - Major damage can result from a swamp cooler hook-up line rupturing in an attic. It is important to shut their water supply off, drain the line, and drain the main reservoir. 5) GARDEN HOSES - It is important to unscrew the garden hoses from the home's hose bibs. Leaving them screwed on can cause even "anti-freeze" type hose bibs to freeze up. On homes equipped without anti-freeze hose bibs, it is also good advice to cover the hose bibs with the inexpensive insulated covers. The foam covers cost under $2 a piece and are available at all home centers. 5) ELECTRICITY - It is important to leave the electricity "ON" in the winter. It allows the electrical system and its switches, fixtures, and outlets to be inspected and tested. It is also necessary to operate the home's heating system. It is extremely unsafe for buyer's to walk through a dark and cold home because moisture builds up on the carpet, stairways, and vinyl creating very slippery surfaces. 7) THERMOSTAT & HEATING - It is important that the natural gas system be left on during cold weather. The thermostat on the heating system should also be left at 60 degrees or higher. Prospective buyers appreciate walking into a warm home. Having the gas left "ON" also makes it possible for the Home Inspector to evaluate the gas appliances. Many homes are mistakenly left with the thermostat set at 50 degrees. The errant thinking is that 50 degrees is warm enough in the home to keep the pipes from freezing. This is not true. Most thermostats are located on the home's main floor and that means that when the main floor is at 50 degrees the basement can be well below freezing. Ruptured pipes inside vacant homes are usually disastrous because they run so long before anybody notices. This ruins carpets and drywall from the long-term
moisture exposure. It may seem tempting to shut down the utilities on vacant homes, but this action is short-sighted. It makes a thorough home inspection impossible and provides very cold and dark conditions for prospective buyers to view the listing. If you are trying to make your listing stand out positively from the rest, shovel the snowy walks and leave the lights, water and heating systems on.
(Michael Leavitt is the owner of Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections. He can be contacted via his website at www.TheHomeInspector.com or by phone at 225-8020)
I have been repeatedly asked for information on how to successfully do Office Presentations. My first response is to just go out and do them. Office Presentations are easy for me because I can fill 15 minutes without even thinking about it. I will try to be sensitive to the fact that speaking in public does not come easy for everyone and deal with the subject over the next few months.
I remember the point in my business when I felt as though the Agents and Brokers were aware of who I was. My advertising had become common place in their offices and I had several presentations under my belt. I started to slow down and sent out a letter to several of the local Brokers to line up some office visits. PLEASE NOTE: I do not recommend this as your first approach or it will surely be thrown directly into the trash can. This type of letter could be used as an "Ice Breaker" letting them know that you will be contacting them shortly to schedule a date.
The following letter was very successful and received both "YES" and "NO" responses. You will notice that I don't give them the opportunity to reject me personally. If they say "NO" it is because they are already booked up and not because they don't want me to speak. I think that this was a big key as to why the letter worked.
To: Mr. Broker -- Century 21
From: Michael Leavitt
Date: December 14, 1998
Topic: Home Inspection Office Presentation
It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections and we would love to come to an office meeting and put on a presentation about home inspections. We talk about:
Our office presentations are both fun and informative for the agents. The key focus is on creating a clear awareness of how a Certified Home Inspector helps to protect the agent's and client's interest.
Our presentation takes about 12 minutes with another 3-8 minutes of quality question answering time at the end. We have found that most agents are full of questions and earnestly seeking to find a Certified Home Inspector that they can trust with their clients.
Please choose a time and date and return this form in the SASE provided. We will confirm the presentation date with you and also deliver a special Sales Meeting Flier the week before the presentation to create interest.
YES, I would like you to do an office presentation at the following meeting.
NO, our presentation calendar is currently full.
Thank you,
Michael Leavitt
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