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It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections!!!
New Year's Eve brought with it snow to cover the recently melted
lawns. December 31st is also the birthday of our third child,
Haily. 
While
others were out celebrating the passing of a calendar year , we
were eating cake and ice cream and opening more presents. I hope
that the holiday's activities passed safely and that your batteries
are recharged for a fantastic 1999.
The highlight of the week was taking Jessica (8) and Adam (4) snow skiing. Jessica is already proficient, but it was Adam's first time. What a blast it is to take a fearless four-year-old onto the ski slopes for the first time. He didn't know that he was supposed to be scared. This cut the learning curve down considerably and within minutes on the hill, he was snow plowing, turning and stopping. The afternoon ski school lesson time was just an excuse to let Dad hit the advanced double black diamond runs.
COMPETITOR'S PHILOSOPHIESAn important aspect of our individual business success is being aware of our competition. If you don't know what they are doing, they may just leave you in the dust. Finding out what they are doing can be done in many ways. You might find another Home Inspector's advertising flier, brochure or newspaper press releases. You might ask your favorite agents if you can review other inspector's reports. I have found that a great way to learn your cutting edge competitor's plan of attack is through the internet. Company websites can be a quick revealer of a company's motives and marketing strategies. The great advantage is that you don't have to talk to anybody and there are no confrontations.
You could choose to sit back and let your other area inspectors raise the level of the marketplace to where you become obsolete. But I don't think you would be reading this marketer if you felt that way. Here is a case in point. Last year it became evident to local realtors that they would have to become computer literate to stay competitive. Multiple Listing Service access was all moving online and out-of-state buyers were clamoring for online viewing of properties. Older dinosaurs in the trade refused to heed the warnings and much of the market is being taken over by the computer literate. Within one short year the transition has taken place. Home Inspectors should aggressively be learning computerization and lead the way in their respective marketplaces.
As you read this MMM, I will be inspecting a mansion on the hillside of Orem, Utah, for someone who is closing on the property on Tuesday. The buyer is currently in Hong Kong and they need to review the report ASAP. I was warned two weeks ago that the negotiations were going along fiercely and that if the deal was agreed upon that there would be a huge rush on the inspection time frame. I think of the near impossibility logistically if I was still producing reports by hand. Being fully computerized, I will complete the inspection by 11:00 a.m., polish it off and print it out as a PDF file back at the office by 11:45 a.m. I will immediately e-mail the report to Hong Kong and the local agent before noon. There will be no huge overnight international mail, or international long distance fax fee. The report will be crystal clear and in living color, including the digital photo on the report's cover. I am currently the only inspector in Northern Utah who can fill this inspection request in such a fashion.
To remain competitive
we need to be aware of our current and future competitors. New
Home Inspectors are coming into the business from many different
fields. Entire industries are also attempting to crossover into
Home Inspecting. It has been rumored that some would prefer to
completely takeover our industry. Appraisers are being urged to
collect both the appraisal and inspection fees. Engineers, General
Contractors, licensed tradesmen and even real estate professionals
are entering the inspection profession. Lured by what appears
to be easy money, most do not at first identify the needed skills,
learning and tenacity required to be successful in this business.
It is fun to identify the differences between Home Inspector philosophies. This past week another inspector shared a website for home inspections performed by Professional Engineers (PE). I perused the site's content and had a difficult time dealing with the obvious differences with their approach verses the AII™ inspecting philosophy. The website presented itself as a voice for all Engineers. Whether that is true or not is not as important to me as it is how they represent what it is that we do. I would be especially interested on feedback from the AII™ Inspectors who are also Engineers.
I took the time to reformat one of the PE pages called "HOME BUYERS LIST OF TOP TEN DEFECTS". I was intrigued by the title and I wanted to see what they classified as the 10 most important "DEFECTS" in buying a home. The engineering slant will be very obvious to you. I challenge you to read this document and keep track of all of the words, thoughts, philosophies, and ideas that don't sit well with you. Keep track of all of the words that you would have to pay a quarter for if you used them in an AII™ setting. About 80% of the content is very good. It is the other 20% that really hurts your eyes when you read it.
NOTE: This article is shared to show AII™ members how NOT to look professional.
Retaining the services of Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) home inspector can translate into big savings at the closing table. First, you need to be sure that you retain the services of a qualified Licensed Professional Engineer who can identify subtle defects that are not readily visible to the typical home buyer. Buyers who inspect their prospective homes by themselves are rarely qualified to conduct a thorough home inspection and even if they have a good knowledge base to work from, they are too emotionally involved in the purchase and are usually blinded by the glitter of the cosmetic issues.
Buying the home of your dreams usually consumes all of your available resources as well as everything you can borrow. You sure don't want to wake up to an unexpected $3,000 repair bill for a new heating system three months after you move in.
Identifying subtle defects before you sign a contract can translate into a reduced selling price, or repair of uncovered defects at the sellers cost. And don't believe that the seller is offering the house ``as is", there's always room for negotiation. Of course, there is a limit to what any inspector can uncover because home inspections are visual investigations and destructive probing is not the standard of practice in the industry. However, there may be times when destructive probing may be recommended by the engineer and this must be undertaken with the seller's approval.
The purpose of a pre-purchase home inspection is to reduce risk to the buyer, the visual inspection can not eliminate risk. It is important to accompany the engineer during the home inspection because one picture is worth a thousand words and there's a unique opportunity to learn about the home; the engineer will be sure that you are not blinded by the glitter. Familiarize yourself with the following top ten list and you will have an idea of what your home inspection engineer should be looking for.
Wear on a roof may be readily apparent if the wear is very advanced but a roof that is starting to age is a more subtle defect that the engineer can uncover. Resurfacing a roof costs thousands of dollars, and will cost much more if the existing roofing surface needs to be removed prior to re-roofing. If a roof will need to be resurfaced in the foreseeable future, this may be a negotiable item. Similarly, the siding of the house should be carefully inspected because residing a house can also cost thousand of dollars. Replacement of old defective windows can cost thousands of dollars, don't overlook this obvious defect. Eliminating problems before they start is smart, for example, the home inspector should be sure that the land around the home is properly graded to divert water away from the home, this will help to reduce the possibility of water intrusion into the home.
If there's one defect you don't want to find out about after you move in, it's a basement that floods. The basement areas of the home should be thoroughly checked for signs of water intrusion, such as water stains, mildew, an odor of dampness, efflorescence on the walls and floors, and damaged and cupping floors. In addition, look for water proofing systems, sump pumps, etc. in the basement; these systems can help to reduce the risk of water flooding in the basement but may not be able to eliminate water intrusion under all conditions. If a house needs water proofing measures, the cost can run into the thousands.
Proper insulation and ventilation in a home should not be overlooked; proper ventilation in a home is more important than most home buyers are aware of. Inadequate ventilation in an attic can result in accelerated deterioration of the structural roof deck; if this occurs, a major expense will be incurred to remove and replace the roofing shingles and roof deck, and in extreme cases, the roof rafters. This is one defect that should not be overlooked.
The condition of the paint surface on homes constructed prior to 1978 may contain lead paint which can be a problem if there is wide spread deterioration of the paint surface; your home inspection engineer may suggest an X-ray evaluation of the paint surface for lead content. If you are planning renovation of walls, etc. after you move in, lead paint is an issue to consider.
Bulges, deflections, and other irregularities in the roof framing, exterior wall framing, and interior framing, or cracks in the foundation wall may indicate a serious structural problem that may be the result of poor structural design, poor construction techniques, improper structural alteration, water damage, or termite damage. Jacking up a house to replace damaged structural components, or underpinning a defective foundation wall is a major expense. The home inspection engineer has the experience, education and expertise to evaluate structural problems; this is one of the reasons why retaining the services of a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) to conduct your home inspection instead of a home inspector who is not licensed to practice engineering is advantageous. Sure, anybody can report that a structural defect exists, but only a P.E. is licensed to offer a professional engineering judgment and design to correct the problem. Home buyers who do not retain the services of a P.E. may have to pay a second fee to obtain a professional engineer's opinion.
First, the engineer should determine the size of the service to determine if it meets current standards; bringing an upgraded electrical service into a home can cost one thousand dollars. The electrical system should then be checked by removing the cover from the electric service panel. Once the wiring is exposed, be sure that the home inspection engineer looks for problems in the panel such as burned wiring, overfused circuits (the fuse or circuit breaker is too large for the wire size), improper wiring connections, openings in the panel (where a child can put their finger into the panel, ouch!), home owner installed wiring, etc. In addition to checking for an adequate quantity of electrical switches and convenience outlets in the house, the outlets should be checked for open ground and wiring reversal conditions. Throughout the house, dead ended wiring and exposed wiring should be on the list of defects to look for. Homes wired in the mid 60's to mid 70's may have aluminum wiring and if so, the engineer should determine if an approved retrofit has been installed at the wiring connections; if not, a potential fire safety hazard exists. If the home is very old, it may have knob and tube wiring, this is ancient wiring and may be hazardous. Extensive wiring replacement can cost thousands of dollars.
First, the home inspection engineer should determine the type of pipe that supplies water to the house from the municipal main in the street. Be wary of old lead and galvanized steel water supply pipes, replacement costs thousands of dollars. Be sure that your home inspection engineer checks the piping distribution in the house for type of material and condition looking for deterioration, incompatible piping materials, and leaks. Your engineer should carry a moisture meter to evaluate any suspect plaster for wall board on the ceilings and walls caused by water leaks; replacing the piping network in the walls and ceilings is a major expense that can cost thousands of dollars. Be sure that the engineer checks all of the fixtures and faucets for proper operation, and also checks tiled bathtub and shower enclosures for integrity. Replacement of tiling in a bathroom, or replacement of a shower pan can cost a couple of thousand dollars.
Look out for that old clunker that used to fire coal, it will consume fuel faster than you can feed it; plan on replacing it with a modern efficient heating system. Other problems include defective furnace heat exchangers, this type of problem is not always easy to uncover and usually means that the furnace will require replacement and this can cost three to four thousand dollars. Boilers that are starting to leak will also require replacement and a typical cost is three to five thousand dollars; your engineer should look for these major defects. In addition, your engineer should be sure that the heat distribution is satisfactory and that the heat distribution piping or ductwork is in good condition. Safety concerns such as defective controls, inoperative emergency switches, and evidence of past malfunctions and carbon monoxide emissions must be carefully investigated by the engineer. Be careful of special problems associated with radiant floor heating and other less common systems.
The engineer should advise you to have underground oil storage tanks tested for integrity; a leaking underground oil storage tank can cause thousands of dollars of environmental damage. Another environmental concern is the existence of insulation that may contain asbestos and is especially hazardous if the material is friable. The engineer should advise you to have any suspect material laboratory tested.
The home inspection engineer should test the central air-conditioning system to be sure that it is cooling properly; replacement of an air-conditioning compressor can cost two to five thousand dollars.
Be very careful of homes where deferred maintenance is clearly evident; if a home has been poorly maintained and there are obvious problems, proceed with extreme caution, this could be your worst nightmare where you wake up in the middle of the night screaming (the home of your dreams has become the home of your screams). If there are obvious problems, imagine what you can't see; it's your money pit, keep your check book handy. A handyman's special is best acquired by a handy man.
Be careful of homes where there is obvious plumbing and electrical work, as well as structural additions and renovations, that were not professionally installed and were most likely installed by the home owner; correcting these defects can cost thousands of dollars. This is a situation where the seller of the home is a weekend warrior who is well intentioned but has no clue regarding proper construction and trade practices; don't end up writing checks for work that the seller did not want to pay for.
It is preferable to retain the services of a home inspector who issues a full written report detailing what is wrong, why it's wrong, and what needs to be done to correct the uncovered defects. Home inspection reports that consist of check lists handed to you at the end of an inspection are often void of needed detail; checking off good, fair poor, adequate, inadequate, etc. often leaves you wondering what to do next. Be sure that you retain the services of an engineer whose door is open for future questions.
Take a copy of InspectAmerica's check list when you preview homes, when you see a home that you might consider, use the check list to make notes; you will find this check list to be an invaluable resource to help you remember what you've seen and will be an important aid when you accompany your Professional Engineer (P.E.) during your home inspection. Remember, smart home buyers understand the advantages of retaining the services of a P.E. instead of an inspector who is not licensed to practice engineering.
E-Mail Me NOW with your list, comments and feedback.
AII™
DIRTY WORDSIn reading the above web page, I was re-enlightened as to why members of the American Institute of Inspectors® are not allowed to use certain words. I remember my original training with Bill Ball in Sacramento, California, where I learned the hard way that we were not allowed to say one of the most frequently used words in my vocabulary up until that time. "PROBLEM" - This word is one of the easiest words to use when describing any condition in a home. I found that it easily flowed forth from my mouth each time I opened my flapper, and each time I did, it allowed me to invest another quarter into the "CUSS CAN." Now I am not a drinking man, but a lot of you are and I think that I purchased each one of you at least three drinks a piece at the 1995 Annual Meeting. It got to the point where I just set a roll of quarters out onto the desk in front of me and knew that I would make a deposit before my question was asked.
MARKETING TIP
- Wipe these "DIRTY
WORDS" from your vocabulary for a more professional image.
Let's look back to our AII™ training manuals at the dirty words that we are not allowed to say. After visiting with many of you at this past Annual Meeting in Reno, I think that we can all use a refresher. Pay special attention to those words that we are to replace the "DIRTY WORDS" with.
In reviewing this list, I am guilty of falling into the habit of using a few of these phrases. I regularly use "PROPERLY" and "IMPROPERLY" in my report writing. Now that I have identified the bad habit I will immediately cease and desist. Whereas George Carlin made a comedic career out of using his "Seven Dirty Words", we should head the advice of our Association's Standards and forego using our lengthy list of dirty words.
Wiping these words and phrases out of our vocabulary entirely was very difficult for me. I found that I could not do it only when I was inspecting houses. Instead, I had to wipe them out of my entire life. This means when I am discussing conditions while I am out to dinner with my wife, doing math challenges with my kids, and when I ask the computer store how much I will need to invest for the new upgrade, I have to resist the temptation to say "PROBLEM, PRICE, WORRY & COST."
There are other words that are not on our official list that we should refrain from using. My favorite is "DEFECT" and "DEFECTIVE." This is probably the most popular word of choice among real estate professional to describe repairable conditions in homes. Every time I hear it being used I cringe from the strong negative image which it portrays.
Lets all remember why it is we refrain from using this type of vocabulary. We are hired to accurately convey the conditions of the home without biasing the transactions with our prejudicial use of language. We are not hired to "Tone Down" or "Exacerbate" the conditions that we report. We are like Jack Webb of Dragnet fame, "Just the Facts Ma'am." Using negative or inflammatory language is what "Deal Killers" pride themselves on, while AII™ Inspectors "Seal the Deal" with accurate non-inflammatory verbal and written reporting language.
What words
and phrases do you refrain from using that you loved to use in
your previous life? E-Mail
Me NOW!
SUBPANEL
GROUNDINGDialogue on the AII™ Inspector Hotline recently covered a topic of utmost importance here in Northern Utah where each home has at least one, if not several, electrical subpanels. The question is basic, yet the answer is commonly forgotten or confused. I feel that it is important to immortalize this question and answer dialogue here in the Monday Morning Marketer.
Jon Gudnason started it off by asking.....
If the main electrical panel is in
one building and a subpanel is in a separate structure, the subpanel
should have its own grounding electrode or ufer ground. What I
can't remember is if you then join the neutrals and grounds back
together in the subpanel or if they remain separated as they would
in a subpanel in the same building as the main panel. Where did
the name "ufer" come from anyway? It's a strange word.
Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Scott Merritt from Grass Valley, California responded....
My understanding is that when the
panel is grounded as you describe then the grounds and neutrals
can share the buss bar. The word "ufer" you "refur"
to should ALWAYS be capitalized because it comes from the man
named Ufer who came up with this concept of grounding. Scott Merritt
- Grass Valley, CA
Ron Cloyd from Klammath Falls, Oregon went directly to the source
with.......
Fellow Inspectors:
Out of the training manuals: This comes from the outline for the electrical system.
Hope this helps. Ron Cloyd - Klammath
Falls, Oregon
Jon Gudnason replied......
Ron, The information you posted is
generally correct to the best of my knowledge, I wrote it some
years ago. The example you state is for a subpanel in the same
building as the main panel. I have since learned that the part
about adding a second Ufer, or house ground, at the a subpanel
in the same building is an incorrect installation unless this
grounding electrode is bonded back to the first
grounding electrode (Ufer ground). It creates the possibility
of current potential between the two sources of ground and thus
can allow current potential to be present on the grounding system.
I guess this has to do with resistance between the electrode and
true ground or something. It is a little over my head.
Jim, do you have any thoughts from
your electrical schooling? The situation we are discussing in
previous posts is a subpanel in a separate building. I have learned
in recent years that a separate Ufer ground is required in the
second building. The consensus seems to be that the subpanel in
the second building should then be treated the same as a main
panel and the neutrals and grounds joined back
together again. This raises a new question. Is it wrong if they
are not bonded back together? And if so, why? I always feel it
is important to know the reasons for the standards we use. Jon
Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Jim Lucas from El Camino, California shared.......
Ron: This comes from the electrical
outline that I wrote for the training manuals. Perhaps I can simplify
the picture through this illustration; Normally, the run from
the main panel to remote subpanel consisted of four conductors,
namely the neutral, two hots, and a ground. The ground
went to the terminal strip fastened directly to the subpanel box.
The neutral was fastened to a terminal strip separated from the
subpanel by bakalite plastic. Of course the hots went to the breaker
buss bars.
Now, if the subpanel does happen to have its own "Ufer" ground, then the grounds and neutrals may be connected to the same terminal strip, just like you would find in the main panel.
As for "Ufer" I like Michael's (Unidentified Flying Electrical Repairman). Since a "Ufer" electrode+20 ft. of #4 rebar at the bottom of a footing, maybe it stands for "under footing electrode rod" Oh, well! Jim Lucas - El Camino, CA
Jon Gudnason is a wise man and he posted this same question to more than one Home Inspector internet forum. He gained a great response from Jerry McCarthy from somewhere in Northern California that said......
More stuff off another mailing list. Hope you find it useful. Jerry has been teaching code compliance's at San Mateo Community College for years. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Jon, Refer to Section 250-24. Where 2 or more buildings or structures are supplied with a common service, the grounded system in each building or structure is required to have a grounding electrode installed in accordance with NEC #250, Part H.
There is an exception to this in that should there be only one branch circuit and no equipment grounding, and only supplies a single lighting fixture and switch a grounding electrode is not required. The neutrals should not be connected.
"Ufer" is a concrete encased grounding electrode system at least 20 feet in length connected to a # 4 rebar near the bottom of the footing. It was named after its inventor Clyde Ufer, and is the grounding electrode of choice commonly used today. - Jerry
PS: I have always found it interesting that the opening at the gypsum wall covering revealing the ufer ground connection clamp at the rebar seemingly violates the fire protection requirements within the garage ? No one has ever explained this to my satisfaction ?
QUOTABLE QUOTES: "I
really worry about the code violations that I found over here
that are going to be big problems. Defects like these cost thousands
of dollars to repair and you should be able to knock at least
twenty thousand dollars off the asking price, guaranteed. The
home was not built to code and the rear addition should be considered
dozer bait. There are many evidences of structural failure and
the mechanical systems are trashed and wasted. The water pressure
is pathetic and everybody in this transaction is lying to you
except for me. I am your advocate and this home is not worth what
they are asking for it. If I were you I would be really concerned
and consider running from this home quickly before this Money
Pit becomes your eternal nightmare." - Michael Leavitt.... Quoted from my most recent inspection
report! =:-)[Return to the Current Issue of the Monday Morning Marketer | Click Here For Back Issues of the Monday Morning Marketer]
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AII™
Web Site: www.INSPECTION.org