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It really is a great day here in Orem, Utah. Our inspection business has returned to a normal pace. If our funeral week hadn't occurred, then our figures would have outdone February 1999. On Friday night I was able to take my wife out to a Sweetheart Ball for a wonderful evening of dining, dancing and talking (We definitely need to do that more often).
Saturday morning found me leaving the family at home to take advantage of the 30" of fresh skiing powder that had fallen the previous couple of days on our local mountains. It was the kind of skiing day that you dream about. I was skiing with a couple of teenagers that went over, off and into everything. The most classic moment was as I skied towards the rock lip of Bishop's Cliff. This is a cliff jump of between 15 to 30 feet depending on your speed and launching ability. I had just witnessed the two brain dead teenagers go off and biff in the snow below ("Biff" is a word that describes a major wipe-out).
Now I found myself approaching the launch realizing that I was beyond the point of no return. Bailing out at that point would be the ABC Wide World of Sports Agony of Defeat re-visited. At this point I realized the danger that I had subjected myself to so many thousands of times before entering Parenthood. Those were the days when I really had nothing to lose.... If I hurt myself back then I could easily call in sick to work without penalty.
The option of either committing yourself to the cause or bailing out is a great philosophical question in life. Are you committed to the cause, or are you pretending like you are, yet really bailing out is your hidden option? I would like to discuss the feelings of being committed to the cause. As I approached the lip of Bishop's Cliff and realized that bailing out would bring both shame and intense pain, my level of committment increased. Time momentarily slowed down as I launched off the snow covered rock lip into the air. Grace and form now came into play from thousands of previous jumps made during a misspent childhood. The reality of the danger involved is postponed until your skiis finally touch down into the powder.
The landing can either be a moment of bliss, or a harsh reality of the bad decision made further up the hill when you felt some pressure to make the leap. In my case the 30" of powder made the flight all worthwhile. Landing in the deep fluffy snow was softer that falling into an old feather bed. Screams of jubilee were impossible to withhold. Being committed to the cause is the best decision if you have previously prepared yourself for your Bishop's Cliff.
Did you hear the scream of jubilee from Doug Treloar earlier this week on the AII™ Inspector Hotline??? It echoed from Carpiteria, Ca, as follows......
WOW! How sweet it is. I've just completed my first inspection using the 3-D software program. What a great program. It is so slick! I reviewed the product at the CREIA Conference in January and picked up a demo disc from there. I was impressed with that alone, but after purchasing the program through Michael and getting it all formatted to the AII™ standards, it is a breeze. What a difference they make. It's also nice to have Michael there, to walk you through the set-up, and get you started on the right track. His expertise and couragement alone is worth the price. It didn't take any longer to enter the information into the computer and get a professional looking report that it has taken just to correct my spelling and clean up my hand written report. I'm just a novice at this but already I'm feeling like an expert. Thank you 3-D; Thank you Michael!!! |:} Doug Treloar - Pre-Purchase Inspection Services - Carpinteria, CA
Computerization is a huge Bishop's Cliff for many Home Inspectors. Some have prepared themselves for the jump while others are truly just taking a leap of faith. Doug joins the ever growing list of Inspectors making the transition. His scream of jubilee and success comes from landing in 30" of fresh powder. It was the soft landing that I feel that I was able to help provide.
I can't tell you how many times that I have been disappointed in life when I have made a leap onto what was billed as soft and fluffy only to find hard ice and rocks. The landing surface makes even the amateur look good.
Ken Ives has sent along a couple of photos this week. Ken shared....
I think back on the home work assignments that we took during the training classes, and had to come together the next morning and "rate" the house. No promting, no discussion, but turn in your rating sheet, and then hear the responses.
Here are two more pictures that I came up with earlier this week.
Ken Ives - Sacramento, CA
PHOTO#1 - Bedroom
According to your Eagle Inspector Eye.... 'What do you see, and is there something to say on a report from this bedroom window photo?"
The Answer Photo along with your responses will be shared next week.
In recent years I have been doing a lot of traveling in conjunction with my Home Inspection enterprise and personal time away from the business. Each hotel room or condominium that I have stayed at has found me entering the temporary domicile with the eyes of a Home Inspector. This is a talent that is tough to turn off, especially when my safety and the safety of my family is at stake.
A few years ago while attending our Annual Meeting in Reno, I joked that we should all do room evaluations of our individual units and submit them to the management. My thinking was that the information would be well received and might just get us some sort of discount or complimentary night of stay in the future.
I know that I am not the only Home Inspector to walk into the hotel room and test the GFCI button before using it. I even look for bonding and GFCI protection at those units that have the deluxe feature. I also have a difficult time approaching a toilet without seeing if the base is loosely mounted.
Knowing that this always bugged me when I would find reportable conditions, I recently created a special 3D Inspection System report form for stays at hotel/motel rooms, and another for the prolonged stays at timeshare condos. They both can be purchased and utilizes many of the subforms that come with the initial AII™ style residential form set. The Hotel/Motel & Timeshare report forms can be purchased jointly for $50 and they are compatible with the Windows CE Cassiopeia.
CLICK HERE to download a recent report from a romantic getaway that Shelly and I took to the Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake City. This download requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
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Shelly and I stayed in the Treasure Island theme room and had a wonderful time. I performed the inspection the following morning right before we checked out. It took about 15 minutes and I captured some classic photos and the report revealed a lot of Reportable Conditions.
The Anniversary Inn is a themed Bed & Breakfast designed for Anniversaries and romantic getaways. Many of the rooms are elegant, while other rooms are just plain fun. The Treasure Island room is a lot of fun. The sleeping area is on the upper level as though you are in the crows nest. The sleeping area is equipped with a giant screen TV and a retractable 8'x8' skylight. The view of the stars was incredible as we gazed at the night sky.
The main room level featured the oversized jetted tub that included a rope and pulley system to retract the shower surround. The dining table that doubled as an aquarium was also a nice touch. The room was also theme painted as though you were swashbucklers sailing the wide open sea. Chocolates and Martinellis Sparkling Cider awaited our arrival and from the moment we walked through the door the romantic mood was set.
If you haven't visited a romantic Bed & Breakfast, I encourage you to do so. Each time Shelly and I go to one we wonder why we waited so long to return. The nature of our business is so all consuming that I often find it too easy to overlook the needed romantic getaways from the business and kids. I suppose that by performing the Inspection Report during your stay there that the event suddenly becomes a write-off (Check with your accountant for details).
The morning light brings with it a wonderful breakfast delivered outside your door. The foods are usually exotic and different. I like the stuffed blueberry waffles or the yogurt and rasberries. There is no doubt about the fact that you have very little desire to leave the following day.
I have yet to hear back from the Anniversary Inn management, but the report has been sent off to them. The Anniversary Inn is typical of most Bed & Breakfast Inns in that the owners take an extremely old structure and convert them over to the inns. This requires new electrical, plumbing and fixtures. As with most older home restorations many things can be overlooked. These are usually Health & Safety related items. Property management firms know that most litigation suits occur form overlooked Health & Safety items. The Treasure Island suit was suffering from typical plumbing issues that cause major long term water damage. I'm certain that the management will be glad to learn of my findings..... And who knows, maybe I'll get a free return visit or major inspection from my efforts. I'll keep you informed.
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