Thank you, Dean.

Thank you Dean. I'll endorse you too. You did a very thorough and good inspection. Great with the client too!

I wanted to thank you;

I want to thank you for the home inspection at **** Clay St. in Napa. I needed the inspection with very little lead time and you were very accommodating. Most importantly though, is the fact that I received a very thorough inspection with detailed explanations along the way. The written report you followed up with was also very detailed and easy to understand.Thanks again for your good service. I highly recommend you to anyone needing a home inspection.

L. G. Boutilier

response to forclosure:

In todays market a forclosure can look like a bargain, and most are. The mold problem listed below is a nightmare waiting for an unsuspecting client due to one faulty valve. The remediation and repairs can easily top $50,000.00 in that case, so your question is valid. A few issues to note is that the previous owner could not afford the home so the defered maintenance probably wasn't a priority for some time. Bank's tend to close up a home and try to protect it from damage. The problem is that valves, hoses and flexable lines can crack when dry for long periods. The filters on the furnace haven't been cleaned in who knows how long and the firing systems on the water tank or the furnace can fail. Water tank's should be drained and refilled annually to remove the residue buildup, just let it cool and drain it to the yard with a garden hose before all that sludge fills your lines or fills your tank bottom.

More to your point is to run all the lines at the same time for a few minutes to check for adequate flow and drainage. In older areas roots can make their way into drain lines, eventually pluging the line or worse. Be sure the toilets flush at the same time, watch for leak's, even the little ones. Toilets should not move at all! Sewer gass is a bad thing.

Over time just do a periodic test monthly perhaps by using the fixtures, pee freely, it's your's!

It is estimated that the average home loses 300 to 400 cubic ft /min of conditioned or heated air hourly due to leeks in ductwork, if you have a dirty air filter that can double since the furnace/ac cannot get air easily from inside. That is the equivilent of 3 or 4 bath fans running constantly, sucking the money out of you wallet. CHANGE FILTERS MONTHLY!

I recently purchased a foreclosure.

I recently purchased a foreclosure. The home is only about 4 years old and in excellent condition. I'm a single man with no kids and the house is about 2400 sq ft. Obviously I don't use alot of the appliances, fixtures, HVAC, etc compared to a family. For example, the secondary bathroom doesn't get used at all, I don't run the AC and I rarely run the dishwasher. I'm wondering, how often is it necessary for me to operate everything or is it ok to keep things idle?

Seizmic tiedowns, supports and HUD label

Manufactured homes have certain requirements for safety and financing.

six weeks and $20,000.00 later

This home was closed up tight for months with all the utilities off while going through the repo process. The problems arose when the water was turned back on and the faulty laundry valve showed up running water to the street from the second floor. All the carpet was removed and then closed up again. Where exactly was the water to go? A wet crawl space and moisture wicking up the walls was a recipe for mold. Today it's the most impressive blooms the mold inspector has seen in some time.
Note: any time a home is closed up the various mechanical items can deteriorate seriously, this ball valve was a minor item untill it dried out.

Victorian charm, redwood rott

These homes stand the test of time but like anything you have to be dilligent with the caulking paint and maintenance. Redwood is great but it rotts like any other wood if it's in constant exposure to water. Still: 120 years is a feat of defiance against the elements. This home has been moved so some of what you see is new wood.

Be sure you test the plumbing on a REO

I recently did an inspection for a client in Vallejo looking to buy an vacant REO (bank foreclosure). Initially the water was off but we had the bank turn on all the utilities to be sure we inspected all systems possible. Good thing we did, the furnace igniter was burnt out and the copper pipes in the crawl space had been removed for the scrap value.
In the end the bank revised their position of : "no adjustments were available because of the bargain offered up front".
An inspection costing $300 to $400. can easily save you 10 to 20 times that amount in grief and hard earned cash on any property by being sure you know what you have to work with.

Napa inspection

Thank you so much for the timely and thorough inspection! It has been a pleasure working with you! Jenny H. Realtor in Napa

Welcome to my blog:

This site is dedicated to the adventurous homeowner. We have all heard of the money pit that ate someones paycheck endlessly, this site is an attempt to help to define some of the potential problems before you start dumping money into properties. Today's market is full of bank owned properties that have had little or no regular maintenance for the last few years. Caution is advised but an educated risk at this point could prove very profitable five yours down the road.
If you have any questions or comments to share please feel free to ask, if I don't have an answer for you I can get one from a reputable source. Photo's are a good place to start.