Choosing a Home Inspector

Since things changed so fast that Derek and I ended up just walking into the nearest realty office and saying we need a realtor NOW rather than going through a thoughtful selection process I'll just say it... we got lucky.  We got very lucky!  That random shot netted us a realtor who listened to what we wanted, asked the right questions to get great showings right off the bat, and is very familiar with the exact area where we want to buy both to live there and for future investment properties.

So, now after having our offer on a house accepted, we need to get it inspected so that we have some reassurance that we are getting into what we think we're getting ourselves into.

Just like every profession... there are home inspectors who do a great job and some that slack off and leave you to find nasty surprises.  That happens because not all states require licensing so there is no standard baseline for their skills or knowledge.  It's very much worth your time to ask questions when you are choosing an inspector.  Think of it as a job interview where you are the hiring manager... because that's exactly what you are doing.  You're hiring someone to work for you.

Here are some examples of things you'll want to have answered:

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
You want to find someone who does inspections as a full-time job.  They should be doing at least 250 inspections a year.  And several years of on the job experience is very desirable.

ARE YOU KNOWLEDGEABLE?  HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO THIS JOB?
A home inspector should have a solid working knowledge of every system in the home.  Many may have had formal training in one trade but they should have spent considerable time cross-training with other relevant trades.  For example, someone who trained as an electrician formally should be cross-trained on carpentry, plumbing and HVAC.  And the most knowledgeable will have started with a degree in engineering or architecture that provides a broad background understanding of construction or be trained to operate as a general contractor.

WHICH INSPECTOR WILL THE INSPECTION COMPANY SEND?
Both the reputation of the inspector, personally, and the company, generally, are important.  Gather information about both.

ARE YOU COVERED BY E&O AND GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE?
E&O stands for errors and omissions.  It's to your advantage that the inspector is covered by both of these types of insurance policies.  Ask for a copy of the policies and check for coverage limits, exclusions and limitations.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE INSPECTION?  HOW MANY WILL YOU BE DOING THE SAME DAY AS MINE?
A thorough inspection should take approximately 2 hours.  It's hard work and tiring so it is to your advantage to schedule either the first or second time slot in the inspector's daily schedule.

HOW MUCH DOES THE INSPECTION COST?
The cost varies widely depending on your market and who you choose to work with.  In my area most are advertising a price between $200 and $400.  A well-established, full-time professional inspector is going to be at the high end of that spectrum but when you think of it as an investment in protecting what may be the largest purchase of your life, it's a small price to pay and very worthwhile.  This is not something you want to nickel and dime or select someone based on price alone.

WHAT TYPE OF REPORT WILL I GET?  WHEN WILL I GET IT?
A proper inspection should include a signed report that describes what was inspected and the condition of each inspected item with comments specific to your home.  It can be hand-written and mostly a checklist which is typically delivered to you on site at the conclusion of the inspection.  It can also be computer generated and could take a few days to complete and mail to you.  The house I purchased a few years ago (in another state) was emailed to me the next day and included a checklist, written descriptions of each system and photographs with problem areas highlighted.

ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH ANY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS?
There are many local, state, and national organizations that an inspector can join, many of which will provide continuing education and a chance to discuss best practices with other inspectors and construction industry professionals.  Franchises can also be purchased and a home office can provide educational tools and other support.  However, membership in any organization does not guarantee a quality inspector.   In the end, the individual inspector's experience and knowledge determine the quality of the inspection.

When selecting an inspector it's good to ask friends, family and business associates for referrals.  Your realtor may also have some suggestions, however, there is the possibility of a conflict of interest if the realtor or his/her brokerage has any association with, or receives payments from, the inspector or his/her firm.  Our realtor could only provide a list of local inspectors because of the ethics policy at his brokerage and that's what I expected of him as a professional.  Because all I have to work with is his list and the phone book, I will be asking for references.

We will also be present at the inspection.  I think you should be there if it is humanly possible because it is a great chance to see the inner workings of your home and ask questions about things like upcoming repairs, remaining life span of heating and AC equipment, renovations you might be thinking about doing, access points to plumbing and electrical and many other things.  I want to poke my head into every nook and cranny and understand what I'm looking for and if something that appears bad is really ok (and why!) or, conversely, if something that looks fine is going to be problem.

At the last house I had an inspection (in May) and, while he pointed out many things I'd missed looking around, he missed a couple things.  A couple of big things that ended up being very expensive surprises down the road.  Things like the heater not only being exceptionally old and inefficient but that it was missing the electrical connection to the thermostat upstairs so there was no simple way for me to turn it on.  Discovering that was far removed from a happy moment that first cold morning in November...  I was there, but not asking nearly enough questions or looking at everything right along side him.  I learned my lesson!

Information for this post was gleaned from my past experience, the experiences of several friends, a few websites found by the magic of Google and, mostly, from the excellent advice at www.homeinspections-usa.com.

What would America be like?

Photo credit: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=387149518047253
&set=a.208092022619671.45952.130368870391987&type=1&theater

In the last Presidential election my candidate lost even though, in my opinion, he's by far the better man.  I judge him better both for the job of President and as a human being that I'd care to know based on the actions I observed in both he and his more successful opponent.  And now, months past the election, some of those actions are in the news again.

Attached to this picture (which I think was from participating in another charitable act during the political campaign which, sadly, his opponent saw as cause for character assassination) was this blurb drawn from a story on politico.com.

Photo credit: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10151290961874094&set=a.128185264093
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"Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign quietly donated nearly $90,000 to the Red Cross in late November, according to a report filed Thursday night with the Federal Election Commission.

The donation came on Nov. 30 – about one month after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, stretching thin the organization’s resources, and weeks after the GOP candidate lost to President Barack Obama.

Neither Romney nor his campaign publicized the donation…"

I really admire that it was done quietly and only came to public attention because of a report he was required to file with the FEC.  Kindness and compassion are best given both generously and quietly for it's the things that no one else knows about that show a man's true character.   To do charitable things for attention shows a lack of integrity.  America needs more men, and women, who have integrity and are kind and generous with their time, material goods and influence. We need them in government, industry and especially in more homes teaching their children how to live life with the same qualities.

Yes, I'm part of the America that is extremely disgruntled with where our current President seems to be leading us but that isn't what this blog post is about.  This is about envisioning a world where holding a political office is a civic duty not a career choice... where welfare is really a hand up to a better life not making mooching a lifestyle... where family, friends and neighbors actually know and speak to and take care of each other... where parents step up their game and are decent examples for their children to emulate... where charity comes from the heart and not by taxation... where the good you can do with your time, talent and money is more important than your time, talent and money.

What would America be like if true statesmen held political office?  If elected officials saw themselves as common men not an elite class entitled to better than the rest of us?  If representing the best interests of the people who elected them was more important than raising funds for the next campaign?  What if all government transactions were transparent and not shrouded in secrecy and suspected deceit?  What if we didn't have all sorts of lobbyists and special interest groups pressing their agenda over the constituents' needs?

What would America be like if corporations cared as much about their employees as they do their executive and large stockholder's financial statements?  What if the loyalty they demand of the people who work there went both ways and the company was loyal to its people?  What if executives saw themselves as common men and not an elite class entitled to better than the rest of us?

What would America be like if every home had a father who was caring and kind and decent?  Where parents kept their promises to love and honor each other and be faithful and stuck together through good times and bad?  What if kids saw their parents work through difficult situations together and have both mom and dad stand solid in supporting those decisions?  What if families did charitable activities together?  What if parents took back the responsibility of teaching morals and values and respect for self and others instead of pawning it off on schools and peers?

What would America be like if everyone, child and grown up alike, were influenced by positive peer pressure?  Where we pushed each other to be better human beings...

Acts of Eco-Terrorism

I guess it's fair to start off with an admission... I am a tree lover.

My heart makes a little lurch from sadness when wind blows a tree over or someone does something stupid and hits one with their car.  I can't help but think those shattered branches must be painful.  And it makes me unhappy when they get torn up for urban development.

Ok.  There are exceptions.  Notably these 3 trash trees that were so prolific in my yard and neighborhood back in Utah (and I'm sure other places, too, but I'm hoping not in Georgia!).  Most people called one of them either a Chinese Elm or a Siberian Elm.  I was told once that neither of those is correct but my hatred for that kind of tree is so strong I almost immediately forgot its right name.  This is the trash tree that drops those zillions of seeds in late spring that look like over-sized oatmeal.  And every blasted one of them that touches ground sprouts.  They can grow as much as 10 feet a year so within a single growing season you're dealing with a good sized tree.  Another one that was found very frequently in that area was called the Tree of Paradise.  It had big yellow cones of flowers in the spring that produced copious amounts of pollen that for many people that brought on allergies of a crippling scale.  And it smelled bad... not like something died bad, but very unpleasant.  It also dropped seeds that sprouted with extreme ease and grew quickly.  These sappling trees, when you tried to pull them, slipped their bark off all wet and slippery and they emitted that same foul odor.   The  other tree to garner my ire is a Box Elder more for the nasty, cannibalistic, red and black colored bugs it attracts en masse than for anything else.  These trees are some I'd be happy to live without in my world and I've happily hacked many of them down.

Does that make me an eco-terrorist?

I guess it's possible the answer to that question depends on your point of view.  The trees probably felt terrorized.  But I wasn't protesting anything... just getting rid of trash from the yard.

Eco-terrorism is not new.  For my whole life I've heard of rogue environmentalists turning animals in fur farms loose and driving huge metal spikes in pine trees to damage logging equipment.  It's dangerous and I don't advocate doing it any more than I like to see the devastation of clear cut deforestation following a logging operation.  But it's a fact of life that both have happened and in some places continue to happen to this day.  Man is hard on his environment.  Oftentimes much harder on it than is needful for the continued existence of humankind.

Photo credit:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=480842885305117&set=a.212356272153781.
52976.212102705512471&type=1&theater

I do have to admit, though, this is the first time I've seen this form of eco-terrorism:  illegally ripping up a piece of developed land to plant a tree.  And I don't support it either.  In all likelihood, that tree will be removed and destroyed and the road will be patched and life will go on.  All this activist will have accomplished is to waste the money to buy the tree, the time and effort to get it planted, the time, effort and wages of the city workers to remove it and patch the road.  And in the end, the tree is dead.

It's sad.  No one wins in this situation.  Or maybe that's the point... no one wins but it does get attention.

I think this is the most dangerous kind of eco-terrorism because it tugs so hard at the heart.  Part of me wants to applaud and hope the tree will stand as a monument of protest to urban sprawl but I just can't bring myself to encourage all the other idiots out there.

So I'm showing you and rambling on trying to say don't do stupid stuff.  There are better ways to make the world a better place and get your point across.   Get more creative and stay legal.

An Open Letter to Ben Baldanza

When I recently moved from Salt Lake City, UT to Kennesaw, GA it was followed up by an almost immediate vacation cruise with my fiance through the southeastern Caribbean.  The vacation was beyond wonderful!  In fact, the sole black spot to mar the memory was the flight home.  And it was so awful that I still say the high point of November 12th was visiting with the Custom's agent about the duty tax owed on some jewelry we bought.  Our cruise originated from (and returned to) Fort Lauderdale, FL and we chose to fly Spirit Airlines as our connector there from Atlanta.  The flight to Fort Lauderdale was uneventful and left both Derek and I wondering what all the fuss was about... why was everyone complaining about the service on Spirit?


Sadly, on the trip home we found out.

Following is my letter about the experience to the President, Chief Executive Office and Class II Director, Ben Baldanza.  I found his name and contact information under Investor Relations on the company's website.


Dear Mr. Baldanza:

November 12 was already a day we weren't completely thrilled with knowing that we'd be spending the better part of it waiting in the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport for an afternoon flight home to Atlanta because of your company's sparse scheduling on that route.  The only choices we had were appx 9:00 a.m., a time when we would not have completed the deboarding process from our cruise, or 4:08 p.m.  Obviously, the only choice was the later flight even though we would be arriving at the airport around 11:00 a.m.

On arrival at the terminal, we followed the signs directing us to the counter for luggage check only to be reamed by the agent there for not checking in at the kiosk first.  I'd say she had reason to redirect us if there had been any posted directions pointing us that way but there wasn't and I found her attitude and disposition completely disagreeable.  After so very curtly directing us toward the kiosks she told us to come back once we had the boarding passes.  We tried.  But we were physically stopped by another agent roaming the area in front of the roped off lines and pushed to the opposite end of the counter to the "Fast Line" where we stepped up to the back of a full line just as all but one agent left for break.  With just a single person back there checking bags, the line could have been generously renamed the "Slower Than A Snail Crawls Line."

Finally, with bags checked and boarding passes in hand we navigated through the TSA checkpoint and headed for the gate only to learn that the flight had already been delayed two hours.  Initially we were told it was due to weather delays in New York... that our plane was stuck at La Guardia and couldn't leave there on its trip to Florida until the weather cleared.  Later that story changed to there was no plane to take us to Atlanta because of a mechanical problem until another could be scrambled out of the fleet and brought to Fort Lauderdale.  The delay was pushed back to 6:35, then 7:05.

Boarding was begun for the 7:05 time point and when approximately 1/3 of the passengers were onboard, a problem was discovered with that plane and they were asked to get off, walk across the terminal to another gate and get on a different plane where boarding was uninterrupted multiple times to clear the walkway for international flights to deboard.  Our 4:08 p.m. flight eventually pulled away from the gate around 8:00 p.m. with the captain apologizing for the "unacceptable delays."  Yes, those were his actual words.

What troubles me most is not that there were problems with the flight but your employees' response to them.  And that is a terrible thing to say because your people had so many chances to shine, so many opportunities to wow us with great customer service, so many times they could have won our loyalty instead of leaving us angry, alienated and vowing to use another carrier for future flights.  You see, we are pretty laid back and reasonable people.  We fully understand that things happen.  But we do expect to be treated with honesty, kindness and professionalism as the problems are worked out.  Our anger comes from that fact that none of those qualities were evident in our contact with your employees.  We were treated very badly and are very interested to know what, if anything, you are going to do about it.


That's the body of my letter.  Now we wait and see what happens.  I'd like to hope there'll be some response but after experiencing the way Spirit's front line employees treat customers I'm not exactly counting on it since customer service is usually a trickle down trait in corporate culture.