Darren

The dues is $399. According to the latest ASHI Reporter, there are: 3,642 Certified members 128 Associates w/logo use 1,802 Associate members 118 Retired members As of the last renewal period, I am no longer an ASHI member.

Here's a shot of the front of the house of the pic I posted above. Click to Enlarge 80.44 KB

Well, Maybe not that, but this will... Click to Enlarge 72.62 KB

Chris, This should prove Brandon's point.

Hey Neal; That looks like the work of the 'tin-knocker' bee; that's a new breed working their way up from Mexico. Didn't they tell you about them at the clambake?

Steve, You mean those 'self-piercing' shut-offs that are sold with ice makers and humidifiers but are actually prohibited under the plumbing code? Nolan, It's a long reach. I'm 1 1/2 hours away. Kathy, Just call a plumber.

If it was last week I would've at least looked at it; I was in Toms Rivers working on a house my neighbor inherited. Humidifier line?

I fell for that crap too years ago. I spent $500.00 to put an ad in one of those 'folders' years ago. Funny (sad) part was, any referrals I got from that office stopped after I paid for the ad.

Does anyone REALLY want to see 'crap' flowing through the pipes?

I just hung up the phone with a marketing person. Seems the local paper is adding a pull-out section advertising local businesses. It seems they also have a web-site where consumers can search/request contractors for specific work. Here's the pitch- "We have been getting 140-160 hits per week looking for building inspections in Morris county. I just got off the phone with a home inspector from out of this area and he says he's doing 2 inspections a day 7 days a week." At this point I stopped him. 'Somebody's not telling the truth here; 2 inspections a day..." at which he chimed in: "Are you saying somebody's lying?" 'Well, somebody's not telling the truth; but I know my numbers don't lie" Now I know things are really tough out there, but to actually think a salesman thinks someone is going to believe his crap?

Robert & Jerry; Since you guys are Bear fans, maybe you can enlighten me. I know the Rookie DE Corey Wootton. Can you tell me what the outlook is for him and if he's playing at all.

Jim, Shouldn't that require it to be less than 18 inches above the floor?

Here's my picture of the day. Electrical service is attached to the front of the house; the panel is located in the basement rear. A straight line...NOT. Click to Enlarge 85.09 KB

At about 1:39, they have a shot showing trusses. The trusses are 'black' even at mid-span. How is that possible when the truss is so far away from the exterior walls? What am I missing here?

Tuesdays inspection was just another typical day. The tenants of this 50 year old house are considering purchasing it. They have been living here for about a year and know the type of landlord and what's been done and what needs to be done. Well sort of... During my roof inspection, I walked over to the chimney and found a rain cap filled with debris. Click to Enlarge 99.28 KB If the cap is easy to take of, I will. This one was shot down so if I took if off, I'd have no way to re-install it. I told my client what i found on the exterior and told her to call a chimney sweep (gave her the # of a local guy) and explained the debris was blocking the venting of the heating and fireplace. After about 10 minutes inside the house, I started to get a headache. Talking to the tenant, I found out she and her family have been getting headaches also. I told her what I thought the problem was and she should call the chimney sweep and get him over here now. She did call but he couldn't make it till the afternoon. The next day I sent an e-mailed her asking about the chimney sweep- here's her reply: "Thanks (for the report), it is very well done and thorough. We owe you a great deal. The furnace guy said that the furnace exhaust pipe was almost flush with the chimney wall, trapping CO. He read it as "2" upstairs (with the heat mostly off); when he went downstairs to the furnace and I turned it on the reading spiked to "11", dangerous. He moved the pipe out and cleared the debris, it was 95% blocked. He called it a "perfect storm" for carbon monoxide poisoning. We have been breathing a lot of carbon monoxide for over a year. How can we thank you for this. I woke up this morning without a headache for the first time in months. No telling what long term damage this has done." I feel pretty good today.

Hey guys, I'm sorry but I'm piling on here. This is also on his website: In this day and age when there is twenty times the amount of houses on the market than buyers, more aggressive steps must be taken. Many of the contracted homes that are for sale end up back on the market. This is due to the buyer’s home inspection report and the fact that there are so many homes on the market. The buyers will then move on in search of a home with fewer problems. Many home inspectors kill the sale because they are not qualified or want to charge for another home inspection for the next house. Many real estate agents that represent the seller do not get involved in explaining how to prepare the home for a sale. Ultimately what happens with all of the above, the home sits on the market and the price has to be reduced to attract new perspective buyers. Here is what we propose. If you the seller were to have a presale home inspection prior to your prospective buyer’s home inspection, then you would have the advantage of being aware of all or most of the issues that the buyer’s inspector will uncover. You as the seller will now have the opportunity to repair any deficiencies (if you are inclined to) or disclaim them on your disclosure statement. If you do not want to repair anything then we can assist you in determining a fair dollar amount that you would give back at the closing to repair some of the issues. I say some of the repairs because the buyer’s are purchasing a used house not a new one. This will greatly reduce the buyer’s ability to break the contract and also reduce the chances of you having to reduce the price if the sale falls through and your house is put back on the market. A seller’s presale home inspection is becoming more and more common place. Making a few repairs or giving back some money at the closing is cheaper than having to reduce the price if the sale falls through. When we perform a home inspection for a buyer it usually takes about 2-1/2 to 3 hours for an average size home. For a seller’s pre sale inspection it will also take 2-1/2 to 3 hours. You will receive a 10 page report at the end of the inspection. During the inspection process you will be present and we will go over every item and discuss the best way to handle it. We are also well qualified to discuss and point out the issues that will make your home show better to a perspective buyer. We will help you dispute the buyer’s inspection report if need be. On the other hand if your buyer already has had an inspection done on your home and it is causing you problems we can be your second opinion. We have been in business for 15 years. We are state license and insured. We have been in the construction business for many years. Our inspection company is rated in the top ten companies out of the 700 home inspection companies in New Jersey. Any home inspection company charges a buyer approximately $400.00 or more for an average size home. A presale (peace of mind) inspection costs $195.00 for an average size home. We charge this nominal fee because we will build a relationship with you and then you will be happy to refer us. This is our guarantee. Having A Home Inspection Before You Put Your Home Up For SaleThe Best Protection A Small Amount Of Money Can BuyPre-Sale Home Inspection

Steve, I'd rather not post his web site but maybe you should check your private messages here for a link to his Activerain comments ; )

I haven't been on ActiveRain lately; this morning I was going thru some blogs and found one belonging to this NJ inspector. Here's what he has on his profile: Without boring you with my qualifications, I strive to be a different type of home inspector. Over the last 15 years, I have cultivated my profession to the extent that I care more for my clients than I do about the amount of money I am making. I get my fee but I also go that extra mile. I perform a lot of services for free, when a situation arises. I have learned many years ago to look at an older home with a different mindset than most inspectors. As homes increase in age and change hands, it is more likely to have an increased amount of defects. Many defects with older homes should considered as common and explained as such. My knowledge and smooth tone mannerism, affords me the edge I need to convey an extreme issues into one that can be absorbed by the home buyers. Not causing the hair on the back of their neck stand up is important. If more inspectors looked at a home and judged it for what it is and not what they think it should be, there would be less deals falling apart. A home buyer and their agent work hard together, they may view 10, 15, 25 or more homes together. I personally feel a high level of responsibility towards their efforts. The worst thing is, having it all go south and starting over. His web site says he does pre-listing inspections for $195.00 PS- hey Neal, this guys down your way!

Mike, As she said herself--- "SWEET"!

Neal; The window in your post probably would not fall under the 2009 IRC anyway. When was permit for the house taken out?

Neal; While quickly glancing it over, there are a few changes that would need our attention and some that don't (unless you're doing phase inspections- if that's the case, section 602 with the braced wall panels and roof/truss connections needs to be looked at). I don't know if you know this, but NJ has eliminated the option of ARC fault breakers. Of course the new deck connections are required. A new definition for an exterior chimney- 'one or more sides to the exterior' Bonding of CSST piping is required (Douglas explained this and a law suit on the ASHI board) There seems to be lots of minor revisions (words changes) and I seem to see a lot of the word "approved" as in section 1307.3.1- 'Where protected by approved barriers'. This is going to be problematic as the construction or sub-code official has the last word on approval. As we go along, I'm sure there will be some sections that will need to be re-read several times -right now I've re-read section 311 (about the required egress door and other exterior doors and the required landings).

Neal; It's new; that whole section has been re-written since the 06 version.

Mike, This should clear it up for ya Download Attachment: b_90_3.pdf 29.85 KB

Who's Russell Ray?

Must be the season for BAD flashing: Click to Enlarge 38.66 KB Click to Enlarge 73.58 KB Click to Enlarge 74.29 KB Click to Enlarge 47.42 KB