n/a30

I have already written heavily on the subject of manipulation by unethical people in the real estate business. It often is ignored. The newspapers and other Main Stream Media could care less. It might influence their bottom-line negatively if ad sales fall off. Real estate property ads are very lucrative. Even the inspectors who are controlled by agents do not want to have their shady associations revealed. Take it from someone who knows about exposing corruption. The guilty do not like whistle blowers hanging around telling the truth.

That franchise operation sounds a lot like many of the other inspection franchise ops. Long on bottom line marketing and short on real ability and integrity.

It is very easy to insert a picture into a Word Document. From the top menu just select Insert ->picture ->from file->select the file name and it comes in at the curser location. Just right lick the image to format its justification. Grap a corner to stretch it to the size you want and then your picture is done. So easy even a 5th grader could do it. Good luck.

I have an internet server set up for Linux. It is far more affordable than anything from Microsoft. It however is not without a considerable learning curve. There is also not an adequate number of good application programs.

Were any of the ducts touching?

My concern is with the adjoining sides (a minor issue) and then the ceiling leading to the the attic structure above. That makes it more of a risk if improperly done.

Yes, good advice all round. A angle grinder can be very handy for other fixes.

75% percent of the windows I inspect are sticky, binding or just plain hard to open and springs also snap. I blame the installation as being poor and the supervisor for most frequently absent from the site. Also homeowners do not open or close their windows often (or ever) to help keep them from binding.

I don't use major products such as an Office Suite from anyone other than Microsoft. The whole purpose of having a baseline standard is that everyone use it and be compatible with it. For example: Word Perfect Office does the job too to some degree, but how many people really use it anymore?

SECCII and GHIAA no longer exist as “member based organizations? You can NOT JOIN either. There is still some opportunity for interface. Many educational items however are for sale. 368 hours of PowerPoint presentations and dozens of instructional texts exists as produced by SECCII and GHIAA. I do not promote them much any more due to advertising costs. The objectives of both SECCII and GHIAA organizations were an effort to raise the bar far above the level of the common run of the mill inspector. A prime cut above the rest, so to speak. I personally, have not been favorably impressed by the average Joe inspector's knowledge. The GHIAA organization was focused on upgrading the average Joe inspector. There were not enough qualified inspectors to support the SECCII and GHIAA organizational effort. Therefore, the bar stays at the NACHI/ASHI/NAHI level with their assumed advantages and shortcomings. Education and the ability to maintain consistent professionalism in service is still a worthy focal point. My point in the original post is to say that "exploitive" and "manipulative" marketing is not in the best interests of the public. "Exploitive" and "manipulative" marketing is very common in the real estate business. Even with some inspectors they champion services that shady and heavily laden with entangling third party influences. That is just dirty business. If you do not believe me just look at all the inspectors that are in bed with the Brinks "kickback" program. Just count the undermining inspectors who “fill in the blank?out their services to real estate agents for referrals. It seems the problem of poor ethics in the industry as a whole never goes away. Some of the mean spirited cruder (red neck) elements in the inspection industry actually do very little raise the bar and many have hinted that there should be little to no accountability for ethical infractions if it gets in the way of their profits. That alone is just reason to raise the bar to provide superior services than the norm. Note that some inspection associations side with the same groups of individuals/businesses who are heavily involved in on-going questionable practices. It gives a false sense of security to the public in relying on those who may not be worthy of “trust.?

According to the Texas Real Estate Commission it is a "food waste disposer" but is more commonly known as a "garbage disposal."

They must go through the directors fairly fast. ROI is vague. The private company, Examining Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI) is irrelevant and not needed in Texas. Why? because Texas already has its own government created test.

The only hang up with Vista is that the "Windows Explorer" was sort of eliminated in order to make the machine act more like a MAC. I miss the directory tree and standard "file management" functions. The learning curve and changes to MS office might cause some a few iniitial problems if they expect everything to stay the same. It does not. Everything changes in technology, sometimes far too rapidly for the average person who can get caught on the "bleeding edge." Some slow learners might want shop around for the brightest instructors and books / publications if they need some beginner orientation to Vista. Do not fear Vista. It does not bite.

I used to have two links on my web to consumer based complaint sites that dealt with problematic builder issues. Both sites want donations. One is run by someone who I have no respect at all. He is very politically motivated to harm a very specific builder, Perry Homes. Bob Perry is 180 degrees against the complainer's active political aspirations. Details are omitted to keep things clean. Perhaps neither side is objective or blameless by a long shot. Both twist arms for political purposes and the complainer's websites are proof of a lack of tact and reasonable intent. Still we need to protect the public from the abuses of the extreme factions regardless of their objectives. It seems that is always money behind the situation. That desire to increase profits does cause some builders to cut far too many corners. Quality can and often does suffer when minimizing proper workmanship values and standards to increase profits.

Tap first, if soft lightly probe, if still weak, try your finger. It is a bit moveable, try a pick, xacto knife or other small ended probe. Some times I tap the wood or composite siding with the soft edge of my shoe, it may or may not be enough to determine wood rot and resistance to pressure. Often moisture damage happens at the bottom most areas nearest to the grading. Some moisture damage / decayed wood based material can crumble much larger than the area being probed so be careful and use common sense.

When and if you have a problem down the road you might ask yourself why you choose not to follow the standard method of installation as set forth by the normal instrutions. When all else fails read the instructions and follow them. There is a warrenty issue also involved. It may be voided by short cuts.

As long as the drain line is vented correctly, the trap should work fine. I have seen far more "creative" designs that work. Why the concern?

Open gaps just provides more room for wood rot. The builder could have used tongue in groove planks and then constructed it with a nice slope to allow rainwater to run off properly to a better area. Other issues are also involved such as adding extra mositure to the crawlspace where it can create many more problems such as ponding, insects and increased soil instability. It is probably another effort of a builder to cut costs and thus increase profit.

Travel internationally and you will see all types of wiring, structural and plumbing nightmares. In crude third world countries they often "steal" electicity by tapping into the power poles. It is very dangerous and 100% illegal. In the case with the photo, it is suggested that it be brought up to current standards without any questions or grand-fathering sidetracking. In short it is much better to have a proper mast at a proper location than none at all.

My HP Vista laptop works great in the field. Same for the Compaq XP laptop. I also use a Compaq Ipaq complete with Microsoft office and all the IRC codes. It fits nicely into a large shirt or pants pocket. Some times newer is not better. It is only newer, and thus has a fresh marketing push (hype) until it proves itself worthy of any serious investment.

The best sales practice is to be honest and truthful 100% of the time. You do not need to bubble with zeal or be overly promotional. It is the only technique I can use with a clear conscience. It has been said that attraction works better than promotion. Getting the public of being attracted to honesty and integrity is the key. Too many emotion-based people are far too influenced by impulse over diligent deliberation. That accounts for the sales of trendy items as tabloid rags at the checkout counter. Everyone (including all consumers) needs to take the time to stop and think about their decisions. This thought process however is not the main stay of most advertising or marketing, which is often based on greed, sex, impulse, power, control, domination, and many forms of escapism. Realistic serious deliberation can and often does take a back seat in the effort to close a sale when left to sales "manipulators." In a glass almost empty view, the rule of the jungle is "manipulate or be manipulated." Honest people know how to be genuine, socially concerned, and still persuasive without being coercive or manipulative. It is an art form worth practicing. Think about it

I have used two Ford Ranger extened cab trucks, a Chevy panel van and now a Saturn Vue. The trucks and van were constantly broken into by all the illegal aliens stealing my tools at construction sites. The Vue is more affordable than the van but is a little bit unstable with large ladders on the luggage rack. The Chevy van had lots of room but was hard to manouver in traffic and when backing up. It also was a major gas hog and quicky became a real pain at the gas pump. My next car in a couple of years will be a Toyota Prius. It is the best hybred on the market.

The first link mentioned no longer works. http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf%5CNCR320.pdf This one works.

There is actually a window IN the chimney. This font might not work on some computers. Try Ariel is it is unclear. ========== ========== || || |---------------| | : : | | : : | | : : | | ------------ | | | | | |<| | | | | | | near second floor | | | | | | | | | |< | | exhaust seen in window | | | | | | | ------------ | | : : | | : : | | : : | | ------------ | | : : | | : : | | : : | | : : | | : : | | ------------ | -----------------------

Yeah Scott but the video contains many areas that are not relevant, nor particularly interesting to the general public. It is not worth the effort to edit it. If I did the U-TUBE thing then there would be hundreds of hours of video and most would be rather boring and out of context of entertainment values. The is little audio on the video so that too would need to be added in. Too much trouble for far too little actual reward.