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In that case, I think homeguage or inspect express is best fit for me although I like the layout of Homeguage a little better I use a cheap one and it takes me more time to write it because of so little gimmicks, when I can afford so I will purchase HG or Inspect Express, leaning a little bit toward homeguage atm but both really nice looking Every one varies on taste and penny pinchers (or their wife in cases unstated(*mine*)) But she thinks its a good idea now as I finish a report and proof read it for spelling and grammar then make her. =) I'm worlds worst with grammar/spelling typos Matt

Your report is your product. I'd never buy a reporting software based on cost; it would have to have every feature that I wanted in a software. If that means more expensive, so be it, I'd make it up by adding the cost into my fees. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Mike has a point, but when you dont have the money you dont have the money but still yet. I attended my schooling at Charles Barnes Real Estate school and they have thier own program "home inspection lifeline" Its not perfect, but to my surprise it does a nice job and the finished report looks very nice, simple but nice. Not sure of the website, I'd google lifeline. If you attend class there the program is 99$ (or was when I attended) I beleive its somewhere under 400$ online though thier phone number is 1-405-378-2100 thier based in moore oklahoma (suburb of oklahoma city) If your state requires specifics on report writing like texas it may not be for you. They have free trials, you might download it online or call and ask for demo CD. If you decide to purchase or ask the price tell them you were referred by Matt Eschberger who took thier educational classes there, maybe they might knock some off price if you think it'll suit you =) Hope this helps, Matt

I dont know, its either a fairly good (asthetic wise) replica or is old maybe used or stored before use. The brick has the little trails like some one just "bumped" a router against it to create little paths similar to the wormholes in cyprus

If your speaking of what I think of as a cold water ground, It was used alot and actually only code (they said no on driving rods, I dont know why) in Athens, Texas. But from my experience the cold water ground corrodes through the pipe (copper) and leaks (about 10-15 years normally)

Okay, I thought of that and although the furnace looks 10 years old, I still can't get it through my head that this is 2009, 2000 was 9 years ago... almost 10... sigh Thanks Jim

Wow, that was confusing, My OP I mean, ites 1984-2004 group, for some reason I wasnt excluding O, was confusing myself, It is a 2000 model. Agreed I will print out a few charts I have found to keep on hand, very handy. Thanks

Can't find a serial decoder for a condenser/furnace on internet or this website, I looked at 4 but no help = / Any ideas let me know, Its an Armstrong Air Ultra SX 80 High Efficiency Serial #8400A29222 on furnace and the condenseris Concept 1000 High efficiency Mod SCU10E36A-1 Serial#8400E35953 Thanks, Matt Goodnight every one

Bradford-White Bradford White D*******F (June 1967) CJ******* (Sept 1986) B-W uses a 20-year letter code cycle to designate the year. The first letter is the year and the second is the month. Letter A = 1964, 1984 and 2004 A thru N = Jan thru Dec (Excludes I, O, Q, R, U & V) (Copied and Pasted from a chart,) Serial is WF9824123 so the month is June, the year is...? (house was built in 78) 77? 17 letters into alphabet not counting the exclusions, Am I doing this right? Also have furnace/AC but Ill post in other forum. Thanks, Matt EDIT: Wait A=xxx4 so 2000?

Thanks to both of you, no its a stud house with stretcher block stem wall, the brick veneer is attached to the stem wall with those brick nailer straps, cant think of thier name at this moment sorry.. Theres lots of "settlement"cracks in the bricks but very few in the stem wall and none are in the same location of the bricks, I personally think theres insufficient footing. The house is also a simple rectangle shape, 2 gables and 2 pitches except for a header for the chimney (heard yall call them saddles I believe) since chimney is about 40-50" wide... The only flashing on house is the drip edge under shingles and the flashing around chimney which looks pretty rough, although no moisture stains in attic (visible) or around fireplace mantle area inside house. Thanks again for all the help and support as I'm still new.., Matt

Hmm... Randomly around entire house, how can this be fixed? W/o re bricking it, is there a sealant that could help? What caused? so many questions.. haven't seen it this bad on a 1978 house.. Not sure how to write this up either.. Click to Enlarge 88.86 KB How ya like that flashing patch job? =) Click to Enlarge 60.35 KB The tan is paint just fyi Click to Enlarge 60.68 KB I have about 10 more pictures of this if yall want I'll share I was asked, "Is it structurally sufficient still?" how do i answer that? Is it structurally sufficient to hold itself up? Also jsut FYI, I found no weep holes, but there were holes drilled every 2 foot or so about 5 or 6 courses up with a half inch drill.. (1978 house)

Actually... both? The owner bought/flipped this 1958 house and tried to bypass several things, this was just one. I told him about a highloop and trap on same level as fixture, and suggested that it be repaired by a licensed plumber who knows what he's doing. I'm new to inspections but I sit down with every client and go over my report. I explain every page to them along with answering questions they may have. Is this customary? It only takes 30-40 minutes. A realtor said it was odd; normally inspectors just drop and go.

If no one else is going to ask, then I have to. How does that happen if it's coated with oil on the inside? I'm just asking. Easy, water is heavier than oil. it displaces the oil and over time does its thing. OT - OF!!! M. I have this problem on tractor fuel tanks, the outgoing line is about 3/8 inch above the very bottom allowing water to take care of the rest... 400-800$ for new tank (material only)

Just never seen that before, I'm familiar with the need for a high loop or air gap to help prevent water backup in sink from going into the dishwasher. I wasn't aware if something was wrong or if I was missing something big, but it looked pretty dumb. There's also a water valve under the house in the crawlspace. I'm not 100% sure what it's for, but I think it's for the dishwasher. Thanks, Matt

Lol... so.... would you report lack of trap or not? I would assume that the dishwasher would smell like sewer gases....

Thanks for the chart, that will be usefull to a new inspector.. me =) But its for furnaces unless I missed something, I'm speaking of the A/C condensing unit, sorry for any miscommunication, I know the unit is 80's the second number looks like 8 so I assume its March of 88 Thanks for the input, Matt

Thanks, the data plate with date was .... rough... heh... thats why i THINK it was 88 Thanks again, Matt

Drain line for dishwasher goes straight down beneath the house and directly into sewer drain line, no trap, there should be a trap, correct? I'm not missing something am I? Click to Enlarge 26.58 KB

Got a Trane A/C manufactured in 1988 I beleive. Having trouble decoding the tonnage, Is there a help sheet somewhere I could use to help? The Model Number is CD5AXA048000AAAA Serial 4496X99664 Having a hard time because the unit is about a foot and a half wide and deep while 2 and a half feet tall. Thanks, Matt

TREC will not support the HI. I get the feeling they would just as soon see HI go away. There is the state mandated SOP that spells out the minimums that should be included in any inspection that should help though. My guess is this will get thrown out pretty rapidly. The seller and/or his wife are reported to be lawyers from what I hear. If they had paid for legal advice, this would have never been filed in the first place. I hope they wind up having to pay the HI's legal fees. From the submittance of the plaintiff papers look who signed it... and what KIND of attorneys they are... I lke how FIG wants them to produce every document ever made within last 10 years pertaining to real estate, income tax returns last 5 years, and more such as any property they own etc. But they were granted the protective order to basically pay thier lawyers back (maze).. even though they ARE attorneys and representing themselves... hmmmm

Make sure you dont put any ducts on the END of the main trunk, return or distribution, or you will have severe unequal suction/blowing. See this to many times.

My answer is useless to your question, we always called them piggy backs =P

You're not trying to run it off a generator correct? Or any other then normal wiring method? (Very tempermental, Most furnaces will not work off of a generator unless the wire size is within a certain size and length range. Not 100% why, but what I was told by a HVAC guy

This one was not bad. The entry hole was at least 10" tall and some of the crawl was up to 30" high. Some only 16" though. That is why I stay thin. I think I'd have to follow Randy's lead and charge extra for a crawl like that. Tom Charge extra? I'd knock some off. I wish the crawl spaces around here were that nice. Most have to be dug out to crawl in, otherwise you might get your head in. Also, seen a king snake about 2' long the other day on a crawlspace to small to fit in (8" tall by 16" wide). How do you approach this? I have heard in my area (now NE Oklahoma) the King snake is no longer natural enemies with copperheads or rattlers, and they are beginning to breed. (Will be black with black markings, very hard to make out at times, sometimes deadly, sometimes not)

A stripe? Nlack? It's not a high density irrigation hose is it?

May i make an un-educated guess? I dont know a huge amount about A/C's, still trying to learn, but there is oil that mixes with the freon in the pressure lines right? If so, could it have a small leak, low on oil and the piston is rubbing? Sorry, just a guess. The filter Dryer is normally right outside the condensing unit if im not mistaken, also I think I have heard thier more common on large units then smaller ones, although im not sure what they were callign large, 6 ton? 8 ton?