Complete Home Inspections Blogs

For those of you who don’t know what meme’s are, it is an Active Rain thing. Every now and then, there is that time again when the meme’s fly around thicker in this community than a swarm of blood thirsty mosquitoes. After receiving my third invitation and a visit from Guido, who has an interesting way of making you see things HIS way, I decided it was in MY best interest to comply. That being said…

I really wish that there was a way to harness all the hot air and energy generated from the convention that we had last week and will have this week. Surely, if they put a wind farm around the convention centers this would put a dent in our energy crisis…

I wish that they would make bullet proof televisions. I do own guns and I went through 7 last week watching the DNC. Lord only knows how many I will go through this week…

I really wish that there was a candidate who really KNEW what it would take to turn this economy around and stop with all the BS. But then, maybe we can harness all the methane from THAT stuff too! Once again, helps with the energy crisis…

I wish that every real estate agent could sell at least one property a month. That would keep everyone busy…

I wish that some real estate people knew how to use a camera. Goodness gracious at some of the MLS photos…

I wish that there was a noise canceling button that you could press to eliminate all the noise and vibration from vehicles that JUST LOVE to SHARE their tunes with you even though you do not like that genre of music. Ba BOOM… Ba BOOM…

I am glad that the ‘Boys of Winter’ (We’re talking pro football here folks) are back… Go TITANS!!!

I love a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning, don’t you?

I love good motivational quotes - hence my Monday Morning Motivator…

I hate mean spirited people…

I hate when people are late for appointments. My time is valuable too…

I love good photography…

I love taking pictures, it helps put me in my right mind…

I enjoy going out to Radnor Lake Wilderness park. One of the best kept secrets in Nashville, TN…

I love to go riding in a hot air balloon! The last trip I went on we had a local politician with us, really saved on the gas and we soared to new heights…

I love straddling my ‘84 Gold Wing and go cruising. Its getting time to get a new bike as this one has 275K miles on it don’t you think?

I am a computer junkie… I only have 7. What is a poor guy gonna do?

I am an Active Rain junkie… Gotta have my fix first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening…

I am going to start a 12 step program for all Active Rainaholics and junkies. Wanna join? Better yet, JOIN!!! OR do you wanna visit from Guido? Remember, he does have a way to get your attention with that soft voice of his and all… Join and post to the Blogs Happen group and we’ll do SOMETHING even if it is WRONG…

Have you joined my birthday alarm? It is fast painless and the best part of all, you will be helping me out.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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Hurricane Fay brought some 2″ of much needed rain to the middle Tennessee area the other day, helping relieve some of the drought conditions here. As I was getting ready to do my evening walk, I was able to capture a few frames of the last of Fay as she left and moved north. The double rain bow formed a perfect arc in the eastern sky and lasted but a few fleeting moments…

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Tags: Miscellaneous, Photo of the Day by admin
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After moving the grandfather clock from the Den to the foyer, ‘ol Pop quit working. Well, being a typical male, this should be an easy fix I thought, so I fiddled with this, and that, and could not see why the clock would not run. Getting frustrated I thought that I would get back to it later or call a clock smith. Well, about 6 months later, I thought that I’d see what’s wrong with Pop. Once again, I started tinkering not knowing what I was really doing, but after all I’m a male and we can fix anything, or so we think…

Not having too much success, and getting a little frustrated again, I by chance happened to glance down and see an instruction booklet.  H-m-m-m-m! Well maybe, just maybe, there may be a solution to my problem here. I know that this may sound insulting to most males as we don’t need no stinking instructions. It’s a male thing ya know…

Well I’ll be dipped… AFTER reading the instructions, it seemed as if all that was wrong with Pop was that he had lost his beat. Has to be a clock thing now. After FOLLOWING the instructions, I made the necessary adjustments to restore the beat and ‘ol Pop is just a tickin’ and chimin’ away just like ever before.

The moral of the story? DUUH!! Guys, sometimes it helps to read the instructions if you don’t know what you are doin’. Just don’t let your wife know. After all, we got to save face if you know what I mean…

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Tags: Miscellaneous, Photo of the Day by admin
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Home inspectors do not have the equipment to inspect the throat and flue of most chimneys. However, thanks to pocket digital cameras, a missing damper and smoke shelf, this badly damaged fireplace lent itself to get a good logs-eye view of what the inside of a chimney really looks like.

The lack of rain caps allowed water into the chimney and intense temperatures of wood burning fires caused the water to expand and pop out the mortar between the fire brick. Through time and neglect the original damper and smoke shelf was eventually destroyed and burned away leaving the bottom of the flue liner exposed. Needless to say, this fireplace is unsafe in its current condition and will need to be repaired before using.

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Tags: Miscellaneous, Photo of the Day by admin
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This morning, I was feeling kinda blah, so on the advice of some of my Active Rain friends, I took the morning off and went fishun’ with Bubba and a few buds. We headed off to Bubba’s secret fishun’ hole and really slammed them today. Yeah Buddy! No matter how hard we tried, there were a few bigguns that just got away.

Now I know that fisherman the world over are known for their exaggerated tales about the one that got away. Now y’all have to realize that the size of that fish is in direct proportion to the number of beers consumed, the number of times the tale has been told or both! Thankfully, unlike Pinocchio tale telling fishermen’s noses don’t grow otherwise they would be in one mell of a hess! Can you imagine not being able to get into their pick ups to drive home? Sheesh! Banish the thought…

Now just to let you know that I ain’t lie’n, I took this picture of Bubba and some buds holding one of the smaller ones. You shudda seen the one that got away…

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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Yesterday, I got a call from a real estate agent on one of our inspections. They were all in a tizzy, the customer was all upset because they had just moved in and the water heater needed to be replaced. The plumber that was representing the home warranty company said that this was a pre-existing condition and that it was not covered and they would have to pay $850.00 for a new water heater. He voluntarily went on to say that the home inspector should have told them that the water heater was shot, the flue venting was not to codes, and that the water heater was not installed to codes…

To make a short story long, the agent and the homebuyer wanted us to replace the water heater. Hold the phone here folks, we AIN”T codes inspectors! Never have been and never will be!

To ease the situation, I told the agent that I would look at the inspector’s report and get back with them. The inspector noted that the water heater was functioning, water temperature 117 degrees, there were gaps in the flue venting and it was not properly installed, that there were rust stains on the exterior cabinet, water on the floor, a drip coming from the connection above, that the installation appeared questionable, the TPR valve extension used improper materials (PVC), the unit was at the end of its serviceable life, and to have a professional further review the water heater and installation before closing at escrow. The customer didn’t do this.

I spent about 2 hours explaining to the customer and the real estate agent at the customer’s house, that as home inspectors, we are not codes inspectors. We do not know what the codes for every municipality are and whether an item even complies with codes. It’s not our job. Our purpose is to raise “red flags” and report accordingly in an unbiased professional manner.

Far too many times, tradesmen seem people go out of their way to make mountains out of molehills just to make themselves look like geniuses and other professions look like bumbling dolts. Furthermore, they bring up the ‘codes’ word. “This is not installed to codes”, and always seem to say, “The home inspector should have known this, or I’m surprised that they did not tell you this.”

In my humble opinion, a statement like this goes far beyond professional ethics and goes beyond what home inspectors are supposed to do, and this is be a generalist. We are not trained to be a specialist in any field. What tradesman doesn’t realize, or care to realize, is that our profession doesn’t do codes and we have to stay within the governed confines as mandated by our State’s Standards of Practice or if we belong to a professional organization such as ASHI or NAHI, their Standards.

Once tradesmen start sowing seeds doubt in the homeowner’s mind, then the whole inspection/sales process begins to be scrutinized. Did the agent work in my behalf, the agent referred this idiot, where is the agent’s liability, did the inspector really catch all that they were supposed to do, and the list goes on. Irresponsible statements by other professions reflect poorly on the agent, the inspector and the whole sales transaction and process.

So Mr. tradesman, before you open your yap and start degrading another person’s profession or work, take a moment to see what their standards are, and don’t be so quick to condemn or pass judgment. So lets agree that you won’t do home inspections… and I will not do the trades…

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Ever since my last post on using a fuel additive for my Prius, I have started keeping track of the mileage. So far, I have been both pleased and surprised. Generally, this time of year, I average between 44 – 47 MPG with the AC running. The chart below shows how I have been tracking my mileage since I have started using ETHOS.

So based on my average of about 45 MPG without using Ethos, and my average of 53.3 MPG using Ethos, I come up with about a 16% increase in mileage using this product. I’ll keep track of the mileage and keep everyone posted on the latest and greatest results.

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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There are some people in this world that you want to reach out and touch. No, not like Ma Bell, I mean REALLY reach out and touch…

Last week, a property inspection and a termite inspection had been set up with this agent for about 5 days. Now in the interim, this property had been rescheduled already two times before. Thank Goodness for Velcro, because I really needed it with this agent. The rescheduling was not because or the normal buyer/seller conflicts, it was because it was inconvenient for her.

Inconvenient for her? Kinda make you want to scratch your head with an ice pick or something. Evidentially, this ‘socialite’ thought that it was more important to ‘hob knob’ with the ‘hoity toity’ people than to take care of her clients. So on the day of the agreed upon inspection date, the buyers, termite inspector and I were waiting for her to show up. After about 15 minutes I called her – no answer. The buyers called her – no answer. After about an hour of calling her office, her broker and everyone else under the sun, she finally called and said that she could not make it and could we reschedule…

The answer not no, but a resounding H… No! After a few irate calls to her broker from the buyers and me, the issue was immediately resolved. Arriving at the property in record time, very unhappy and looking like yesterday’s news, she grudgingly unlocked the doors to let us in. As I was doing what I needed to do to serve my customer, I could hear a heated discussion going on the next room. Needless to say, this is one real estate agent that I will be taking off my list…

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As home inspectors, we are hired to find out what is wrong with the property that we are inspecting, and are quick to start the litany of what is wrong and do not take a moment to say what is good with the property. Think about it. If you were purchasing the property what would you want to hear, the good along with the bad or just the bad? After talking to many real estate professionals, the number one reason that agents go elsewhere for home inspector and drop you is either you “kill too many deals” with strong negative verbiage, blowing things out of peroration or scare the crap out of the potential buyers.

I have learned that a blend of both the good and bad helps make the transaction more palatable. After all, not every property we inspect is ready for the bulldozer. If the property is in a great location or close to a school say so. Think about it, there are at least 10 positive things that you can say about every house that you inspect. After all, the real estate agent’s customer is going to live in the property long after you and the agent are gone. What impression do you want to leave?

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton - Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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There are several firsts, in most of our lives; first step, first birthday, first kiss, first hot date… Now that I have gotten your attention, you get the picture. Well today I am doing a first post… well at least north of the Mason/Dixon that is. As I passed through Louisville, KY, I tipped my hat to General Lee and crossed the Ohio River on into Northern country heading for a small town north of Indianapolis for a meeting with 19 other home inspectors from across the nation for a 2 day convention to share ideas on how to grow our business and how to structure multi-inspector firms.

I know that this is nothing like the hoopla surrounding the Real Estate Connect convention going on in San Francisco, but nevertheless, this is just as exciting as this will take me out of the crawlspace and into the corporate world of running a business with multiple employees. Many of the people that I will meet have several inspectors working for them so I will have the opportunity to learn from the cream of the crop on the ins and outs of running a multi-inspector company.

The real beauty of this meeting is that since we do not compete in each others market area, the knowledge is freely given to help others grow their business unselfishly. Is that totally cool or what? Anyway, I will keep y’all posted on what is going on here…

P.S. You can take the man out of the south but you cannot take the south out of the man… LOL

Michael

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