Is Water On At the House? It Makes a Difference For Your Inspection

With winter weather showing up in the Metroplex this week, it’s a good time to let home buyers know a few things that might save time, effort and frustration in scheduling a home inspection. Some listing agents, government agencies, and owners have started to “winterize” vacant homes on their inventory. This means that the water supply to the home will not only be turned off, but the plumbing fixtures and water heaters may have been drained.

When preparing to sign the purchase contract, ask the real estate agents involved to make sure that the house can be inspected, including plumbing fixtures. Get permission up front to keep water on, where it is possible, or to “de-winterize” the property, if the sellers or their agents insist on winterizing anyway.

Many inspectors will include a surcharge in their fees to de-winterize a home for the inspection, since the process takes extra time and care in order to prevent accidental water damage. Some inspectors will charge an additional fee to “re-winterize” the property, since this too takes extra time, tools and expertise. Ask your inspector if there are extra charges involved at the time you schedule your inspection.

At House Exam Inspection, our policy has always been to get permission from the listing agent before we de-winterize, and not to charge for de-winterizing. It’s a company choice. We take great care to prevent property damage, and we make certain that arrangements for re-winterizing have been made, or we do it ourselves. This is just another way we stand out from the average inspection company, and provide an extra measure of service to our clients.

If you have any questions, feel free to call, or email us. You may leave a comment below. We are always glad to be of service.

Pre-Listing Home Inspections Make Perfect Sense

Can a home inspection help me sell my home?

Fort Worth area home owners are discovering how to sell a home faster and for prices closer to their asking price. A pre-listing inspection performed BEFORE you put your home up for sale can help you sell faster, for closer to your desired sale price.

Most buyers in today’s market are going to get an inspection of the home they want to buy. so, it makes sense to have your home inspected prior to placing it on the market. Why wait until some buyer’s inspector finds something that can delay your sale? Maybe there are things about your home that you aren’t sure about. If you find out ahead of time, YOU can act accordingly. Get it fixed by a contractor of your choosing. Tell the buyer what’s wrong and price it as is. YOU can be in more in control!

House Exam Inspection has been working for buyers for over seven years. Why not call us and let us go to work for you when you decide to SELL? Call now at (817) 797-2461 or click here to order your inspection online.

Water Pressure Too High When Measured During a Grapevine Home Inspection

Why Is This A Concern?
By nationally accepted building codes, water pressures at residences should be between 40 and 80 psi. Engineers design plumbing fixtures for this range of pressure. So, in theory, high pressures could cause premature wear or failure of fixtures such as toilets, faucets and water heaters, etc. There is not a lot of hard data to support this. One problem we frequently observe during a home inspections where pressures are high is “fogging” at the lawn sprinkler heads. High pressure causes this “mist” effect, and water droplets are so tiny that breezes carry the water onto the neighbor’s yard or down the street. This particular problem can (and should) usually be remedied by turning the pressure down at the sprinkler zone valves. Leaky faucets may be a little more prevalent with higher pressures, also.
Why Are the Pressures So High?
Water districts (municipal or co-op) are responsible to get the water to the neighborhoods and to the curbside meter bases. Water districts face distribution challenges, such as the number of houses in a subdivision, distance from distribution points, peak daily demand, etc. The most frequent reason for pressures being above the 80 psi range is that the distribution point (usually a water tower) is in relatively close proximity to the neighborhood. The farther away from the distribution point, the lower the pressure, unless pumps or design features can boost the pressure along the way.
What Can a Home Owner Do About It?
First, call the water department and ask for information, and perhaps for a courtesy call to test pressures in your neighborhood. If they don’t have the proper monitoring systems in place, they may not know they have a problem. Sometimes calibration and other distribution problems arise to cause the problem. In those cases, municipal water departments may need to be notified of pressure problems. Sometimes municipalities simply “amend the code” for the conditions which exist within their jurisdictions. This is why we strongly suggest calling the local water department for information on their specific operation and policies.
If you are experiencing high water pressure as a problem, or if you are just sufficiently concerned about it, call a licensed plumber. If a plumber evaluates the issue and recommends repair, he or she can install a pressure regulating device on the supply line, lowering the water pressure to the house. BUT – ONE MORE TIME – call the water department FIRST. You don’t want to spend the money to fix your pressure, when the city needs to fix the neighborhood instead!

Home Inspector Answers: “What if my circuit breaker keeps tripping after I reset it?”

The photo in this article is from an inspection we did in Fort Worth a few weeks back, on an existing home. It shows a circuit breaker in the “tripped” position. As you can see, the switch is neither on, or off, and there should be no power on this circuit.

At House Exam Inspection, our policy when we find a circuit breaker that is “tripped” is to take a photo of it, include it in the report it as a deficiency, and recommend that a licensed electrician evaluate the problem and repair it as needed.

The reason? Simple: we don’t know what caused the breaker to “trip,” turning the power off to that particular circuit. A tripped circuit breaker is a clue that there is a problem in the wiring, or in the devices attached or plugged into the wiring. The safest thing to do is to pay attention to the clue we’ve been given.

If you live in a house where a breaker continues to trip, especially if you have reset it more than once, the best advice we can give you is to leave it tripped, and call a licensed electrician and have the circuit checked out and repaired as needed. It could be something simple, like a faulty breaker. Or it could be something serious that could cause an electrical fire.

Don’t risk the safety and health of your family! Stop ignoring tripped circuit breakers!

Want to know more? Post a question or comment below. Other topics you want to learn about home ownership and maintenance? Leave us a note.

$8,000 Home Buyer’s Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

In case you haven’t heard, Congress passed an extension of the First-Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit. The credit, which was supposed to expire on November 30 this year, has been extended to next year. The rules have actually been expanded to include folks who have been living in the same home for five years or more. These folks can get a credit of up to $6,500 when they buy a house before the new deadlines. Homes must be under contract by April 30, 2010, and the purchase transaction must be closed before June 30, 2010 for the credit to apply.
So, what are you waiting for? Find a Realtor and get to shopping for that home of your dreams. And don’t forget to call House Exam Inspection to help you avoid the “Money Pit.” Call to schedule your home inspection, (817) 797-2461.

$8,000 Home-Buying Opportunity Soon to Expire!

There’s $8,000 sitting on the table from Uncle Sam, right now, for every first-time home buyer who qualifies. THAT’S FREE MONEY! (Well, sort of. We all end up paying for it, don’t we?)

There’s a CATCH! You have to CLOSE on your purchase before December 1st. No, it doesn’t count if you’re under contract by November 30th. You have to close before December 1, 2009.

In case you’ve been under a rock since New Year’s Day, the government will provide an $8,000 tax credit to folks who are buying a home for the first time (the definition of “first-time” is actually fairly loose). Here are a few of the highlights of the available stimulus offer:
• The $8000 tax credit is available only to first-time home buyers.
• The $8000 tax credit is available only when the first-time home buyer is buying a primary residence.
• The $8000 tax credit is available only to first-time home buyers who are buying a primary residence between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009 (provisions expire midnight November 30, 2009).
• The $8000 tax credit does not require repayment.
• The $8000 tax credit is claimed on a tax return and reduces the tax liability. If the credit is more than the tax liability, the unused credit will be issued as a check to the person claiming the credit.
• If you sell the home within 3 years, the entire $8000 tax credit must be repaid.

The Recovery Act’s stimulus credit defines first-time home buyers as a purchaser who has not owned a home in the last three years. That’s a fairly generous way to get folks who have been living in a home for longer than three years to seriously consider moving. Here are the key points in the requirements to qualify for the credit:
• The property sale must close BEFORE December 1, 2009.
• Single buyers with an annual income below $75,000 qualify.
• Couples with income of up to $150,000 may claim the credit.
• Tax credit is equal to 10% of the purchase price, to a maximum of $8000.
• Taxpayer may claim it on their 2008 or 2009 return.
• Taxpayer may file an amended return for 2008 to claim the credit.
• Outstanding tax balances owed to IRS will be deducted from credit.
• This is a true tax credit which does not require repayment.

By all estimates, so far, the Bill has provided a lot of the furious activity we have seen in real estate sales this year. After all, this is supposed to be a “down” market. Our inspection company has seen a steady increase in orders over the last several months in 2009. And, most of the agents whom we talk to are staying unusually busy showing homes.

So, if you are among those folks who think that owning a home is in your future, now might just be a good time to consider buying that home. Uncle Sam wants to help. And we know gobs of professional folks in the real estate industry who are ready and willing to help you find the home of your dreams.

And, as always, we at House Exam Inspection and Consulting stand ready to assist you with your home buying needs, by providing a thorough, detailed inspection and Inspection Report. We’ll tell you what we find that might be of concern. We’ll go over the findings verbally at the end of the inspection and talk to you about how serious anything might be. Then we’ll help you and your Realtor work on a list of repairs you might ask for, even wording to be used, etc. So, join the thousands of our previous Clients who were happy they chose House Exam Inspection and Consulting for their home inspection needs.

Call NOW! (817) 797-2461
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Part IV, Arc Fault Absent? So What?

Arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protection is new enough that most brand new homes don’t have it in ALL the right places. So, why are Texas Inspectors being required to report them as a “Deficiency” in

older

homes? Because they are the newest form of home safety equipment.

Actually, this question gets to the bottom line of the reason for the new Standards of Practice for Texas home inspectors: namely, educating the home-buying public regarding home safety. As home building codes have changed, home safety has become more and more of a priority. We know that ground fault and arc fault electrical protection saves lives. So, home inspectors will now list the absence of arc fault and ground fault protection in the home (no matter what age home) as a deficiency which deserves consideration of an upgrade.

So, what is arc fault protection? AFCI protection is a technology which constantly monitors the electrical circuit for overheating. Over the last few years, the arc fault protection has been required only in bedroom circuits, but, beginning with the 2008 National Electric Code, arc fault protection is required on EVERY circuit which does not require ground fault protection. WOW! Everything!? Yep!

If it’s not close to a water or an exterior source, it’s still susceptible to overheating. And, overheating in the circuit is what arc fault protection is designed to monitor. AFCI equipment monitors the circuit and shuts down the power in the circuit when overheating is detected.

Upgrade vs. “In Need of Repair”

Formerly, Texas home inspectors used the phrase “In Need or Repair” to describe an issue we identified in a home which did not meet up to common standards or construction industry standards. After the February 1, 2009 revisions, home inspectors report such issues as “Deficiencies” in the home we are inspecting. So, for example, arc fault protection not present in all required locations would now be reported as a “Deficiency,” not as “In Need of Repair.” This makes sense, because the outlets in required areas are probably working exactly as they should. They are in need of UPGRADING. not repair.

There are lots of similar items and issues which have changed since the new Standards have begun. Stay tuned to our web site for more information, and for sensible explanations of the things you need to know about the changes. We’re comitted to educating the real estate industry and the home-buying public in all sorts of ways.

Part III, Testing Water Pressure

When the Standards of Practice changed for Texas Home Inspectors on February 1, 2009, a new inspection procedure was added as a requirement. Inspectors must now put in the Report the location of the water meter, the location of the main house shut off valve (when there is one provided), and record the water pressure present at the house at the time of the inspection. The new procedure is meant to provide further information for the client in their decision to purchase, as well as to help set a base-line measure in case plumbing problems occur in the house later.

If you are wondering what difference the water pressure makes, ask yourself if you prefer a lot of pressure when you take a shower, or just a dribble. If the pressure is too low, you have run back and forth in the shower to get wet. If it’s too high … Well, come to think of it, most folks like strong pressure in the shower.

So, what’s the problem? The folks who engineer and manufacture plumbing fixtures and fittings, design those fixtures for optimum performance between 40 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch). If the pressure is too high, the seals and seats and gaskets that make those things work like they are supposed to can (and do) wear out quicker. I was talking to a plumber recently about recording a reading of 110 psi at a recent house. he asked, “Have you ever seen what 110 psi will do to a toilet fill valve?” I did a search of the topic and came across this Chat site: Is my home’s water pressure (90 psi) too high?

Yesterday, February 4, 2009, I tested a house where the pressure was 135+ psi. The Buyer (my Client) was not a happy camper, but after we talked about options, he decided to proceed with the contract and ask the Seller to pay for the plumber to install a pressure reducer at the water meter. It’s reasonable request. That’s what we help our clients to do: figure out what to do next. We’re not trying to scare anyone, or sensationalize about anything we find. We just want to help you make the best decisions on how to proceed.

Call Now: 817-797-2461 | Click Here to Book Online

Part II, Detailing the Deficiencies We Find

Standards of Practice for Texas home inspectors has changed as of February 1, 2009. This means a different set of rules for inspectors to follow in inspecting a house for you, but especially a raising of the bar across the home inspection industry. Also, inspectors will have a different form to fill out in reporting inspection findings.

In the new Property Inspection Report form, instead of reporting that a given item is “in need of repair” (a phrase that has been in wide use for a long time), inspectors will now list deficiencies. A deficiency can be a hazard, or a system or component that is not working properly, or an item that is in need of regular or ongoing maintenance.

“Deficiency” is defined as “A condition that, in the inspector’s reasonable opinion, adversely and materially affects the performance of a system, or component, or constitutes a hazard to life, limb, or property…” The Standards go on to say, “General deficiencies include, but are not limited to inoperability, material distress, water penetration, damage, deterioration, missing parts and unsuitable installation.” Deficiencies in the home are what Clients want to know from home inspectors. When folks are about to make a major purchase like buying a home, they want to know what might be wrong with the house. So, they hire a home inspector.

So, why would the language in the inspection process change? If something is in need of repair, why not say it is “in need of repair”? Well the short answer is: we can, and we will. But, if you think about it, not all the problems inspectors identify in a home inspection require repair. Some things are simply in need of upgrading or updating. Maybe this example will clarify. An electrical outlet in a kitchen of a 1975 home may be working just fine. But, as originally built, it would have had no ground fault protection provided. It was not required then. The electrical outlets don’t “repair,” they need to be upgraded, in order to properly protect the folks who use that kitchen from electrical shock.

At House Exam Inspection and Consulting, we’ve been letting you know about such things for years, way before it was required by the Standards. We serve our Clients and their home buying needs. We let you know what to expect if you buy the house we inspect for you. We’ll be honest and open with you. We work for you, and we don’t apologize for that. Buyers love us because we tell them what we see, and explain it in plain English. Realtors love us, because we don’t scare their clients with what we see. We explain things in a calm and rational way, so that folks have the facts they need to decide.

So, Call NOW (817) 797-2461, or click at the right to Schedule Your Home Inspection.

Part I, Changes in Home Inspection, February 1, 2009

Standards of Practice have changed for Texas inspectors. On February 1, 2009, inspectors must follow a new set of Standards AND use a new Property Inspection Report. This is the first in a series of articles designed to help you understand how things will change, and how those changes will affect Texas home Buyers, Sellers, Realtors, and home inspectors.

Some changes are relatively minor. For example, the capacity of a water heater now has to be reported. There is a blank for it on the report. Understand, most companies (such as House Exam Inspection and Consulting) provided this information all along. What’s the difference? Now ALL inspection companies will be required to do so. Why didn’t the other guys do it all along? Hmmmm.

Now, (after February 1, 2009) inspectors will have to tell you what kind of roof covering you have. We did that long ago. Inspectors will now have to tell you how much and what type of insulation is in your attic. If you read any of the Sample Reports provided on this site, you’ll see that we’ve thought you needed to know that all along, and told you how much and what kind.

Don’t misunderstand, we’re glad everybody has to do all this reporting. But, at House Exam Inspection and Consulting, we have been providing service above and beyond the Standards of Practice for a long time. It’s our promise to you, that we will continue to provide you with more information than required, so that you can make the most confident decision possible about that home purchase. With our Reports, hundreds of our Clients have re-negotiated for hundreds of thousands of dollars in costly home repairs before they closed on purchases. Sound good?

Call NOW (817) 797-2461 or click over there on “Schedule Your Home Inspection”

Tags: attic insulation type, home inspection reporting, new inspection report forms, roof covering, water heater capacity

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