U.S. Inspect Blog

Many people are buying foreclosure or short sale properties these days. These homes can be a great investment for many, but they can also be more challenging to buy--the process can take a bit longer and there are some unique things to consider about the property as it may have been sitting without regular maintenance for quite some time.

A few weeks ago, I gave you an introduction to drip irrigation systems as I shared with you my own system via video, as I got it up and running for the system. 

Here's a follow up video to that. I cover how to make some more repairs and expanding parts of the system. Near the end I cover the difference between emitters and perforated lines. Hint: The bottom line is the end result is the same, but the perferated lines are easier to work with.

Enjoy the video.

Most folks in the inspection business will tell you that they really love houses. I’m no exception. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to attend an ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), convention in Palm Springs, Ca. One of the extra activities was a tour of stars' homes. Although we could not actually “tour” Bob Hope’s house, as it’s not open to the public, the information about it fascinated me, all 17,531 square feet of it.

Most deck accidents are preventable. They mostly occur because framing for the house lacks a secure band joist to which lag bolts are supposed to be attached.  Unfortunately, it is not until after a deck collapse that most owners pay closer attention to framing details that were omitted. Here are a few tips on deck maintenance to prevent such a failure.

Hire Quality Professionals

I just read an article on the National Association of REALTORS® Web site that I thought I'd share. It seems that according to a NAR article released yesterday, the surge in pending home sales continues. Which is something we certainly like to see.

The following post was written by U.S. Inspect's resident wood-destroying insect expert, Véronique P. Keefe--thanks Véronique!

• Are you awakened early when you want to sleep in by a tap-tap-tap over your window?
• Do you see holes above your windows (and on the siding, and sometimes on your mailbox post)? 
• Do you see yellowish dirty streaks near the holes?
• Do you see what looks like sawdust coming out of your downspouts?

All these are signs that you have carpenter bees.

We are down to 0 days to closing. That’s right, dear readers, we are closing on the new house tomorrow. If you’re reading this, it has probably already happened. Today we received our HUD-1 form from the mortgage company (more about HUD-1 Forms).