David Rothbart's blog

With the first day of spring fast approaching (we hope), many of us are starting to plan out our spring gardens and landscaping. If your ideas this year include planting a new tree or large shrub next to your home, then planning ahead is especially important. They are a great addition to your property and they are beautiful, but every plant or tree is different and has different needs in order to thrive--and maybe most importantly--every plant has a unique requirement for space. They certainly need room to grow.

Proper operation of your heat pump will save energy.  Don’t set back the heat pump’s thermostat if it causes the backup heating to come on; backup heating systems are usually more expensive to operate.  Continuous indoor fan operation can degrade heat pump performance unless a high-efficiency, variable-speed fan motor is used. Operate the system on the “auto” fan setting on the thermostat.

Sinkholes are a common feature of Florida's landscape, and being a resident of Florida myself, they are something I have become familiar with. 

As home inspectors we come across so many things every day--unusual buildings, spectacular homes, never-before-seen defects, strange animals--even ghosts! We've been sharing some of those Tales from the Road with you all of you throughout the year here on our Blog. So, as 2009 comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at our Top 5 posts!

When it comes to electronic and manual storm shutters there is a major difference between “High Maintenance,” “Low Maintenance,” and "No Maintenance.”

High Maintenance usually means regular, preplanned, and often time-consuming actions relating to serviceability. This level may require specially trained technicians and the frequent need of replacement parts or extensive labor. This level is not usually consumer friendly. 

It had been reported as recently as last week that some insurance companies in FL were starting to drop coverage for homes with Chinese Drywall. Without homeowners insurance, the buzz was that these unlucky homeowners could eventually be facing foreclosure.

It was another negative development in the situation, but just an hour ago, it has been reported that the insurance company the spirred all the reports has reversed their position!

Work the foreclosure, but don't forgo the inspection. With the increased rate of foreclosures nationally, a property inspection is extremely important to educate and protect buyers and REALTORS® alike.

It is the story that everyone was hoping we would not hear—did builders/installers suspect or know that Chinese Drywall was defective (or at least was not quite right) when it was being installed? Did anyone know and install it anyway or even attempt to cover it up?

It’s hard to believe, perhaps, but as reported in this morning’s Miami Herald, the Chinese Drywall issue could actually give the South Florida real estate market a boost.