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NBI's Monthly
Real Estate Newsletter
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National
Building
Inspectors
(800) 466-2466
December, 2010
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Dear Robert;
We at NBI wish you and your family (and friends) the
best of holiday seasons. We also wish you a happy, healthy,
prosperous 2011, and we look forward to working with you to make that
happen. The year just completed was as challenging as 2009 for the
real estate business, but we already see a better business atmosphere
building in 2011.
Don't forget, however, that NBI still has a holiday
gift for folks who book an inspection before the end
of the year. (See our
$100 coupon below.)
Happy Holidays!
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HUD calls home inspections essential
to the home
buying process.
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As
part of the big consumer protection bill that passed Congress this
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Feds endorse inspections as consumer protection
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Fall,
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) included
language that mandated their home-buyer counselors to strongly
recommend a home inspection as an essential step to protecting their
interests. HUD counselors will now:
- Actively
advise homebuyers that obtaining a home inspection is a key
element of buying a house.
- Consider
obtaining a home inspection as early as possible in the process,
when home inspections have the greatest utility to homebuyers
(this is quite true!)
- Make
this advice available to all homebuyers regardless of whether
they finance using government-backed programs or private sector
lending.
With
lots of property coming on the market through short sales and REO, home and termite
inspections really do stand out
as a way for buyers to protect themselves and gain leverage in
negotiations.
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Spot the
Problem! (Holiday Edition)
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Notice
any issues with this electrical fuse panel?
A
couple of the fuses are labeled for 30 amps and the other two for 20
amps.
As
the inspector went through the house, he found a typical holiday
decoration wiring arrangement connected to one of the 30-amp
circuits.
But
is there really a problem? Would not a 30-amp fuse handle this extra
load fine?
To
find the answer, check at the bottom of the right-hand column.
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Home and Termite
Inspection Basics:
They are an initial view of property conditions
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NBI
regularly trains real estate agents in the basics of home inspection.
One of the misconceptions we often clear up when training is
exactly what a home and termite inspection is supposed to do.
Here is a quick summary for those who have not yet gone through our
Home Inspection Basics Training:
A
home inspection is an initial review of a property to find any
visual clues that may indicate problems that threaten the structure.
Home inspectors do not pry open walls, dig up gardens or otherwise
disturb the property to confirm that problems exist. Based on
what we observe, we then recommend further investigation into those
clues that indicate a problem.
A home inspection is the beginning, not the end, of
the investigation into a property's faults. It
gives the person who ordered the inspection a roadmap for further
study with a specialist
in that problem and, if needed, corrective work.
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The NBI
All-in-One Inspection Package
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Why hire two or more inspectors to handle the home and
pest inspections? We are seasoned pros
at doing both! Plus, our package price will save your client
money. Without sacrificing any quality.
PLUS, We are the only known pest inspection company in
Northern California that does not perform corrective work on
properties we inspect, which means you are GUARANTEED our
complete impartiality when doing a home and pest inspection.
One visit, one price, both reports done simultaneously.
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Thank you for taking the time to read through our
monthly newsletter. We hope you found it useful. If not, let us know!
We look forward to your feedback. E-mail comments to answerman@teamnbi.com.
Keep us on your list. We stand ready to make you look
good and get that deal closed!
Sincerely,
Robert Swickard, President
NBI
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Start
the New Year off right:
Invite us to
your office to train your team on 21st Century home and termite
inspection techniques!
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We have put hundreds
of agents through a short training session on basic inspection
techniques that will make you a more savvy agent when managing client
expectations.
Call us to schedule a time for your office. We look
forward to it!
(800) 466-2466
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The "Spot the Problem" answer is this way
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Answer to "Spot the Problem"
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This is a fire
hazard:
The 30-amp fuse could allow too much current to be
drawn through the wires of the house, which could cause them
to overheat.
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These
30 amp fuses were common up to the mid-1940's for large appliances,
fixtures, and outlets. Most modern devices are rated at 15 and 20
amps. The outlets throughout this house have been replaced
with modern style ones that are rated at 15 amps: So, each fuse at
this panel should be no more than 15 amps.
Drawing
too many amps though a wire size that is too small is the leading cause
of electrical fires according to the United States Fire
Administration (USFA).
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