| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Home Inspection | 11/25/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: My boyfriend and I are looking for our first home. We have found one that we like and got a copy of ...
A: First some general information about inspection reports. There is no national standard for report ...
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| Bad stem wall between units | 10/21/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: I am the owner of a townhome. I share walls with neighbors on both sides. I have had a constant ...
A: Jennifer, Sorry to hear about all of the problems with your townhome. Issues such as these are best ...
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| Water damage repair and an up coming home inspection | 9/25/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: I have a home that i'm selling and have a home inspection coming very soon. 3 years ago we had a ...
A: I get similar questions from a lot of home owners. The problem is that the answer would need to be ...
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| changing outlets from 2 prong to 3 prong FHA approval | 9/22/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: I am selling a 1957 home in historic district of Haymount located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. ...
A: I am not familiar with all the rules appraisers work under or FHA requirements as they change often. ...
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| GFCI plugs in kitchen | 9/10/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: We sold our house and the new owners are getting an FHA loan. It has been inspected and we were told ...
A: I have seen more situations like this than I can count over the last couple of years. I do not have ...
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| mold issue not disclosed during inspection | 6/26/2009 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: We moved into our 16 y/o colonial last month. I was aware the curling shingles meant the roof was at ...
A: The first thing you need to do is contact the inspector and see what his response is. Then if you ...
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| buying a 1940s home | 6/20/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: I am interested in purchasing this house that has some issues. It needs leveling(800 sq.ft.). It has ...
A: In general terms you are correct that it is less expensive to rewire or replumb a small home ...
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| foundation crack 1920's home | 6/13/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: I'm looking at a home built in 1920. It is a small home 1092 SQFT with a partial basement. The ...
A: Most inspectors just recommend an engineer for foundation cracking issues. Close examination of the ...
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| FHA Inspection | 5/29/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: I'm looking to purchase my first house via an FHA loan. I'm am particularly interested in a house ...
A: I can give you most of the information but as with anything that involves the govt. there could be ...
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| termite problem | 5/8/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: Will I need a different inspector for termites? I want to buy this house, but I can see that there ...
A: Esther, Who needs to do the inspection depends on your state. In Washington, where I live, a home ...
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| getting a good home inspector | 5/2/2009 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: I want to purchase a home, but I am concerned about getting a qualified home inspector. How do I ...
A: There are several factors to consider when choosing a qualified home inspectors. Your on the right ...
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| treatment of termites | 5/2/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: If there is a termite problem, how easy and effective is it to treat it? This is a problem in the ...
A: The severity of termite problems depends on how long they have been present, the damage they have ...
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| FHA inspection | 4/23/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: I currently am negotiating the sale of my home to a potential buyer who will acquire an FHA loan. ...
A: It seems FHA only cares about things that they actually know about and it sounds like they may be ...
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| 1930 home | 3/23/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I am contemplating buying a 1930 home but am a little concerned about some of the problems that I ...
A: Sounds like you need an inspection. If a ceiling is wet, unless a plumbing fixture is above -- or ...
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| septic system | 3/21/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: Now, we're contemplating moving out of the city and into the countryside. I'm a little apprehensive ...
A: Call your local health department or county building inspector to find out what agency in your area ...
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| North Carolina | 3/9/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: In NC's Charlotte area, how common are termite infestation in real estate properties? Best regards, ...
A: Richard, I have not seen any published numbers on this. The difference between "termite activity" ...
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| Building inspector missed the potential for damp. | 3/5/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: "Hi my mother in law bought a house two years ago. It was a new build and had all the relevant ...
A: Sorry to hear about this issue. The laws there are probably different from here and you really need ...
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| Home inspector didn't spot the potential for damp. | 3/5/2009 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: It was a new build and had all the relevant checks, surveys and inspections done before she bought ...
A: It sounds like you need to take the contractor and the inspector to court. Go get a good lawyer ...
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| mold | 3/3/2009 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: I want to buy a house that is a foreclosure, but it was winterized and there seems to be some mold. ...
A: Not all home inspectors are a qualified (and licensed if needed) mold inspector and even some mold ...
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| Gustavo | 2/13/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: I am interested in found a home inspection company in Mexico, City, and I am looking for somebody ...
A: Sorry I don't speak Spanish very well and write it worse. The only thing that comes to mind is for ...
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| 1949 home | 2/9/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I want to buy this home, but first I need to get a home inspection after I make an offer. The ...
A: Esther, Chances are no inspector can tell you what is under the siding, unless there is a piece ...
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| 1959 home | 2/7/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I am now looking to buy a 1959 home. It is a very nice home with no visible repairs needed except ...
A: It is probable that a "popcorn" textured ceiling put in before the mid 1980s would have asbestos ...
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| 1959 home | 2/6/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I am now looking to buy a 1959 home. It is a very nice home with no visible repairs needed except ...
A: Esther, I cannot really get into house values with you. I would talk to a real estate agent about ...
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| buying a 1948 home | 1/28/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I want to buy a 1948 home that is on pier and beam. I don't know if it will be expensive to level ...
A: Esther, I do not know that I can, legally, answer that question. That is a question of law. There ...
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| buying an older home | 1/28/2009 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: Does a 1948 home need to be home inpected if you know it needs work, such as replacing bad wood and ...
A: Always get a home inspection. There are hundreds of possible defects that could be hidden from your ...
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| buying a 1948 home | 1/27/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: I want to buy a 1948 home that is on pier and beam. I don't know if it will be expensive to level ...
A: Esther, you have a lot of questions there. Some of them are more in the area of expertise of an ...
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| Home Inspection on Foreclosed home | 1/26/2009 | Steven L. Smith |
Q: Me and my husband are currently in the midst of buying a foreclosed home in IL. We want to get a ...
A: Jackie, The problem you ask about is common. Banks have homes they need to sell, yet they do not ...
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| real estate laws | 1/20/2009 | Bruce A. King |
Q: Is it legal to sell a house that is leaking carbon monoxide? I just bought a house that passed an ...
A: Its generally considered legal to sell anything in any condition but any known problems with a house ...
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| water damage | 1/18/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: I am looking at a house that experienced water damage. It is a foreclosure and I would like to know ...
A: I am always concerned when I see water stains. I would want to know the cause of each stain and the ...
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| 1943 home | 1/13/2009 | Bill Chester |
Q: I am interested in purchasing this cute home, but it needs a lot of repairs. It is a 900 sq. ft. ...
A: Sorry for the late answer! I did not get the first e-mail so the system sent another. I obviously ...
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| Furnace needs replacing after purchase | 10/24/2008 | Bill Chester |
Q: My son and wife purchased a foreclosed home Sept, 08. They knew they had to replace the roof. But ...
A: This is a legal question and should be asked to a lawyer. I'll add a few thoughts from my ...
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| Overall Home and Septic Inspection | 10/13/2008 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: Mr. McKenna, I noticed a question you answered from another user about a septic inspection. My ...
A: It is a tough call to say if the inspector was to blame on this one. If you agreed to have the ...
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| home inspection on a 1975 home | 9/28/2008 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: We are in the final steps of buying a home. We have one already,but it does not fit our needs. The ...
A: You need to hire a home inspector to tell you what things need repair in this house. Here are some ...
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| buying a 1923 home | 9/18/2008 | Bill Chester |
Q: What kinds of things should I be careful with and what can I expect during a home inspection of an ...
A: Good question! There is typically no way to be absolutely certain. Ask how long they have been a ...
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| 1923 home | 9/18/2008 | Bruce A. King |
Q: i want to buy this charming 1923 home. The plumbing has been redone recently and I'm not sure about ...
A: Glad to be able to help you out, I know that home buying is a high risk adventure. Lopsided homes ...
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| 1923 home | 9/17/2008 | Bruce A. King |
Q: i want to buy this charming 1923 home. The plumbing has been redone recently and I'm not sure about ...
A: It would take me about 3 hours to inspect that house including a thorough crawlspace inspection ...
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| buying a 1923 home | 9/17/2008 | Bill Chester |
Q: What kinds of things should I be careful with and what can I expect during a home inspection of an ...
A: Older homes frequently have more problems than newer homes however they all have the same basic ...
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| 1923 home | 9/17/2008 | Bruce A. King |
Q: i want to buy this charming 1923 home. The plumbing has been redone recently and I'm not sure about ...
A: Inspections on old homes are quite the challenge when done correctly. Many issues will be found on ...
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| country home | 9/6/2008 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: We have been house-hunting and have found this country house but it has a septic system. The house ...
A: You need to have your septic system inspected before you buy the house, especially considering the ...
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| negligent inspection? | 7/2/2008 | John McKenna, CMI |
Q: I'm hoping your can give me your take on an electrical issue on a home my wife and I recently ...
A: I agree with you that the inspector should have at least tested a sample of plug outlets and ...
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