Smoke detectors and the sellers. Are bad inspections the norm? My last post  focused on the seller being at the home inspection when the buyers and the inspector was trying to do their job and get the best results for the buyer. Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico has a really good reputation for finding things that other inspectors miss on a daily basis. Case in point. In this recent inspection by a competitor the inspector that hand writes the report as your standing there waiting....Ughhhh. No pictures for the report and no PDF file or PDF Bill to send on to the lender along with the hand written bill, that's all you get. I was asked to visit the home that was inspected as a courtesy of the buyer. I stopped by and the very first thing I saw was the missing..... Smoke d... 11/16/2012

Home inspections and the sellers being there.  When performing home inspection for Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, I run into all kinds of comments from the seller. I generally don't like the seller to be present during a home inspection. This reasoning is for the fact that the buyer and my self can't talk as freely when at the home.  Some times the seller will actually follow you around and when ever you make a comment, they seem to have an explanation about or for the comment. Very rarely do they say a simple "I don't know". They want to sell the home plain and simple. The buyer wants to buy the home, but with the information gathered by the inspector that should be an unbiased report and inspection. I try and give the best information I can on the home within the ... 11/15/2012

Windy days make for haze. High winds make an interesting inspection. Here in New Mexico, we get a lot of days like this especially in the spring when the March winds start to blow like there is no tomorrow. When we have high winds there is little we can do but be extra cautious when inspecting. Even more so when we are inspecting a roof in high winds. At Desert Sun Home Inspections, we strive to give the best inspections available. No matter the weather.  The winds were at around 35 miles per hour and gusts up to 60 mile per hour. Nothing to mess with when inspecting a roof. The first photo doe's not give a good look at the high winds. Here is a look towards town when the wind was giving us trouble at this inspecytion. This was justa start to the day. The high winds blew for the last tw... 11/13/2012

Gas and water doesn't mix. And neither should the parts. Time and time again I see the wrong parts installed in the gas supply lines to the water heater, funace, the gas stove or the gas dryer. At desert Sun Home inspections, we care about the people who are selling and buying the homes we get to inspect. That's why it's so important to get it right when inspecting a home. In a recent survey Desert Sun Home Inspections got a rating of 99.2% Yes there were a couple of home buyers that were not exactly happy with a report of my findings. This is bound to happen. Take it on the chin and keep inspecting. Now back to the gas and water don't mix.  And the parts should not be mixed either. Here we have a gas supply line coming in to the home that feeds the kitchen stove and the water heater. C... 11/12/2012

Duct work in need of a little TLC. More and more it seems I am finding a lot of this. The plenum in the attic and or the distribution lines are not properly insulated. In this relatively new home the distribution box was not insulated. The Plenum was manufactured of an insulated material just for the plenum for the heat exchange to the home from the furnace. But then the trunk line was so complicated the system needed an additional trunk distribution connection. This second distirbution box was not insulated.  I think they tried to hide the second section of the distribution under a "dusting" of cellulose insulation. After seeing this mess in the attic. I was more confused on what went where. Good news is it did work. Miracles never cease. Now the report states the duct work plenum is n... 11/09/2012

I think I have a leak with the roof. Can you inspect it? At Desert Sun Home Inspections we get calls from time to time about roof inspections only. This inspection was supposed to be a very uncomplicated inspection with a small leak at the edge of the roof. The client said there was a little water damage to the carport as well. Roof damage and "Oh, NO MOLD". I had found the problem with the roof leaks. This major section of the roof had blown back and exposed the underlayment. Now there are mold issues with the carport area of the home. The roof needs to be repaired as soon as possible. Then the repairs can begin. Have a great day everyone. This is post Eight of the November challenge. 11/07/2012

When will they learn? Furnace install. I know we have all seen this before. But we should not have seen it at all. There are so many short cuts made by the mechanical installers it's kinda getting old hat. In this inspection last night I found the flex line running through the furnace body to the unitrol. This is not to code and this is a safety hazard as well. Then to add insult to a already bad install. There is no drip leg and the gas cutoff is located too close to the wall to operate freely. All I can do is write this up and shake my head. Have a good night everyone.   10/24/2012

Oh boy, here we go again. FPE and the mechanical installs. It's simply amazing what sellers will tell you when your inspecting their home. This inspection took place in Carlsbad by the same gentleman who had me do a "Roof inspection only". Remember him? Now he wants to buy this home.  The biggest issues with the home is the Federal Pacific Panel and the mechanical installs. Not to mention the roof. Let's take a look at the issues. Here is the FPE panel. Even though there was no double taps and the panel was in very good shape. It's still a FPE panel. This home has Two A/C split units. Two furnaces and Two water heaters. My next biggest concern was the way the furnace and water heater was tied in together with the exhaust venting in the garage. Here we have a four inch exhaust and a thre... 10/22/2012

New home inspection, Are they really finished? Not at all. Saturday I did a home inspection on a new home that the Realtor and the contractor wanted to do a final walk through on the home with the buyer. This final walk through was to take place today. I was contacted by the buyer to inspect the home for his "peace of mind". Good choice I thought. Not enough new home owners get a home inspection in this area of the country. The Realtor told the buyer that the home is a new home and there would be nothing that would be needed as far as repairs because it is a new home. She wanted the buyer to sign a "waiver for the home inspection". The buyer then said he wanted a home inspection and the Realtor seems to get upset according to the buyer. He told me that the agent made him uncomfortable a... 10/21/2012

Water Heater pans. Try having them hooked up the right way. More and more homes have been installed with water heater pans. These pans are designed to catch any water that might leak from the water heater. Then  discharge the water from the leak into the waste system (sewer drain line).  But what if the heaters pans are not operating the way they were intended to work by the manufacturer of the pan.  How could they not work you ask? They just sit there doing nothing at all. I'll show you how the pans will not work right when they are installed the wrong way or not installed to the manufacturers recommendations. Also the pans cannot be "modified in any way. This will void the warranty of the pan. This home was built in 2008 and is only four years old. Did he plumbing inspector ever see t... 10/16/2012

"A very impressive report" was what the broker said. I was talking to a new agent. A brand new agent. Just starting out in the Real Estate business. This new agent had just started out with a agency here in Carlsbad New Mexico. Her Broker told her about the report that I had presented for a buyer for another Realtor. The Realtor had forwarded the report to the broker so the broker could talk about the issues with the home. The Buyers Agent has talked to the broker about the report and he told her as well he was thoroughly impressed with the report. He has told his Agents to look at the report and see what a report is supposed to look like.  And when they need a home inspection to call Clint McKie at Desert Sun Home Inspections. But this leaves me a little bit confused and mad at the sam... 10/09/2012

Dryer vents and why they don't work. There has been a rash of bad dryer vents lately. These dryer vents need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. There are big issues that can come from a bad dryer vent being left in operation ( or in many cases not in proper operation) Follow this link for more information. Dryer vents cause fires.  These vents can cause a house fire when your not home. How many of you had started the dryer just to run to town or leave the home to run an errand. Mean while the dryer is on and heating up. This is why the dryer vents need to operate properly. Here is a dryer vent that has been stuffed full of insulation. And the reason being? This vent is no longer in use. So why did'nt the sellers remove the vent? Could it be there was a gas line right in fro... 10/03/2012

When is a leak really a leak? And the answer is... When ever there is water where it's not supposed to be. Pretty simple I would think. If this leak was not a big deal then why is the towel there to catch all the water from the leak. The sellers agent called my agent then the agent said it was no big deal. Really. Then why was the leak not taken care of after it was found in the first place? Funny how thw agents want to play and inspector and  down play the inspectors findings. The line closest to the wall is leaking. There is a towel on the floor to catch the drips.  Just fix the leak and be done with it. Why complain about the leak at all? Have a great day everyone. 10/02/2012

It's the little things that count. But how little? Agent not happy. When I do Home inspections in Eddy County New Mexico, I try and not get too picky when it come to small issues. But there are times  when I feel I need to write things up even if they are small issues. To me this "small issue is "annoying" and it just might become annoying to the new owner if not addressed in the report. And then taken care of by the buyer or the seller. How many of you have purchased a home and found out later about the small things that annoy you? Here is a look at a few things that are annoying to me. Here we have a fireplace boot that had been installed incorrectly. Notice the boot flashing is not under the shingles as intended. This is a look at the door jamb at the front door that has been broken ... 09/29/2012

Advertising. Taking a chance on the home team. I have been throwing this around for a while. then the chance came up to advertise and be a sponsor of the 2012-2013 Carlsbad High School Boys and Girls Basket Ball teams.I thought this would be a great way to get the word out about Desert Sun Home Inspection in Carlabad New Mexico. I have always supported the local sports. And I hope this would be a great way to find a few new client's that are out there and just waiting to find me. There will be a total of 250 shirts printed and given out free at games. Plus your sponsorship will get mentioned about twenty time during the radio broadcast of the games. Here is what the tee shirts will look like for this season of great basket ball. The front of the shirts will be a lot bigger than the shot... 09/23/2012

When are trip hazards really trip hazards? I get questions all the time about why I have written up a trip hazard. Then they follow that up with how do I get rid of the trip hazards. Each trip hazard is a little different, but one thing I have found is that the plumbers install the standpipes for the closeout's way too high. After  the final inspection the standpipes need to be shortened so that they are not a trip hazard. Here we have an old unused trip hazard that in right in the drive way. Many of these hazards never get any attention till the inspector points them out. Here we have a hole in the middle of a patio the when kids are playing is definitely a hazard. Then this trip hazard is really bad, located at the end of the patio and in the extended patio. This will deffinatly becom... 09/20/2012

Damaged garage door? Or that's not a problem. In a recent inspection i had wrote up that the garage door had issues. It works pretty good but the door looks like it had been stepped on a few times and needed to be looked at and repaired by a true garage door professional. According to the Realtor, "I think the door is just fine, why did you list it if it still works as it's supposed to"? I explained that even if a door still worked as intended, there still could be issues with the item in question. I think they have been getting so lazy about home inspection report's. Remember that change takes a little time to adjust to. The cake inspector has been found and when they see my report they ask " How come we have not used you before" I don't have a clue about that. Let's take a look at the... 09/19/2012

When venting an attic gets hidden. I know when there are upgrades to a home there will be a little bit of "changing" that goes on. This is not good when the changing of the venting to the attic is nearly closed off. Attics need to breath. This home has suffit venting but I could not confirm the vents were operating properly. You will see what I'm talking about.  In this first shot it's a look at the "GABLE VENTING" after the brick was installed by the owner of the home. These "couple of slits in the brick" will not provide adequate ventilation for the attic. Here is an inside look at the gable vent before it was closed off by the brick install. As other inspectors look at this picture they are saying the insulation is in backwards. Always install the vapor barrier (Paper) to the heated ... 09/19/2012

Home for sale, but I can't get in. Vegetation concerns at front door. I could get in the home to inspect. But what about those people who are looking for an opportunity to  "lighten your ownership of a few things"? I mean even if you don't live in the home full time and you have the home for sale. Then keep the grass mowed and the yard kept in good manicuring. Here is what I was greeted with when I arrived at this newly constructed home built in 2011. There is a large bushy plant of gourds growing onto the front walk way. They are intertwined and were not easy to get around. The side gates were locked so I did'nt have a choice but to step over the plants and gain access to the home. But when I'm looking at homes a tell tell sign no one is living in the home is an entry way just like thi... 09/12/2012

Do you ever take a bath? You should experience this tub yourself. On our recent trip to Ruidoso we did a little shopping and I got to take some really cool pictures. Here is a bath tub that will leave the bathers really wanting to stay for a while. The cost of the tub will be a little out of reach for me and my meager salary. This tub was found in a Southwestern decor shop. The total gallons is 155 gallons to fill it. The cost for this fine hand made copper tub? It's only $2,795.00 I was thinking of getting two of them till I realized it would take a water heater the size of a pick up just to heat enough water for it. Have a great evening everyone. 09/11/2012