More than meets the eye. What we can't see. Many of my followers with this post knows we at Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico now offer a 90 day warranty along with a Recallchek for the appliances in the home. What's the catch you say? The 90 day warranty is just that. A 90 day warranty. This covers any structural and other issues that may arise after the home inspection is completed. The Recallchek, is for working appliances in the home. At the time of inspection of the home.This would include but not limited to a Water heater, Furnace, A/C unit, Heat pumps, Dishwasher, Fridge, Range, Garage door closer, Built in Micro wave oven, Garbage disposal. We as inspectors that offer these services need to act like the Recallchek Sheriff in town. If the unit doe's not operate w... 03/04/2014

Roof repaired? Call the roof Dr. Desert Sun Inspections  Carlsbad, NM. Here is the story of why you trust no one when buying a home. Single mother and One small child. Rent was too expensive for the single mother to stay where she had been living. So when a lifelong friend of the family heard she was looking for a new place to live he told her he had a Manufactured home for sale. She went to the home and looked it over. This is great she thought as she walked through the home. Something I can afford and I would have my own home. So off to the bank she went to get a loan for the purchase of the home. She was approved for the loan. Good news for the single mother. Right? Not so fast. The loan manager told her she would need insurance on the home. So now off to the insurance company to get... 02/27/2014

Several years ago when the Real Estate market was normal, I use to pay for most of my client's "Home Inspections". This was a time when my clients had more of a chance of getting into a home that they were making an offer on. VB would only pay for only (one) "Home Inspection" and he would let his clients know this. VB would also ask his client's many times, do you really like this home? Can you see yourselves living in this home? Is this home worth doing a "Home Inspection" on? In the last 4-5 years in Las Vegas Nevada when buyers were making offers on homes, on average 40 other buyer's (Investors) were also making offers on the same homes. Between this and the banks making promises to buyers that their bank could finance them, and then at the last minute that they couldn't. This was wh... 02/27/2014

Heat pumps there are some rules. Desert Sun Inspections Carlsbad N.M. There are tell tell signs when a new heat pump, furnace or water heater has been installed without a permit being issued. Things like a new unit and no approved sticker form the mechanical inspector's office. When i find these units installed without a "Approved sticker" on the unit. This means the contractor did not get the proper follow up as required by the state and local authority. And it means in most cases that the corners were cut when installing the "new unit's". Was a permit charged for? If it was this means the contractor had to pull the permit in order to charge for a permit. If a permit is charged on the final bill to the owners, then a permit must be pulled.  If it was not and the bill has a permit charg... 02/26/2014

Don't mix water and electricity. Desert Sun inspections. Carlsbad, NM. Tri plex inspection yesterday in Carlsbad New Mexico. The home has had a lot of changes to the way the homes air conditioning had been modified. The swamp coolers had been on the roof. they were removed from service in lew of installing window units for air conditioning. The ducting had been removed and a new rolled roofing had been installed. Good right? Only of done correctly when removing the swamp cooler components. The electrical plugs for the coolers were left in place. When tested they were still live. The main issue is what the condition of the plugs were in. Take a look at these plugs left in place. These are the original plugs for the old coolers. No plug protection for the plugs. These need to have a weath... 02/25/2014

 Roofing 101, come on contractor's. When preparing home inspection reports for my client's. I use words like poor or unprofessional installation. When it comes to a roof installation, the roof is critical to be installed correctly. I have been posting about roofs lately. The roofs have been a sore spot with roofing contractors who think I am picking on them. The sellers think I am going over board when listing issues in a home inspection report that are not an actual "Leak". I will not matter to me if there is a "Leak or not when inspecting a homes roof". If the roof was not installed correctly, then I need to report it in the report. Check out what was found on this roof and why it was reported. Here we have a roof that was an overlayed roof. This means it was the second layer of roofi... 02/24/2014

Time for furnace filters, Desert Sun Home Inspections Carlsbad N.M. With the cooler weather of the winter temperatures being very cold in most of the nation. There is a need to keep in mind the harder the furnace works to keep the home warm and cozy, the more attention needs to be placed on keeping the furnace filters changed on a regular basis. In many homes I visit to inspect them, I find a large amount of furnace filters that have outlived their usefulness. Filters are only designed to catch loose particles of debris, lint, dander, hair, skin cells, dander and dust and a multitude of other floaters in the air. Once the filter has done it's job then it's time to do yours. Change the filter or clean it if the filter you use is a cleanable type like a HEPA Filter. We should never find t... 02/15/2014

It's alive. Electrical issue. Desert Sun Home inspection Artesia, N.M. It's these crazy little things that will drive you crazy. Electrical issues abound when inspecting homes. It seems every home owner has the go to guy called Uncle Bob or Harry home owner. I hear comments and I am sure you have too, like this has been like this for Thirty years. Why is it an issue now? Probably because you are now selling your home and I am here to do a complete home inspection. So all of the issues especially the safety issues are listed in the report for the buyers to make an informed decision on. Water and electricity don't mix. This is why extra attention to detail with the electrical under the kitchen sink needs to be taken. Here we have a what used to be connected to the old Garbage disposal wir... 02/12/2014

Keeping focused on the future. With all the bad news I have received in the past week. I am more determined to be the best I can be. I will be meeting with more Realtors and their brokers this week in order to try and generate a little more business for Desert Sun Home and Commercial Inspections. I am not asking to corner any market. I would just like a fair shot at getting inspections. Many of the Brokers and agents seem to "Talk the talk" but when it actually comes down to it they don't "Walk the walk" when it comes to a home inspection and the what I call proper procedures for obtaining a quality home inspector. My Challenge to the Realtors who have not used my services in the past... Give Desert Sun Home Inspections a try. If looking out for the buyers best interest is your number o... 02/09/2014

Windows are great, just not these windows. Desert Sun Home Inspections Carlsbad, New Mexico. I really like my job. But when there are issues with a home that doe's add to the safety of the home then there are some possible hard feelings with the Realtor who say's "There is not an issue". The buyers Realtor actually sounded like the sellers. "This home has been like this since it was built a long time ago". No Duh. But right is right and safety issues are up front and foremost when it comes to the home being inspected. Here we have a home with an added garage and there is not any permit on file. Of course this was done in the early 1970's. This home had a carport by best estimates then the carport was "Enclosed" to create a garage. Now it's up to the buyers to decide what they want to do... 02/03/2014

Foundation cracks. Get a second opinion. Desert Sun Home inspections. There are times when inspecting a home that even us well informed inspectors need a second opinion about an issue. This home has cracks in the foundation. But not only in the perimeter of the foundation but throughout the entire slab.This is a Monolith slab. Very common in this area. Having a basement or crawl space in homes around here is very uncommon but there are a few of them. In this case There are just too many cracks to not mention this in the report. Let's get started with the apron to the garage. Although not a actual part of the foundation system, the apron is cracked and not a small crack either. This is not uncommon in this part of the country. New Mexico has about 500 earth quakes a year. But , the crack... 01/24/2014

Mold inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico. Desert Sun inspections. When there is a concern about the general health conditions of a home. I get called wanting to know if I can come and inspect their home to try and find out why they have been feeling sick. Most of the callers want to know if the health issues the family had been experiencing is a mold related issue. If there is a health related issue with a home I usually find the issues.They are usually water related, hidden really well and never out in the open. This home is a manufactured home. Not that it would make any difference with the issues within the home. Here is what was found under the bath vanity. Mold and a small water leak. Not good when looking for a potential health related issue within the home. This was the only thing... 01/20/2014

Home inspection in Carlsbad New Mexico. Is the dryer drying anything? This issue is almost becoming the norm for home inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico. Not that the dryer is not drying the clothes the owners wants to get dried, but the way the venting has been ran into the attic. This dryer vent has been this way since day one. Home built in 1980. 1,700 SQFT. Dryer is located in the garage. Many home owners don't have a clue as to where their dryer vent goes to unless it is the simplest install with the vent going out the exterior wall to a proper dryer vent hood. When ever the vent is ran into the attic, this is a recipe for a potentially disastrous situation. One small sparks and the entire attic would have been engulfed in fire. Here is what I found when inspecting this home. This ... 01/17/2014

Utility room without a view. Keep your pipes protected. At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico. We point out any problems that could be an issue for the buyer or seller depending on who we are inspecting for. On this recent home inspection for a Buyer. I found the utility room for the washer and dryer in the garage. This is not uncommon in newer homes. But this home was built over sixty years ago. At that time they were not accustomed to having the washer and dryer inside the home, let alone a dedicated area for those appliances. The issue was to find a place for the washer and dryer. "Let's put them in the garage". Only a couple of issues with that way of thinking. The garage had never been completed. Its just a framed strucure wirh a roof and siding. No insulation and n... 12/29/2013

When Realtors want to take over the inspection process. I had a new buyer call me for a home inspection here in Carlsbad. That's right, here in town. I don't get many of these calls because the local Realtors tend to take over the home inspection process when representing the buyers. In many cases they simply say we will handle all the calls. In many cases the buyers don't know any better and say "OK". Now to the point. The buyer called me for a home inspection. we had a lengthy conversation on what I inspect when inspecting a home. I told her I inspect the entire home. "What about the roof"? Yes I inspect the roof as well. "What about the Plumbing"? Yes I inspect the plumbing system even in a crawl space if present. "Now do you inspect the electrical to and within the home"? Yes I insp... 12/27/2013

Merry Christmas Every One in Active Rain. Today is a day of remembrance. Not a day to be happy about. Remember what Christmas is all about. In my opinion. Christmas has become so commercialized, the real meaning of Christmas has been lost in the background of too many commercials and all about giving gifts. I actually like the Christmas season. But not to forget what Christmas really means and why we remember what went on to create the Christmas Holiday. This is what needs to be taught to our younger citizens. The Real Meaning of the Christmas. Help thy neighbor when they are in need. Don't wait for them to ask for help. It may never come. Pride get's in the way in many cases. And they will never ask for any help. Just do it. Help those in need any way you can. Merry Christmas Every One. 12/24/2013

Move in condition, what doe's that mean anyway? Desert Sun Home inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, wants you to buy the home you are wanting inspected. I don't want to kill a deal. If the safety of the homes occupants is compromised. Then the home is not move in ready. Think about that statement. You could "Move in" to any structure, but what about the safety issues that may be in the home at time they buy a  home? On this recent home inspection the MLS sheet says the home is very nice and move in ready. In my honest opinion the home was not pre inspected. The issues if any were not addressed. No repairs or modifications were made to the home for the new owners. Safety concerns were not addressed. In my opinion, this home was not a "Move in ready home". Here is just a couple of issues ... 12/19/2013

New homes and an over looked safety feature. Desert Sun Inspections Carlsbad, New Mexico.      There are supposed to be safety features in place within the codes when a new home is built. These safety features such as smoke detectors clearances for appliances and fire place safety features just to mention a few. But there seems to be a trend of the local building officials over looking a safety feature that is in the codes for the garage area. The drop down ladder. I inspect a lot of homes that have the drop down ladder installed in the garage.  That is a good thing. But when the ladder assembly doe's not meet the IRC code requirements for fire safety then there is an issue. The ladder cover when closed must meet the safety requirements within the IRC codes which means the cover for the... 12/18/2013

The walls decided to take a walk. Desert Sun Home Inspections Carlsbad, New Mexico. I have seen a couple of these homes in the past. They are not very fun to do an inspection on. I dislike inspecting a home that has these issues with the interior walls. Very interesting when it comes down to finding the root of the trouble. This home was built in 2009, local builder. A 3-2 1,500 SQFT Home. Why would the walls decide to take a walk? That is the biggest question of all with this home. The walls in the hallway by the master bath were raising. Also a little raising by the front entry but only on the interior walls. the exterior walls were where they were supposed to be. At first glance it looks like the normal home. But as a home inspector that loves his job, I really inspected this home li... 12/09/2013

Jack Frost visits Carlsbad New Mexico. It has really been cold here in Carlsbad New Mexico. Jack frost paid us a visit and left all kinds of his handy work around the county and most of the state. Take a look at what I found when I was heading out to a home inspection in Artesia New Mexico. Take a look at the frost that built up from all the fog that we had over night. Then we get a better idea of the frost build up when looking at the chain link fencing. The frost in some areas was as long as two inches. It's been really cold for the Carlsbad area. It has been averaging about 22 degrees during the day and in the teens at night. Looking forward to the warmer weather. Have a great day everyone. 12/08/2013