You probably aren't a professional home inspector.  But realty agents, buyers and investors should always be critically looking at houses before any final decisions are made and an offer extended.  They have to.  Can I suggest that during these "inspections" you employ some common sense? Here are some things realtors and buyers can do before they hire a home inspector to look at the home someone wants to buy.  They are not listed in any particular order, but any or all could be important during your house search.  I am going to list many Red Flags in three different blog posts that could indicate house distress. What is a Red Flag?  It is any visual sign or indication of a defect in structure or property.  Certain visual signs may or may not indicate a problem.  If observed in multiple ... 11/07/2008

Another two months of home sales in Braemar is giving us the opportunity to once again reflect on property values in the neighborhood.  This particular post will focus on the Heritage Series homes.  That includes the following models:  Yardley, Waverly, Zachary & Exeter.  They are what I like to call the "Mama Bear" homes built by Brookfield in Braemar. As the market has declined, the Heritage Series homes have continued to be in steady demand.  With two resales this report, the average sale priceis now $357,500.  That's down from $371,750 from last report (July and August 2008).  The average seller subsidy (seller closing cost assistance to buyer) was $8,750 this report ,down dramatically from $17,585 last report.  And some more good news was that the days it takes to sell a Heritage S... 11/05/2008

It's time for another Braemar Property Value Report for the Courtyard Series homes built by Brookfield.    These courtyard homes are near zero lot line homes...five to a single pipe steam or driveway.  They include the Clarendon, Ballston & Arlington models. The news this report isn't bad at all!! In the last two months, three Courtyard Series homes have sold.  This brings the average sale price to $299,500...only $500 down from last report (July -August 2008).  The average seller subsidy (closing cost assistance from seller to buyer) is down dramatically from $9,000 last report to $2,850 this report.  The only bad news is that the average number of days it is taking to sell these homes is 52...up from 12 days last report. You can find historical, average sale prices for Braemar's Court... 11/05/2008

Another two months of home sales in Braemar is giving us the opportunity to once again reflect on property values in the neighborhood.  This particular post will focus on the Carriage Series homes.  That includes the following models:  Maplewood, Norwood, Oakdale & Parkdale.  They are the detached garage homes built by Brookfield in Braemar. As the market has declined, the Carriage Series homes have been in consistent demand by buyers.  These smaller single family homes are a great alternative for first time home buyers that may otherwise buy a townhouse.  The average sale price this report, after three resales in the past two months, is now $278,167.  That's a steep drop from $320,000 in July and August this year!  The average closing cost contribution was $2,039 this report, down from... 11/05/2008

Another two months of home sales in Braemar is giving us the opportunity to once again reflect on property values in the neighborhood.  This particular post will focus on the Arista Series homes built by Brookfield.  That includes the following models:  Canterbury, Allister and Buckingham.  They are the largest single family homes built by Brookfield in Braemar. This Braemar Property Value Report gives us an average of two Canterbury resales, both with fully finished basements.  The average sale price is now $410,000.  That's down from $444,167 last report (July & August 2008). There was no seller subsidy (closing cost assistance from seller to buyer) this report.  Quite a change from last report's seller subsidy average of $13,516.  Unfortunately, the days it takes to sell an Arista Se... 11/05/2008

We learn from history that we learn nothing from history. The eight (8) most economically prosperous countries in the world are those that most closely follow Adam Smith's economic model (The Wealth of Nations, circa 1776).  The eighty (80!) or so least economically prosperous are those that are the furthest from that model.  We have just voted a president, who, combined with a Congress so in lock step, has promised "fundamental change."  That fundamental change is intended, yes intended, to take us further from Dr. Smith's 8 and more toward the 80.  Pure and simple.  THAT is what "spread the wealth around" means.  Just two days ago, a congressman from Virginia, Jim Moran, said that it is about time that we disabuse "the simplistic Republican notion that those who have wealth should get... 11/04/2008

Two more months of resales in Braemar's townhouse inventory has given us the opportunity to examine average sales price for the months of September and October.  Townhouse sales in this Braemar Tonwhouse Report, as always, are divided into two categories:  No Garage and Garage.  Which category your townhouse falls into should be obvious. Townhouses without garages have lost less value over the past year (31%).   The average sale price this report is down.  It's $207,250, down from $237,400 in July and August.  Seller subsidy (closing assistance from seller to buyer) has gone down from $8,450 to $3.000.  Unfortunately, the number of days it is taking to sell one of these townhouses has gone up from 11 days last report, to 75 this report. Townhouses with garages saw more sales this report... 11/04/2008

My neighbor Rhina Vargas voted in her very first Presidential Election today.  And of all the people she could have asked for help, she asked me.  Wow!  Rhina has been living in the United States for about twenty years.  She is a native of El Salvador and became a US citizen this past July.  I was so excited for her that day.  But the excitement of being able to exercise the fundamental right of voting for the first time may have had her even more excited than that day she became a citizen. We got to the polls at about 8:30 this morning.  We waited in line for about 40 minutes just to get our "voting permit" and get into the actual voting line.  That line lasted about 10 minutes. Because Rhina wanted help casting her first ballot, we both had to complete a form with our names and addres... 11/04/2008

This is the last of my posts regarding new construction inspections.  It is the sixth of six things that I am finding often in new construction, pre-drywall inspections.  This list of six certainly does not represent all of what I am finding in new homes, but they are very common.  This is another one of those construction mistakes that may not manifest for some time, but will be a big problem once it does. It is this - plastic plumbing support! Much new construction now utilizes CPVC for supply piping and almost all use PVC for drain, waste and vent lines.  Often they are not supported well.  Plastic is not as strong or as firm as copper.  It needs different support.  CPVC supply tubing is often run horizontally.  That is fine.  But the support used is typically a nail with a rounded, ... 11/03/2008

I am very proud for one of "my" boys!  Tonight I had the opportunity to see another young man become an Eagle Scout.  Tonight's event was for David S.  I am always impressed with the humble simplicity of the event.  It represents the culmination of many years of effort, and learning, and discipline, and encouragement.  I am always impressed.  With all the turmoil experienced by youth today, it is a blessing to me to be able to witness another one who is less influenced by the ever-increasing pap and emptiness that some of today's youth think is important.  Many young people would consider what David has done to be useless pap and empty!  They have no idea! Since the first Eagle Scout in 1912, almost 2 million have achieved the rank.  Only about 5% of all Boys Scouts achieve Eagle Scout.... 11/01/2008

New Bristow Village, is a Centex community locate in Bristow, Virginia in Prince William County Virginia.  New Bristow Village is located just minutes from the VRE station, which makes this a great commuter community.    There is still ongoing new construction in this community, so you have your choice of purchasing a new home, built from the ground up, or one of the many resale propeties that are currently on the market.  There are currently 22 homes on the market ranginging price from $270,000 to $510,010 Single Family Homes, and Townhomes... for more information on this community or others in Prince William County, Call Konnie McKee 703 407 77088      Your Northern Virginia Realtor 703 407 7088 Konnie Mac FREE No Strings attached...search MLS to to www.KonnieMac.com Homes for sale in... 11/01/2008

Every year I will be driving home and hear on the news that it will get below freezing during the night.  Last night was one of those for me!  Note:  Obviously this is long past true for some of the country.  When I hear that temperatures will dip below freezing, it reminds me to get into my fall/winter chore list.  I thought it would be appropriate to share some of it with you. Winterize the exterior hoses.  Turn off the interior valves, open the exterior bibs and loose the little cap beside the interior valve to let water drain out. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Spruce up any disastrous exterior caulking.  Be sure to use the right caulk for the right application! Caulking is the cheapest and easiest energy saver. Boilers - check the safety relief valve. Steam Boilers ... 10/30/2008

Some problems in a home can be a ticking time bomb.  This, my fifth of six posts regarding What I'm Seeing Now in new home construction, eventually will be a big problem.  A true ticking time bomb.  Or bombs.  There are actually two things: Drywall screws used to secure toilets.  Properly installed toilets can be very secure.  They often hold a lot of weight, for many years.  The installation, though, depends on how the base, called a flange, is secured to the sub floor.  This is easy to see on a pre-drywall inspection.  The flange should be secured with four stainless steel screws.  They should each anchor directly into the wood sub floor - not into a gap, or a seam between two pieces of wood, but solid flooring.  This flange holds the brass screws that bolt the toilet base to the floo... 10/29/2008

They say to never say never. Well, in this fourth of six posts regarding new construction I am going over one more thing regarding insulation. What I'm Seeing Now is something that you should never trust - that everything that should be insulated, is insulated. For example: 1. Corners. Some carpentry employs a framing technique called "California Corners." They may be called something else in other places, but that is what I have learned to call them. In such corners the two corner studs are perpendicular, but there is a small space, about 3.5 inches square, between them that will need to be insulated. If not, believe it or not, that small uninsulated space will influence the whole room! 2. Under fireplaces, bump outs and bay windows. Often, on a pre-drywall inspection, I see where the ... 10/27/2008

Sometimes home inspectors say things that might sound trivial, but they aren't.  This blog entry is one of those things.  It is the third in this list of What I'm Seeing Now: Bath tub overflow drains.  This is something that might seem insignificant, until someone takes a bath! Then, suddently, when things start dripping below, where is that water leaking from? On a pre-drywall inspection I always check the overflow drain to make sure the overflow joint been glued together.  Often, and I mean OFTEN, they have been dry fitted and never glued by the plumber.  How can you see if the fitting is glued?  Take the cover off the overflow drain (some pull off and some screw off) and look inside.  If you see purple primer then in all likelihood it has been glued.  Plumbers put the purple primer o... 10/26/2008

This post continues with What I'm Seeing Now and my list of typical pre-drywall problems.  You will recall that I will list six in total.  This post treats the second - weight transference and support. Structurally, how weight is transferred and supported in a structure is critically important.  Is the house balanced?  For example, does the support under one side of a beam match the support under the other end?  Are load-bearing walls on the upper level, resting on top of the load-bearing wall below and all that supported by foundation wall or steel beam in the basement?  Load must transfer onto something that can properly support it. Not too long ago houses were more simple.  Rooms had four walls, a couple of windows and doors, and lots os places to hang pictures!  Not so any more!  Bu... 10/25/2008

Braemar's residents are on edge since an attempted child abduction earlier this month, and a very specific, and targeted crime that happened just weeks later.  It is important to note, that no one was hurt during either of these episodes, and that they were not break-ins.   However, given the rough economic climate, you may see crimes of opportunity, like robberies, on the rise. Braemar did experience two burglaries earlier in the year.  In both instances, the garage doors to the homes were wide open and the suspect walked right into the home, though the unlocked mudroom door.  And in only one instance was something stolen...and that was a piggy bank. Crime can, and does, happen everywhere.  I feel completely safe in my Braemar home.  I believe in deterrence, not fear or overreaction.  ... 10/22/2008

I was awakened this morning by my phone rining at 6am.  A neighbor called to see if I knew why many police cars were combing our streets.  Everyone around this neighborhood is on high alert since an attempted child abduction in the neighborhood earlier this month. Working from home, I don't wake up that early, but by the time I was making my morning coffee around 9am, I heard a helicopter hovering overhead.  Not good.  Went to the machine and heard the message.  Called the non-emergency number for our local police department.   The dispatcher told me there had been a perimeter set up around our neighborhood, and that the kids were safe going to school.  She wouldn't tell me what had happened, but encouraged me to watch the local news as she HAD told them what had happened.  (Doesn't mak... 10/22/2008

In Northern Virginia there is still a lot of new home construction.  New homes are a great source of business for me.  People often ask me if this or that is a good builder.  My answer is:  it depends on the supervisor who is on site every day, and on the quality of the subcontractors.  All the builders have good specifications for their homes and want to put out a good product.  It is the crew on site that makes that happen.  And if the subs were picked up in a parking lot somewhere ("We need plumbers today - are you a plumber?") you will have problems... When I am called for such inspections, I only recommend two to my clients as relevant:  pre-drywall and just before their final walk through.  Of the two, the pre-drywall may be the most important. Pre-drywall inspections afford the o... 10/21/2008

There are so many foreclosures and short sales!  And they are owned by banks.  There are usually local realtors who have been asked to list the house and manage the listing.  To sell the house, a selling agent contacts the local listing agent and works through that contact.  It might be that 50% of my inspections are on foreclosures, but it could be slightly more or less.  It is certainly close to one half! The problem with that?  Often the houses have been winterized.  Or the utilities are turned off.  Smart buyers want home inspections.  The selling agent will have to work through the listing agent.  This is fine and proper, except the listing agent has to rely on a bank.  Where is the bank?  It could be anywhere.  And this particular house is one file of many, perhaps hundreds, that ... 10/19/2008