Jan
30
Inspector Rob Rehm gives advice for Fishers Home Owners
Posted by marchantteam under Ask a REALTOR, Fishers, Inspection Issues
Part of being a great Fishers Real Estate agent is having resources that keep me up to date on the latest information I need to know. So today, one of my home inspectors, Rob Rehm is going to do a Guest Blog for me.
If you would like to contact Rob for more information or for a home inspection, just email me and I’ll put you in touch.
By Rob Rehm:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that annually dryers are associated with 22,000 home fires which result in some deaths and injuries. Fires can occur when lint builds up in the dryer or exhaust duct thus blocking the air flow. Reduced air flow causes excessive heat buildup that can result in a fire.
How to prevent fires?
Clean the dryer lint screen/filter before drying a load of clothes. If clothing is damp after drying or the drying cycle is taking much too long, then this may be a sign of blocked air flow.
Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct to the exterior of home annually. Check the exhaust termination on the exterior wall for proper operation; the termination must be free of lint, with no screen and a flapper that operates to prevent animal entry. Monitor dryer air flow out of the exhaust termination with the dryer operating normally. If you do not feel significant air flow, the duct system may be partially blocked, or the duct is too long. Check the User’s Guide to ensure the duct is the correct length. If blocked, have it evaluated and cleaned appropriately.
Clean around dryer and under dryer periodically to remove lint build up. Ensure that flammable materials are not stored around the dryer.
Replace plastic accordion type duct connector from dryer to wall with rigid metal or semi-rigid metalized duct. Also, ducts from dryer to exterior of home should have a slight slope downward (with no dips) to avoid collecting water and thus trapping lint.
Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, finishing oils or stains. Wash this type of soiled clothing more than once before drying and dry it on the lowest heat possible.
For additional information consult the web at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5022.html
Cindy in Indy Marchant – Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
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Apr
29
Experiences of a Fishers Realtor
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, General Information, Inspection Issues
I’ve just completed the wildest two months I’ve ever had in the Fishers Real Estate market. I have put a dozen people under contract and am now in the inspection phase and thought I would share some of what I’ve seen.
In the Purchase Agreement, there is a line that says “Completion of this transaction is contingent upon the Buyer’s ability to obtain homeowners insurance within ‘x’ days“. I am sure many Realtors ® blow right past this line saying, “be sure to get your homeowner’s insurance done”. Here is why that is important and what I tell my clients. We want to be sure you (buyer) aren’t claim happy and no one will insure you and we want to be sure there are no claims filed on the home you are buying.
Case in point, the house one of my buyers put under contract had a $42,000 claim on it and after investigating we found out the home had been hit by lightening and started a fire and burned through the basement and upstairs flooring (that would explain why they had those beautiful hardwoods!).
It doesn’t mean we left the transaction, but it does mean I talked to a fire fighter to understand the amount of water that might have been used (wanted to be sure I understood the potential for mold) and when the inspection happened we went over what was done and whether it was a concern. I also asked for and reviewed all the documents from the claim. We close in two weeks, and we are all on the same page about the fire.
I was looking at the exterior of another home a different buyer wanted and thought I saw LP siding, horrible stuff. If you have it, replace it. It is like a cancer, it may not show signs today but over time it will deteriorate. I asked the other agent if it was LP (because I am not the expert) and he said no.
When scheduling the inspection, I specifically asked the inspector to look at it. Guess what, it is! This buyer needs to be under contract by 4/30 to take advantage of the tax credit. So we issued our report this morning, I gave the other agent the name of a siding contractor who will go out this morning and give an estimate to replace. That should allow us enough time to move forward or move to another house. The other agent was going to need to Google LP siding to understand what it was! Readers, be sure to get a Fishers Realtor that knows what to look for and what the barriers are to closing a transaction. I am YOUR advocate.
These are two quick situations I have seen. In both cases, the buyers are thrilled to know that I am working for their best interest. Some Realtors are about holding the deal together, and that is always important, but never at the cost to my buyer.
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Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Jan
14
Do I really need an Inspection
Posted by marchantteam under Buyer Information, For Buyers, General Information, Inspection Issues
Most of my clients want an inspection but every so often I get this question. It usually comes from someone who is fairly handy and does a good job of looking at the home prior to buying it. However, I still think an inspection is one of the cheapest ways to ensure you are getting a good home and not a money pit.
I recently was watching an episode of Income Property on HGTV and during the episode, the contractor found so much mold and about a dozen dead birds in one of the basement closets. I had to ask myself, did the buyers not have the home inspected when they bought it? I know that when you buy a home, between down payment, closing costs, and home owners insurance that one more item to pay for can really stretch your money. But, for about $250 to $350 you can get peace of mind.
Currently one 
of the inspectors that I use, Rob Rehm, who sometimes is a ghost writer for me on this blog has a $100 off coupon for my clients or a free radon test. This makes the price even better for clients.
I also hear this question when a client is building new construction. They think it is new so what could be wrong. Again, I will tell you that the builders out there (and many of them are excellent) build according to city code and BAGI standards, but they sometimes do miss things. We are all human after all. I think a second pair of “trained eyes” is worth the dollars it costs.
Inspectors typically will walk a roof, pull the electrical door off the panel to have a look, evaluate crawl spaces, run faucets and other areas to ensure no leaking is present, check for mold (not through a test but again through their trained eye) and look over the foundation, chimney and other prime areas where money can be spent to fix things. They provide a detailed report with pictures categorizing the items into Major Concerns and Consideration Items.
The two best questions to ask an Inspector during an inspeciton are
- What happens if that doesn’t get fixed?
- What is it likely to cost to fix it?
With those answers you will be in a good position to negotiate what items you want fixed prior to closing. I would recommend that all items be repaired PRIOR to closing. There is the option of escrowing the money for the repair vendor, but what if the repair ends up costing more. The seller will likely not pay additional monies after it is closed and you the buyer will end up paying for it.
As part of our First Time Buyer’s Class, we have Rob at our meeting. He spends about 20 minutes going over the inspection process and gives out a sample report. He along with me and a lender spend about an hour educating first time buyers how to approach the home buying process. We have them each month typically on the last Thursday of the month. We hope to see you there!
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Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Dec
6
Fishers REALTOR has help explaining Weep Holes
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, General Information, Inspection Issues, Real Estate Terms S-Z
From time to time, your Fishers Realtor ® is so busy with her buyers and sellers, she needs a ghost writer; let me introduce one of the inspectors I use and trust, Rob Rehm. Rob wrote this piece on Weep Holes and I think it is something my readers should understand. So, thank you Rob for your expertise on this article.
Have you ever seen holes or plastic tubes in the mortar joints just above the foundation and over windows and doors? Sometimes there is a small length of rope sticking out of the joint instead of a hole. Note– you aren™t seeing sloppy construction, the holes or piece of rope are supposed to be there. Don™t seal them up because they serve a valuable purpose.
While a masonry wall is the first line of defense against water penetration, it can leak. Masonry is porous and can absorb moisture in extreme weather conditions. Weep holes are the exit port for the drainage cavity behind the masonry wall. If the wall is built correctly, the weep holes allow moisture behind the masonry to exit. These holes also serve as pressure equalizers making it less likely that wind-driven rain will penetrate the wall.
The drainage cavity has five essential elements:
- The exterior wythe (the vertical section of a wall that is equal to the width of the masonry unit) of masonry provides the first resistance against moisture penetration
- An air space of at least one inch
- An interior wythe of masonry or other material such as frame wall
- Flashing at all interruptions in the drainage cavity such as at the base of the foundation and around the openings for such windows
- Weep holes at all flashing locations– recommended spacing of 33 inches.
For a cavity wall to function properly, water that collects on flashing must be able to drain through the weep holes to the exterior or the building. If weep holes do not function properly, water collecting in the cavity can infiltrate the building interior.
There are many homes built without weep holes that have or will likely never become a problem. However, good building practices and most building codes suggest weep holes should be installed when the home is built. Many code officials will look the other way or allow occupancy without the installation of weep holes.
Conversely, the absence of weep holes occasionally allows so much moisture to accumulate that metal fasteners turn to rust, wood-destroying insects are encouraged, or rot develops. It is unlikely that a visual home inspection will reveal these problems unless conditions are so severe that cracks in the walls or other indicators are visible. The most likely visual manifestation of a problem will be water stains, damp areas or rot at the foundation plate and/or floor band as well as stains or damp areas at the top of the foundation wall.
Weep holes can be added. However, most masonry experts question the effectiveness of retrofit without at least partial removal of the masonry, which is very expensive. Home inspections are not code compliance inspections. Professional home inspectors can look and determine if weep holes are present, however, they have no way to ensure absence of hidden moisture damage without invasive investigation. Therefore; it is our perspective that weep holes should be installed when they are missing on a property.
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Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Aug
27
Fishers Real Estate Inspector talks about Aluminum Wiring
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, General Information, Inspection Issues
Your Fishers Realtor is at the Keller Williams Mega Agent Camp this week, so Rob Rehm has offered to write a guest post for me! I hope to come back later this week with more information and tips on how to sell your Fishers home quickly in the shifting market and how to get buyers through the process so they can get their $8,000 tax credit!
Rob says: “Based on our research and inspection experience, the use of aluminum wire should not be a reason to avoid buying a house. There are, however, some cautions about aluminum wire that should be discussed with potential buyers. Not only do our inspectors fully examine the electrical system, we present this information in a manner that helps clients keep the issue in perspective.
Brief History
Builders began using aluminum wire in around 1965, when the price of copper wire skyrocketed. A considerable number of homes have aluminum wiring — in fact, in most areas of the United States the use of aluminum wire is still code permitted. Many studies have shown that electrical problems are more likely to occur with aluminum wire than with copper. However, most concerns are restricted to single strand aluminum wire used in branch circuits not the stranded heavier gauge wire used for service entrance and large appliances. Single stranded wire tends to work loose at the screw terminals causing overheating, malfunctions and occasional fire. Correcting these problems led to changes in installation methods around 1973.
New Technology
Homes constructed with aluminum wire since 1973, have “new technology” wiring that comply with electrical codes requiring UL listed circuit breakers, receptacles, switches, and wire nuts ( i.e., aluminum compatibility labeling: CO-ALR or CO-AL). Installed properly, these devices keep the connections tight and should greatly reduce any potential problems. If an outlet or switch ever needs to be replaced, replacement devices should be labeled “CO-ALR”.
Old Technology
Unless upgraded, homes built between 1965 and 1973, have “old technology” aluminum wiring. There are few documented cases of house fires caused by aluminum wiring – with the majority of problems involving mobile homes and recreation vehicles. “Old technology” aluminum wiring will usually perform satisfactory if properly installed. There are no code requirements to make improvements and typically insurance companies will not refuse to cover a home with aluminum wiring. However, homeowners should watch for warning signs and consider some form of upgrade from an electrical specialist.
Homeowner suggestions include:
For aluminum wire, we recommend the following:
– Be aware of warning signs: excessive light dimming, arcing at switches, warm cover-plates at switches or outlets, strange odors, burnt wires or corrosion on electrical connections, or faulty outlets or circuits.
– Periodically check the connections at outlets and switches to make sure wires are tight and there are no hot spots. Hot or warm outlets and switches indicate a need for repair.
– If you wish to be proactive or have a concern, upgrade old technology by replacing switches and outlets with the labeled CO-ALR devices.
I hope this helps you understand Aluminum Wiring issues better.
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Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Jul
25
Is Your Deck Safe?
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, General Information, Inspection Issues
From time to time, your Fishers Realtor ® gets a tad busy and has to enlist a guest post writer; today is one of those days. I actually had the privilege to show two different buyers today. Both of them came from reading the blog!
So please welcome Rob Rehm from Land America Home Inspections. He is one of the best home inspectors in the Indy area and my clients use him often. Today he is writing about decks and their safety. We call this a Deck Check post!
A well-built deck extends the outdoor living space of a home and is one of the best remodeling investments you can make to add value to a home. The number of deck failures and resulting injuries is something we see in the news frequently, in fact, A landmark study reveals that there have been 179 reported deck collapses from January 2000 through December 2006, killing 33 and injuring 1,122.
Why are so many decks failing? Reasons for deck failures include improper building methods, exceeded load capacity, poor maintenance and age. Decks should actually be built more strongly than the house for which it is attached. Why? A house is generally designed to support a œlive load (weight of furnishings and people) of 30-50 pounds per square foot. Bulky furniture spreads weight over a large area and tends to prevent high concentration of weight in same areas. Decks, on the other hand, are sparsely furnished, allowing people at +/- 150 pounds each to mass together. Thus, a deck and be easily overloaded, and collapse under a crowd™s weight. Compounding the problem is the fact that many carpenters unknowingly build structural weaknesses into decks.
Most Frequently Observed Issues with Decks
The following are the most common issues we™ve observed with decks:
¢ Wood supports are not pressure-treated, and rotting.
¢ Steel posts rusting through.
¢ Masonry piers with no mortar, or loose, tilted blocks.
¢ No poured concrete footing under the support posts, or posts resting directly on or in contact with earth.
¢ Posts not fastened to footing (Kick a suspicious post… you™ll be surprised how many move).
¢ Posts improperly fastened to framing… or not at all!
¢ Deck merely nailed onto the house, not bolted.
¢ Joists poorly nailed to header, not resting on ledgers.
¢ Joists ledger notches cut so deeply they are weakened.
¢ No diagonal lateral bracing under the posts or on the support posts.
¢ Stairs wobbly and poorly fastened to desk.
¢ Railings unable to withstand reasonable lateral force, and with pickets spaced so far apart causing a danger to children.
¢ Improper flashing where the deck abuts the house to keep out water entry at the joint.
Proper Maintenance is Key
Even a properly constructed deck can become a safety issue if not properly maintained. It is our perspective that a properly constructed wooden deck can last up to 15 years with proper maintenance. Yearly inspection for wood rot and annual pressure washing and sealing can help you enjoy the beauty of your deck for years to come. Key areas to check for rot are gaps in the decking where leaves, pine needles and sand collect. In addition, the areas under planter boxes can be vulnerable as any areas where countersunk screws or nails create dips that hold the water.
Please check out our other inspection posts both here and on our Carmel Real Estate Blog. And if you are looking to buy or sell or build in the Fishers or Carmel area, please give me a call. I’d love to be so busy to have to have another guest post writer!!
Search homes for sale in Fishers by Neighborhood
Other Northside Blogs (Carmel, Noblesville, and Geist)
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
One Response to “Is Your Deck Safe?”
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Jun
2
Fishers Real Estate Inspector talks about MOLD
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, General Information, Inspection Issues, Tips and Random Thoughts
Selling Fishers Real Estate lately has held its challenges. There are appraisal issues, timing issues when a bank is involved and inspection issues that are much harder to resolve than they used to be. One of the inspection issues we are seeing a lot of is Mold. I asked Rob Rehm, one of the best home inspectors out there to write a guest piece for me on Mold. So I present Rob’s article on Mold:
Mold has become a topic of concern over the past few years as we hear of homeowners facing possible health issues and the task of cleaning up mold problems in their homes. For obvious reasons this has gotten the attention of many homeowners and those who are planning to purchase a home. Currently, there is no standard among health professionals on what levels of mold are acceptable in a home. However, many homeowners and potential homeowners agree that the potential risk of mold-related health problems warrant attention.
Excess Moisture is the Cause. Mold requires a food source (such as wood or drywall in a home) and water or moisture. By eliminating the source of moisture (water leaks, excess humidity, condensation, etc.) you can stop mold from growing in a home. It™s that simple. Preventative maintenance is the key. However, finding water/moisture entry points and sources can be complicated.
A Thorough Home Inspection will help identify moisture intrusion. While specifically conducting a mold inspection is outside the standards of practice for a home inspector, a good inspector will examine the property for any signs of moisture or moisture intrusion issues. Any possible issues should be discussed and documented. If visible mold and moisture are discovered, it is important to keep things in perspective yet realize the potential risks of not correcting moisture related concerns. In many cases, homeowners can safely clean mold from the building surfaces on their own and make simple repairs to prevent further moisture intrusion. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says: œIf the mold area is less than about 10 square feet (roughly a 3 foot by 3 foot patch), you can handle the job yourself. Remember, it is important to identify and eliminate the cause of mold rather than simply clean or cover up the problem.
When is a Specialist Needed? While mold is an important issue and may be a health concern for certain individuals, it can often be remedied without major expense or inconvenience. However, when signs of extensive mold are found a professional should be consulted for proper remediation. In addition, should a homeowner or potential homeowner have specific health-related concerns, mold testing can be conducted to determine the types and quantity of mold spores — although no official standards have been established for unsafe levels. The EPA has guidelines for cleaning mold, but also suggestions about how to prevent the problems in the first place. For more information about mold please reference the EPA website at: www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/index.html
Thank you Rob for giving my readers great information on mold!
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Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
One Response to “Fishers Real Estate Inspector talks about MOLD”
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Cindy, this is great information for Fishers Home Buyers and Sellers. Mold is such a scary topic for most people that they can get irrational and blow the issue out of proportion. This brings it out of the realm of terror and into the realm of reality. Thanks for the post.
Excellent points. A beautifully restored deck can add tremendous value to your home.