Michael's View

Be Safe ~ Not Sorry...
     When potential buyers look at a property, they are looking at the aesthetics not the functionality or safety features. When the untrained eye looks at the photo below, one sees a sees a cool looking stairwell, loft and a nice clean open space.

However, the trained eye of the home inspector sees something different.

     1. Even though this is an older property, the balusters (spindles) on the guardrail and handrail exceed the current 4” spacing required for child safety.
     2. The placement of the smoke alarms on both levels of the property are incorrect. Typically, they should be place within 12" of the ceiling.
     Properly placed smoke alarms are vital for the safety of you and your family. In most states, properties that have been rehabbed need to be brought up to current standards of safety. These are some of the issues found with this property:
     1. The alarms were not wired together – when one-alarm signals, all should signal.
     2. The alarms were not installed in the bedrooms. Current safety standards require all smoke alarms to be placed in each bedroom and hallway of in each level of the property.
     3. There was no function smoke alarm in the basement or the garage.

Did you know...
     · Smoke alarms monitor the air 24 hours a day, every day. After 10 years, it's been on the job for over 87,000 hours. At this point in its life, it stands a 50/50 chance of failure. Do you want to trust your life to an aged device?. If you don’t know how old your alarm is, or if it is more than 10 years old, replace it.
     · The battery back up in all alarms needs to be replaced annually.
     · Smoke alarms need to be tested monthly.
     · Vacuum the outside covers periodically to remove dust, dirt particles and insects.

Size Does Matter...
     I have been running into many 40 gallon electric water heaters in my inspections, especially in rehabs. While I understand that it is all about turning a profit; 9 times out of ten, I write these up as being improperly sized. Here’s why:
     The selection of a particular type hot water supply system for a house is determined by several factors including the utility connections available, utility rates, hot water demand, and owner preference.
     There are several methods which can be used to calculate hot water demand. Each possibly will give different results. While no one single method is a perfect indicator of the actual hot water needs, the homeowner's demand will be the determining factor as to the size. Some of these factors are as follows: The number of people living in a house, occupant ages, lifestyles, work schedules, and the number of appliances using hot water.
     Most households use the highest volume of hot water during two peak periods every day. These typically occur in a two-hour period between 6:00 - 9:00 am or 5:00 - 8:00 pm each day. Regardless of the adequacy of a water heating system during off-peak periods, inadequate hot water during peak periods will lead most people to believe that there is a hot water supply or capacity problem.
     Not all water heaters are made equal; nor, are all households and demands the same. Hence, the specific water usage patterns and water heater design and capacity specifications must be considered to determine what water heating system will be most appropriate for any particular situation.
     If you are running out of hot water at various times of the day, you may need to have to change your life style or have a specialist in the appropriate trade further evaluate the size of your water heating system.
     I have attached the following guide to give a reference for selecting the appropriately sized water heater based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. I hope that this helps.

Coming Soon...
     This week I made the decision to forgo my weekly edition of Dielh Killerz. Not that I have run out of blog fodder, but work on getting the websites for DealKillerz.com and CVideoC.net have taken front burner for the time being.

     With real estate home inspections on the rise and video jobs coming in, I have to work on what is important or never get it done. My goal is to have the site live by the end of the month and start publishing weekly episodes to the site and here in the rain...

Williamson County TN - Market Report
     Williamson County TN continues to be very active as this area is experiencing a steady recovery as compared to other areas of Tennessee and other National real estate markets. Watch the video below for an overview of what is happening in the Williamson County TN real estate market.

Diehl Killerz - Episode 7 ~ General Lee Speaking…
     In this episode of Diehl Killers, Big Diehl is a getting a little overwhelmed at his new career in home inspecting. Thankfully, Professor Brainstrain is there to mentor and deliver the pep talk that Big Diehl needs to set him straight. Professor B explains the purpose and role of the home inspector - and that is not to be a deal killer. There might be a lessen in this for other inspectors too…

Brentwood TN Market Report - December 2011...
     Overall, sales for the Brentwood, TN real estate market for December 2011 were up as compared to the same period in 2010. At our current rate of absorption, there is the possibility that the term "Sellers Market" may return to the Brentwood TN area. Watch video for details.

Diehl Killerz - Episode 4 ~ It's a Gas…
     Home inspectors are not just another pretty face in the crowd. Although they wear the hat of a generalist, they must constantly read and learn as construction methodologies are in constant flux.

     In today's episode of Diehl Killerz, Professor Brainstrain presents another one of his "short" white papers, to teach Big Diehl what to look for while doing a home inspection. What might look to be okay to the novice, really isn't to the home inspector. But then, there are really no deal killers are there? Only red flags that need to be addressed...

Diehl Killerz - Episode 3 ~ The Nail Shank Redemption…
     It is not uncommon to see cracks develop between the hearth and the firebox in older construction properties.  These can pose potential fire hazards as glowing embers can fall between the cracks and start a house fire. In this episode, Big Diehl and Professor Brainstrain discuss why this happens and what can be done to remedy the situation.

(not so) Wordless Wednesday 12.28.11...
     Gosh, Here we are at the end of the year. Some folks say that I'm all wet at the goals I set for myself this year. Yes I know that it is going to be a stretch, so if you hear that sound like fingers rubbing on a balloon, just remember, it is not my ego getting inflated, it is me stretching to reach my goals...

Monday Moring Motivator & Some Points to Ponder...
      "Life is a lot like nature. You only have as many animals as the ecosystem can support and you only have as many friends as you can tolerate the bitching of."
     ~~ Randy K. Milholland

     Today, I thought I would take a sidestep away from my "typical" motivational post. I do like people but as we all know, forming relationships is a series of give and take and many lessons in the art of tolerance and persuasion. This year, I will strive to be more tolerant and turn a deaf ear towards the "B" Factor...