David Johnson

Question:

What is Carbon Monoxide and why do I need a Carbon Monoxide Detector?

Answer:

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless and potentially dangerous gas produced when fuel burns without enough air for complete combustion. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, coughing, irregular breathing, paleness and cherry red lips and ears.

If symptoms are noticed, it is advised that you immediately open windows and doors to ventilate the home or structure, call 911 and get outside into fresh air. Later, have appliances checked carefully by a qualified heating contractor.

Purchase and install a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home and near sleeping areas, in rooms over or near a garage, in the basement or other isolated area, and in rooms where space heaters are used. Detectors that have been verified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and have been manufactured after October 1995 conform to minimum alarm requirements. Those marked UL 2034 or IAS 6--96 have met the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. Follow the directions for installing and using the detector carefully.

To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

•Ø Have your chimney and flue cleaned every year.

•Ø Get a qualified inspector to check appliances and heating systems each year.

•Ø Be sure all home appliances have adequate ventilation.

•Ø Don't rely on carbon monoxide detectors as a substitute for maintaining appliances, furnaces or chimneys.

•Ø Be sure burner flames in appliances and heating systems are blue, not orange.

•Ø Never use a gas range for space heating.

•Ø Never run an automobile or gasoline engine in an enclosed space.

•Ø Never use a charcoal grill indoors.

For More information visit us online Http://www.ahi-nc.net

If You Let the Warranty Expire On Your New Home Without an Inspection There's a
Good Chance You're Throwing Money Away

While prevention is best cure, experience tells us that most major construction defects go
unnoticed for 3-5 years. As the first-year anniversary of your new home approaches, your
homebuilder warranty is about to run out. Most of these defects go unnoticed by the
untrained eye until it is too late and damage has occurred. Are you prepared to go it
alone? If you do not address problems within one year of your closing date, your builder will
no longer be responsible for problems. But you will!

A Warranty End Home Inspection can save you thousands of dollars

in out-of-pocket costs.

A national survey showed that 95% of all new homes built between 2000-2002 had a
major defect that cost the new owners time and extra money, some even had to move into
a hotel room for a period of time while that "New Home" was being repaired!

To address the needs of new homeowners like you, AHI Inspections is pleased to offer our
End of Warranty Inspection. We'll do a thorough inspection of your home before your
warranty runs out, and we'll supply you with a customized detailed report identifying the
problems. As an impartial, third-party inspector, AHI Home & Building Inspection Services
does not perform corrective work nor do we work for the builder, so we have no vested
interest in discovering or concealing problems. We simply present our findings based on
our experience and knowledge. We're There For You!!

When a home is being built, the builder or site superintendent is seldom on site for more
than 60-90 minutes a day (sometimes they never set foot on the site). During that time,
they are dealing with all types of problems and details. Many sub-contractors are used as
are many vendors. Each has their own specific job and time schedule to work on. And
that's all that they care about. It is up to the builder or superintendent to check and ensure
the home and all its complex systems are in proper working condition.

Our inspection covers over 400 items and includes testing of all systems and
components. All visible defects will be noted including but not limited to manufacturer
and/or contractors flaws, not visible to the untrained eye until it's to late. This "last
chance" inspection, is essential in providing you with the peace of mind you
deserve.


An inspector typically spends a minimum of 2.5 hours or more (depending upon the size of
the home) evaluating a home, and may recommend further evaluation if problems or
symptoms are discovered. AHI Inspections strongly encourages you to accompany the
inspector so that you can ask questions and learn even more about your home.
Do not miss this exceptional opportunity to have your new home professionally evaluated
while it is still under the builders warranty. You will gain peace of mind in knowing your
investment in a new home will last many years into the future, well past the limitations of
your builders own short-lived warranty. Call us today, and enjoy your new home!


Thank you for considering AHI Inspections for your residential home inspection needs.

North and South Carolina Cites Served!

Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Cornelius| Fort Mill SC | Hickory NC | Lake Norman NC | Huntersville
NC | Davidson NC | Matthews NC | Mint Hill NC | Mooresville NC | Indian Trail NC | Waxhaw NC |
Weddington NC | Lincolnton NC | Cornelius NC | Troutman NC | Statesville NC | Denver NC |
Ballantyne | Conover NC | Gastonia NC | Kannapolis NC |

North and South Carolina Counties served:

Mecklengburg, Iredell, Lincoln,Gaston, Union, Cabarrus, Rowan, York, Lancaster, Alexander,
Cleveland

For More information visit us online Http://www.ahi-nc.net

Word of mouth referrals rank #1 among business owners when asked where they prefer new business originates. That comes as no surprise. What's interesting is most professionals believe this type of referral happens only with time, experience. and luck. While that statement carries some truth, betting on luck to grow your business is downright risky and most don't have the financial resources to stand the test of time without experiencing incremental growth in the meantime. So what's the solution to this problem. The answer is Referral Partners. A Referral Partner is any business that does not directly compete with, but has the same customer as your business. For example, the patient that visits the Chiropractor's office may benefit from Massage, therefore if the Chiropractor networked with a reputable Massage Therapist, together they could refer patients to one another. Or, a Realtor needs a mortgage consultant to provide loans for home buyers. On a regular basis both would be connecting with potential home buyers and could easily and predictably refer to the other. There are dozens of other businesses with synergistic relationships that are rarely utilized to their full potential.

These Referral Partners are also known as Referral Alliances. Within a structured networking environment, like BNI, five Referral Alliances are present: Home Services, Financial Services, Personal Services, Health and Wellness, and Business Services. And the goal of each one of these sub groups is to have between 5 to 7 business people that represent non competing products, yet target the same customer. Currently, applications are being accepted for the following business classifications:

• Commercial Realtor
• Builder
• Dentist
• Photographer
• Event Planner
• Handyman
• DJ
• Property Manager
• Printing Company
• Home Stager

Over the last 3 months the group has generated $1,000,000 in new business for it's members. Every sale, every new business contact was created by word of mouth referrals and nothing else.

If you know a professional in any of the classifications listed above, please reach David Johnson with AHI Home & Building Inspection, or visit the Cornelius Family Restaurant at 12:30pm, located on Catawba Rd. Then judge for yourself!

Some Facts about Inspection Services in Charlotte, NC for 2008

Current reports show that you might be considering buying a home, but national news reports cause you to be concerned, so you are waiting for the market to be better. You may have worries about finding a suitable mortgage, but at the Houston Housing Forum last year, leading lenders in Houston made it clear that such loans are readily available for qualified buyers. It has also been shown that you are using the internet more in your quest for a home. In part, this reliance on the internet has been to find the best value. In fact, finding the best deal has been the main goal of many buyers.

With these considerations, I noticed that there has not been much done in the way of surveys of the inspection market at this time, so I offer my humble opinion about this service for home buyers. I know that some facts are a concern for buyers, because I see the search terms that have been bringing people to my website and blog. Hopefully, I can answer some of the questions posed in these searches here, and that this will be a benefit to you.

1. Typical fees for an inspection in the Charlotte, Metro: after surveying my competitors, I have seen fees for a basic inspection starting at the range from $200 to $800. Why there is such disparity mainly is due to business decisions on the part of the inspection firm. Generally the price is determined by square footage, systems that are checked, and whether a full inspection can be performed (utilities have to be on for a full inspection).

2. Is there a standard for an inspection: yes. The state of North Carolina and South Carolina requires that all inspectors meet a minimum standard of practice, as specified in the codes regulating an inspection. The state also sets forth the format of a report for an inspection. All inspectors have to be licensed by the state to perform an inspection.

3. Do lenders require that you have to have an inspection for the loan? No. Although inspections are becoming a standard part of the home buying process, there is no requirement that an inspection should be performed. Many lenders are starting to recommend that an inspection be performed, but they will probably require an appraisal and a survey, both of which could be waved under certain circumstances.

4. Doesn't an appraiser and an inspector do the same thing? No. I do not know where the idea originated that appraisers and inspectors perform the same basic function arose, but this belief has become more prevalent recently. An appraiser does check the property, but in the respect of value. An inspector is more concerned with function and condition, as well as safety issues.

5. Do inspectors check for termites? We actually perform the Wood Destroying Inspect Reports as we are licensed to do so. Most of the time this is done by a professional pest control applicator, and it is presented in a WDI (wood destroying insects) report. Some inspectors meet the requirements to perform such an inspection, but generally this is done by two separate firms.

6. What exactly do inspectors check? Well the list is too long for here, so I would like to direct you to my website, http://www.ahi-nc.net.

7. What happens when a house fails an inspection? Houses neither pass or fail an inspection. All homes have concerns, and an inspector is simply pointing out those concerns to you.

8. Can I use my report to renegotiate the price of the home? Once you are in contract talks for the purchase of a house, you can attempt to settle for a new price for any reason, but it might not be a wise idea. Go over the report with your Realtor to see if there is a real concern that needs to be addressed. This may result in a lower price or some type of other resolution, but inspection reports are not meant for lowering prices.

9. How long does an inspection last? The length of time can really vary, but I think that you should expect a full inspection to last three to four hours.

10. When is the inspection performed? The discovery period is after the offer has been accepted till the day of the closing, which is around ten days in most cases. All of the inspections that you want to be performed should happen before closing, and you should make sure that you will receive the report before you are sitting down to sign the papers. Ask your inspector when will he provide you with a copy of the report.

These are the top ten items that come up in searches that bring people to me. If you have other questions, you can e-mail me at Charlotteinspector@gmail.com