Cristina McBreairty

Obtaining a home inspection is one of the most important steps in purchasing a home. A qualified inspector can point out potential costly problems with the home you are considering buying, and a good inspector will give maintenance advice and ultimately give you peace of mind about your home investment.

All home buyers -- whether they are buying an older home or building a new one -- should have the home inspected by a professional after making an offer and before closing. There are a few things you need to know before hiring a home inspector. First, the home inspection industry is becoming more professional and regulated. There are professional organizations with codes of ethics, like the National Association of Home Inspectors and the American Society of Home Inspectors, but membership is voluntary.

The average home inspection costs $300, which is paid on the day the inspector examines your home. Lower or higher fees do not necessarily reflect the expertise of the inspector. Finding an experienced home inspector who provides value for your money is most important.

The American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.com) recommends interviewing at least three professional inspectors in order to find one you trust and with whom you communicate well. I can provide a list of local home inspectors for you to interview, and you should ask friends and family members for recommendations as well.

Ask inspectors about their qualifications. Do they have experience in the construction or engineering industry? Do they have special training or accreditation from a professional organization? How long have they been inspecting homes in the local area? Are they familiar with problems specific to our area like drainage issues, pests or building material failures?

Once you have found a qualified professional, it's important that you attend the inspection with me and your home inspector. Some buyers like to climb into the crawl space and attic with the inspector to look at the home's major systems. At a minimum, be on site to ask questions, examine the problem areas and learn about the ongoing maintenance your home will need.

The standard home inspector's report will review the condition of the home's heating, plumbing and electrical systems. The report will also include information about the structure including the foundation and basement, as well as the roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors. It may include also photos of problem areas or recommendations for repairs.
For more Home Buyer Tips visit my website at www.CristinaTheRealtor.com.

Save Energy and Money with the Appliance Rebate Program!

Are your old appliances costing you a fortune? There is no better time to replace them thanks to the Efficiency Maine Appliance Rebate Program going on right now.

Replace an old air conditioner, dehumidifier, clothes washer or refrigerator/freezer with selected Energy Star appliances and you could receive rebates of up to $75.00 today, plus you will save even more with lower electric bills in the future.

Click here for more details.

KILL-A-WATT® ELECTRICITY MONITORS

Detect the "energy thieves" in your home with the new Kill A Watt® Energy Detector.

This electricity usage monitor and educational tool kit is available for free checkout from your local library. The monitor will help you detect the "energy thieves" in your home and the tool kit will help you put the lid on power consumption by appliances and electronics in your home or business.

The Kill A Watt® and tool kit is on loan in most Maine public libraries as part of a state-wide community outreach campaign by Efficiency Maine, a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Mainers can check out the Kill A Watt® monitors, just as they would check out a book, from their local library at no charge. These monitors simply plug into electrical outlets and then allow a consumer to plug in any appliance to get readout on how much electricity the appliance uses and then calculate how much money it's costing.

The educational tool kits include a home energy savings tips brochure; instructions, informative resource sheet, and an energy tips bookmark which patrons may keep. An offer for two CFL light bulbs is in the kit as well.

For more information, visit Efficiency Maine.

Want to save money on your energy bills?Here are some energy-saving tips for you!

Heating & Insulation- By turning down your thermostat by 1 degree F, you can save 25-30 gallons of heating oil per year. That's up to 3% of an average home's yearly consumption, or between $105-$128 per year at the current average rate of heating oil ($4.26/gallon). More Heating & Insulation Tips...

Cooling- Save up to 3% on your cooling costs for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer. For example, raising it from 73 to 78 degrees can save up to 15% in cooling costs. More Cooling Tips...

Appliances- Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket, especially if it's in an unheated area of your home. The blanket could save you up to 10% on water heating costs. More Appliance Tips...

Lighting - CFLs can give the same amount and quality of light as incandescent bulbs, yet use one-third the amount of energy and last ten times longer. A CFL can save over $30 in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime compared to an incandescent bulb. More Lighting Tips...

Other- Install energy-saving showerheads in your home. You'll reduce hot water use and cut water costs by 10% to 16% without affecting comfort. More Tips...