Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

Well, we have been having some good deluges in our area the past few days. I have noticed that several bayous are quite full. The forecast is that we will have some more rain coming this week. I do not mind the rain so much, considering that our state just came out of a long drought last year. However, rain does bring a concern to homeowners: water drainage from your land.

Most people forget that real estate inspectors look at the grading of their property. Since we are called home inspectors in common parlance, the consumer thinks that we just investigate the home, but water flow around your home is important. Water and moisture are the major enemies of our homes. Light frame construction is the main building method used in the United States. At the rate we tear down homes to build a bigger, better version of these structures, we forget that these light frame constructed homes could be built to last for two hundred years if we prevent water/moisture penetration.

I admit that when it comes to determining the flow of water around some properties can be difficult for the inspector. If there is no rain, can we be sure the slope is insufficient? For the most part, we get it right. This period of rain is a good time for you to examine your own home to see if there is any water pooling. If you have stands of water near the home, you will want to find ways to have it drain away. Our soils comprise of expansive clay in Houston. This clay swells with water, and then shrinks as it dries. Now consider what this action does to your foundation. Foundation problems can be caused by various issues, but water is a major culprit.

So go ahead and relive your childhood by splashing in those puddles, but tell everyone that it is for a good cause: you are trying to see if the grading is alright around your home.

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 Houston: after surveying my competitors, I have seen fees for a basic inspection starting at the range from $200 to $500. 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 Texas 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? 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.fschulte-ladbeck.com , for a more detailed description. Go to the Owning Your Home page where there is a section about understanding your report.

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 frank@fschulte-ladbeck.com.

I have been away on vacation, and it takes a while to get back into the groove of daily life. As I was coming back from dropping my son off at the bus stop for school this morning, I looked around to see if it was recycling today. There were neighbors with their bins out, so I fetched mine for the curb. I noticed that not many of my neighbors had placed their bins out. In fact, only about a quarter of them had done so.

Houston's mayor has been pushing for more residents to take part in recycling, and it is a shame if we do not take this simple step to help out. Recycling happens every other week on the normal trash pick-up day, and they take many of the items that can be reused.

Thinking about recycling caused me to remember another campaign from the mayor's office: grease disposal. Having worked in the food service industry, I have seen what grease can do to plumbing lines. The city has been making the argument about what cooking grease poured down the kitchen sink does to the sewer system. I would like to change that argument some to highlight what damage it can do to your home.

Last year when inspecting one house, I found that the plumbing was good in the house, except for one spot: the kitchen sink. Usually inspectors find problems, but we do not go into a full diagnosis. I wanted to give my clients a bit better information, so I investigated further. The sink was not draining well, and when I looked into the line, I found items from the workers who had been remodeling the home. The crew had been using this sink to clean all of their equipment out. What had made the problem worse though was the grease from the previous family. The line was clogged by it, so the workers did not have to do much to completely stop it up.

If you are going to be selling your home, you may want to take the time to clean out slow draining sinks, since this will go in an inspector's report. If you are not planning a move, you may want to stop the practice of pouring down grease from cooking into your sink, because it can cause you problems later. Find a container to pour the grease into, so it can be thrown away. I saved old peanut butter jars for this task. If you are having a problem, try cleaning out the P-trap first. If further problems persist, try a snake (the tool) in your line. Otherwise you will need a plumber.

Treat your house well, and it will treat you well.

Bad news abounds when it comes to home sales. However much of this news is dealing with the national scene. Is there any good news for sellers in the Houston market? Actually, there is. Builders are holding off on new home construction. The inventory of homes on the market has not risen dramatically high as in other parts of the country. Realtor Associations are predicting that many buyers will be coming to the market soon, probably towards the end of the school year. Home prices are still rising, although in no great bounds, in the Houston market. So maybe you should be thinking of having your home ready for the selling season.

What can you do for this preparation? Well, one perfect task for the season is pruning trees and shrubs. When top growth is slow, roots are still growing. As a home inspector, I can forewarn you that we inspectors look at limbs brushing against the walls and roof of the home. I have seen tree branches remove the shingles and sheathing from a roof. Limbs from branches that have worn down the siding. Moreover, I have seen limbs knock down wiring. From a buyer's perspective though, pruning trees and shrubs into shape is the first step in exterior home staging. Pruning can help theses plants look better in the spring. More light can come into the shrub to promote fuller leaf growth.

Some rules for pruning: cut down to the collar around the base of the branch for larger limbs; prune to a bud on smaller limbs to help create a burst of leaves at that point; take out only a third of the plant at most when pruning a shrub; and try to create a way for light to enter into the center of the plant ( this allows the plant to leaf out in the interior as well as the exterior surface).

By starting now, you will not have to be rushing later to make your home ready for the buyers. By pruning away from the home, you will not have an inspector putting that item on his report.