Steve Hall ABR, CDPE, GREEN, SFR

Or, at least it easily could have been.

I attended an inspection with by buyers yesterday on an REO property. The inspector noticed a few items of "handywork" by a previous owner. Most of what they did was simply to damage the doors, door hardware and drywall behind the doors. The big problem was the work that the owner did in the garage. They decided to add a 50 amp circuit for a piece of welding equipment, which, by the way, had the wrong size wires. When they left, not only did they take the welder, they took the receptacle and left the exposed wires hanging in the garage. Most people wouldn't think of grabbing exposed electrical wire but my clients have a four year old. Little boys pick up, climb and touch EVERYTHING. Thank you Mr Home Inspector for immediately checking the exposed wires and subsequently shutting off the power to them.

What is wrong in this picture?

What action would you recommend, if any, to correct the problem?

Home inspectors are required to be extremely observant. Not only do they have to view the roof and ceilings, they have to view the floors and any possible visible defects. Even when there are floor coverings, there may be signs of a "cover up".

As most agents and inspectors will attest, there are many creative homeowners out there.

Maybe the homeowner, or installer thought that there was a dishwasher when he/she snapped the plug out of the garbage disposal prior to installing. It was a good thing that this property had a nice selection of wines. They located just the right size cork to re-plug the hole.

Or maybe, the homeowner "borrowed" the disposal from his/her property that was foreclosed on but had no way of taking the dishwasher before the sheriff escorted them out.

I sure hope the inspector looks below the sink prior to checking the flow. This is an upstairs unit, which means BIG trouble for the lower unit if the utility restores water to the unit without turning valves off on the interior.

When you are thinking of buying or selling a home, Make the Call to Hankins and Hall

Buyers - What I will do for you:

• Whether you are planning to purchase real estate now or a year from now, I will work with you and make sure that you understand the entire process.
• I will sit with you and review a Buyer's Resource Binder that includes 1) A comprehensive, step-by-step review of the home buying process. 2) Sample inspection reports and what to look for in a competent inspector. 3) Guidelines and review questions to use when selecting a loan professional. 4) We will review the entire purchase contract, disclosures and addenda so when you are ready to write an offer, there will be no surprises. 5) A comprehensive list of replacement costs and life expectancies of the major components of the home, including appliances. 6)The last item in the resource binder is a guarantee of my commitment to YOU.
• I will help you negotiate a contract with the seller that has the most possible protection for you.
• I will attend to the home inspection with you to help ensure all possible defects are annotated by the professional home inspector that you choose.
• I work very closely with all parties involved in the transaction to ensure an on-time close. This includes working with your lender, the listing agent, the escrow officer, the pest and home inspection companies.
• Even months or years after the close of escrow, I will be available as your resource for anything related to you home.
• I am available by phone, fax, e-mail or text 7 days a week and will return your contact request within minutes.

When you are thinking of buying or selling a home, Make the Call to Hankins and Hall

This is a very frightening time of year for pet owners due to the increase in pet injuries.

To help ensure your pets safety this Halloween, be aware of a few simple tips:

1. Keep all candy well-sealed and out of the reach of pets. Make sure that used wrappers are discarded and not available to Lassie to pull out of the trash. The ingestion of chocolate can be toxic. I believe this can affect cats as well as dogs.
2. This one applies for the next few months. Make sure that festive decorations are kept out of the reach of pets. I know, nothing will be out of the reach of a CAT.
3. To help reduce your pet's anxiety due to increased visitors to your home, designate a secure spot for your pet inside your home.
4. If you must walk your pet outside, make sure that you continually keep on the lookout for dropped candy that you pet may want to eat. We have cats and never let them out during this time of year.
5. If you choose to dress you pet for Halloween, make sure that their costume in fire retardant, reflective and have plenty of room for them to breathe. Any portion of the costume that is too tight may cut off circulation or choke your pet. I would like to dress up our cats but I also like my blood INSIDE my body.

Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween.