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Preston Sandlin

Laughing and Learning with Bill Gallagher

Sweet and Southern is what Bill Gallagher always says. Bill owns Superior School of Real Estate in Charlotte NC but teaches Real Estate Classes throughout the state of North Carolina. Bill's school teaches preliscening and post licensing including the mandatory update and electives. To stay licensed in NC, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission requires that each licensee take a 4-hour mandatory class as well as a 4-hour elective. Bill is one of the premier instructors for North Carolina real estate. I have known Bill for over 12 years and have laughed and learned a lot from him. I want to share with you some of Bill's more notable stories that go along with the lesson so you too will get an idea of Bill's method of laughing and learning.

I have to tell about the "wild animal." Bill was once the broker-in-charge of the Prudential South park office. He had an agent that went to show a house that had two de-clawed kitties in it. There was a sign on the door that read: Please don't let out the two de-clawed kitties out. The agent was careful not to let the two de-clawed kitties out but inadvertently let the neighborhood tomcat in. When the owners got home from the Hornets basketball game the house was shredded. The people told Bill that they didn't know kitties could fly! Fortunately for everyone involved the insurance covered it by reporting that a "wild animal" got in the house. Bill has several funny animal stories including "the seeing eye pony" and the invisible fencing collar for a Doberman that the people put on their poodle to try to save money and the dog has to see therapist now. You'll have to take Bill's class to hear these and many more.

While Bill was at Prudential he had another agent Vonda Lee. Oh my there are more Vonda Lee stories than I have space to tell about. Vonda Lee game back from a listing appointment once and said, "That house has the worst case of Radon gas I have ever smelled" Bill told her "Vonda Lee you can't smell Radon Gas" "Well something stank," replied Vonda Lee. As it turns out it was the sewage treatment center off Park Rd that Vonda smelled. From then on Bill didn't have his agents bring people down Park when bringing them from the airport to the office. He had them come down Wilkinson Blvd by the Paper Doll Lounge. Wee welcome to Charlotte. Vonda drove a Jaguar and carried a pistol in her purse. Everyone found this out one day when she came walking into the office with a gun hanging out of her purse. A few agents came running to Bill "Bill, Voda's got a gun, Bill Vonda's got a gun" Bill had to talk to her "Vonda, is everything alright? Is everything Ok? You aren't mad at anybody are you?" I used to think Bill was making this woman up but I actually meet her during one of Bill's update classes at Birkdale. She asked me to hold her shoes while she took of running bare foot to roll the windows up on her Jaguar, err uh Lexus now (she told me) as it was beginning to rain.

Now in NC if a broker receives any bonus or incentive from a builder or seller it has to be disclosed to the buyer. Speaking of full disclosure Bill tells the story of a woman in Myers Park Presbyterian Church whose cell phone goes off in church. "She bent over in the pew and talked on it," says Bill. He says after the sermon he told the preacher who it was "Full Disclosure" Tell it, tell it, tell it.

Bill also tells a story about me inspecting the wrong house. The woman came home while I was inspecting it and asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was inspecting her house. She said go right ahead and she got a free home inspection from me. Bill is great. I try to take his classes every year. If you too would like to get you r require credits but at the same time laugh and learn contact Superior School of Real Estate at http://www.ssore.com or me Preston Sandlin at http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Preparing Your home for the Home Inspection

Many people stage their house and make it a little more spacious but not many people prepare for their home inspection. In this video Charlotte NC home inspector tells you about several things you should do to pepare fore your home inspection. Some of the things you should do to prepare your house for the home inspection include: 1. Trim bushes and trees 2. Clean Gutters 3. Caulk the joints on your trim around windows and doors. 4. Make sure the disposal and the dishwasher work. 5. Change Your Filters 6. Tighten Your Toilets These are just a fewof the things you show do to prepare for the home inspection. Please watch Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina to see more. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Crazy Stuff Seen on Home Inspections

Please watch Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin as he tells us of all the crazy stuff he has seen on home inspections. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com In that time he has seen a lot of crazy stuff including: -A priest blessing the house - Car parts used for drain lines in the plumbing system. - A garbage can used for chimney cap - Duct tape used to fix just about everything - ghosts in the house - a priest blessing the house - an inflate-a-mate under the house. -A snake in the insulation behind the front porch. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com Preston Sandlin of Charlotte NC has been peforming home inspections and termite inspection in Charlotte NC and surrounding cities for over 12 years.

Charlotte NC Real Estae Agent Knows Santa

One Charlotte real etate agent has some connections in high places. Elaine and Ray Eschert of Charlotte NC aren't only top real estate agents but they know Santa Claus and go out of their way to make sure that the boys and girls in the Charlotte area know that Santa is watching by doing home visits. Santa will even listen to "The Elf on the Shelf" to see how they have been doing. Ray and Elaine make up Golden Properties; a Charlotte NC based Real Estate team that does all the little extras to make your home buying experience special. Let Golden Properties help you with your next home purchase. Resident of South Charlotte since 1978. Licensed Real Estate Broker in both North and South Carolina Member of National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Member of the Charlotte Regional REALTORS Association (CRRA) Member of the Carolinas Multiple Listing Service (CLMS) Member of the Real Estate Buyers Agent Council (REBAC) Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) Certified by the National Association of Home Builders as a New Home Sales Professional (CSP). Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) Repeat winner of the 5 Star "Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Award" Member of the Ballantyne Chapter of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Broker owner of Golden Properties Realty of Metro Charlotte Member of RE/MAX since 1994 Member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame Member of the RE/MAX Platinum Club Repeatedly the #1 or #2 individual agent in yearly dollar volume or home sales productivity while with RE/MAX Metro. Ranked by volume as one of the top 100 RE/MAX teams in both of the Carolinas at RE/MAX Executive With RE/MAX Metro from 1994 to 2003 as one of the original 16 agents at their South Charlotte office With RE/MAX Executive from 2003 to 2007 as one of their first agents to open their Ballantyne area office Joined RE/MAX Select in the summer of 2007 at their new Ballantyne area office. The focus of this agency is on selecting only top experienced agents with an established reputation for productivity and client service. Ranked by Real Trend magazine as one of the top 1% of real estate sales professionals in the nation Featured guest speaker at the Charlotte Star Power real estate sales seminar Subject of real estate and community articles in the Charlotte Observer Living Here, "Ballantyne Magazine", Focus on Realtors, Union County Magazine, Ballantyne Times, and the Observer Southern Mecklenburg publications Featured in a full page "Team Ballantyne" article in the Ballantyne Magazine Featured in the "Ballantyne Community" article in the Charlotte Magazine Repeatedly featured in real estate or community articles in the Ballantyne Magazine Featured in real estate article for Portrait Homes. Contributor to articles in US Banker magazine, Realty Times, Charlotte Observer, and Builder/Architect, Southern Piedmont Edition Former charter member of the David Weekley Homebuilder Advisory Board Recipient of multiple Internet real estate and design awards including being featured on Realty Times Featured Realtor on Relocation Central Founding members and ambassadors for Ballantyne County Club Ray has been appointed by the Charlotte City Manager to be one of seven city representatives to the Road Committee of 21 established in 2008 to review and recommend priorities and funding for our areas road needs. Ray has been a featured guest speaker for several local organizations including the Community Neighborhood Leagues annual meeting for property managers Ray is the founder of the Ballantyne Breakfast Club, a community forum for the exchange of information between local area residents and the areas business leaders, developers, elected officials, and services providers Ray also is the founder and principal organizator of the Ballantyne After Dark social events Ray was featured in the Portraits of a Community article dedicated to people who make a difference in Ballantyne in the Ballantyne Magazine Contributor to the Childrens Miracle Network, Sister of Mercy and several other local charities and causes. Perhaps Im exactly the type of person you would like to have working for you! http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Charlotte Home Inspection Environmental Hazards

Real Estate Agents are very good at what the do. They are good at marketing showing, selling, and setting up the home inspection. Although real estate agents are good at recommending professionals including home inspectors, they need to know a little about environmental hazards around the house them. The home inspector will be better at assessing environmental risks in the real estate transaction. I am Preston Sandlin, a licensed home inspector in Charlotte NC and I have come up with a list of the common environmental hazards that I have run across in my 12 years of being a home inspector.

  1. Asbestos. Asbestos comes from a Greek word that means "inextinguishable" Asbestos was very popular up until the 1960's. It was popular due to its resistance to temperature change, its durability, and its fire resistance. The common areas that I find asbestos are in exterior siding, ceiling tile, floor covering and insulation wrap on ductwork. What is the danger with asbestos? If its fibers become airborne people can breathe them in causing a host of respiratory problems. Asbestos can be professionally removed or encapsulated. Encapsulation is the process of sealing up or sealing over the asbestos so that it does not become airborne or friable.

  1. Radon. Radon gas comes from the breakdown of radioactive material in the earth. Levels of Radon are measured in picos/liter. The EPA mandates that levels 4.0 pico/liter is dangerous and in need of a Radon mitigation system. Although Radon is found everywhere it more predominant in mountain areas, the Northeast, North and Northwest. Recently Radon has been found in newer construction that is coming from the concrete. Radon exposure has been linked to lung cancer.

  1. Lead. Lead has been used in construction prior to 1978 for pipe and in paint. The biggest problem is the lead paint was in the paint. If lead paint peels or the dust is ingested or swallowed it can lead to brain and neurological problem. If a house was built prior to 1978 there is a good chance that lead was used in the paint particularly in the trim paint.

  1. Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is a byproduct of combustion. Carbon Monoxide inhibits the blood's ability to transport Oxygen to the brain. If exposed to Carbon Monoxide for a period of time fatality will occur. There was an incident a couple of years ago here in Charlotte NC where someone left a car running in the garage under the condos down by the Carolina Panthers practice fields. The Carbon Monoxide built up and it killed 4 people.

There are many more environmental hazards out there but these are the top four that I often run into. For more information on environmental hazards around the house, contact Home inspection Carolina http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com and the EPA http://www.epa.gov