Wesley Osborne

Ever wonder about your house number? Often, the previous owner installed the number and the new owner never had to think about it, leaving them clueless as to why it was placed where it is or why a particular color or size was chosen. These numbers are more important than you probably realize, and a lot of thought goes into making sure they are visible.

House numbers should be clear enough so that police, the fire department, paramedics, etc., can quickly locate properties in an emergency. Numbers are often the only way that first-responders can identify their intended destinations. Your city might even have laws requiring your house number to be of a certain size or color. Also, think of the poor pizza delivery guy who runs late because he can't find your house, or frustrated party guests who have to knock on neighbors' doors before they find yours.

Consider the following recommendations:

• The numbers should be large, within reason. Try to make them at least 5 or 6 inches tall. Smaller numbers may not be visible from the street if you have a large front yard. Replacement house numbers can be purchased from hardware stores and online.
• The numbers should be of a color that contrasts with their background. Reflective numbers are great because they are easier to see at night. Brown on black or white on yellow may look swanky but are bad choices for the purpose.
• Try not to put house numbers behind any trees, shrubs, or anything else that may obscure their view from the street.
• Make sure that the number faces the street that is listed in the house's address. It does emergency workers no good if the house number faces a different street than the one the workers are traveling on.
• Is your house not visible from the road? Then the number should be placed at the driveway's entrance.
• The next time you hire an InterNACHI inspector, ask him whether your numbers are adequate. Inspectors should know the laws in your area and be able to offer you a professional opinion.

Keep in mind that you may need to make adjustments.

Even if your house number is currently adequate, InterNACHI believes that it might need adjustment in the future. The following are common reasons why you may need to adjust your number in the future:

• The addresses assigned to houses by the city occasionally change, and you must adjust your numbers accordingly.
• The trees or shrubs in front of your house have grown so much that the number is no longer visible.
• House numbers installed in the winter may be visible during that season, but become blocked by budding vegetation by spring or summer.

Maintain your house numbers, along with the rest of your home's exterior.

• Keep your numbers clean. They may not be reflective or contrasting if they are covered in mud.
• Trim back vegetation as needed.
• Don't let piles of snow obscure the numbers. If this happens, raise the number so this situation does not happen again.
  

In summary, house numbers serve a critical function for emergency personnel and should be clearly displayed

Roughly 57 million American homeowners belong to homeowners associations (HOAs), which are elected bodies that govern the lifestyle and architectural choices of their members. Largely unregulated by state and federal laws, HOAs are essentially autonomous "mini-governments" that sometimes exert enough power to bully their residents into foreclosure. Inspectors may want to arm themselves with knowledge concerning the struggles of their clients who live under HOAs.

When Chicagoan Wally Kuchlewski, a 67-year-old machinist, returned to his condominium, he found all of his possessions on the street. His HOA had foreclosed on his home in response to $4,000 in unpaid dues -- that had drastically risen from $640 -- to cover the HOA's attorney's fees. The distraught Kuchlewski gunned down the secretary of the condominium board, killing her and wounding a bystander. Although extreme, Kuchlewski's actions nevertheless demonstrate the escalating opposition to the unchecked authority wielded by HOAs.

In roughly half of the states in the U.S., HOAs are permitted "non-judicial foreclosures" if owners lapse on their dues. Homeowners in these states have no right to a hearing or to confront their HOA board, or any of the protections usually afforded people to defend themselves against creditors. Over a prescribed period of time, a homeowner late on a payment will first be mailed a letter of default, then a letter of sale, and then the home will subsequently be sold at auction.

Some states do not require a notice of default, while other states do not even require that the homeowner be personally notified of the notice of sale, as long as it is published. "Why didn't someone just pick up the phone and call them?" asked the lawyer representing Tom and Anita Radcliff, a retired California couple who were informed of the situation only 30 days before they were evicted, as reported by MSN Real Estate. Even in states where homeowners must be directly notified of the pending actions against them, all that is required are letters mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, some of which are left unopened by residents, especially the elderly, who may be unaware that such important information mailed to them without any special delivery might need their urgent attention.

Homes are typically foreclosed on by banks that are owed $190,000 by the homeowner, according to a 2001 study by Sentinel Fair Housing. The same study found that homes foreclosed on by HOAs owe an average of just $2,557. The homes are then resold for practically pennies on the dollar, sometimes just enough to cover the fee owed to the HOA. The home of Wenonah Blevins, an 83-year-old Houston woman, was sold for just $5,000 - 1/30 of its market value - to cover the $4,000 she owed her HOA, most of which would be used to pay the HOA's attorney.

HOAs are considered creditors rather than debt collectors, which is legal-speak for an important distinction; the lawyers who work for the HOAs are not subject to the provisions of federal debt-collection laws, which effectively means that the lawyers will collect their fees from the homeowner rather than the client. This law allows nominal fees to balloon into unpayable sums, which paves the way to foreclosure, eviction, heartbreak, and more lawsuits.

These lawsuits and evictions are based on HOA rules designed to control the aesthetics of the neighborhood under the assumption that a sterile, uniform appearance will protect property values. No detail, however, is too frivolous for the policing efforts of many HOAs' elected officials. HOAs can and do punish owners over the types of plants they choose to grow, the color they paint their homes, the appearance of hedges, the age of residents in senior living centers, and virtually anything aside from the race of the owners or handicap access, which are protected by fair housing laws. One family in Newport Beach, Calif., fought in court for years to keep their driveway basketball hoop, and a Boca Raton, Fla., woman was forced to weigh her dog at an animal hospital, with a court reporter as witness, to see if the dog was heavy enough to warrant eviction. And when some HOAs can't catch these "criminals," they create incentives for homeowners to police each other, such as one Arizona HOA that paid residents who reported rule-breaking neighbors. Reporting someone who dumped trash that wasn't allowed in the Dumpster earned a tipster $150, or even $100 for reporting a resident who walked his dog without a leash.

Homeowners should seek a clear understanding of the nature of the HOA-governed community in which they plan to invest. Does it have a long history of foreclosures? Are the community rules overly petty? Talk to members of the association to gauge their opinions, and consult with a lawyer or real estate agent if you don't understand the community's restrictions on flags, fences, home businesses, age, or whatever issues they control.

Redneck highrise. Scary stuff!

Have you heard the story about the old man, the boy, and the donkey?

There was an old man, a boy and a donkey going to market. The boy was riding on the donkey, and the old man was walking beside. As they passed some people along the way, they overheard one say that it was a shame that the boy rode while the old man walked. The boy and old man decided that they were correct and switched positions.

Later down the road, they passed by another group of people. They overheard them saying that it was
terrible that the old man forced the boy to walk. So, the old man and the boy decided that they should
both walk.

Later, they passed by some more people who commented how silly it was for both the boy and the old
man to walk when they had a donkey to ride. The boy and old man agreed, and they both jumped on the
donkey and continued down the road both riding the donkey.

They then passed some people who said that having both riding the donkey was too much of a burden on
the animal. The boy and the old man agreed and decided to both carry the donkey down the rode instead
of riding it.

As they crossed a small bridge that spanned a river, they lost their grip on the donkey. The donkey fell
into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story is, "If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye."

You can't please everyone. You can't appeal to everyone. You can't serve everyone. You do not need
to be in business for everyone. You should only work with those clients who are ideal for your business.

Google maps is a great place to get some local exposure. If someone is looking for a business, they enter in the business-type(ie. Home inspectors) into the search engine and a map with the locations marked on it pops up, providing detailed information and contact information about the business. Here are some tips to help you get your listing to the front of the line.

• First of all if you don't have your name or business listed go to google maps and click on the "Put your business on google maps" link. It's free! Follow the prompts and enter in all the required information. It is important to be as detailed as you possibly can and enter as much information as you can. If you have pictures of yourself be sure to add them.
• Once you have completed your listing, most likely you will not see it right away, in fact it can take a couple days for your information to pop up. Also, when your listing does show up chances are you are not going to be on the first few pages. Don't worry though! Now it's time to do your homework.

In the search area enter in the type of business you have, for example I will enter in "Branson Home Inspectors". A map will pop up like the one below listing several different Home Inspectors.

So, What we have here now are our competitors. How did they get to the top? We can find that out by clicking on either the "reviews" link next to their listing or the"more info" link. That will take you to their business profile. Scroll to the bottom of the the page and you will see "more about this place". This contains websites that they are listed on, such as AR. Visit every one of those websites and if you can list yourself, do it! The more sites you are on the higher the probability your listing will show up closer to the top. Do this with all your competitors and you will see yourself raising up. You may not get to the top-I'm not on the top, but I am on the first page- but don't give up. It can be somewhat tedious but will eventually pay off. I know this is not very technical, but I hope it will help!