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Another home inspection nightmare

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: Before we bought our home, we hired a home inspector, but he didn't report any of the major problems in the house. Now we have to repair the plumbing, the electrical wiring and the roof. When he did the inspection, he said everything was OK, but he was just lying, and we think he may have gotten a big tip from the seller or the agent. He was supposed to be working for us. Why would a home inspector do business this way? --Beatriz more...

Signs you need a better home inspector

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, January 6, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: When we bought our house, our home inspector said that everything was in good condition. Since then, our basement has leaked, some of our circuit breakers became so hot they had to be replaced, and a chimney sweep told us that the fireplace is not usable. All of these issues should have been disclosed to us, and now we are saddled with one expense after the other. Who do we blame for these problems: the home inspector, the Realtor who recommended the inspector, or the previous owner? --Rena more...

Settlement cracks concealed by sellers

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, December 30, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: Since purchasing our home, numerous cracks have appeared in the walls. Some are as wide as half an inch. We've also noticed that patching has been done at many of these cracks, indicating that the sellers of the home were aware of the problem but had attempted to hide it. None of this was reported by our home inspector when we were in escrow. How serious do you think this problem is, and what should we do about it? --Thomas more...

Home-buying red flag in bathroom

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, December 23, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: When we purchased our house, the home inspector found no problems with the water heater. After we moved in, the gas company came out to light the pilot. Instead of lighting it, they capped off the gas and said it is illegal to have a gas water heater in the bathroom. They said the fixture should be moved to another location or replaced with an electric water heater. The seller says he installed the water heater himself and that the previous two water heaters were in the same location. more...

Think twice before buying 1950s home

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, December 16, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: I'm buying a 1954 home and have just gotten the report from my home inspector. My main concern is the electrical system. According to the home inspector, the main panel has fuses, rather than circuit breakers, and the capacity of the system is only 60 amps. The home is about 2,000 square feet, and most of the wall outlets are the two-prong ungrounded type. An electrician I know says the panel should be upgraded to 100 amps, and the house should be rewired for three-prong outlets. Does the code require the seller to upgrade the electrical system? more...

Save home from plumbing leaks

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, December 9, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: I've heard of a device that automatically turns off your water main if there is a leak in your home. What can you tell me about this device? Is it really worthwhile? --Terry

DEAR TERRY: The product you have heard about is called the "Leak Defense System" manufactured by Sentinel Hydrosolutions. It consists of an automatic control valve that is installed in your water main and connected to an electronic control module in your home. This system electronically monitors water flow through the main line. If there is a slow, continuous flow for an extended period of time, or if there is a sudden, major flow all at once, the system automatically turns off the water supply to your home. more...

What's with this funky bathroom soot?

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, December 2, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: Our laundry is located on the second floor, directly adjacent to the bathroom. Whenever I run the dryer, the bathroom becomes very humid if the door is shut. I've also noticed something like black soot on the bathroom walls. I wash it off, but it always comes back. What could be causing the humidity and the soot, and what can I do to resolve this? --Debbie more...

Couple's dream home vandalized before closing

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, November 25, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: Construction of our new home was recently completed, but four days before the closing, vandals broke into the house. They stopped up all of the drains and turned on the faucets. The builder found the mess in the morning. He immediately replaced the carpeting and some of the drywall, but he dismissed the possibility of mold. We are confident that he can repair all of the water damage but are concerned about future health issues in the home. Because of this, we may walk away from the transaction. Do you think we are overreacting? --Ken more...

Experts disagree on roof life

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: I am presently buying my first home and am bothered by a difference of opinion between my home inspector and the seller's roofing contractor. My home inspector has 20 years of experience. He found the shingles to be worn and brittle, with two years of remaining life. But the seller's roofing contractor says the roof has five years of life. My agent says we should get a third opinion, but I'm thinking of canceling the deal. Why can't the experts agree on the condition of the roof? --Mikel more...

Drain flies terrorize homeowners

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: We have a major problem with drain flies under our house. We've called a plumber and an exterminator, but both say they've never seen this kind of problem before. We've also had the septic system pumped and inspected, but this doesn't seem to be the source of the flies. What should we do? --Tracy more...

Top reason to disclose property defects

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: As a real estate instructor, I teach many programs on ethics and disclosure to agents and people preparing to become agents. These same subjects are often addressed in your column. From your perspective, what can we Realtors do to enhance our ethical approach to real estate disclosure? --Janice more...

Homeowners burned by insurer

By Barry Stone, Monday, October 27, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: Last winter, we had a house fire. The burn damage inside was relatively small, but the smoke damage was extreme. It was so bad that we had to move out for several months, and the drywall, insulation and floor coverings had to be removed from every room. While the house was unoccupied, the winter was unusually harsh, with ice on the inside and outside of the building. During this time, most of the windowpanes cracked, and the window frames no longer slide normally. The insurance company does not consider this to be part of the fire damage and is unwilling to pay for new windows. How can we convince it that the windows would not have broken if there hadn't been a fire? --Rebecca more...

Why did inspector dismiss peeling wallpaper?

By Barry Stone, Monday, October 20, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: We recently purchased a home and hired a home inspector to find all the defects. During the inspection, I noticed that the wallpaper in the master bedroom was discolored and peeling at the edges. When I asked the inspector about this, he dismissed it as insignificant, but I continued to feel uncomfortable about it. Last week, I peeked behind a peeled edge of the wallpaper and found green mold. If I'd known about this, I'd have asked the sellers to have it removed. Shouldn't this have been disclosed by our home inspector? --Jeri more...

Home inspection fee was a waste

By Barry Stone, Monday, October 13, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: We just closed escrow on a home, and the day we moved in we found a flooded basement because the water heater had failed. But four weeks ago, our home inspector said the water heater would be good for many more years. Our plumber disagreed. He said the fixture was 10 years old, was rusted at the bottom, and was well past its normal lifespan. We paid our inspector $450 to let us know what was wrong with the house and then had to spend twice as much for repairs on moving day. Is our home inspector liable for this mistake? --Faith more...

Buried gas line nothin' but trouble

By Barry Stone, Monday, October 6, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: We purchased a condo last year and had it professionally inspected. The inspector could not see the gas line for the patio barbecue because it was under the concrete slab. But the seller assured us that it was installed to code. He volunteered this information while taking us on a tour of the home. Recently, we removed the patio to replace it with brick pavers. It turned out the gas line was on top of the soil, directly under the concrete. The paving company won't install the new patio until we have the gas pipe buried at the required depth of 18 inches. more...

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