Dear Barry,

I'm a newly certified home inspector. I am very detail-oriented and am striving to learn as much as possible about my new profession. But I'm concerned as I begin this new career that many real estate agents will be reluctant to refer my services because I'm so new in the industry and have no official inspections under my belt. How should I approach the topic of "field experience" when I network with real estate agents? I want them to know that I am a continual learner, an overachiever, and someone whom they can count on for their clients. --Keith  more...

Dear Barry,

My parents bought a house about a year ago and had a home inspector check it out. The inspection report said the furnace had no problems. But recently, a heating contractor did a routine inspection and said the furnace blower is cracked. He told us this could let carbon monoxide into the house and that the furnace needs to be replaced. My parents have carbon monoxide detectors in their home, and these have never gone off. And our suspicions were raised when the furnace man refused to show us the crack.  more...

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Dear Barry,

I'm getting ready to sell my home and would like to hire a home inspector before I put it on the market. It seems that a pre-marketing inspection would give me a better idea of needed improvements before I sell. Is this wise or not? --Marian

Dear Marian,

Your approach demonstrates a wisdom not commonly realized by sellers. Buyers typically hire the home inspector after the purchase contract has been signed. The inspector provides a list of defects, and then the buyers ask the sellers to make repairs, to reduce the price, or sometimes to cancel the sale.  more...

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Dear Barry,

I recently purchased a new home with an unconnected water line to the refrigerator. The line is not attached to the water supply beneath the kitchen sink, and the end that is near the refrigerator has been capped. I've asked the builder to complete the connection, but he thinks the line was capped due to leakage beneath the slab. He and the plumber both refuse to repair the line, and the bid from another plumber is $275. What do you suggest I do? --Yolanda

Dear Yolanda,  more...

Dear Barry,

I've been a home inspector for about two years and am now having a problem with a home buyer, more than seven months after the inspection. She claims that I am responsible for roof leaks. How can that be possible this long after the inspection? How should I address this situation? --Roy

Dear Roy,  more...

Dear Barry,

Shortly after buying my home, a problem developed with my neighbor. She built a fence about 3 feet on my side of the property line and now refuses to take it down. Is it legal for her to do this? I'm afraid that she may claim ownership of that part of my property if I do nothing. Am I allowed to take down her fence if it is on my property? --Robin

Dear Robin,  more...

Dear Barry,

The other day, my father mentioned that if he sells his house he will not allow a home inspector on the property. This sounded pretty rash to me. If he forbade a home inspection, what would he be required to disclose? If defects were discovered after the sale, wouldn't he be liable? --Mary

Dear Mary,  more...

Dear Barry,

The smoke alarm in my townhome is wired to the electrical system and is presently inoperative. The fire insurance for the building is paid by the homeowners association. Does this make the association responsible for repairing the alarm? Electricians are very expensive, and I think that whoever pays the fire insurance should pay for smoke alarm repair. And while we're on the subject, what are the current requirements for smoke alarms? --Pete

Dear Pete,  more...

Dear Barry,

We installed a new electric service panel on our home, intending to get a permit after other improvements were done. All work was eventually completed, and we never did get the permit, but everything was done to code by contractors. Now we want to sell the home. Can we simply disclose the improvements and hope that buyers don't talk to the building department about permits? If we get caught, can we continue the sale at a lower price? And could the city fine us for not getting a permit? --John

Dear John,  more...

Dear Barry,

When I bought my home, the seller disclosed that the sunroom was added without a building permit. At the time, my Realtor assured me that a permit was not required because the room is less than 150 square feet. But now I'm doing some remodeling, and my contractor says the sunroom is not legal without a permit. When I called my Realtor, she said the contractor is wrong. Who do I believe? --Barbara

Dear Barbara,

Your contractor has advised you correctly.  more...

Dear Barry,

I have not had a good night's sleep since reading a recent article about asbestos. We've lived in our home for 30 years and have "popcorn" ceilings. I remember when we hung our swag lamp we could see fibers falling when we drilled holes. After all these years, is it too late to have the "popcorn" removed or are we already doomed? Some companies offer asbestos testing if you send them a sample, but is it safe for us to remove the sample ourselves? --Peggy

Dear Peggy,  more...

Dear Barry,

I bought a home six months ago. Last week, while running down the stairs to my basement, the bottom step literally gave way under my foot. Thankfully, it wasn't one of the top steps. When I took a closer look, I found that all of the steps were separating from the stringers and were only held up by the nails that were driven into the ends of the treads. Shouldn't this have been reported by my home inspector? --Marc

Dear Marc,  more...

Dear Barry,

As a real estate agent, I have had many discussions with fellow professionals about how to recommend home inspectors to buyers. We want to give buyers good advice, but we also want to limit our liability. Here are the three schools of thought on home inspector recommendations:

1. Provide a list of available inspectors and advise buyers to research and choose whomever they want.  more...