News

After Tough 2011, Uncertain Times Ahead for Polk Housing
The Ledger
"When the building just ceased here a few years back we had to look for something else to do," said Brock, owner of Pro-Home Inspections in Lakeland. He recalls working 80-hour weeks and forgoing weekends during the height of the building boom, ...

Ask the Inspector: Shingle fatigue
Leader-Telegram
Duerkop is a licensed home inspector and serves as president and education director of the Wisconsin Association of Home Inspectors for the central and northern Wisconsin chapters. To submit a question to him, call 866-715-8222 or email ...

Proposed Constitutional Amendment on Eminent Domain: Cons and Pros
JD Supra (press release)
The proposed eminent domain constitutional amendment is pending at the 2012 Virginia General Assembly. See 2012′s bills on the amendment, HJ 3 and SJ 3. If these bills pass the proposed amendment in the same form as last year, the amendment will be on ...

89.3 KPCC
California may have to return energy-efficiency federal funding in 4 months
89.3 KPCC
The Obama administration granted the stimulus funds to help families boost their home energy savings, create jobs and move toward energy independence. According to the report, Los Angeles has made "significant progress" in insulating homes after a slow ...

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Audit: Calif. slow to spend weatherization funds
San Francisco Chronicle
The Obama administration directed $185.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to California to help families boost their home energy savings, create jobs and move toward energy independence. Los Angeles has made "significant ...

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Brambleton Recognizes Go Bananas' Commitment to Community Service
MarketWatch (press release)
Brambleton is an award-winning master-planned community located in Loudoun County, Virginia. Brambleton encompasses nearly 2000 acres and 8181 single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums. Brambleton is owned and operated by Soave Real Estate.

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Ledyard Real Estate Transactions: Town Buys Three Tracts For One Dollar
Patch.com
Patricia Gross, of Alexandria, Virginia transferred property at 20 Saw Mill Drive to Timothy W. Manke for $251000. The Dorothy Santin Atkinson Revocable Trust transferred three tracts of property located on Long Cove Road to the Town of Ledyard for one ...

President of Buyer's Edge Responds to Washington DC's #3 Ranking for Real ...
Houston Chronicle
Results from AFIRE's Annual Foreign Investment Survey ranked Washington DC #3 in top US cities for real estate investment. According to Buyer's Edge President, Steve Israel, there are several compelling reasons why Washington DC area real estate is a ...

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Extension will continue to offer free radon test kits
Tahoe Daily Tribune
While the rest of the state will have to start paying for radon test kits, they will continue to be free in Douglas County, according to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program. The tests were free during January in ...

ServiceMaster to hire 6700 employees
Bizjournals.com
ServiceMaster specializes in residential and commercial lawn, tree and shrub care, termite and pest control, home warranties, furniture repair, home inspections, residential and commercial cleaning and disaster restoration.
ServiceMaster to Hire 6700 Employees During First Half 2012MarketWatch (press release)

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Study shows Virginia wine industry bearing fruit: economic impact more than ...
Washington Post
Virginia's wine industry also has seen some recent celebrity interest, with real estate mogul and reality television figure Donald Trump opening up Trump Vineyard Estates in Albemarle County in September. He purchased the 770-acre winery and the ...

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Darien Home Inspector Finds Little Problems Before They Become Big Problems
Patch.com
Prince used this opportunity to take his career in a different direction, starting his own business in Darien doing home inspections. He invested his separation pay in his own education, working at various print jobs to support his family.

Darien Home Inspector Finds Little Problems Before They Become Big Problems
Patch.com
Jeff Prince worked for 15 years as a bookbinder. He didn't plan to change careers. But as the printing industry shrunk, his job disappeared. Prince used this opportunity to take his career in a different direction, starting his own business in Darien ...

Seminar will introduce first-time buyers to real estate investment
The Daily Citizen
The seminar is presented by Coldwell Banker/Kinard Realty, The Daily Citizen, Alliance National Bank, First Bank of Dalton and Precise Home Inspections. “We'll have two lenders there — Alliance National Bank and First Bank of Dalton — and a home ...

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Seminar will introduce first-time buyers to real estate investment
The Daily Citizen
“We'll have two lenders there — Alliance National Bank and First Bank of Dalton — and a home inspector, Precise Home Inspections,” said Mike Maret, principal broker at Coldwell Banker/Kinard Realty. “So if anybody has any questions about home ...

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RichmondBizSense
The Pipeline: Commercial Real Estate Roundup for 2.3.12
RichmondBizSense
Porter Realty Company, Inc. announced the following deals: Virginia Crane Properties LLC purchased a 7220 square foot warehouse at 11357 Virginia Crane Drive in Hanover County for $615000. Power Systems & Controls Inc. purchased a 6600 SF ...
Business in briefHenrico Citizen

all 2 news articles »

Don't you love to see a new shower installation.  And upgrades!  Well, it just doesn't get better than upgrading that shower. 

Take an old shower, with old tile, and boom!  Make it new!

Such was the case here.  The house had been vacant for some time, so the shower had not been used.  But it works!

Nothing better than an adjustable shower height!

Professionally done, professional looking, well, professional all around.

Well, until you look behind.

And underneath wasn't any better!

It was the underneath that got me upstairs to investigate the installation!

It was a mess, had been a mess and keep in mind, had not been used for some time!

It was a shower gone wild!

We found rot.

We found mold.

We found damaged insulation.

We found problems!

Fortunately we were able to see behind because frankly, from the bathroom side, the job looked pretty good.

I could tell there was a problem from underneath, but still, it was a good thing we could get behind.

My recommendation:  when you see a new installation, check it out as completely as possible.  What you see is often less than what you get!

 

 

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia

www.jaymarinspect.com

Home repairs: Which jobs come first?
CNN
"There's no homeowner's manual that tells you when to do what," says Naperville, Ill., home inspector and structural engineer Mark Waldman. Emergencies aside, the project that could cause the most damage and expense if left unfixed is the priority.

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Your Place: More about dampness in Shore home
Philadelphia Inquirer
Home inspector/engineer Harry Gross in Cherry Hill reminded me that we once talked about sealing off the crawl-space vents with vapor barrier and insulated walls as the best approach for this region. But when there is a lot of moisture, as there may be ...

Henrico-based StreamCo acquires hotel management firm
Richmond Times Dispatch
Henrico County-based StreamCo LLC, a fast-growing company specializing in commercial real estate asset management services, said Thursday that it has acquired Afton Hospitality, a Virginia Beach-based hotel management and consulting firm.