4 Wintertime Roof Issues that Inspectors Should Be Prepared to Spot

Winter is coming? Say it isn’t so! Unfortunately, frigid temperatures and everything that goes with them will be here before you know it. And that can mean roof issues for unfortunate homeowners and buyers. Here are some issues that might not be obvious when the weather is warm. Once snow and freezing rain starts to…

Are City-Mandated Home Inspections Redundant?

Are buyers in your area seeing double? While some areas require no home inspection at all, some are at the other end of the scale. Prospective buyers may spend thousands in private home inspections plus auxiliary inspections, and still be required to undergo one by the city. That’s what’s happening in San Rafael, California. Real…

To Accept or Not to Accept Credit Cards

Customers love plastic, and you might, too. Don’t want the hassle of credit cards and credit card vendors? You might find yourself without the hassle of too many customers, to boot. It’s a plastic-driven world, and the businesses that don’t accept cards are at an instant disadvantage. But maybe it’s not as expensive and frustrating…

Good Communication is Part of a Good Home Inspection

Is this thing on? How many home inspectors perform inspections and have almost no communication with the customer at all? Some send an email or a quick phone call, and some might communicate more with the real estate agent than the client. You might be surprised by how common the practice is. But good communication…

Minneapolis Has a New Home Inspection Contingency Form

The new inspection contingency form is a boon for everyone in Minnesota. If you’re a home buyer, seller or inspector in Minneapolis, the home inspection process just changed. The old process, known as the 5-2-2, is no longer in force. Now there’s a 10-day window for the whole inspection and contingency operation, start to finish.…

House Inspection Takes a Lower Priority in Some Competitive Markets

There should be no question: a home inspection is always the right choice. The tougher it is to find and buy a house, the more likely buyers are to skip the home inspection. At least that’s a trend in some parts of the country. It seems unlikely. Why would anyone make such a large purchase,…

Could One Startup Home Inspection Service in Seattle Change the Industry?

On-demand inspection report access could help every prospective buyer compete. A Seattle-based home inspection startup wants to trim down the out-of-pocket expenses that home buyers usually face. It’s not an easy task. In an active real estate market, expenses leading up to a home purchase can really mount up. But this company’s novel approach is…

Expert Interview Series: Alex Bakman of Snappii on How Apps Can Help Home Inspectors

Alex Bakman is CEO and Founder of Snappii, a leading mobile business app development company. Snappii lets customers design and build their own apps. What are some of the common reasons customers decide to design an app? To improve existing business process such as manage people, equipment, to allow enable customers to order products, make…

Ecobee vs Nest: How These Smart Thermostats Stack Up

Sometimes technological advances are just for the sake of gadgetry. And sometimes they really mean something. If you’re wondering where smart thermostats fall, they’re soundly in the “worth it” spot. They save natural resources, hard-earned cash and can even save you a little time. Two of the top smart or learning thermostat contenders are Ecobee…

4 Common Tankless Water Heater Defects and How to Spot Them

Tankless or on-demand water heaters haven’t overtaken standard tank-style appliances just yet, but they are gaining popularity. With recent legislation that updated efficiency requirements (and drove up prices substantially), you might see them more and more often. They’re already the more popular and common style of water heater in Europe where fuel prices are much…