Here we answer questions about getting a home or commercial inspection, give tips on home maintenance, and share our knowledge about common home and commercial property issues. We are here to help you. If you can’t find an answer to your questions here, you can always contact us via our contact page.
Homes built before 1950 have a pull that’s hard to explain if you haven’t lived in one. Solid materials, real craftsmanship, established neighborhoods—there’s a reason buyers are drawn to them. Many of these homes have already outlasted several generations of newer construction. But age changes the inspection conversation. When we
Ceiling stains are liars. They tell you something happened — but not when, not where, and definitely not whether it’s still happening. That’s why I never stop at “old water stain” and move on. Water doesn’t show up on ceilings by accident. And it rarely shows up only once. Why
Fireplaces lull people into a false sense of safety. They’re quiet. They’re familiar. They look solid. And most of the year, they just sit there doing nothing. Which is exactly why damper problems get missed — sometimes for decades. Until someone lights a fire. What the Damper Is Supposed to
One of the biggest challenges buyers face after a home inspection isn’t what was found—it’s understanding what kind of problem it actually is. Not every defect carries the same weight. Some issues affect appearance only. Others impact safety or long-term performance. And some are warning signs of deeper problems that
One of the most common phrases inspectors hear after an inspection—especially during negotiations—is: “We’ll just fix what’s on the report.” On the surface, that sounds reasonable. The inspection identified problems, repairs were made, boxes were checked, and everyone moves forward. Deal done. But in real life, this mindset is one
Some of the most expensive problems homeowners face don’t start with dramatic failures. They start with things that look minor. Easy to overlook. Easy to explain away. Easy to postpone. Inspectors see this pattern all the time: a small finding in a report that doesn’t raise alarms during the transaction,
ectrical issues in these homes are rarely dramatic during inspection. The risk is cumulative. Heat buildup. Overloaded circuits. Inconsistent grounding. These don’t announce themselves loudly until they do. Structural Modifications Done “Casually” This era also saw a lot of remodeling. Walls were removed to open up floor plans. Garages were
Homes built in the 1980s and 1990s often feel like a safe middle ground for buyers. They’re newer than mid-century homes, usually have more open layouts, and tend to look familiar. Many buyers assume that because these homes aren’t “old,” the inspection will be straightforward. From experience, this is where
Items Hitting Transition Points Together One of the defining features of early 2000s homes today is timing. Many major systems—roofing, HVAC, water heaters, appliances—are now reaching the end of their expected service life around the same time. Individually, none of this is surprising. Collectively, it can be overwhelming. Buyers often
If a home has comfort issues, high utility bills, or rooms that never seem to match the thermostat, I almost always end up in the crawlspace. That’s where the money usually leaks out. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told a buyer, “Your HVAC isn’t the problem —
If I hear an AC kick on and shut off again before I can finish writing the serial number down, my radar goes up immediately. Short-cycling is one of the fastest ways to destroy an HVAC system, and I see it constantly — especially in homes where the seller says,
One of the easiest traps for buyers to fall into is judging a home’s systems by how they look instead of how long they’ve been in service. A clean furnace, a freshly painted electrical panel, or a water heater tucked neatly into a utility closet can give the impression that
