Did you know the following facts about lead? FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born. FACT: Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies. FACT: You can get lead in your body by breathing or...

This first one is from a condo inspection.  The black hose attached to the PVC sink trap under the kitchen sink was for the washing machine.  Notice that it attaches after the trap.  Needless to say, while I was running the kitchen sink, I was smelling...

First off, I will apologize for the pause in posting.  The last couple of weeks have been very busy.  Part of the reason for that has been the announcement of the new "We'll Buy Your Home" Guarantee by InterNACHI.  Anyone who has owned a home...

With all the TV shows about flipping houses today, it seems that everyone thinks they can do it too.  While the TV shows show some of the problems the flippers run into, they don't show all the details and planning that go into a good flip.  And trust me, it's the...

Attention Texas Real Estate Agents!  Like you, I understand the chore of having to do continuing education.  What's even worse is having to pay someone else to take these courses just to maintain your license.  Because of this, I'm happy to be able to...

Are you buying a home built before 1978?  Maybe you live in one currently.  If so, please read on. Lead was a common additive to paint up until it was banned from use in residential housing.  As a paint additive, it worked great.  Unfortunately,...

I'd like everyone to take a minute to think about two potentially very dangerous situations.  Both of them have to do with your garage.  If your garage is attached to your house, you should have a door between them.  The door needs to be able to...

We frequently get asked what the difference is between AFCI and GFCI protection is.  Here is a short post about AFCIs, describing their function, as well as their importance. Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are special types of electrical receptacles or...

Garage doors are typically among the heaviest moving objects in the home and are held under high tension. Injuries caused by garage doors account for approximately 20,000 emergency room visits annually, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.The...

One of the most common issues we note during home inspections is with dryer ducts.  For what appears to be a simple system, there are some very important intricacies that have to be followed to make sure they are safe. Clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet...