Home Inspection Blog

Water Heater Strapping

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 14:48:23 GMT

The Uniform Plumbing Code has required seismic safety straps to be in place for most water heaters since 1982. The goal for doing so is to protect against fire, explosion of the unit, or water damage which could occur if the water heater should fall over due to an earthquake.

Mold Inspectors vs. Mold Remediators

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 15:02:11 GMT

Mold is a part of our natural environment and is not always hazardous. Outside of the home, mold works in harmony with nature by assisting in the decomposing of dead natural matter such as dead trees and leaves. However, inside the home mold growth is undesirable. Mold reproduces by way of very small spores. These spores are too small to be detected by the naked eye as they drift through the air. Mold may start to grow inside the home or structure whenever mold spores come in contact with moist surfaces. There are numerous varieties of mold, all of which require moisture to grow.

Buying a Home in 2013 - Pitfalls to Avoid

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:46:02 GMT

Avoiding many of the common pitfalls that are associated with buying a home in 2013 can save you thousands. A great number of home buyers concentrate primarily on the home buying process, not giving sufficient attention to the problems that can prove costly. Prior to purchasing a home, familiarize yourself with the potential stumbling blocks to ensure that you’re geared up and ready to tackle the home buying process.

Lipstick On A Pig

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:37:42 GMT

Home flippers purchase homes which are in need of repair, repair them, and then re-sell them as fast as possible. The objective of course is to generate a profit. Flipped homes often appear shiny and new on the surface, but it's what lies under the surface that many home buyers should fear. Few home buyers have faith in flippers due to horror stories of sub-par repairs and the cover-up of serious problems with the home. Home inspection is a must, because there could be underlying problems an unsuspecting home buyer may be able to spot right away.

New Home Defects, Warranty, and Home Inspection

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:11:02 GMT

It is not at all uncommon for buyers purchase brand new homes only to discover built in damage once they have taken up residence within the home. In many locations a certificate of occupancy is issued upon a completed inspection of the home. However, this only says that the home is in livable condition and in no way guarantees that everything works, or even that all of the work has actually been completed. This is why a builder's warranty is so important.

Mold Types - All The Colors Of The Rainbow

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:04 GMT

There are many different types of mold and most people try to determine mold type by its color. Examples of mold colors include green, white, grey, brown, and black. The fact is that mold color hardly ever conveys ultra-specific information, as there exists both hazardous and non-hazardous types of mold within each group of colors. It is challenging, if not entirely impossible to establish whether or not a mold is dangerous based solely on its surface appearance.

I Have Mold - What Is The Process?

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 23:33:43 GMT

Just because you notice mold on one of the surfaces within your home does not automatically mean that the mold is toxic, or that it will need to be professionally removed. In fact, most mold is non-toxic and only poses minimal health risks such as allergic reactions. On the other hand, some types of mold are indeed dangerous, which is why mold inspection and testing are recommended when homeowners notice mold either visually or detect it by smell.

Market Watch: Third Quarter 2013

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 01:30:02 GMT

San Diego's recuperating housing market continues to thrive. So much so that sales actually reached their best numbers is eight years during the month of July. Real estate prices have remained firm and 25,419 homes and condos were purchased last month within Southern California. What that equals is 17.6% increase from June, as well as 23.5% in contrast to one year previous. Sales numbers were only 0.5% less than normal levels for the month of July.

Current Housing Market: Hot or Not?

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:25:22 GMT

Home ownership numbers are currently at their lowest level in the past 18 years, but the overall price of purchasing a home is on the rise. How could this possibly be? To answer this question we must look to the banks. Banks are generating scarcity within the United States real estate market by purchasing up large numbers of homes and at the same time delaying or stalling on specific home foreclosures to suit their own purposes.

Market Watch: First Quarter 2013

darin@sandiegohomeinspect.com (Darin Redding) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:00:00 GMT

With January and February already behind us, the first three months of 2013 are certainly shaping up to be interesting in regard to San Diego real estate. What is in store for March? Higher home prices and even less inventory are likely to be the main challenges for San Diego home buyers.