All Forum Posts by: Reinaldo Lopez

Hi and congrats, yes an inspector will do a single report and will make notes of deficiencies on each particular subject and he should make note on were the deficiency is located, property A or B. He will charge a little more because it takes longer to inspect and make a good report. take a look at www.nachi.org for certified inspectors in your area.

Hi , good info and every one is right, all comments have very good answers to the typical 1950s house. Yes a 1970s and on houses are less problematic like Curt Smith said. What I look for on a 1950s, Termite damages on the crawl space floor joist, sill plates for foundation to wall connection and in the basement, if any. 

Windows, if originals, look for water damages around the window sill and under with special attention the the side that gets the least amount of sunlight. 

Look for gutters and downspouts for condition and how close or far they are from the house structure. This is very important because it will create a wet area that Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) will love and breading grounds for mold inside the walls. Also take a look at the grading of the surrounding ground to make sure water flows away from the house, not to the house.

Siding can hide many damages, if you see patches or cheap siding recently installed, it is time to start asking , what and why.

HVAC, how old, how old is the ducts, take a peak in the the registers, how dirty they are, HVAC handler closet, look for mold in this area, the condensate water drain condition and where it goes.

Electrical panel model and manufacturer, google it for recalls.

Floor carpet if any, I hate carpet because it hide damages and if it is secure you cant pulled it to look under, look for stains or cold spots, that is an indication of a wet spot. specially near baths Kitchen or egress doors.

Kitchens and baths, old or new, try to look behind frig and dishwasher, they hide a lot of  water damages and are very subjectable for mold growth. Under the sink, with a screwdriver lightly punch the corners look for rooted wood. Around the toilets and bath tubs, feel the floor to see if it is soft, this is an indication of rotted wood floors, big issues.

Roof look for double layer of shingles or age. you can look in the city, permit search, for the last time of replacement, if they tell you is new ask for the permits.

Sewages and water lines, yes Cast Iron and black pipes (mostly commercial) can be an issue but look for the clean out and how far it is from trees. PEG is not common for this age, but, you never know . 

you can find a lot more info at www.nachi.org or ASHI they are the biggest home inspector association in the nation.

Hope you can find use for this ideas, good luck.

Hi, you can look on nachi.org for quality well train inspectors in your area.

Congratulations on your decisions,  first take a look at nachi.org for some quality inspectors in you area, they also have great videos that can help you on what to look. In Alaska, main issues will be furnaces condition, age and ventilation or exhaust system, then move to basements wall condition and look water intrusion,  property drainage system, then roof condition. That is usually my priorities. If the property is very old (1940 and back) electrical and lead can be an issue.

Hi BP colleagues,  those are all great ideas and it all depends on your personal comfort zone or situation.  Another way is to create a grantor trust for each property, that is one layer, then all gains pass trough to a LLC while you have total control of the property. That way the grantor trust dosen't generate income (very high tax bracket). Then you can file under a LLC or pass it on to you (lowest tax bracket). This might sounds complicated but your attorney (probate or family planning better) or a financial advisor can advise better on this because it varies between states. Good luck

Hi, That is right, an inspector is require to look for degraded shingles. This means that the shingles will not hold on on hurricane wind forces. The problem is that they are squeezing every one in Florida and recently the Senate house is in the process of passing a new bill that will give insurance property the right to refuse full coverage on shingle roof older than 10 yrs.

https://www.news4jax.com/i-tea...

Hi, take a look at nachi.org where you can find a well trained and professional inspector. 

Congrats Cristopher Agosto, Heidi inspector sounds good because he is a WDO (Exterminator) license contractor that might be useful for wood frame houses. Give us a little more details about you investments and keep us informed. You can also look into FABI or Nachi.org for certified and quality inspectors. We are regulated in Florida but there are some questionable ones. Good luck.

Hi I like to comment, if BP is about sharing and working together, why some people do not like to share their contacts and requesting a PM to share regular information. this is a great community not a proprietary corporate information. just an observation.

Hi everyone,  very good comment's,  you have a pump septic system, not bad, first have a professional take a look and evaluate it, be careful with some contractors that will sell you a new system that you do not need. From what I  see you have 2 holding tanks going to a pump station that pumps it to a drain field. Look for some soft areas around the drain field. Check the pump twice a year for functioning and the activation floats. Have the 2 holding tanks pump no more than every 2 year or yearly to prevent mayor sludge build up. Renters will dump anything that should not be dump in the system this is why I  recommend every year as a minimum.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=...Sludge and scum check

depending on the tank size it might cost $200 to $400 a pump per tank. At leas that's the rate in South Florida.

As final comment,  it is more maintenance, yes, not complicated. City Sewer connection can be very extensive, compare to yearly cost, try multiplying for 10 years cost versus connecting (if available) to the city plus seweage charges.