Nolan Kienitz

Continue to get cards/letters in the mail from LandAmerica with a generic greeting and a wonderful offer to become part of the best home inspection company in the U.S. Seems they are continuing their march about the U.S. and attempting to grow ... I'm guessing in select states. One of their 'managers' called me a few months back. He was located in the Austin, TX area. Said he was looking for inspectors to sign on with them in that area. He said he wasn't interested in the DFW market at the time. Just curious to hear from others about LandAmerica. NO ... I'm not giving up my portion of the pie.

We've heard it, seen it, written it, used it .... Keep it simple. No need to talk/write in "inspector-ese" with $5.00 words that our clients can't understand. As Bob, Scott and others have noted ... "clouded or fogged" gets the point across quite simply.

Morgan, As part of Continuing Education classes I've been to Kaplan a couple of times. As with any CE classes ... some are better/worse than others. As for jumping in the HI world ... do your research and then do it again. It is a great professional job, but you have to work and earn your niche in the market. Just because you get your TREC license does not mean that you will be fully funded for salary from day one. If you are in conversation with someone who owns a multi-inspector firm he should be giving you all kinds of information about requirements that you will have to handle before you can legally inspect and generate a report. As Jim, Steve, Les, Scott and many others have noted there is a lot to go through before the chute opens and you get in the race. As Les has commented you will "never" stop learning ... if you do or if you think you know it all you are in the wrong business. I was raised on a farm in Montana and my Dad told me (more than once) to "never - ever stop learning ... the day you do you had best be six-feet under and toes up". That lesson from my Dad has served me well and as I'm closer to 60-years of a wonderful life I am "still learning". Do some ride-a-longs with the fellow offering you a job and see what it is about, have him explain the E&O insurance items now required in Texas and make sure you run numbers on the cost of being an HI so you can be sure of just what it takes. I still re-calc my numbers periodically to make sure I'm on track ... as best I can determine with a market that is not quite what it was in recent memory. Check out the TREC website for the current set of guidelines on how you get your TX license. It changes, it seems often, so keep checking back. Here is their URL: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/inspector/default.asp Don't hesitate to ask any one of us on this forum or even via pvt msg or phone call if you want more background. We are all here to help and learn ourselves.

Kurt and all, Here is a URL for likely more information than you want RE: Bois d'arc tree. Some of Jim's and Chad's comments appear to be the same product. http://www.mitzenmacher.net/blog/?p=589

I do similar as Chad: yyyy/mm/dd-XXXX Year/month/day/running sequence number. Each inspection has it's own folder and they are moved via quarter to a storage box (but accessible). At end of year put into aging storage. Files on PC are done similar with backups to external hard-drive as well as CD / DVDs.

Brian, Makes you a candidate for the Discovery Channel show about 'Dirty Jobs' [:-crazy]

I did a 'new home final' today where the brick window ledges had a wonderful slope all the way from "0" to "4" degrees. I did the framing inspection on this house and gave the builder a head's up with documents/images regarding the BIA and IRC requirements for a slope of 15 degrees. Guess he didn't read or maybe it was his brick crew. My client sent me an e-mail tonight asking if it was real important to have the slope. Well now ... that began a rather lengthy reply with more documentation ... for the 2nd or 3rd time. Oh well. I had one builder rip 'em out 3 times before he got them right. The last time around he went to the big box store and got the simple meter/gauge that is in the images. Then his brick crew got on the bandwagon. Kind of a nice feeling when at least one in Lord knows how many inspections gets corrected. Image Insert: 61.07 KB Majority of windows were at this slope! (Where's the water??) Image Insert: 62.42 KB WOW ... all of 4-degrees !! [:-party]

... and then there is WD-40. Someone once told me it also helped his grandmother's arthritis. Go figure.

Quickly ----------- OINK !!

Chad, The chorus is unanimous. Images of your home are needed. You've done and are doing great work!

Very common for natural gas meters to be placed at edge of property (in alley for example) with supply line routing to side of home for entrance ... in Texas that is. Configuration is such that the meter could almost be "relocated" from current location at alley to the entrance location at the home.

As Brian noted: "emotions" ... sellers when presented with the buyer's request for repairs or $$ at closing to cover for certain items can evoke big-time emotions. Most times sellers don't think anything is wrong with "their home". So many times on inspections the seller has been about and asks what I've found and how bad is it? I never tip any hand, but I can feel the "emotional sensitivity". Stand firm !

G-S appliances were common in '60s. Fox-Jacobs and others used them quite a bit. Have some close friends in a late '60s house with original G-S appliances still in use. My friend simply refuses to spend a nickel on anything. I keep telling him that "one of these days" he will have to upgrade.

I've been told, by some clients, that getting windows replaced ... due to broken seals ... have cost only about $40.00. Obviously depends upon size of panel, but is common in the DFW area. The window folks just replace the 'sealed panel' section that is set within the frame. Now ... if you have a bunch of windows that have seal failures ... that $40 can add up.

It appears the "listing agent/owner" is now putting on the hat of the "owner" and mayhaps doesn't want to accept any responsibility. I've experienced similar over the years and it is very interesting to watch and see how they can change "roles". A month from now she will be a "buyer's agent" and have a view 180-degrees from the current. Hang in there! You did right !

I did a "new home final" today. Builder/Sales person told client "it was not necessary" as 'their inspector' had given a final OK as did the local municipality. Then ... along comes Nolan's Inspections, LLC !! Humm. It was all "approved" and ready for move-in. Well let's see now: 1) 2nd floor Master Bath sink drain leaking at slip joints above P-Trap. (How many towels do I have in my truck?) 2) Furnace won't operate. 3) 2nd floor flashing "cover trim" (weird) just fell off. 4) Bare incandescents in closets. (not even just missing the globe ... just a porcelin bulb base). 5) Attic access stairs leaves ~ 2-inch gap at ceiling and "won't close". ... I could go on!

I sent another letter to Governor Rick Perry's office this week (2nd letter since SB 914 came to light) expressing my concern about the amendment, etc., etc. I was taken aback this afternoon when one of his staffers called me to discuss the letter and share the Governor's views. The call lasted for 45-minutes and we covered many, many things regarding this amendment, bill, TREC and general politics. It was a very good and enlightening call. He is in agreement with our views about the 11th hour way things were handled and is not at all pleased with the Plano Representative. She (Governor's staffer) said the TDI provided the range of insurance cost that began with $1300 ... ergo the number put in his statement for signing. Line item veto is not available for such bills ... only those dealing with budget ... else he would have exercised that option to remove it. Bottom line is that we need to speak up (diplomatically) to be heard. The call I received today was a sample of that. We're not always going to get what we want, but if we don't vote and exercise our voice (again ... diplomatically) we won't get anything done. I would also suggest that we all get involved in at least some of our representative organizations and work through those channels as well as a combined resource. ASHI, TAREI, NACHI ... I belong to some, but not all (again we all have to watch budgets), but whatever the group it would be a combined effort that "may" help.

I received an update from a legal contact of mine at TREC. A very good person who works hard to provide data as best as possible. I've pasted some of the data below for review. ============================================ Now that the Governor has signed (confirmed 06-20-07) SB 914 into law, TREC has requested that the Attorney General clarify the general vs. professional liability issue. Because it can take 180 days or more to receive a response, at its last meeting the Commission issued agency staff a policy directive to treat this bill as requiring professional liability insurance until and unless we hear otherwise from the Attorney General. (The reference to Subchapter G, which includes negligence and incorporates the Standards of Practice, strongly suggests that the legislature intended this requirement to be professional liability insurance. However, because "negligence" can occur in a number of ways, the amendment could be determined to require both professional and general liability insurance.) Once the Attorney General's Office receives and processes the request, you should be able to track it at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinopen/opinhome.shtml. The insurance requirement will phase in over the next 2+ years as inspectors' licenses renew. Renewals on or after September 1 will have to show proof of insurance. There is only a 90-day renewal window before a license expires, so a license that expires at the end of April 2008 cannot be renewed until February. (The agency will also require inspectors who needed to show insurance to obtain or renew the license to maintain it between renewals.) The law does not require inspectors' insurance policies to extend coverage to agents, although I understand that this is a common term of these policies. I am not sure where the Governor's $1300 figure came from. TREC does not track insurance companies or prices, although we may begin a list of companies that offer the insurance once we start to receive that information with applications and renewals. SB 914 also made several changes to the Inspector Committee, as recommended by the Sunset Commission. The Committee will still be provided for in Chapter 1102, although it will become an advisory committee. The current Committee functions in an advisory capacity, so the change to an "advisory committee" mostly means that different provisions of the Government Code, rather than Chapter 1102, regulate its functioning, and (most importantly) its members will now be able to meet by teleconference. (Meetings will still be posted publicly, and they will be broadcast in real time - presumably by speakerphone - at TREC. We are still working out all of the details of the changes.) You are correct that the corporation/LLC inspector license requirement was abolished in this legislative session. That change was made through HB 1530 and will also become effective on September 1.

Gary, Does that mean the stopper is not working?

Paul, As always thanks for great information and support.

Buster, It is not as easy as just looking at the numbers. #'s do well in laboratory situations, but seldom do you get that in actual practice. As Jim noted above ductwork is key. You can have the highest end system available and a crappy duct installation and your SEER value drops like a rock. I've worked with many HVAC folks who are real pro-active on such and the bottom line is that trying to nail the "actual" SEER rating of an installation is not easy. I fully understand your personal need and want. I am very similar, but for the builder to automatically say you have this or that .... does he have documentation and test results of "your" installation?

No way would I be reaching beyond to that point on a Telesteps. Too "da--" wobbly. I carry similar product, but rely on my Little Giant. Much safer. Don't you love product marketing?

New Home Final inspections are an absolute necessity. Too many things simply overlooked by an over-extended superintendent trying to cover likely 15+ homes. Crews don't always do the "better building practice" on each project. They forget things or take shortcuts for whatever reason. An objective third party view (that would be us inspectors) help level the situation a tad. I love the contracts I get for complete inspections from foundation pre-pour to framing and then the new home final.

RE: Les' 'single-leaf' tulips ..."tap, tap, tap ... there goes my foot getting ready to "tip-toe: Anyway ... repressing the tip-toe. Did Eve only use one leaf or maybe a grand total of 3, but then that would mean from three of Les' "single-leaf' tulips. Hummm ??

Mark, Don't mess with your taxes. Let your CPA do all the calculations to keep all numbers "above board". You don't want to invite any visits from the IRS It is worth the peace of mind.