Jim Baird

My friend's father was an old squirrel hunter. when he asked for the whole animal fried his daughter served one up, full body fried. The old man took a spoon and broke the skull open, then sucked the brains right out of that skull like it was candy.

A factor I did not mention also was that the house was full of his and his wife's stuff, which just gets in the way. Most houses put on the market around here are already empty. The few I have done that are full of people's stuff have been really slow going.

Have never seen a squirrel get shocked by ground like this. Did he damage the wires by eating a few?

Look like serious indicators. A local inspector should help you lots.

Thanks for the replies. I called this guy and talked him into my hourly rate deal, where I inspect items of concern and bill by the hour. He explained that he knew almost nothing about building and was willing to pay me for a buyer type, but he agreed with me and turned out to be a good client. I took him with me and showed him everything my eye noticed about the house. (as you might expect the workmanship was poor and he was a good listener). The little neighborhood was only two years old and most of the buildings sucked. I think his intuition was leading him to unload this dump. I think he is wise to get the eff out of it while it is still "new". The worst feature was one of those entry doors on a two story facade that faces full southern exposure with zero weather protection. The laminate clad wood door was drooping in its frame and dragged heavily on the threshold. The main interior carpet clad stair had all 7 1/2 inch risers except that 9 incher at the bottom. The front main level facade was blessed with a sorry application of ASMV, no weep screed etc. My little letter pleased him, even as I advised him, (as we are not bound here by state licensing rules) to let a potential buyer's inspector to worry about what he finds.

I know that so-called pre-sale inspections are common in some places, but I have never done one in 27 yrs inspecting. I counsel callers not to waste their money there. This caller insisted on my pre-sale visit to a two year old home, even after he had taken his spec builder to court to repair sorry work. No more warranty, but still insisted on my visit. Is he setting any kind of a trap? My report is full of disclaimers, and I have never faced complaints except from one or two. Down here in the GA woods, Jim

Thanks, Michael

This jacket was installed by a handyman, I guess. I don't think it was for insulation.

...just like our manual yard equipment, wheel barrow and cart. Pneumatic tires are generally cheaper. I bought solid tire for wheelbarrow long ago. Cost more than the wheelbarrow itself. Garden cart I could not find solid tires, so I just use it with two flats. Rolls OK. When those old tires rot and fall off I might use some lengths of old hose and some duct tape to pad those naked rims some.

"...Going to leave this broke-down palace On my hands and my knees I will roll, roll, roll Make myself a bed by the waterside In my time, in my time, I will roll, roll, roll In a bed, in a bed By the waterside I will lay my head Listen to the river sing sweet songs To rock my soul..."--Grateful Dead Thanks for posting Mike. I have learned so much here from the brethren I will never meet. I can still inspect, but I agree with Les that the "profession" has taken a nose dive in terms of the quality of work. Just passed yr 75 myself but am very lucky to be so functional. A little arthritis here and there but my age peers are dropping off the path.

"tainted" as in bad rep, bad record?

Thanks for continuing your reply, Marc. My understanding of AL single strand was that its increased malleability in response to ebb and flow of current led to diminished connective surfaces that generated dangerous levels of heat. I did not think of copper responding to ebb and flow and keeping enough contact to keep things safe. We still don't have a suitable AL alloy for single strand branch, do we?

Around here unopposed fill over four block high needs engineering.

...love it.

Which kind of setback will the landing off that door violate? So close to the road the landing might need to include a de-cel lane.

Inspectornotes: been there done what? Yet again a client has shared with me a report from that other kind of inspector, the ones the realtor lines up for the buyer. This inspector was a staffer working for a branded corporation. He drove a custom painted logo loaded pickup truck, and he wore a uniform with a monogrammed shirt pocket patch and a matching ball cap. He carried a tablet and filled out a 25 page canned report with lots of photos. The inspector managed to fill out the report, but he failed to notice the dwelling’s status as a manufactured home, not a site built one. He failed to note the basic elements of support and anchorage that are typical of the building type. He called a red brick curtain wall a “foundation wall”. He photographed a one inch diameter wasp nest at an eave, and he recommended that the buyer contact a “qualified professional” to accomplish its removal. He failed to describe two additions to the original structure as additions. He failed to note how those additions are supported. He failed the buyer that paid him in so many ways there is not room here to list them all. In some counties manufactured homes are not even considered “real” property. They are taxed like vehicles, separately form the land parcel. It is hard to overstate the gravity of this failure by the inspector. Even though the county had somehow assessed the property as “real”, the buyer got blindsided when they refinanced. Their bank’s appraiser called the spade a spade, and demanded that a structural engineer sign off on the two additions to a manufactured home. That inspector did not flag that train, did not kill the deal. That is why the agent recommended him, but the buyer got railroaded. If you hire an inspector for a home you are buying, steer way clear of the agent’s suggested ones. Hire an independent inspector that does not use canned software and inexperienced staff.

I don't see a big problem. Their pier design is not one I have seen. The spot footing design is one I have seen, but not very well placed. I agree with Les about the call for someone qualified. All else not considered, my read of this item says no big deal.

The deck looks really thin. Must be a narrow rake to have no kind of fascia. I agree with others about the workmanship. Manufacturer instructions should show the way.

In our state electricians are allowed to leave existing work in place unless it is patently unsafe. I don't know why AHJ would want to know old codes. You can't enforce codes retroactively.

Speaking of white oak, a 3000 yr old white oak dugout canoe was recently discovered submerged in a Wisconsin lake. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com › nation 3,000-year-old dugout canoe found in Wisconsin's Lake Mendota - USA Today

...looks like a good repair to me, long as you can keep termites away. White oak is what I think I see, and it was long a preferred wood for big thick entry door sills where weather and traffic bring stresses to bear. I give the job an A grade.

Shortest height I ever saw on POA. Under nine ft from grade. 1959 install is pre-code in my state.

I heard Jeff Bezos wants package delivery drones. No explosives allowed, though, unless it's just water balloons.

To focus on the building as much as possible and to report my findings in a way that ranks those findings along a scale of importance. Buyers have lots of different reasons for their decisions. Often they ignore items I find most important, but I am just the building guy.

You are correct. Finish floor looks like what they call LVP, "luxury vinyl plank", that is a lot thinner than solid wood. If they had used solid wood the riser might have fallen inside the 3/8 margin, but maybe not. Stair stringers are sometimes de!ivered pre-cut, with that first height trimmable. I have always been surprised by how many builders flunk stair requirements. My common label for this situation is "leg-breaker".