During a recent home inspection, I noticed that there was a double-tap in the main electrical panel.
I informed the buyer that I could fix the problem for $50, which would be much less than what he’d have to pay an electrician!
And of course I needed it in cash!
what iv’e learned about attic condensation while inspecting a home is what causes condensation in an attic, and where to look.Per example if brown stains are noticed on the ceiling and walls, this means there is heat loss that is causing condensation in the attic, common areas to look for are around penetrations and vents. If there is a leak due to penetrations, or vents not sealed properly this will result in moisture leaking threw and therefore drips of water are found on the insulation or on the inside of a roof sheeting.
I have found many double-taps in main electrical panels while performing inspections. A double-tap is when two conducting wires are connected to one circuit breaker screw.
A double-tap is a defect because one of the wires could become loose, overheat, arc, or even cause a fire.
Always contact a licensed electrician to repair!
During a Home Inspection I found numerous costly damages to the structure, electrical, and plumbing. After completing my report and submitting it to the owner and real estate agent, I was approached both agent and owner. They had some concerns about what I had found. They offered to pay me additional funds to change falsify the report and they would continual to send me leads, and to continue to use me on future inspection on fix and flips they were investing in. I declined the offer can stated that this indeed violated the codes of ethics.
Being as a student member of InterNACHI, Iwill be expecting some conflict of interest or may be an ethical acts on my course in doing this business, but since I’ve learned some from this Code of Ethics Course, I wouldn’t bather it anymore…
InterNachi Code Of Ethics
Research Exercise
The article I read for this exercise was titled Burgler-Resistant Homes. I chose this particular article as I’ve always been interested in home security measures. The tips mentioned can easily be passed along to clients during a home inspection if they have any security type concerns. Quite a few of them also go hand in hand with the actual inspection itself. Things such as having exterior doors that are solid wood or steel and that are free from rot, cracks and warping are not only things you would want to look for during the inspection, but also point out as security issues. Home security tips that we can pass along during an inspection can only help improve the confidence clients have with their inspector.
Hypothetical situation……Essay
I was on an inspection and the Realtor told me his last inspector was scaring clients out of the deal. He was acting more like an agent than an inspector. I proceeded with the inspection. The Agent then asked me to exclude a clear defect from the report to “not kill the deal”. I said absolutely not, let the client know, and reported it.
InterNACHI Code of Ethics
A lot of clients ask me as their home inspector to recommend a repairman or contractor to fix problems that were discovered by the inspection. Although there are several contractors that I know and trust, I will not make those referrals. There could be an appearance of impropriety. An accusation might be made that I was reporting nonexistent problems or inflating problems just to drum up business for “a friend”. It is risky to name a specific person or company. It is much safer to make general suggestions about what type of contractor to look for and what questions to ask when seeking a bid. The inspection not only should be objective, there should not be any question or cloud of bias.
Karl Kidman
Hypothetical situation……
I was on an inspection and the Realtor told me his last inspector was scaring clients out of the deal. He was acting more like an agent than an inspector. I proceeded with the inspection. The Agent then asked me to exclude a clear defect from the report to “not kill the deal”. I said absolutely not, let the client know, and reported it.
During a routine inspection for a potential homebuyer, I note various non-structural, cosmetic issues inside the home. The client requests that I report these issues as a severe failure of the home’s foundation, presumably in an attempt to secure a reduced contract price or increased allowances from the seller. I advise the client and his agent that this would not be a truthful representation of the actual conditions.
The library article I chose was “Carpeted Bathrooms”. I have seen this in older homes and I understand why it appeals to some people. The risk of a slip and fall for a senior person is less with carpet than it is with common tile. Carpets absorb and retain moisture (water and urine) that can lead to serious problems. Wood sub flooring can rot. Mold and/or bacteria can form. If a carpet is in place then steps are recommended to lessen the moisture exposure. Good shower doors help and strong ventilation should be in place.
I have a best friend who is a real estate broker. He is also involved in flipping houses. He uses me as his recommended home inspector. I charge him money on the side to say I had limited access, knowing I am missing a major defect.
this is my essay on hypothetical conflict of interest.
Today while inspecting a client’s home I observed a leak in the roof. The condition was getting worse so I addressed it with the home owner. The home owner asked me if I would be willing to repair the roof of his/her property. I told the homeowner that I would not be able to complete repairs because it would be a conflict since I am the inspector who found the damages.
Article research essay,
In the Article Choosing a Domain Name by Chris Morrell, Chris talks about picking a domain name and formatting a domain name.
Chris tells us that we should pick between two different domain names. One will be short and one will be simple. He states that we should not use hyphens because it can be hard to explain to a customer over the phone.
Chris tells us that it is best to get a .com if its available but they are hard to get and that it would be fine to choose something else like .info.
Asset protection is a critical part of any good business. To keep the business entity completely separate from ones personal life, family, home and other personal possesions will provide a barrier of protection against seizure in of litigation. This will be one of my first steps in starting my home inspection business.
I chose the library article “Inspecting Aluminum Wiring”. The installation of aluminum wiring resulted in many structure fires in homes built between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. Undesirable characteristics of the aluminum wiring include higher electrical resistance, less ductility and greater malleability, and vulnerability to corrosion. Inspectors should be able to differentiate between copper and aluminum by the color of the wiring, and sometimes by an imprint of “AL” or “aluminum” on the wire jacket.
Copper Versus Aluminum Wiring
Single-strand aluminum wire was sometimes used for branch circuit wiring in residential applications. Although it was known to have a higher electrical resistance, aluminum was use in lieu of copper due to the absorbent price of copper at the time. There are many qualities that copper possesses that makes it much more desirable as an electrical conductor. Oxidation, greater my ability, and greater thermal contraction and expansion are just a few of the drawbacks of aluminum branch circuit wiring. After a decade and many house fires some of them fatal, somewhere in 1970 to the decreased price in copper enabled branch circuit wiring to be all copper. The practice of using aluminum branch circuit wiring no longer made sense safety wise or economically. Today the presence of aluminum branch circuit wiring may void a home insurance policy.
Single-strand branch circuit wiring can be upgraded and become safe. There are crimp connections for crimping aluminum to copper which is acceptable practice to repair branch circuit wiring connections. They must be installed at by a licensed electrician.
Hypothetical example
I am having trouble bringing in clients. As a solution to get a edge over my competition I offer real estate agents twenty-five dollars for referrals on inspection jobs. This would violate the code of ethics.
Hypothetical Essay:
I’m inspecting a house that has very little damage or things in need of fixing. When I’m done with my inspection I’m asked if I’m able to do the repairs myself and I decline citing a violation in the code of ethics.
Wow!!
What I’ve learned so far, is that I know hardly anything. I passed the “Final Exam” with an 83 on my first try based on my existing knowledge.
I have learned though, that I’m a veritable ignoramus, and that if I spend the actual 120 hours studying, and take lots of notes, I might be able to do an inspection with confidence that I haven’t missed something critical that will make a homeowner want to curse me, and worse yet have their lawyer calling me… 