PJ S's (homeinspectionspecialist) Blog

Public speaking can be a rewarding experience that allows individuals to showcase their skills or knowledge in a public forum. Public speaking opportunities can allow an individual to help enrich the lives of anyone in the audience by impressing experiences or information that can have life chang...

A local friend of mine, a real estate attorney who has been a very successful full-time investor for 30+ years, shared this story with me one time. These are the actual letters; he kept copies for humor's sake...Hal-------------Years ago, a New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He w...

Q. Are race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status and handicap the only protected classes?A. These seven categories are the only protected classes under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. However, many state and local governments often have their own laws and ordinances m...

The Federal Reserve decided not to raise a key interest rate, indicating its deeper concern about a weak economy than rising inflation. In my opinion Keeping interest rates low will only prolong the dollar's slide against other currencies. And, while this may be good for financial institutions th...

In a surprise move, the U.S. Treasury announced on Tuesday that it has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley to conduct a review of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Morgan Stanley's duties will involve analyzing the GSEs' authority. The U.S. Treasury called the move an exercise in "prudent preparedness...

Sometimes the sale of a property is followed by a lawsuit by the new owners because of undisclosed conditions of the property. To prevent this, some buyers and sellers opt to insert an arbitration clause in the final contract. Unless a clause appears in the contract arbitration can't be initiated...

In recent years, it's been discovered that lead based paint can pose a serious health risk, especially for children. As a result, a federal law was passed in December of 1996 requiring full disclosure of the existence of lead paint on a property. A seller or renter isn't required to clean up the ...

"You can't build a good house out of stumbling blocks."  With that fortune-cookie saying in mind, beware of the following common home-buying mistakes: Real estate agents are very friendly. That's a major part of their job. In the course of shopping for a house, a home buyer spends a lot of time w...

Here is how to calculate your cash flow truthfully: 1. Enter Line 22 (Income or loss from rental property) from your IRS 1040 Schedule E2. Add Line 20 (Depreciation) from your IRS 1040 Schedule E3. Subtract the amount by which you paid your mortgages on the rental property down (from your annual ...

If you're buying a home, the last thing you want is an expensive surprise. Unfortunately, most things that can go wrong with a house tend to pack a powerful punch in the wallet. If you have to replace your hot water heater, expect to spend upwards of $600. If you have to replace your furnace or c...