From Advantage Inspection in Greensboro, NC, here's a cautionary tale from the trenches for all you price shoppers out there.  AN AGENT'S TALE OF WOE My fellow inspector, Brian Haire, at Advantage Inspection Clearview, relayed a story from an agent in Burlington, NC. who told him that she had to change inspectors because as Brian relayed: ' the last one (an inspector she had used exclusively and swore by) ended up costing her $30,000.00 in repairs for having missed a rotted girder.  In talking to her it was not conceivable that the inspector actually accessed the whole crawl space from her description of the damage.  The only response she got was "we sometimes miss some things".' I have to chuckle because at the most recent continuing education session in Feb. 2008 Charlotte NC, where a... 05/30/2008

 PRESS RELEASE  Release date:   5/28/08   A PRE-LISTING INSPECTION / WARRANTY COMBINATION OFFERS POWERFUL BENEFITS FOR SELLER; A HIGHER LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR BUYER There is a lot of frustration associated with selling a home in today's real estate market:  the 'mortgage crunch', competitive pricing and a flooded market are all factors putting the seller at a disadvantage.  Home buyers are definitely in the 'driver's seat'.  In order to get their house sold, sellers have to think outside the box and find ways to differentiate their home from the crowd. Would-be sellers should'nt overlook the power of a pre-listing inspection / warranty combination.  "People don't realize that they can get their house sold quicker, with fewer problems and for more money if they get an inspection on the h... 05/30/2008

And that was at the beginning of this year, 2008 !   Read on my friends..... Subject: Pre-Inspections Work!!! (The following is an actual testimonial from a Keller Williams agent in the Greenville, SC area utilizing Advantage Inspection and their Listing Advantage program. ) From "Matthew Thrift"  To: Sonya Skidmore Hello All, I just had to tell you !..........19 Birkhall Circle - Received a ratified/accepted contract 20 days after listing!  This is incredible. Here is my testimonial...you have free will to use as much or as little as you would like: After being in Real Estate for just over 15 months, I wanted to take my business to the next level.  As most businesses or self-employed people do I looked for anything that I could find that would set me apart from the other 2000 plus REAL... 05/30/2008

A recent pre-listing inspection I performed for a homeowner this week reinforced just how little homeowners know about inspections in general and how much we inspectors have to do to educate them. Before I tell this story, I want to relate what my aunt told me regarding what she wanted in an inspection. Her gripe was along the lines of this: 'I don't want to know about the broken lock or the door that sticks, I can see those myself.  I want to know if the furnace is working.' All very well and good. Just the big issues I can't see for myself.  But let's look at this typical expectation, and why it needs to be addressed: First, many homeowners don't notice these small things when they are being shown the house, and when they do notice them later upon buying and moving in, who do you thin... 05/30/2008

Home buyers beware ! Upon purchasing a home, your agent may suggest you buy a home warranty as well.Educate yourself before you blindly trust that your Realtor: 1. Has your best interests in mind 2. Is not recommending an unreputable company 3. Is not taking kickbacks Don't make a choice that could lead to having a denied claim costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Read my insider info on the home warranty industry at: http://www.squidoo.com/homewarrantysecretsexposed See the Home Warranty Checklist for MUST ASK questions that will come back to bite you if ignored. Find resources online that expose the dark underbelly of this questionable industry and lastly... Discover the one company that is changing it all..... Philip LaMachio Advantage Inspection Clear View      Advantage Ho... 05/02/2008

On Monday evening we had a very bad thunderstorm.  The next day on the local news they had a story about a tree hitting a house.  Well of course you feel bad that these poor people have a big tree smashed across the top of their house.  The reporter then states that the house is for sale and is under contract.  Now you really feel bad.  Then the reporter interviews the owner who says that the home inspector was coming the next day and he knew what he was going to say, The first thing that needs to be done is to have the tree removed. Now that is a sense of humor.  I am sure there are two very busy agents trying to figure this one out. I swear I didn't make it up. 06/21/2007