5 yrs Construction Trade 25 years Small Business Owner 7 years Portland Community College Instructor Professionally Trained Home Inspector at ITA Licensed, Bonded, Insured with the Oregon CCB Oregon Certified Home Inspector Certified Member of NACHI |
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Buying a home?
The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to
give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will
be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often
includes, what the inspector himself says during the inspection and
an inspection report, that includes descriptions and photographs. Of
course you will have your own likes or dislikes about the property .
All this combined with the seller's disclosure can sometimes make
the experience a little overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax: Most of your inspection will be maintenance
recommendations, and minor imperfections and suggested
upgrades. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that
really matter will fall into two categories: Safety and Structure.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often even a
serious problem can be corrected at a reasonable cost by a qualified
licensed professional.
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects
uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no
obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is
perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things
that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller
address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the
seller's disclosure or nit-picky items.
Jack Mayeaux
| Home Inspection Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, West Linn, , Clackamas, Newberg Area, Portland Metro |
| Jack Mayeaux Home Inspector |
| Jack Mayeaux Inside Outside Home Inspection LLC P O Box 23063 Tigard Oregon 97281 (503) 267-8824 OCHI 1248 CCB 174857 |
| Inspecting a Foreclosed Home • Checking utilities for working order • Animals, pests and other unwelcome guests • Damage due to “foreclosure rage” A home inspector does not prepare or examine differently when going into a foreclosed home, yet there are certain issues that can arise that are unique to these properties. With the number of defaulted loans rising (a trend that will most likely continue into 2009), you may wish to look at a foreclosed property as either an investment or a good value for your new home. This will require you to pay attention to the following areas of concern. Having utilities on for an inspection Before you or an inspector examine a home, arrange for all the utilities – water, electrical and gas – to be functioning to determine how well they work. Always have the utility companies do this, Never allow anyone else to tun on the utilities. Vandalism and theft The metals used in the mechanical systems have become quite valuable, so thieves have been known to gut homes to the point where they are no longer livable. Vacant homes are prime targets for thieves, but they also provide a club house for vandals. Most damage from these vandals involves broken windows, walls and doors. Pests and mold Many foreclosures will sit vacant for some time before they are purchased, so you may find an unwelcome guest or two. Inspectors should look for signs of animal activity, such as chewed boards or droppings. Mold needs the right conditions to exist, which a well winterized home will not provide. A visual mold inspection is included in most home inspections If a mold like substance is seen or if there is a strong smell of a musty odor, your Inspector may recommend you have a specialized mold inspection. A specialized, complete mold inspection is separate from a standard home inspection. Some odors may be from an empty toilet or sink trap. Traps hold water to prevent sewer gases from entering the house. A work in progress Some foreclosures are being repaired by the owner (whether a bank or investor) who has hired a general contractor. Dangerous situations can exist where contractors have left wires dangling or gas spigots on. With the utilities being turned on, a life-threatening situation may occur. Do not assume that the power is off if you see bare wires in the kitchen. An odor is given to natural gas to make it detectable. If you do smell gas, do not turn on any lights, and go outside if you want to use your cell phone to make an emergency call. Foreclosure rage This is not so common, but it can result in a little more work on your part in making the home look nice. There have been instances where some owners have damaged the home that they are leaving during the foreclosure proceedings. Holes in walls and doors where fists and feet went through are the most common example. Another is damaged wall sockets that people yanked plugs out of them. Sometimes you will find missing appliances or parts to the appliances. Sometimes it’s just a case of the owner having no money to make repairs, so little things went undone. You may find that you will have to cleanup after the previous owner, who may have left their personal effects behind. Licensed Home Inspectors These are the special concerns which you may encounter upon entering such a home. You should have a licensed home inspector look over the property to know what it is that you are purchasing. You may have heard the term foreclosure inspector, but this is a person who examines the home for the lender. Foreclosure inspectors do minimal inspections and usually simply focus on a home’s cosmetic problems and not the homeowners livability concerns. |
Be sure and have a professional
inspect Foreclosed Homes
inspect Foreclosed Homes
