Ameripro Inspection Corporation

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Should Inspectors Use Infrared Cameras?
Sell Your Listings FASTER and with FEWER Headaches!
Chinese drywall – The latest issue to hit real estate
Local Agent Takes Control of Her Listings to Help Them Sell Faster

Should Inspectors Use Infrared Cameras?

If you are tired of the infamous inspection phrase, "Additional Evaluation Needed," then the answer to this is quite simple. Yes. As professional home inspectors, we do not generally hand-write building inspection reports anymore. Times have changed. We have moved on. So too, has the technology for moisture detection and analysis.

We all know that moisture is one of the leading causes of problems in homes today, and probably one of the most common findings of every building inspector. From leaking roof systems and windows to stucco, water is almost always the source of the major issues your clients face. Being able to diagnose these water problems on a deeper level goes a long way toward eliminating potential risks associated with purchasing a new home or building and enables us to better provide the reassurance your clients need to move forward with their purchase.

Thermal or infrared (IR) imaging is becoming just as important a tool as the moisture meter for performing non-destructive testing on building elements and components. The major difference is the expense of these IR cameras. One of the most common excuses from inspectors who decide not to use the cameras/technology is the expense and additional liability involved with using them. These cameras are expensive, costing up to $40,000, and the training to learn to use them effectively is also expensive and time consuming. Another reason some inspectors are hesitant to get on board is that infrared diagnostic evaluations are outside the scope of service for standard home inspections.

Infrared cameras can see more than the naked eye and more than our moisture meters. They can be used in the right conditions to detect and pinpoint locations of a variety of major concerns ranging from plumbing leakage, window leakage, missing thermal insulation, energy effectiveness of the building envelope, to overheating HVAC or electrical equipment.

As professional Realtors you have the opportunity to help control these issues by referring an aptly-qualified inspector who is properly trained in infrared diagnostics. With the right conditions, infrared diagnostics will help eliminate unwarranted repairs, drywall removal to explore a "possible issue," "additional evaluation needed" and much more. Clients who have infrared inspections conducted in addition to their home inspection will experience the additional reassurance they need and will feel much more comfortable moving forward with their transaction. Potential buyers of homes which have been pre-scanned and inspected will also experience the reassurance needed to sign a contract.

Infrared diagnostics does have its limitations and will cost more than a standard home inspection, but the additional protection they can provide is priceless. It could mean the difference between thousands of dollars of drywall tear-out to find nothing and peace of mind. For more information on infrared diagnostic evaluations, seminars for Realtors or training courses for home inspectors, please email mrowan@ameriproinspect.com or visit our web site at www.chooseameripro.com. We are committed to providing the best service and technology available to our clients.

Sell Your Listings FASTER and with FEWER Headaches!

In case you haven't noticed, it is a buyer's market. In times like these, they call the shots and even use inspection reports to renegotiate the agreed-upon contract at the 11th-hour. Conducting a Seller's Pre-listing Inspection can actually prevent this from happening to your clients and help you keep the deal together.

When a seller proactively inspects their home prior to a contract being placed upon it, most, if not all, of the issues are properly disclosed. As a result, these issues are no longer negotiable if accepted in the initial contract!

In these inspections, professional home inspectors will disclose every visible condition as part of their assessment. One of the key advantages to this type of inspection is the homeowner can pass the report on to potential buyers prior to contract.

Having the home inspected ahead of time gives sellers a heads-up on issues as well as the time needed to secure competitive bids from reputable contractors rather than receiving last-minute over-inflated buyer bids at the closing table. It will give sellers the time they need to complete/repair the deal breakers that WILL come up later and cost your seller more money.

Pre-listing inspections enable sellers remain in control of the expense involved in getting their home ready to sell on a planned timeline rather than an emergency basis. The report can also help reduce the costs of repairing certain components. For example, the 20-year-old well pump that has not worked for years is typically accepted by a potential buyer before the contract. However, it normally becomes a deal-breaking issue after the home inspection.

Disclosing these details up front will help eliminate these problems. In the same way, replacing a component such as a roof covering gives sellers the opportunity to re-look at the selling price with the extra modernization cost built-in, rather than losing the entire cost of re-roofing.

Conditions may change with time and visible defects may occur after the inspection because of weather or due to the general aging process, such as an older HVAC system breaking down, but in most circumstances, the majority of deal-breaking defects are found and dealt with up front before there is ever a contract on the home or building.

Will buyers conduct their own inspection anyway? Maybe! In our researcher, first-time buyers without a lot of extra money will be less likely to have an inspection if they or their Realtor recognize the inspection company that conducted the initial pre-listing inspection, Real estate agents know the level of integrity inspection companies have in the community and may even have past experience with the same company. These first-time buyers trust and rely on their Realtors. There will be buyers, however, that elect to have their own home inspected prior to closing.

A professionally conducted home inspection at the listing stage will eliminate unfounded suspicions about the home, create an atmosphere of proper disclosure, reduce the likelihood of potential buyers walking away, and reduce the seller's expense by putting them in control of what will or will not be fixed up front. For more information on sellers home inspections go to www.chooseameripro.com or email mrowan@ameriproinspect.com.

A home that is advertised on the MLS as pre-inspected, or in essence pre-certified by a reputable company, will catch buyer's attention and will be put on top of their must-view list! Sell your listings faster by taking a proactive approach!

Chinese drywall – The latest issue to hit real estate

It is alleged that as many as 36,000 homes in Florida and 100,000 in the country may be affected by defective Chinese drywall.

Homeowners have registered complaints with the state that their systems and appliances are constantly breaking down, their homes have unusual rotten egg odors, their copper piping and jewelry are turning black, they are experience breathing and respiratory problems, nose bleeds, headaches and more.

Many of these homeowners have now led the charge for a class action law suit and have pressed Senators and congressmen to do something about it.

Most of the complaints come from homeowners who own homes built primarily between 2000 and 2007. The cause and effect of this problem has not been finalized, but it is believed that humidity causes the sulfur in the drywall of off gas, which in turn is the prime reason for noxious odors and corrosive action on the metal products and materials within homes. If you believe you have this product you should not steam clean carpets, walls, floors etc. until you have had your home inspected and analyzed.

From an initial investigation by the Department of Health in the State of Florida, it appears that there is not any data suggesting that there is an imminent or chronic health hazard at this time, but this is cautioned by the fact that there is not yet enough data and this underlying issue has not been determined at this time. The concern however with some experts is that is the air is caustic enough to deteriorate products and materials within these homes, it must also have some affect on the people living there.

The testing commissioned by the Florida Health Department found that the defective Chinese drywall contained sulfur-containing gases including strontium sulfide which turns into hydrogen sulfide when exposed to heat. According to other published reports, another laboratory conducted air samples of homes that were built with Chinese drywall and found traces of carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide.

At this time, the Consumer Product and Safety Commission is also conducting investigations to check on this matter so we expect more results in time.

It is alleged that almost 550 million pounds of Chinese drywall was brought into the United States during the peak of the housing boom when material shortages were common, particularly after the 2004 hurricanes.

Some builders have already taken decisive action and have worked with some of their homeowners to fix the problem, but this is becoming much bigger than any builder could probably handle in this already difficult market. Initial investigations by a professional inspector, air quality testing and material testing are all part of the identification process needed to eliminate the fear of this problem. This investigation is expensive let alone the remedial repairs needed if found.

If this drywall is identified, the cost of remediation can be enormous because the entire interior of the home may have to be rebuilt from the shell in addition to replacing any furniture, drapery and other belongings affected by the gases. Add to this the cost of relocating the affected homeowners during the course of the work and you have a huge bill on your hands!

It is for this reason that Congressman Wexler and Senator Nelson have been proactive with this problem, introducing legislation and petitioning Governor Crist and the Federal government for financial assistance to affected homeowners in addition to more investigations by the consumer Products Safety Commission.

There is no question that neither the real estate industry nor the building industry needs any more negative news, but the reality is that homeowners need to be extra cautious not only when buying a home but also with the ones they live in, if they in fact suspect any problems with their home.

For today’s Realtors selling existing homes built since 2003, it is recommended that some disclosure be made as part of the real estate transaction and a professional inspector is hired prior to listing in order to eliminate or determine if the drywall is present in your client's home. About the author: Michael Rowan has been involved in the building inspection industry for over 20 years and completed more than 10,000 inspections. Come of Michael's qualifications include licensed General Contractor in the state of Florida, Certified ASHI inspector, FABI Registered Professional Inspector, Class 1 Energy Rater, Class 2 Energy Rater, Class 3 Energy Rater, Chartered Building Surveyor and My Safe Florida Home Inspector.

He has authored many articles in the inspection industry, inspection reporting manuals, the Home Guide reporting manual, software applications and developed many training programs for inspectors across the nation. The Home Guide reporting manual is currently used on thousands of inspections across the country today. AmeriPro Inspection Corporation is currently one of only nine companies in the state qualified as a wind certification entity through the Department of Financial Services, for the My Safe Florida Home Program.

Local Agent Takes Control of Her Listings to Help Them Sell Faster

(Jacksonville, FL) - Re/Max Coastal Real Estate agent Phyllis Staines was tired of watching her sellers get taken to the cleaners with unrealistic buyer demands. So she decided to do something about it. Require her sellers to disclose everything about the home up front with a recently launched program: Certified Pre-Owned Listing, found at www.certifiedpreownedlisting.com.

Today, buyers come along making lowball offers on listings that are almost stale because of the current market conditions. Sellers in these instances are extremely motivated and accept because they want/need to sell. The seller is happy because they have sold their home at long last.

Or so they thought. Enter the buyer’s inspector. Those minor issues with every home like leaky faucets and cracked tiles are suddenly major problems. The buyer then brings the report to the seller to renegotiate the already accepted contract.

The seller has just realized that they have accepted an offer with contingencies that they now know could have been easily dealt with before a contract was ever accepted. Traditionally, this is what most agents have encouraged their sellers to do. But in a buyer’s market, this can be suicidal.

Catherine Demsky , Corporate relations Director of Certified Pre-Owned Listing has spoken to numerous agents and all have come to the same conclusion: Agents today can no longer rely on traditional methods to market and sell their homes. Not conducting a pre-listing inspection in today’s market is a disservice to your sellers.

One local CPOL-approved inspector, Martin Sloan of Ameripro Inspection Corporation, has seen how the program works for everyone first-hand and partnered with Staines to conduct the first Certified Pre-Owned Listing inspection in the Jacksonville area.

The home inspected passed the rating system and now appears on the website as a Certified Pre-Owned Listing. Agents and sellers are emailed leads for all potential buyers who view their listing documents. A sign rider and buyer’s binder are also part of the program.

“A $500-600 inspection done now, will save my clients thousands in contract renegotiations or repairs later,” said Sloan. “I am proud to offer this service to agents and excited to help them regain some control in the market conditions today.”