The Big Apple is getting more and more expensive every day, no matter how it’s sliced. Keeping up with the changes in a stressed economy can stress more than just the pocketbook. Many people are beginning to look for ways to trim their household spending and maintain the value of the assets they have. The biggest investment in most portfolios is the home and the ground it stands on, not only for its monetary worth but its aesthetic value to the owner as well. That’s why more and more people in Brooklyn, and across the nation, are looking to their homestead as a worthwhile and logical focus for improving their economic standing. There are many ways to upgrade the value of a home. It really depends on how much can be accomplished in a remodeling project while staying within the confines of the available budget for such a project. A complete remake of the kitchen – including all appliances, wall coverings and woodwork – will undoubtedly increase the value of the home, but if the goal is a more modest upgrade there are less lavish improvements that can be made. One of the least intrusive and most affordable changes can be the kitchen countertops. Many styles of countertops are available, from a simple butcher-block design to the more expensive stone products like granite and marble. Even with a modest budget, a fresh new look can be attained by just changing the kitchen countertops and leaving the cabinets and appliances for better financial days. A new bathroom can also brighten up the look of a home. A simple yet noticeable improvement in the bathroom would be to replace the fixtures, and maybe the wall covering as well. Showers, tubs, and vanity units can be out of reach for some budgets, but a new face on an old bathroom can do wonders for the ambience of a home. Brooklyn has seen many changes, and has survived many an economic turndown throughout its long and storied history. By getting its own face-lift, house by house, block by block, perhaps it will continue to thrive and prosper well into the 21st century.
About Author sturat enjoys writing and sharing articles on topics like Kitchen Countertops Brooklyn and New Bathroom Brooklyn .
VA Loan is the best low rate home loans and refinances loans in Houston. Refinance is most benefit in market place with low interest rate for all loans. They approve home loans and monthly mortgage loan payments. Houston VA Home Mortgage Loans experts help you to get a Houston Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. They are dedicated to serve the veteran community. They handle your mortgage and real estate in house and they serves you at any time. They are experts and best to give Houston Veterans Mortgage loans and Home Loans for Veteran Community. VA Loans Houston also offers VA Refinance Loans Programs. VA Refinance loan is most benefit in marketplace with low interest rate. They help you in monthly mortgage payments to meet your financial level in VA Refinance Loan. It is our pledge to provide customers with a team of highly-trained VA Mortgage Professionals, coupled with an exceptional level of service. Our dedicated loan officers and VA Specialists work hard to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. VA Loan Houston satisfied many Veterans for Home and Mortgage Loans. A VA Streamline Refinance, also know as an IRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Loan), is an easy way to reduce your mortgage payment and save you a lot of money. A streamline refinance can be done WITHOUT an appraisal, NO income verification, and NO out-of-pocket expense. We also refinance your conventional loan to a VA loan and save your money by REMOVING your monthly MORTGAGE INSURANCE and LOWERING your interest rate. Removing your mortgage insurance is typically the equivalent of lowering your interest rate by 1%. Refinancing into a VA loan CAN and WILL save you money each and every month. On October 10th, 2008 the President signed into law the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This law now allows eligible veterans to take out up to 100% of the value of their home to pay off their debt, make home improvements, or get cash back while reducing their rate. Benefits of VA Home Loans Houston: Equal opportunity. No down payment (unless required by the lender or the purchase price is more than the reasonable value of the property). Buyer informed of reasonable value. Negotiable interest rate. Ability to finance the VA funding fee (plus reduced funding fees with a down payment of at least 5% and exemption for veterans receiving VA compensation). Closing costs are comparable with other financing types (and may be lower). No mortgage insurance premiums. An assumable mortgage. Right to prepay without penalty. For homes inspected by VA during construction, a warranty from builder and assistance from VA to obtain cooperation of builder. VA assistance to veteran borrowers in default due to temporary financial difficulty. Type of Loan and Percentage for Veteran by VA Loans Houston 1. Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans = . 50% 2. Manufactured Home Loans = 1. 00% 3. Loan Assumptions = . 50% Call VA Loan Houston at anytime and we have VA Loan Professionals waiting to help you get started with the VA Loan process. We are available from 8am to 7pm (central time) Monday thru Friday. If it is outside these hours, please use this form to get in touch with us. We look forward to working with you!
About Author VA Loan Houston – We are Houston VA Home Mortgage Loans experts to get a Houston Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. Our Website is http://www. valoanshouston. com/
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VA Loan Austin – We are Austin VA Home Mortgage Loans experts. We help you to get an Austin Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. VA Home Mortgage Loans in Austin are better to provide you VA Loans and VA Mortgage Loans. We will serve you at any time. Getting approve home loans and monthly mortgage loan payments. If you have any doubts call us today. VA Loans Austin offers VA Refinance Loans Programs. VA Loan Refinance is most benefit in marketplace with low interest rate. We will help you in monthly mortgage payments. Benefits of VA Loan and VA Home Mortgage Loan Austin are very good because VA Loans are fully guaranteed by the government. Get VA Loan with low interest rate than any other conventional loans and Purchase homes with $0 down and VA Loans are easier to qualify. We are VA Loan Specialist and we are local and we are dedicated to serving the veteran community and we handle your mortgage and real estate in house at any time in Austin. VA Loans Checks only the persons are eligible to get VA Loans and at right time they make best financing options available for first time home buyers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorize a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence. The VA Loan is the only home mortgage program left that allows 100% financing. Conventional loan programs now require a minimum of 5% down and sometimes up to 20% down depending on your credit. VA Loans are much less difficult to obtain than conventional financing and the process are very easy and good. A VA Streamline Refinance, also know as an IRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Loan), is an easy way to reduce your mortgage payment and save you a lot of money. A streamline refinance can be done WITHOUT an appraisal, NO income verification, and NO out-of-pocket expense. We also refinance your conventional loan to a VA loan and save your money by REMOVING your monthly MORTGAGE INSURANCE and LOWERING your interest rate. Removing your mortgage insurance is typically the equivalent of lowering your interest rate by 1%. Refinancing into a VA loan CAN and WILL save you money each and every month. On October 10th, 2008 the President signed into law the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This law now allows eligible veterans to take out up to 100% of the value of their home to pay off their debt, make home improvements, or get cash back while reducing their rate. Benefits of VA Home Loans Austin: Equal opportunity. No down payment (unless required by the lender or the purchase price is more than the reasonable value of the property). Buyer informed of reasonable value. Negotiable interest rate. Ability to finance the VA funding fee (plus reduced funding fees with a down payment of at least 5% and exemption for veterans receiving VA compensation). Closing costs are comparable with other financing types (and may be lower). No mortgage insurance premiums. An assumable mortgage. Right to prepay without penalty. For homes inspected by VA during construction, a warranty from builder and assistance from VA to obtain cooperation of builder. VA assistance to veteran borrowers in default due to temporary financial difficulty. Type of Loan and Percentage for Veteran by VA Loans Austin 1. Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans = . 50% 2. Manufactured Home Loans = 1. 00% 3. Loan Assumptions = . 50% Call VA Loan Austin at anytime and we have VA Loan Professionals waiting to help you get started with the VA Loan process. We are available from 8am to 7pm (central time) Monday thru Friday. If it is outside these hours, please use this form to get in touch with us. We look forward to working with you!
About Author VA Loan Austin – We are Austin VA Home Mortgage Loans experts to get an Austin Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. Our Website is http://www. valoanaustin. com/
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It is not a secret to anyone that today’s real estate market has created amazing values for home buyers. This market, without a doubt offers a tremendous opportunity to a first time home buyer to create equity with none of your own money. Today’s home buyers don’t have to look too hard to find great deals. Anywhere you look you will find sellers of distressed properties. With little creativity and 3 to 4 months time investment you can create $20,000, $50,000 even $100,000 or more in equity. How? ‘Fixer uppers’ aka ‘handyman specials’. No you don’t need to be a handyman you just need to hire one. Find a fixer upper in the area you want to own a home. There are a number of ways you can do it. Ask your realtor to search on Multiple Listings System for ‘corporate owned’ and/or ‘bank owned’ properties. Do a Google search for ‘Real Estate Owned’ or ‘REO’; this will give you a list of websites where you can find bank owned properties. These are the terms that lenders use to describe properties that they repossessed though foreclosure and they are more than egger to get rid of them. Also it’s a good idea to scan through your local classifieds for ads that contain one of the following: ‘motivated sellers’, ‘handyman special’, ‘needs TLC’. Get a repair estimate and asses the after repair value of the property. All you have to do to get repair estimate is find a few contractors who will give their estimate of the work you want to get done. Get at least 3 solid estimates. In order to find out what the After Repair Value of the home will be, simply look at what price properties comparable to yours are sold in the half a mile radius in the last 3 to 6 months. If you really get you mind set on a particular home and seriously considering the purchase you can hire an appraiser. Make an offer on the property and in the contract include clause saying that if an appraisal contingent on the repairs you are planning to complete comes in at less than what you are estimated you can walk away from the deal without any penalties. When looking at houses look for what it can be, not at what it is right now. You will see properties that look a lot scarier than what they really are. Don’t over spend; focus on the things that will add most value to your new home. Kitchen and bathroom updates should be the biggest part of your repair budget. If space permits you can add a bedroom or a bathroom. Remember, our goal is to create as much equity as possible so budget for renovations that will give you the most bang for your buck. Make an offer and close the deal. One definite advantage you have working for you is the property itself. Use the short comings of the house as your negotiating ammo. At this point you have at least 3 estimates from licensed contractor and you should do home inspection. This will protect you from unpleasant surprises in the future. Find and close on financing for your project. You have a few couple of chooses: First – hard money lenders. Once you start your research you will find out a few scary things, for example, high closing costs and high interest. However the advantages way outweigh the cons. Your closing costs and six months of payments can be rolled into the loan, which gives you enough time to complete the project and refinance with a convectional lender. You can finance up to 100% of the purchase price and repair costs. Hard money loans are short-term loans with balloon payment usually in 12 to 18 months. Don’t let it scare you, if you are diligent and stay on top of your project you will be enjoying your new home way before the balloon payment is due. Second option is a private loan. You might know someone who will be willing to lend you money to complete your project in return for higher interest rate than what they are getting on CDs or stock market. You will offer then 1st lien on your property and refinance out of their loan in 6 to 8 months or earlier. This is a great alternative to hard money loans. You can negotiate low or none closing costs and lower interest rate. Complete your rehab. At this stage you have to be focused. Monitor your contractors. Always check on the work that is claimed to be completed before you pay them. And one rule that can not be broken and I can not stress it enough; DO NOT prepay your contractors. If you want to complete your project on time and within your budget and don’t want to get screwed out of your hard earned $$, do not prepay for any work. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. This one mistake can break your whole venture and leave you with a huge debt and nothing to show for it. Refinance with conventional lender. As soon as your repairs completed start applying for refinancing. At this stage you will have to do second appraisal of the property. This will be ‘as is appraisal’ to determine what the current value of the house is. If you did your homework at the beginning of your project and your initial estimates were correct, by now you have created enough equity to refinance out of your hard money loan. In some cases you might be even able to walk away with cash from the closing table to buy some nice furniture for your newly remodeled home. Why go through all this trouble? You can have a newly remodeled home, completely customized to your own taste and needs for a total cost of 70 cents on dollar or less compared to the property values in your area.
About Author mypocketDEALS. com is a comprehensive information provider formed to bring together home buyers, real estate investors and real estate professionals with motivated sellers.
Many people would like to open a home business, but are afraid. Some are afraid that it will be too costly to start, and then not the position to borrow from the bank. Others may not know where to begin. You will not require as much capital in order to get a home business started as you may think. Because you have decided to operate a business out of your home, you have eliminated a large portion of the cost of operating a business. You will have no additional rental or utility fees. If you are selling a product, you will also not need to keep as much on hand as you would in a store. In order to achieve a successful home business, you must have own rules regarding your work area. This absolutely must not be an area of the home where the family frequently gathers. You will need an area which allows you to work without interruptions. Without a dedicated workspace, your home business will likely suffer. Keeping organized an accurate financial records is an extremely important part of any home business. If you do not, you will waste of great deal of time searching for documents and recalculating figures. As the saying goes “Time is money”. Each town or city and state has some of its own unique laws and guidelines pertaining to the operation of a home business. You will want to know and understand these laws in order to ensure that you are in compliance. Otherwise, you may find that you have wasted a great deal of time and money on a home based business which is not legal, and must now be closed. Also, do not forget to obtain a tax ID number. This will make it possible for you to legally charged the taxes that you will be responsible for. It is not difficult or complicated to open a business bank account, it is however necessary. You will need to open a business checking account either in your business name or your name doing business as your business name. All financial transactions regarding your business will take place within this account. This will allow you to know exactly what money has gone out or come in on a regular basis. It will also keep your business finances separate from your personal finances, which is absolutely necessary. Remember, ” Rome was not built in a day”. Creating a home business which is successful, and generate steady income, will take some time. No business truly takes off overnight. Continue working towards regular improvement. Always be sure that your product or service is available and in good working order. Without this, there is no business. . . Operating a home business involves hard work and commitment. If you want your home business to be successful, you must be responsible and determined. If you are able to persevere, you may be able to generate a full-time weekly income, or possibly much more.
About Author Of all the thousands of web sites you can find that promise you your own home business, very few can offer the excellent opportunity and features that Author Imran Qureshi present to you at http://www. instantpaysites. com.
Travertine tiles are like the cousins of limestone tiles. They both are composite materials made from calcium carbonate. Another in their family is marble that has additional heat and pressure applied to it by the earth’s crust. But travertine is formed by minerals dissolved in ground water, which subsequently gets deposited on the earth’s surface by rivers, natural springs, or geysers. You can find travertine tiles in a variety of colors like ivory, to beige, to reddish brown, and even gold. It actually depends on the iron content in the material. It also comes in different finishes such as polished, matte, brushed, or tumbled. Polished travertine resembles marble, and brushed or tumbled Travertine has a more antiqued look. In a very less time it has become the favourite of owners and since they are very easy to cut and shape than many other stones, this makes it all the more liked by people who are looking for some class material and a hit among the home builders too. Irrespective of any tile that you are using at your place, the motive is always to give an impression of a delightful welcome and that the guests like it instantly. Be it the living area, your bedroom or the kitchen, you can use travertine tiles anywhere. They are sleek, clean and beautiful, and the difference in appearance is note worthy. These tiles don’t just look cleaner due to their density and hardness, the travertine materials (tiles) are more impervious to dirt, and are much easier to clean. On the maintenance front, you just need a damp mop to clean travertine tile after sweeping the dirt away (or use a sponge if your tile is on the wall). In some places, just to take extra caution (so that they don’t wither out fast) you can also use commercial tile cleaner, but a simple solution of one cup white distilled vinegar in one gallon of hot water and a teaspoon of dish soap works can make it absolutely sparkling. Spots may require a little more scrubbing, especially on the grout lines. For these lines what you can do is seal them! You can find grout sealant in the market in a spray can, which makes it easy to apply. Grout sealant will protect your grout from water damage also from stain getting collected at the lines. Dirt can make these beautiful tiles look really bad. It better that you take care of them once in a while. After selecting Travertine tile, the further process will require to give it a more clean and trendy look like polishing, filing and brushing. Travertine tiles are polished so that they give a shiny look, the travertine is sanded and properly polished. The next process is filing which is actually filing up of the pores which are visible in the travertine tile after attaching it to the surface are filled with colored resin, or cement to produce a pristine, solid surface. And the last step is that of brushing which is done with the help of a wire brush after the whole process is complete of fixing, polishing and filling the visible gap in travertine tiles, to give the surface of the travertine tile a worn, textured surface. For the purpose of installing travertine tiles, what you can do is hire a professional. They are sophisticated things so they need to be handled with care. These tiles are expensive so you wouldn’t want any disaster while laying them. Considered one of the strongest flooring options today, travertine looks very decorative and comes in variety of glazes and finishes, ranging from matte to high gloss looks. It looks really precious and you are going to love it.
About Author Santa Closen is a renowned writer in the field of tile installations. He has the expertise in the installation, grouting and maintenance technique for the natural stone tiles. His expert guidance would solve your queries related to Travertine tiles, granite tiles, ceramic tiles, marble tiles etc.
If you are lucky enough to have one or more fireplaces in a home that you are considering putting on the market then you should take advantage of this selling point and stage your home with the fireplace as a focus. A fireplace can make a home feel much more inviting when prospective buyers come for a tour, particularly if the weather is dreary and cold. However, many sellers don’t realise that if a room with a fireplace isn’t correctly staged then the fireplace can be overlooked or even seen as a detractor to a home. Before you do anything, if your chimney hasn’t been cleaned out within the last year, contact a professional chimney sweep and get that done first. A clean chimney is a safe chimney! The next thing that you need to do to give your fireplace a positive focus is to give it a good thorough cleaning. Scoop all the ashes out and then vacuum it with a shop vac; a regular vacuum can get clogged with the fine ash dust. With some hot soapy water and a scrub brush, give the inside of your fireplace a thorough scrubbing. You can put newspapers in the bottom of the fireplace to absorb excess water while you do this. If the brickwork doesn’t come as clean as you’d like, try using a wire brush to do the scrubbing with. At this point you can see if there are any problem areas that might require the assistance of a professional to repair loose bricks or mortar. Once the inside of the fireplace is clean you will need to clean the outside of the fireplace and the mantlepiece. If the mantle is very soot stained and made from brick or stone, use a wire brush to remove as much of the powdery residue as you can, vacuum the dust as you go. If your mantle is a painted material, it may be your best option to repaint it after you’ve cleaned it as best you can. Inquire at your local home improvement store about products that can cover soot stains if you can’t remove all of it before you paint. If your mantle is undersized for your fireplace, or you’d just like to make it a bigger focal point in your living room, you can add trim around the edges to make it bigger and more ornate. Crown Molding can work well to increase the size of a mantle and add some fabulous drama to your room. One last idea to help make your newly cleaned fireplace the focal point of your living or bedroom is to arrange your furniture so that the fireplace isn’t ignored. When you look at how many people arrange their living room, you can see that most of them are arranged so that the seating is angled so that the focus is on the television; instead arrange your furniture so that everyone in the seating area can see the fireplace instead. If you take the time to clean up your fireplace and make it a focal point in your home it can become a great selling point to your home while a dirty, neglected fireplace can really be a big detractor to buyers because they see it as work that they’ll need to take care of if they buy the home.
About Author Search Sandy Springs real estate listings at TinaFountain. com, the home of Sandy Springs real estate experts.
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It is a sign of the times that the desire for home buyers to be able to find homes that are ecologically friendly is growing all the time. This can be a key point to take note of when you are looking to prepare your home for sale and can help you save money while you’re waiting for it to sell. One easy thing that can help to make your home more eco-friendly is by getting rid of drafts in your home. A poorly sealed envelope costs home owners a lot of extra cash in heating bills every month so take the time to investigate your home and detect any drafty areas and seal them. Depending on the age of your home you will possibly need to replace the weather stripping around the doors and windows. Older homes may require the addition of insulating seals under the switch plates on outside walls as well. While you would think that new homes would be insulated to a level where they would be classified as “green”, this isn’t always the case. The minimum standards of insulation that are required in new construction aren’t the same levels that are required for a green designation unfortunately. Most homes will require additional insulation in the attic at least to make up the difference. Another easy area to add a green appeal to a home is with the appliances; while appliances aren’t cheap to replace, it is easy to find Energy Star appliances to install in your home. If the appliances have an Energy Star insignia on the front of them then it’s even better. It’s one thing to tell prospective buyers that your shiny new appliances are energy efficient; it’s another thing if they can see that for themselves. If you have a little bit more time to invest into your project, you might want to look at replacing some of the flooring in your home with a greener option, particularly if your home has carpeting in the living areas. There are many good options for green flooring, including: ceramic tile, slate, hardwood, bamboo, and linoleum flooring. The option that will work best for you will depend on what kind of budget that you have for flooring and what area of the house that you’re looking to cover. Hardwood floors work in most any room of the home except basements or sometimes bathrooms. Tile and slate are hardy, but can be cold to the touch and are brittle. Take the time to do some research with someone at your local flooring supply store to determine which option would work best for you. These are not all the different ways that you can add “green appeal” to your home when you’re looking to sell it, but they are a good start. If you want to strive for a green designation for your home then talk to an expert at your local home improvement store or talk to your realtor for more information.
About Author Visit TommyPennington. com to search for Southlake TX homes for sale. Our team of Southlake TX real estate agents will be happy to provide expert advice to help you get the most out of today’s North Texas housing market.
VA Loan is the best low rate home loans and refinances loans in Houston. Refinance is most benefit in market place with low interest rate for all loans. They approve home loans and monthly mortgage loan payments. Houston VA Home Mortgage Loans experts help you to get a Houston Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. They are dedicated to serve the veteran community. They handle your mortgage and real estate in house and they serves you at any time. They are experts and best to give Houston Veterans Mortgage loans and Home Loans for Veteran Community. VA Loans Houston also offers VA Refinance Loans Programs. VA Refinance loan is most benefit in marketplace with low interest rate. They help you in monthly mortgage payments to meet your financial level in VA Refinance Loan. It is our pledge to provide customers with a team of highly-trained VA Mortgage Professionals, coupled with an exceptional level of service. Our dedicated loan officers and VA Specialists work hard to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. VA Loan Houston satisfied many Veterans for Home and Mortgage Loans. A VA Streamline Refinance, also know as an IRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Loan), is an easy way to reduce your mortgage payment and save you a lot of money. A streamline refinance can be done WITHOUT an appraisal, NO income verification, and NO out-of-pocket expense. We also refinance your conventional loan to a VA loan and save your money by REMOVING your monthly MORTGAGE INSURANCE and LOWERING your interest rate. Removing your mortgage insurance is typically the equivalent of lowering your interest rate by 1%. Refinancing into a VA loan CAN and WILL save you money each and every month. On October 10th, 2008 the President signed into law the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This law now allows eligible veterans to take out up to 100% of the value of their home to pay off their debt, make home improvements, or get cash back while reducing their rate. Benefits of VA Home Loans Houston: Equal opportunity. No down payment (unless required by the lender or the purchase price is more than the reasonable value of the property). Buyer informed of reasonable value. Negotiable interest rate. Ability to finance the VA funding fee (plus reduced funding fees with a down payment of at least 5% and exemption for veterans receiving VA compensation). Closing costs are comparable with other financing types (and may be lower). No mortgage insurance premiums. An assumable mortgage. Right to prepay without penalty. For homes inspected by VA during construction, a warranty from builder and assistance from VA to obtain cooperation of builder. VA assistance to veteran borrowers in default due to temporary financial difficulty. Type of Loan and Percentage for Veteran by VA Loans Houston 1. Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans = . 50% 2. Manufactured Home Loans = 1. 00% 3. Loan Assumptions = . 50% Call VA Loan Houston at anytime and we have VA Loan Professionals waiting to help you get started with the VA Loan process. We are available from 8am to 7pm (central time) Monday thru Friday. If it is outside these hours, please use this form to get in touch with us. We look forward to working with you!
About Author VA Loan Houston – We are Houston VA Home Mortgage Loans experts to get a Houston Veterans Mortgage Home Loan. Our Website is http://www. valoanshouston. com/
Please enjoy my personal video “Home Inspection Defects” Click screen Requires Windows Media Player I encounter defective components in homes on an everyday basis. There just isn’t a perfect home out there, anywhere. The following defects are most likely going to be found on a typical home inspection. The house (as a whole) is poorly maintained – Deferred maintenance represents a potential high cost situation to bring the home back into a satisfactory condition. If the present homeowner (Seller) did not properly care for their home over the years, then someone will need to upgrade the home sooner or later. Preferably sooner than later. In a situation like this, my home inspection report can be utilized as a checklist in order to get the home back up to healthy standards. Poor drainage around the building – All roof water needs to drain away from the building at its lower perimeter in order to prevent water intrusion into the basement. Roof gutters, downspouts and downspout extensions can be installed to rectify any roof drainage problems. Grading (sloped away from the foundation) is also very important in this situation. 98% of the homes I inspect absolutely need improvements in the grading. Electrical – Insufficient overload protection to the home’s electrical service and amateur (and often dangerous) wiring connections are the most common everyday issues. Electrical system problems are safety related and require immediate attention by a licensed Electrician, ASAP. Inadequate Insulation and Ventilation in the attic – Poorly installed or inadequate insulation and improper ventilation causes excessive utility costs, lack of occupant comfort and moisture/mold build-up. Most older homes require additional insulation, which then requires ventilation improvement. In other situations. . . in an effort to save energy, many homeowners have “over sealed” their homes with insulation with no regard to ventilation, resulting in excessive interior moisture due to the inadequate ventilation. Significant moisture and excessive heat build-up within the attic cavity can lead to rapid shingle deterioration, Mold build-up, peeling of exterior paint, rusty nails, energy losses and rotting and failure of both structural and non-structural elements. Heating/Cooling System Defects – Improper installations, inadequate maintenance, exhaust and combustion issues, aged components, and malfunctioning safety controls are the most frequent issues I usually encounter on a daily basis. Roof Issues – Improperly installed and aged roof surfaces occur frequently. I often find poorly installed or missing flashing at transition areas. Repairs may be simple or (at times) the entire roof may need to be replaced. Minor Structural Damage – Minor structural damage means the house is not likely to fall down, but someone should correct the problems before they become more serious issues later. Such damage is usually caused by water seepage into the foundation, floor joists, rafters or window and door headers and are found unstable. First you need to correct the cause of the problem (a leaky roof or improper drainage outside the foundation, for example), then repair or replace any damaged structural members. Inadequate caulking and weather stripping is most common. Obviously, the more extensive the damage, the more expensive it will be to repair. Plumbing Issues – The most common defects are leaking gaskets, deteriorated cast iron waste pipes, leaking and outdated problematic systems like polybutylene and galvanized piping and any incompatible piping materials. Repairs can often be performed by a licensed Plumber but on occasion, there’s extensive damage and a total system replacement is the only solution. Air and Water Penetrating Cracks and Window Perimeters at Exterior – Foundation cracks and separations at basement windows can allow water into the wall cavities which is conducive to rot and Mold growth. Finished basements with moisture issues require removing walls and floor coverings after repairing the water entry area. Attic and Structural Damage – Cut, modified and broken trusses, rafters and floor joists are often found in attic cavities and on occasion I will find structural components missing. Usually carpentry repairs are needed in these situations, however I find it is rarely an imminent safety hazard. Termite and other wood destroying organisms- Due the local environment and conducive conditions. All wood boring insect damage can absolutely be corrected. Costs will always depend on how excessive the insect damage is. The wood sill on top of the foundation is the worst area to have an infestation as this area will be very costly to repair because the house will need to be professionally lifted in order to remove the damaged sills and replace with new sills. Fire safety issues – Related to Electrical issues (above) and fireplaces and wood stoves are often neglected by homeowners. Now someone must take the responsibility to repair or upgrade these defects and if you personally decided to take on these issues yourself, you will most likely be looking for specialized contractors to perform the repairs for you. I highly suggest you check all contractors licenses and their references before you hire anyone to perform work around your home that requires skill. Be especially aware of Home Depot remodeling contractors.
About Author David Valley Massachusetts Home Inspectionsd http://www. masscertifiedhomeinspections. com
