Odd inspection month......

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Can't remember the last time I did an inspection on a foreclosed house........have done 3 so far this month????? Anyone else seeing many foreclosures here in Canada? Or was that just a weird coincidence?


Can't remember the last time I lost an inspection because of not being able to work with a client's schedule. For yesterday morning, I had to turn 2 customers away as I could not be in 3 places at the same time. About 10-12 days previously, I had already booked the time slot with a bank mortgage rep for one of the foreclosed houses. On Wednesday morning, I got 2 calls for Thursday AM inspections........ was free in the PM but couldn't work it out with either of the other 2 buyers who had decided on using me.....it had to be Thursday AM!

SHEESH!!! Hate to turn work away!

[bjones5]

I was sick last year, ended up losing my house, the one I built. The inspector wanted to hand my name out, saying he hadn't seen such a new well built home in years.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by bjones5

I was sick last year, ended up losing my house, the one I built. The inspector wanted to hand my name out, saying he hadn't seen such a new well built home in years.

Sorry, to hear that, Brian. Hope this year firms up with better times.

Know some of what you went through......was unable to work much in 2001-2 due to a mini-stroke affecting my balance.........only made a few thousands each year...... my wife was only working part-time then as kids were still living at home. Stressful!!

[Allan G. Berdahl, CMI]

I have done 6 foreclosure sales this month myself so far. Most have been winterized and the water was shutoff at 2 of the inspections. Had to obtain permission for turn on of the water.
I'm also finding more buyers are looking for late day and weekend inspections for various reasons. Scheduling as you say is sometimes difficult or impossible to accommodate for some.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

The realtor (client's mother) on yesterday's new home inspection (6 hours on site) said she's seeing a few more foreclosures here.

[ROBERT V. YOUNG]

Lots of finds on the site Brian?

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by ryoung7

Lots of finds on the site Brian?

Terrible HP/AC and HRV duct design and installation. 2 supply registers with no or little air flow. Unlevel outdoor HP/AC unit.

Couple misses of electrical receptacles and a missed light in the basement hall.....to boot- the general contractor used to be an electrician!!!

Missed on deck with too long a ledger board and missed on placement in 2 of 3 concrete piers for the deck, Missed on caulking of many of the windows. 2 stuck windows.

Condensation in the attic..... most likely from a heavy moisture load from paint drying and portable propane heaters just the week before......attic hatch was open at the time!!

This house was in the same subdivision as a larger new home I did last summer in which the HVAC sub (different from the above) had a supply duct with 2 load bearing studs passing vertically THROUGH it!!!

[ROBERT V. YOUNG]

Place was built in the winter.
You neck of the woods , what are most builders like.?
I have been doing this as long as you and I have noticed a degrading of craftsmanship. Lack of formal education and cutting loose the apprentices before there time.
They are putting anything out there on the open market to work because of LACK OF TRADES MEN.
4 MEN 2 YEARS AGO. All said they were apprentice masons. All had papers. Not one could mix a batch of masonry,Count a wall out for brick, knew what formal brick names were , king, queen, metric, Ontario, etc..They were labors.IF that.
They all bought there apprentice papers from a company with union connection.
That home was rush to go on the market Brian.

[ROBERT V. YOUNG]

Brian the men want to learn how to do a job right. I have seen the hunger in a kids eyes to learn. Greed and misguided practices and a closed mouth policy.
Thats the problem.
If you think a union does the trick come to Quebec. Fuc-ing corrupt as all get out.