Would there be any interest in this?

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

Fellow Forumites

This could be good or it could be really a battle to the finish but many will learn or at least think. We're going to need everyone's input on this, no lurkers please if you can add/help the posts, to educate the masses. This will be opinion only. No one's right and no one's wrong.

But, how about if we pick a topic/area that relates to an FHA inspection of a typical home. Lee Ann has mentioned something like this in the "Drywall/Radon" post and it is a very good idea.

We could start anywhere in the home that you wish. I always start in the attic and work my way down. If you want to start there or in the basement, that's fine.

We would post on what you look for in a particular area to to meet FHA MPS and how you would word the VC sheet condition, if a defect is observed.

I don't "do" mobile homes/trailers/trouses/manufactured housing so we would need JoAnn Meyer Stratton to handle that one. I'll lurk on that post being a certified moron/incompetent in that area.

We would need everybody's input. I want field appraisers-that's all of us regular guys/gals, AQA reviewers; especially Brad Ellis, Brad Pack, Don Clark,etc. and of course Dick Dolman who is all of the above plus a DEU.

Anybody want to give it a go. We have too much talent on this board to let it go to waste.

Ben

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Great idea Ben!

How about we start on the roof. Realtors are always asking me about this.

I stand back and look at it. If the shingles look at all like they might be old, getting brittle or curled, or looks like there have been repairs or possible wind damage, I call for a professional roof inspection. If the house if less than 10 years old and all appears OK from down below, I leave it be. If the house is 15 years old or more and they don't have a new roof invoice within the past 5 years, I call for an inspection. This really only leaves the 10 to 15 year old houses for me to make a decision on and if at all questionable, I call for an inspection.

If the pitch looks like it might be less than 3/12, I call for an inspection.

If there has already been a documented home inspection that addressed the roof I ask for a copy of it. I will use it, quote it and/or put that part in with the appraisal report and put it on the home inspector's butt.

 

[Farm Gal]

I think this is an EXCELLENT idea!

Thank you Ben... for taking the initiative!
(pam would you repost your response under the new heading?)

I am going to start the thread titled as Roof VC 9.

Readers: PLEASE title your comments as to area of inspection. It may be helpful to add areas such as VC 10a and 11g which are too large to fall under a single area please indicate sub area such as:
Mechanical- HVAC VC 10
Sewer VC 10
etc... so we can search and access more quickly!!


VC 11 Garage Sheetrock anyone? (inside joke)

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Good idea Lee Ann. It's done.

 

[bradellis]

Ben,

Good idea. Let's talk MOLD. This will be the next "tomato that ate Cleveland".

Mold is almost always a result of moisture building up. If the home has a basement, check it thoroughly- along the bottom of the foundation walls. Even the slightest amount of the black stuff indicates a potential problem. Be doubly sure to do this if you see a grading problem.

You already mentioned in another post about checking the underside of the roof as it can occur there as well.

Also a good idea to look closely at drywall- it is an area that we usually pay little attention to. But any discoloration in the painted surface could indicate a problem- especially around doors and windows. Gotta be safe on this since the potential for a health hazard can be very high. We have dealt with numerous problems like this in the AQA review program. Frankly, it opened my eyes.

Brad

 

[Jeff Horton]

Looks like you guys have allready started this thread and since I am about to try to get approved for FHA I think that is a great idea. Hopefully as a Home Inspector (with no FHA experience yet) I can add to the discussion!

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

Brad,

That mold "stuff" is a real threat. I just did a VA repo and noticed mold at the bottom of a closet by the baseboard. Couldn't readily figure-out where the moisture was coming from until I got outside, the rubber gasket on the plumbing stack had failed and rain water was running down the stack into the wall cavity. I wouldn't want to see what was inside that wall. Man, was that a well-worded VC sheet condtion for professional inspection and removal.....

Ben

 

[Dick Dolman]

I am certainly willing to share my "buttheadedness" (A Realtor called me that.) with regard to inspections and remedies. But I am planning another walkabout beginning the last week of March unless aggravation persuades me otherwise. Still waiting for my Alamode/Apex upgrade, just received a fax from one of the MLS systems that I subscribe to informing me of a pending major conversion from Voyager to Paragon. Everything is going to hit at once and my computer system already needs weekly psychiatric care, so I may just avoid the PITA's altogether. Anyway, lest I forget - when I stick me 'ed up the attic, I look to see if I can see daylight around the perimeter of the insulation as an indication of whether the ventilation apertures have been compromised or are still permitting air to flow freely and thereby assist in removing moisture from the cavity which reduces the possibilty of frost and/or ice forming on the underside of the sheathing which will eventually turn to rain and soak the insulation and promote the growth of molds and possibly ceiling staining or softening and separation of the drywall from its fasteners opening a fissure which will dump unsightly and stinky water onto the carpeting should there be such below the point of failure. I also check to see that kitchen and bath vent ducts that do not exit the side of the dwelling are present in the attic cavity and exhaust through the roof. The best way to do this is to pull the pin on a smoke grenade, turn on the fans, and then go into the attic to look for smoke. If you don't see any smoke in the attic, there are two conclusions that be drawn - either the vent ducts are properly installed or the grenade was a dud. (I'll explain clock making in a subsequent post.)