North Shore Views

Your Real Estate Agent Can Refer a Good Home Inspector

Over the last few years many real estate experts have written articles, blogs, posted websites etc., to discourage home buyers from using home inspectors referred by real estate agents, the theory being that the agent will refer an incompetent, or worse, dishonest, inspector so that the sale will go through easier without a thorough inspection.

People hire a real estate agent for two reasons: to gain insight into the local real estate market and to guide them through the complexities of the home buying process, including securing a mortgage, getting an appraisal, securing title insurance, the attorney review of documents and scheduling a home inspection. Most home buyers probably don’t have these people lined-up and they rely on the real estate agent to refer professional and competent attorneys or mortgage brokers or home inspectors. My experience as a home inspector is that the great majority of real estate agents want you to do a good job for their client and will refer you based on competence and honesty.

Mark McCaffrey is a licensed home inspector on Chicago’s North Shore. He also performs radon testing in the Northern and Northwest suburbs. For more information call 847-363-9733 or visit www.hominspect.com.

Tags: home inspection

Keep the Critters out in the Cold

by Mark McCaffrey, McCaffrey’s Home Inspection

When the cold winds of winter blow, our thoughts turn to hearth, home and hot chocolate.   It’s time to settle in with a good book or a family meal.   Nothing can upset the harmony of the home more than the spotting of a mouse.  Married men must go on high alert devoting all available resources to the removal of the mice.  Warm-blooded furry little (and not so little) critters will poke and prod at our sanctuaries in their desire to escape the cold and enjoy civilized living powered by gas.  Mice, squirrels, possums, skunks and raccoons are hoping you’ll extend your hospitality by letting them ride out the cold winds of Lake Michigan under your porches or in your soffits, attics and crawl spaces.

Critters are scavengers and freeloaders.  They’ll gladly take the freebies from an open trash can and will gnaw through or knock the trash can over for a taste of your leftovers.  From the trash can they’ll check out the garage for bird and grass seed – a sack of grass seed can feed a mouse family for generations.   Nothing is sweeter for a critter than to feed at the family pets’ trough, feed and water the pets inside the house.  Finally if you have apple or other fruit trees the critters will camp out in your yard and when the cold comes they’ll look to your house for warmth and comfort.  Remove food sources and most likely the critters will go elsewhere for their sustenance and winter lodging.

Critters will try to find a way into your home.  Mice need a hole the diameter of a pencil to get in your basement, squirrels and raccoons will chew and claw open fascia boards to get in your attic, skunks and possums will dig under your deck lattice work to get good and comfy in a nest close to the warmth of your home.  You’ve got to be vigilant, critters in and around the house pose health threats, can be very destructive, and generally creep you out while they are in residence.  So take a good close look at your house, inspect it, make sure your house is closed off to the critters:

* look for any unfilled holes caused by utilities in the siding and foundation;

* check for digging around porches and decks;

* check gable vents in the attic;

* inspect the soffits and fascias just under the eaves;

* keep the tree limbs off your house;

* make sure there’s a critter guard on the chimney.

Critters are going to eat and keep warm whether it’s at your property or someone else’s.  So keep them moving and let them enjoy the someone else’s hospitality, so that you can enjoy the warmth of your home with loved ones and your invited guests.

Tags: home inspection, home maintenance, pest control