windmitigationinspector

What is a Wind Mitigation Inspector?

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A wind mitigation inspector is a specialist in home inspections that understands how to analyze wind risks to a structure. A wind inspection exam’s the property’s existing features that are supposed to make it able to withstand high winds without structural damage.

A wind mitigation inspection Tampa residents have found give them the “insider” information about a house that they are considering purchasing. Home investment is a big investment, and it is something you do not want to risk.

Is a Wind Mitigation Survey A Requirement of Home Purchase?

Oddly enough given the risk of a hurricane in Florida one would think that this type of inspection is mandatory but it is not, however, it is strongly recommended that you elect to have it done if you plan on buying a home.

This type of inspection can help to reveal potential problem areas that leave the home at risk during a hurricane or even a powerful thunderstorm that includes high wind warnings. A wind mitigation inspector can check the installed safety features on the home and make recommendations regarding protective equipment that can be installed.

The Biggest Reason To Get This Inspection Done Pre-Purchase

Knowing exactly what you are buying before you buy it helps to protect your investment dollars. In the event, you forgo this inspection, and a problem arises after closing, you are likely facing large repair bills.

Having the information that you need to make an informed decision is critically important when you are buying a home. Knowing exactly what you are getting into can help you to make decisions that are right for both you and your family.

It Does Not Have to Be A Deal Breaker

A wind mitigation inspection that comes back less than favorable does not mean that you cannot move forward with the purchase. It means that you will have the leverage to negotiate the purchase price and maybe even getting repairs done as part of the deal.

Of course, you can always keep the deal moving forward with the intention of making the upgrades and changes yourself after the closing. It is important that you know the wind vulnerability risk of the building so you can make decisions about your purchase before you get to the closing table.

Join the 64% of homeowners that have saved money because of a home inspection by contacting a wind mitigation inspector before you seal the deal.

nationallycertifiedmasterinspector

Do You Really Need a Professional Home Inspection Done?

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A nationally certified master inspector can provide you with a home inspection before you buy. Buying a home is likely the largest investment that you will ever make. Having a home inspector take a look at the home before you buy is strongly recommended.

Inspectors have the skill set to recognize problems with the property that you may not recognize. Identifying issues before you close on the property is important, and can save you thousands of dollars.

An Appraisal Is Not an Inspection

A lot of people mistakenly believe that the home appraisal is a home inspection but they are two very different things. An appraiser is there to assess the value of the home, and if it would be a good investment for the mortgage company.

Inspectors are there to go through the home with a fine-tooth comb and take a look at all the major systems. A nationally certified master inspector will get into all the nooks and crannies of the home to make sure that everything is in good working condition.

An appraiser will walk through the home and check on things like if the sink drains but they do not check on things like is their moisture build-up in the crawl space under the house, or if the air conditioning system is working well.

What Does a Home Inspection Cover?

A home inspector checks every area of the home. They will:

  • Get in the attic look for wet spots on the roof trusses.
  • Check the basement for evidence of old water damage and any current problems.
  • Check on HVAC issues.
  • Inspectors check every area of the home to look for damage, necessary repairs, and safety issues.

You pay a home inspector to make sure that any issues that are present can be addressed with the seller before closing. A good way to think of it is an appraiser is there to protect the bank’s interest and the home inspector is there to protect your interest.

The entire home inspection process takes about 2-3 hours because it is that in-depth. An appraisal takes about 30-45 minutes.

It is Worth the Investment

Many homebuyers wonder if the expense of hiring a nationally certified master inspector is worth the cost. The fact is if you buy a home without an inspection you are buying the home blindly. Once you close the problems become all yours.

Protect yourself and your investment by enlisting the help of a professional that delivers in-depth home inspection services.

commbuild95

4 Things to Expect From Commercial Property Inspection Services

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Investment in real estate can be daunting, even for experienced real estate investors, because so many variables go into determining the potential return on investment (or ROI) on commercial property. One way to address some of those variables is to hire a commercial building inspector to perform commercial property inspection services. Determining ROI means getting a handle on both revenues and expenses, and a report produced as a result of commercial property inspection services can be a starting point for determining the repair and maintenance costs for the property. Here are 4 things to expect from a commercial building inspection:

Scope

You should expect a discussion about the scope of work with the commercial building inspector. Commercial building inspections are performed for any type of revenue-generating property, including office buildings, retail buildings, restaurants, warehouses, and factories. While commercial property inspection services are provided according to standards set by international organizations, you will likely need to discuss whether the level of inspection you require goes beyond what is addressed by the standards.

For example, when your commercial property includes hotels, motels, and apartment buildings you may need to discuss with your commercial building inspector whether he or she needs to also consider issues more associated with home inspections in addition to commercial inspections. For multi-unit properties, such as storage units or multi-unit residences, you should discuss whether the commercial building inspector should inspect each individual unit. Moreover, if you are aware of specific issues, such as prior flood or wind damage, you may need to discuss whether the commercial building inspector should pay special attention to repairs or renovations undertaken. Foregoing this discussion beforehand may reduce or eliminate the need for re-inspection or rewrites to the commercial building inspector’s report.

Commercial Inspection Services

During the inspection, you should expect the building inspector to request access to visually inspect the building’s interior and exterior. The commercial building inspector may also ask for an interview with the current owner or manager familiar with any issues with the commercial property.

The visual inspection for an average home inspection may include over 500 data points, and a commercial building inspection is no different . The visual inspection will include the roof, exterior walls, foundation, exterior drainage, interior walls, plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system, windows and doors, attic insulation, fire systems, and cooking areas, if any. The purpose of the inspection is to look for safety concerns, structural concerns, and building code violations. During the visual inspection, the commercial building inspector may take photographs for use in his or her analysis.

Commercial property inspection services generally do not include invasive testing. Thus, it is not intended to find wood rot, root damage to sewer lines, insect activity, or other invisible problems.

Report

After the visual inspection, you should expect the building inspector to conduct research and prepare an inspection report. The inspector may also request access to the commercial property to re-inspect certain areas.

The commercial building inspector may review documents, such as prior inspection reports, appraisals, and building inspection records, and conduct research into the property’s history. Commercial property inspection services result in a report identifying those material problems the inspector believes the buyer should be aware of prior to purchasing the property. When reviewing the report, keep in mind that:

  • Neither the inspection nor the report is intended to be comprehensive
  • The report is necessarily subjective, with the commercial building inspector exercising his or her professional judgment in identifying issues of interest
  • Reports typically do not include estimates since this would create a conflict of interest
  • The report is not an engineering report, unless you specifically request it

Exclusions

Unless specifically requested during the initial discussions, you should not expect commercial property inspection services to include testing for toxic chemicals, such as radon gas, asbestos, lead paint, or soil contamination. However, your building inspector may be able to perform these tests if specifically requested or may refer you to inspectors that specialize in testing for toxic chemicals and contamination. Similarly, building inspectors are not trained to detect fraud or problems that are deliberately concealed by the seller.

Commercial property inspection services are intended to aid the buyer in making a business decision whether to invest in property by identifying and reporting possible issues that will affect the commercial property’s ROI.

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5 Most Expensive Problems a Commercial Building Inspection May Reveal

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Commercial building inspections are typically conducted before investing in commercial property. The purpose is two-fold. First, to determine the condition of the property and identify any “deal-breaker” issues. Second, to get a handle on the potential expenses that the buyer may expect if he or she purchases the commercial property. In fact, surveys show that 70% of homeowners believe a home inspection saved them money in the long run and commercial building inspections serve the same purpose .

In this regard, a commercial building inspection typically does not include estimates of the cost of repairing any problems uncovered. Providing estimates in a building inspection report would create a conflict of interest for the commercial building inspector and potentially violate licensing regulations if the commercial property inspection services provider is not a licensed contractor. Here are six of the most expensive repairs that may be revealed by a commercial building inspection:

Foundation

Commercial building inspections include a visual inspection of the foundation for cracks, settling, and water penetration. Foundation repair can be a deal breaker for many commercial real estate investors for a few reasons:

  • Repair may require hiring a structural engineer
  • Repair is difficult because the entire building’s weight rests on the foundation
  • Damaged foundations can create other problems that need to be repaired like misaligned doors and windows and cracked drywall
  • Buildings with damaged foundations may be deemed unsuitable for occupation until the foundation is repaired

Roof

Problems with a roof can include leaks around flashing, vents, and skylights. Also, loose or missing shingles can lead to roof leaks. Poor roof drainage from broken or clogged gutters and downspouts can allow water to accumulate leading to leaks and roof damage. While repairs may be performed relatively inexpensively if the repairs are limited to replacing flashing, shingles, or gutters, a total roof replacement can be costly enough to be a deal-breaker for some commercial property investors.

Water Damage

Problems with the roof can lead to leaks and water damage. Other causes of water damage can include a cracked foundation, leaking plumbing, clogged or leaking sewer lines, and clogged or damaged drains. Aside from repairing the cause of the water damage by replacing or repairing roof leaks, plumbing, or sewer lines, water leaks can lead to drywall damage, wood rot, and mold growth that requires repair or remediation.

If you are fortunate, water damage may be confined to drywall that can be repaired or replaced. However, more extensive water damage to the wood frame or water damage that has led to mold growth may be enough for many commercial real estate investors to pass on the building. Mold removal is particularly dangerous because of the serious health problems that mold spores can cause to building occupants. Such damage may require expensive and time consuming repairs before the building is even deemed safe for occupation.

Siding

Damage to siding can allow water to damage the frame, insulation, and drywall. Worse yet, openings in the siding can allow mold and insects, such as termites, cockroaches, and ants, to infest the building. Even if the frame, insulation, and drywall are undamaged, the cost of labor and materials to replace a building’s siding and remedy any mold or insect issues makes this repair one of the most expensive that a commercial real estate inspector can uncover.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (or HVAC)

The potential cost of HVAC repairs depends heavily on the nature of the problem and the type of system used. While cleaning duct work or repairing refrigerant lines may be undertaken without too much expense, replacing a compressor unit, evaporator coil, or fan can incur a huge expense, particularly for larger buildings. Increasing the expense even more is the fact that in hotter climates, such as Tampa, the building would not be suitable for tenants until the HVAC system is repaired or replaced.

Electrical

Electrical problems are costly to repair because they pose a substantial safety risk to building occupants. Damaged electrical systems can cause electrocution or fires. Moreover, power surges and blackouts from electrical system problems can damage equipment.

Commercial building inspectors identify issues pertaining to the condition and safety of a commercial building. With this in mind, a commercial building inspection is essential to making a sound business decision whether to purchase commercial property.

The Best Time To Get A Home Inspection

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This may come as a surprise, but there are times that are better to get a home inspection. And it may not be what you think. In most cases, when you schedule a home inspection you are at the mercy of available days and times. Especially if you are:

1. Aiming for a specific closing date
2. Trying to close very quickly
3. Have a small window of time to conduct the home inspection

However, it is those homebuyers who have the patience and time that will truly benefit.

Summer rains are the best

In Tampa summer is for raining because it rains almost every single day. But, believe it or not, during the rain can be the most beneficial. There are things that happen only when it rains, and as a result, you can’t see it otherwise. For example, flooding. Maybe the driveway floods, or water gets into the garage, or puddles in the backyard. Identifying these, and other potential flooding issue, are only possible when water is around.

Granted, we cannot conduct a thorough inspection during a hefty storm. If lightening is present that prevents us from getting on the roof, which is certainly dangerous during a lightning storm. So keep in mind, if its possible for you to schedule your inspection on a day that is called to rain (which is almost every day) then you could really benefit.

Do a drive by at night

Before you close on any house you should always do a drive by in the evening. This gives you the opportunity to check lights, see the area in another “light”, and get a different perspective on the home. If you can also drive by during the rain that could be great for you too. Sometimes its not the house that floods, but the roads around the house. The last thing you want to worry about is a road that keeps a lot of water and you have to drive through it every time.

Don’t forget to call us for your home inspection needs. You want a reliable and thorough home inspector on your side.