Seniors and Veterans

Many companies across all industries offer discounts of one type or another to veterans and/or senior citizens. Restaurants have "senior night" and some offer discount cards. Veterans get discounts on national holidays and at other key times. This occasional discounting policy seems to be the norm.
This year, however, Mayo Property Inspections is offering 10% off all inspection services to veterans and senior citizens for the entirety of 2015.
Why?
When one starts a small business all the best information and literature available says to run it with the mindset of a servant and the heart of a teacher. The idea is that when you set out to serve clients success will follow. Businesses that are out for margins and profits only are doomed to fail. Even if the money keeps rolling in, if the motivating factor for an entrepreneur is money then several lines on the graph will drop sharply.
I decided when I opened Mayo Property Inspections that if I focused on helping people and teaching them (in this case about the systems of their home) the profits would come as a byproduct.
As I began to plan for this year two groups of people came to mind.
My parents are both senior citizens. They have lived a good long while and have gained experience and strength and wisdom. Today, however, our culture seems to worship youth and often shows indifference to the more experienced among us.
I wanted to say in a small way that they mattered.
The other group that came to mind was veterans. My father is a veteran of the Viet Nam War. I have many friends and family who have served and currently serve in the military. All military people sacrifice to some extent. But for over a decade we've been at war and many serve multiple tours. They are away from family and friends and in constant harms way.
Whatever you believe about the validity of these wars, the men and women of our military serve and deserve our thanks.
I realized that one way I could say thanks is to provide a bit of  a price break, some good information and hopefully a calming presence during the home buying process.
At the end of the day I exist in my business and personal life to serve those I come into contact with.
Committing to a discount for veterans and senior citizens is a small but very real way I can do that.

Dark, Damp and Dank...Your Crawl Space

The crawl space is a dark, dank, creepy, subterranean hole no one wants to venture into. That said, there are certain trades that must traverse the icky and go below. When considering an inspector it's real important that he/she does a thorough inspection of the crawl space.
Pictured here is a crawl space in a 1930s home. There are several issues here but the main concern is the red posts. They are supporting horizontal boards that are in turn supporting a concrete slab. The joists are cut and a 2x installed to "cap" the joists. The posts are also resting on concrete blocks that are sitting on dirt mounds.
So what's the problem?
First of all the floor system isn't sized for an eight inch slab. The horizontal boards are "falling" to the outside wall and so is the concrete. This is putting undue strain on the floor system, outside wall and foundation.
The joists, when cut in the middle of a span, have to have a properly sized beam installed and that beam must transfer the weight to some point.
Sitting support posts loosely on blocks that are sitting on dirt is a huge problem as well. Any shift in the soil beneath could cause the floor to collapse. There should be footers poured at the proper depth for your climatic zone and the posts (properly sized) should be fastened at the top and bottom.
The issues found in this crawl space are numerous and in no way diagnosable from the top. In other words, you wouldn't know these problems existed if you weren't in the crawl space.
When I found what you see in the picture it ended up being an expensive fix for the owner of the property...but a necessary one.

Wiring No-No

One area of a home that can be particularly daunting for a homeowner is the electrical system of the house.
So much of our lives are dependent on electricity. From keeping our food cold and the lights on to cell phone charging and computers we need the current flowing through our home. There's also a dark side to electricity...particularly in the place we live and sleep.
According to the American Burn Association, over 140,000 homes burn down each year due to electrical fires. Often, electric fires are the result of unqualified persons working on the electrical systems of the home.

In the example at the right, someone decided to tie a lamp cord to nonmetallic sheathed wiring with wire nuts. This act violates every building code available as well as good common sense.
These types of patches and "repairs" are way to common.
The lamp wire used here is simply not designed to carry the same load as the standard wiring.
Another source of concern is the main service panel. The picture at the beginning of this post shows too many issues to list. That said, even the untrained eye can tell something ain't quite right.
In comes the home inspector and his/her inspection. The electrical system takes a great deal of time to inspect as there are many parts to consider. Done right, the defective items are reported appropriately. This provides an opportunity for another source of concern is the main service panel. The picture at the beginning of this post shows too many issues to list. That said, even the untrained eye can tell something ain't quite right.
Enter the home inspector and his/her inspection. The electrical system takes a great deal of time to inspect as there are many parts to consider. Done right, the defective items are reported appropriately. This provides an opportunity for repair and maintenance to ensure the home is safe functioning properly. As I mentioned, an untrained eye can tell the above service panel is not OK but what exactly is wrong with it?
That's a matter for a trained and licensed professional.
The electrical system of a home is one of the most important, complex and potentially dangerous systems in a house. When buying a home a thorough inspection of this system can provide peace of mind.