Hi,

Welcome to the October issue of The HomeTeamKC Report. This report provides REALTORS^® and Homeowners with helpful information about residential homes from a home inspector's perspective.

In our March issue of this Newsletter I shared an article from Don Carter regarding ‘tornados, hailstorms, and droughts’. Don is a managing partner and structural engineer with Foundation Engineering Specialists, ‘FES’. Through our many interactions, I have found Don Carter to be an excellent engineer and person of high integrity, as is his engineering firm. Should you or your clients need his services, Don’s cell phone number is 913 709-8623. If you prefer, you can contact me and I’ll coordinate arrangements.

I think you’ll enjoy 2 more of Don’s articles that he has been kind enough to share with us, regarding ‘backup power’ and ‘water and your home’. The Faulconers have certainly had some occasions in old Leawood (think big trees and overhead power lines) when I wish we had backup power in years past. Maybe it’s time to do something about it! And, as you well know, water in and around our homes can be our arch-enemies. We simply can’t do too much preventive maintenance and preparation to avoid water’s ravages.

Between a brisk fall business and our sons’ fall baseball and soccer, we missed getting a September Newsletter issued. Driving to those 3&2 and soccer fields keeps you hopping, doesn’t it? And, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Thanks for your business, referrals, and friendship. We will never take it for granted.

Be sure to call or email us anytime with any questions you may have.

Mike
The HomeTeamKC

P.S. If you have problems viewing this newsletter in your email browser, click this link to view this and past newsletters from our archives.

P.P.S. Only a few of our agents are obtaining the CBS (call before showing) codes from the listing agent. I have a SUPRA key, however, as an affiliate, I can only access an I-Box with the CBS code. Each I-Box has a CBS code assigned to it. It is printed next to the shackle code. Obtaining the CBS code can save you time, and is a great backup if you are running late to an inspection. Thanks.

P.P.P.S! The agents that The HomeTeam accepts referrals from are professional, informed, and exhibit a sincere interest in the welfare of their clients. And, that is precisely why we accept referrals from those agents – and not from some others. We do no advertising, but rather depend upon word-of-mouth referrals. Quality begets quality. Let me say how much we appreciate the professional services that you perform for your clients. We receive many referrals from past clients as well, which is the most sincere form of flattery.

·Backup Power: How to Cope When the Lights Go Out
·Quick Access to Our Current Pricing Sheet
·Water: Good for Us Not Good for Our Houses
·Sellers Can Speed Up Their Home Inspection

BACKUP POWER

How to cope when the lights go out.

I spent most of my adult life in a neighborhood where large trees and hanging utility lines made ice related power outages an anticipated event. Then we moved to a location with new trees and underground utilities, and I figured power outages would be a thing of the past. Not so. The ice storm of 2003 nailed us right along with the many and after 2 nights in the cold, we decided a generator would be right for us. Following are some of the issues that shaped our thinking:

1. For my family’s needs, backup power is to operate essential items only. We don’t expect to power the house the way KCPL does. In fact, since low-end generators have fluctuating output they are not recommended for sensitive appliances such as TV or computers. We decided that keeping the furnace alive was priority one, with the sump pump priority two. After that we wanted a reading light, refrigerator and microwave. All this added up to just under 3000 watts using a power consumption table that I have and will share with any Best Times reader who requests one.
2. The most common generator size seems to be 6000 watts, which will power about half a house. It’s the one retailers promote. At half that, our 3000 watt generator requires some operational selectivity. For example, the sump pump only gets power when the refrigerator and microwave are not running. It’s a tradeoff we made to decrease cost and unit size.
3. Chinese imports have significantly reduced generator prices. They don’t appear to have the quality of domestic equipment, however backup power is not about longevity. Ideally, you will never run a generator more than a few hundred hours. Keep in mind that brand name generators have a strong resale market that cheap ones don’t.
4. If you want to sleep through the night, buy a generator with a large gas tank. Ask about fuel consumption per hour, then multiply that by 5 to obtain optimum tank size.
5. Do not wire a generator into your home’s electrical system. I installed an outdoor, weatherproof outlet with a wire passing into the basement to 3 specially marked plug ins. These boxes are independent of house power and completely dead until I energize them from outside.
6. Portability. Generators are heavy so select one with wheels built into the frame.
7. Generators are noisy and burn fossil fuels, so they must be run outdoors. Give some thought as to where the outside connecting point will be – ideally a location far away from neighbors’ bedroom window.
8. A house configured for backup power has an extra selling feature.

WATER

Good for us but not good for our houses.

I assess damaged houses for a living and I have concluded that if all homeowners were diligent about water management, I’d probably be out of work. Here is why:

Most Kansas City area homes are built on expansive clay soil. Clay is the stuff flowerpots are made of and it behaves alot like Play Dough inasmuch as it shrinks when it dries and swells when it’s wet. Sixty percent of Johnson County soil types are labeled “severe risk for shrink-swell” by USDA. Still we build houses on them and to a homeowner this makes water management a critical issue. Control water, and you control house movement. Houses are supported on footings. In houses with basements, these footings are typically 8 to 10 feet below ground and sitting on clay soil. If the clay’s moisture content remains constant, its ability to support the house remains relatively constant. But if the clay dries out, it shrinks, and then the house settles. Similarly, if the clay gets flooded it becomes plastic and shifts, often taking the house with it. So how does a homeowner protect against clay changes?

1. GUTTERS – A residential roof can shed over 2000 gallons of water in a big rain. Make sure gutters are in place, clean and taper to a downspout. Buy oversized gutters when you replace.
2. DOWNSPOUTS – Generally more needed than provided. Add extras adjacent to roof valleys.
3. SPLASHBLOCKS – Often tilt the wrong way or have turf blocking outflow. Make sure the open end tilts down and away from the house.
4. BURIED DISCHARGE – Locate discharge points and keep area clean and flowing. If the discharge end is uncovered, put a screen over it to keep wildlife out.
5. PATIO, PORCH, WALK & DRIVE – Often tilt to the house instead of away. Can shed 5,000 gallons of water against basement walls in a heavy rain. Use mudjacking to make sure that water flows away from basement walls.
6. SURROUNDING LAND – Property higher than yours will dump rain runoff. Use a ditch to intercept flow and channel it around the house.
7. POOL OR HOT TUB – Keep watertight. If losing water, find out why and fix it.
8. FOOTING DRAIN – Collects water around foundation footing and usually empties into a basement pit. Confirm that system works. Sump pumps are supposed to run now and then.
9. SOIL SLOPE – Earth should taper 6” in 72” away from house all around.
10. IRRIGATION SYSTEMS – Value is not limited to pretty grass. These things are wonderful for protecting foundation footings against hot dry summers and tree ravage. They work by keeping topsoil moist and sealing in ground water. I evaluated over 90 drought-damaged homes this summer and not a single one had a sprinkler system. Many of these houses will spend 6 to 10 times the cost of a sprinkler system to pier-repair foundations.

We hope you have enjoyed our take on the world of Power & Water.
And now one last helpful set of tips!

Sellers Can Speed Up Their Home Inspection

Sellers can speed their home inspection by following these suggestions. The inspection will go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing.

1. Confirm that water, electric and gas service are on, with gas pilot lights burning.
2. Ensure pets won't hinder the inspection. Ideally, they should be removed from premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.
3. Replace burned out bulbs to avoid a "Light is inoperable" report that may suggest an electrical problem.
4. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries.
5. Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely.
6. Remove stored items, debris and wood from foundation. These may be cited as "conducive conditions" for termites.
7. Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electric service panels, water heaters, attics and crawl spaces.
8. Unlock areas the inspector must access - attic doors or hatches, electric service panels, closets, fence gates and crawl spaces.
9. Trim tree limbs to 10' from the roof and shrubs from the house to allow access.
10. Attend to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; windowpanes, screens and locks; gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.

Feel free to download this list of tips in a printer-friendly PDF format. You can reproduce it and make it part of your real estate information packet.

NACHI ^©2005