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Artesia, NM Real Estate News

By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
When "Grandfather get's thrown out" Time to upgrade. Or is it? I get these questions a lot. the buyers find things when I'm inspecting homes. I had already made a note of the issue at hand. But then there are the Realtors who says this. " That is not an issue, because it should be grandfatherd in". I tell the Realtors who are there "FOR THE BUYER" HUH??? Which side are you on? Let me explain it in simple terms. "If a home owner upgrades a certain item in the home, like the exhaust venting in a bathroom, then the venting needs to be installed to the proper specifications by the manufacturer". This is no matter when the home was built. As far as the Grandfather.....He get's thrown out of the home at this point. Case in point. Here is a bath vent that was installed last year. But it was ne...
Comments 16
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Home four months and Two inspections. How could they be so far apart? A past client called me for a home inspection, he told me that the last deal fell through when the seller did not want to repair anything with the home. So he was looking at another home. At Desert Sun Home Inspections we try as hard as we can to deliver the best home inspection possible. He had told me that the home was inspected by another inspection company but there was not anything in the report about the home. There was only a couple of cracked tiles on the floor of a hallway. Home buyer. "I really liked the report that you gave us on the other home. We wanted you for this inspection because of the thorough inspection you do". I told him I was sorry the deal did'nt work out for him. And scheduled the inspection....
Comments 18
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Chain it and strap it. Never mind get the chainsaw. Liability issues. At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad, New Mexico, We see all kinds of liability issues. They can vary from tripping hazards in the yard from sewer yard line accesses or posts being broken off to loose fitting broken concrete in the walkways to the home. Here we have a little more than a little concrete that needs some TLC. I did a home inspection that was one for the books. I have seen trees that had been cabled together. But never like this one. It was the only tree in the front yard. Here you can see why the tree is a concern. You just never know what anything is going to look like when you get to a home to inspect the property. After the buyer told me he had concerns about the tree. I told him the only concer...
Comments 16
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
A/C install, yes it's correct so what is the problem? I'll show you. I see this from time to time when inspecting homes for Desert Sun Home Inspection in Carlsbad, New Mexico It's not easy to find the repairs or as we say in the inspecting business the "Issues" with the A/C line install. First of all the install loked like it wa a good one. During a recent home inspection in Artesia, New Mexico I ran accross this A/C unit that was looking good till acloser look at the way the unit's line was installed. First was the way the line entered the crawl space. There is a large gap where the line enters the home. Not a good thing when wanting to keep out any unwanted pets or unwanted pests. This access hole was not sealed off and this may lead to a infestation of most anything. When i got into ...
Comments 26
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Boots are made for walking, but not these. At Desert Sun Home inspections in Carlsbad, New Mexico we strive to give the very best home inspection possible for the buyer or seller. There are some things that boggle the mind when it comes to why they are the what they are. Here is a classic example of how boots on a roof, will walk away from their assigned area. Here we have an electrical mast that had the boot half way up the mast. Where was it going? Why was it there? After a quick session of asking why. I did'nt have a clue. When I first got onto the roof the boot remnants were up against the cable support bracket. Nearly three feet from where it was supposed to be. Maybee the boot went on strike and refused to work any more. Feeling neglected, this will happen. :-) Have a great day ev...
Comments 30
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Cold weather and exterior faucets don't mix. As we are in the winter and the snow starts to fly. Many homes don't have enough protection fo the exterior faucets on the homes. Desert Sun Home Inspections gives the sellers and the buyers advice when it comes to protecting the exterior faucets. I have been inspecting homes in the cold and there is little of not no protection form the faucets freezing in the cold weather. I tell the seller if they are at the inspection, "this is a major concern". If the faucet cracks and breaks, then the weather gets warmer and the faucet then will leak. No one wants that. Not the buyer or the seller.Here is what I found on a home inspection Yesterday. This faucet has a number of issues. 1. It is not attached to the home. 2. It has no protection from freezi...
Comments 24
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Uncle Bob returns from Rogers Arkansas. Thanks James :-( Active Rain Member James Dray said he has met uncle Bob. I wanted him to keep Uncle Bob there for at least the winter. This would make my job of inspecting homes a lot easier here. But to my dismay Uncle Bob has returned for an encore performance and is still actively working on homes in my area. On a recent home inspection in Artesia, New Mexico for Desert Sun home Inspections I found that Uncle Bob had beat me there and was working on the local homes again. Again Thanks a lot james. :-( Here we have work done to a commode tank and it will not surprise you on how the tank parts were repaired.   This unique repair had some thought in it. Bad part is that water and the ribbon will not mix for any length of time. On this commode Unc...
Comments 22
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Electrical problems. How did they operate like this? I get a chance to see a lot of homes inspecting for Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad, New Mexico. You start to wonder how in the world did they keep from burning the house down around them. It all started on an overcast day that was cold and dreary. This home the buyer wanted inspected was for a first time home buyer. There are a lot of issues with this home. Let's get started with the electrical panel of the home. Number one thing is there is no Grounding rod or grounding wire ran to the panel inside the home. This causes a myriad of other issues for the home. One thing is without a ground line in the electrical panel you cannot install a GFI in the wet areas of the home. Like the kitchen, Baths and the utility room. Most of t...
Comments 27
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Fish bowl light or roof leak? You make the call. It seems it never ends when inspecting homes. This is why I love my job. On this home there was a strange sight to say the least. This is a USDA home with a few strange twists in and on it. Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico has a way to find all kinds of things that are wrong with homes. it seems the findings and issues are forever coming out and it makes for a long report. First thing was to notice the fish bowl light. in the ceiling fan. No, really....you can't make this stuff up. And I have a picture to prove what I saw.  Yes that is water in the globe of the ceiling fan in the dining room. I bet you could put a goldfish in it and it would live for a couple hours anyway. I told the realtor and buyer not to try and turn...
Comments 22
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
The dreaded Red tag. Now what? The water heater has been condemned. At Desert Sun Home Inspections, we try and give the very best inspection we can when it comes to explaining why there is an issue with a certain appliance or part of the home being inspected.  In this case I had no rhyme or reason to explain why the gas company had disconnected the water heater. Tag that was and still is on the water heater. There was no explaination about the RED TAG. Maybe the owner did have the ticket explaining why the unit was disconnected. Kinda hard to miss the Red Tag on the water heater. Here you can clearly see the gas line was disconnected by the gas company. The sellers should have known of this problem. The Realtor did not know of it. Maybe the seller was just notified by mail? Never know w...
Comments 45
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
They forgot to finish the garage. Or did they? Catch 22 anyone? When ever a garage is attached to a home the garage needs to be a finished garage. That means there needs to be sheet rock or similar wall and ceiling coverings that will give the garage the proper fire rating it needs to meet code for the garage as a attached structure. Here the minimum is 5/8" sheet rock with a fire rating of 100 on the walls away from the home and 3/4" sheet rock for the ceiling and the wall adjacent to the home. This is code. Problem is we cannot get the 3/4" sheet rock without it being a special order. 5/8" has taken the place of the normal 3/4" on the adjacent walls and the ceilings of the attached garages. Here we have a home with an unfinished garage. At Desert Sun Home Inspections we try and stay u...
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By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Artesia, New Mexico. The place to visit or even stay a while. Atresia New Mexico, a place that stands alone when it comes to friendly citizens and the lay ed back way of life. Located in Northern Eddy county New Mexico, this small town has a lot to offer. Barely fazed by the resent recession that has had a hold on many local economies. With a small population of about 24,000 There are good jobs and good life styles. There are a number of bronze statues all over the city of Artesia, New Mexico. Here is a look at a statue about the rough and ready days from the 1800's. This shot is of a falling horseman when trying to wrangle a steer. What is the problem here? Can you guess what it is. Why would the horse throw the rider to the ground when wrangling a steer? If there is any thing in the l...
Comments 26
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Wire nuts and the weather. Electrical problems. Or just out dated? On a recent home inspection in Artesia, New Mexico. Desert Sun Home Inspections inspector has found several issues with the electrical system outside the home. There are a few ways to add electrical to a additional building. But doing this the correct way is the hardest thing for a home owner and even a electrician to do. "Back in the day" this may have been O.K. and it would have been expected to last for many years as long as the electric was flowing there was not a problem. Not any more. With more and more home inspections being performed upon a proposed sale of a home, there needs to be "due diligence" when it comes to the inspection process and the importance of getting the inspection done correctly. Let's take a lo...
Comments 24
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Home inspections, You just don't know what you will find. But do you? At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad, New Mexico we get calls for all kinds of inspections. Mostly home inspections for the buyers who want a good home inspection so they can make an informed decision on the purchase of the home they are wanting to purchase. It seems that no matter where the home is located we always seem to find almost the same issues with the home. The dryer vents leading the way with little or no maintenance with the dryer vent hoods. This hood in my last inspection was totally missing and the vent pipe was packed with lint. mm This vent that is packed with lint is a fire waiting to happen. The next issue that I often find is the exhaust venting for the baths and kitchen venting. Many are not...
Comments 24
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Stapled roof shingles. I don't like them at all. Roofing materials need to be nailed down. A plain and very sinple concept right? There are still builders using staples to install shingles and other roofing components on a roof. Last year I was sure I had seen the last of the "staples" being used on roofing materials. But wiht  a new inspection last night I found the builders are still using staples. Clint Mckie and Desert Sun Home Inspections don't write the codes or the manufacturers installation instrutions. There needs to be a better way for the building inspector to actually inspect the homes being built. Let's have a look. The staples are not that long, they only go through the decking about one half inch. Meaning the staples are only about one inch in length. Here the ridge cap w...
Comments 23
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Don't leave the door open! Did he listen to me? No. I hate it when I tell a buyer or seller something and they don't listen to me. I have a pet peeve about leaving door and cabinets open. Especially when the entry door have no screen doors on them. This was the case in a home when I was there performing a home inspection for the buyer in Artesia, New Mexico.  There is a reason I tell the client's to not leave the doors open when I am inspecting a home. This time it was clear that my advice was not heeded and there was a price to pay. With no one home but the buyer and my self, there was little chance of a pet running out of the house to get lost forever. But the chances of a unwanted pet coming in was ten fold. And that's just what happened. I was in the utility room when I heard such a...
Comments 22
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Ducting rehab. Yep it's in the plans. On this recent home inspection in Artesia New Mexico, I came across a interesting duct system on the roof. This home had very little attic so the way to get the home properly ducted was to run the duct work on the roof. There is a really big problem with that application though. The energy efficiency would be greatly diminished by this way of ducting the home. Then to add insult to injury the entire duct system was painted brown. This will only cause the systen to absorb the heat from the days sun. This is an uninsulated duct system. Thius means the home owners or buyers could loose up to 40% of the heating and cooling efficiency of the duct work simply by the way the systen was installed exposed on the roof. This syatem has a lot to be desired. The...
Comments 30
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Let's go swimming on the roof? Flat roofs and the dangers. There are many different ways to install flat roofs. Many are very good designs that will hold up to the test of mother nature and the riggers of the weather she throws at the roofs. But when the sagging starts after years of use and repair after repair, then the problems begin to start and could become a dangerous situation. On this inspection I had completed, I did get up on the home next door to get a better shot of the existing problems with this flat roof. After a very good rain in which we have not seen for a while, there was a lot and I mean a lot of standing water on this roof. Enough to go swimming? perhaps. But enough to be concerned about the structural integrity of the roof and stress on the sub structure as well. Th...
Comments 66
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
This electrical panel is over loaded. And a Federal Pacific panel. On an inspection last night i got a good look at the home. All was going well. This home had recently been remodeled and looked really good. But then i got to the electrical panel and found an assortment of problems. This first shot is of the federal Pacific panel. Some of the breakers had already been replaced in the past. But you can't upgrade the home without upgrading the electrical supply as well. Here in this shot we have at least two melting insulators. There are more in the panel.   The upgrades were completed, but the home owners forgot about upgrading the electrical. A fire will soon happen if this is not upgraded soon. Have a great day every one.
Comments 24
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
400Th Blog. This has been quite ride in the Rain.   As many of the members know this has been a wild ride for Clint A. McKie and Desert Sun Inspections In Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220. With my four hundredth post I thought I would look at some of the most commented posts. I remember when I first got started in the Active Rain Community. I was a “lot of timid” when I was getting ready to post about an inspection or anything in general. I had thought's like “what if they don't like the post”. What if they are laughing at me behind my back? I have had so much help in the Rain by the members who want to help you succeed. If any one needs help in the Rain feel free to just call out in a post and ask for help. Also I am now number Three in the state and I have 32 featured posts. #3 Clint Mckie ...
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