'Tis the season for poison ivy to start.And you have to look for it!  It is easier to remove when it's small.Poison ivy and poison oak are very common in this area. They are similar in that they have three equal-sized, and shiny, green leaves.The shine on the leaves comes from an oil that when touched, and allowed to stay, can bond with the skin and cause a very itchy rash.  And the rash can spread!  About 85% of people are allergic to poison ivy, oak, and sumac.  And 10%-15% are severely allergic!And this plant is a true ivy.  It grows rapidly, and, being a rhizome plant, can spread underground from place to place.  Rhizome plants have subterranean shoots which grow, popping up with leafy plants that shoot elsewhere to grow larger and spread still.  Rhizome plants are also called creep... 04/23/2017

I would not walk out onto this deck!Why?  Because it looked to me like it would collapse at any minute.These are only a couple of the problems with this deck.Ledger beams are the long boards that attach to the house.  In this era ledger beams were lag bolted onto the house, and every 24".  That is no longer the case.  Now through bolts are used, they are in a W pattern, and much closer together.The ledger beams on this 40 year old house were lag bolted, and coming loose because the siding material onto which they were screwed was completely rotted.Also, the straps were very deteriorated and many of them had actually broken!  The joists were ready to pop off or out of them at any minute.AND THESE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS DECK!I did not want to go out onto it and asked the... 04/22/2017

Possibly The Worst Title Company EVERThe Real Estate Settlement Protection Act gives buyers in a real estate transaction the right to choose any title company they want to close their transaction and provide their title policy.  Sellers in Virginia may choose to have a split settlement and close with a different settlement company, but when it comes to their funds being disbursed, they are at the mercy of the buyer's chosen title company.  When you come across a title company that has ridiculous policies, no communication skills and in general gives the impression they are put out by the seller's insistence on knowing where their proceeds from settlement are, you wonder where the protection for sellers are when it comes to closing a real estate transaction.A week ago, my sellers sold th... 04/21/2017

The coolest plumber's tool kit I have ever seen!On this pre-drywall inspection the builder was installing CPVC plumbing, which is the most common plumbing product in this area.This is the only time I can see the house in a skeletal condition.  A pre-drywall inspection is an important opportunity to do a home inspection.This inspection should not be taken lightly, or skipped!When I arrived there were two plumbers present.  They were working.Typically the builder sets a pre-drywall inspection date for a time AFTER the work has been completed.  So it was disappointing to see the plumbers there.But when I got into the basement I saw a tool kit.Obviously home made, but efficient and light, convenient and cheap, this tool kit could not be simpler!  It consisted of a 5 gallon plastic bucket, s... 04/21/2017

When a dryer vents through the roof.I see it all the time, and for about 20 years now.  Dryers that vent through the roof.To me it is not a smart installation.And problems are inherent for any homeowner with dryers that vent through the roof.Builders will say it isn't a problem because clogs happen right behind the dryer, don't you know.Well, clogs might develop there, but for the most part the most dangerous place to clog is at the roof.And that is the MOST FREQUENT place dryer vents clog.  I have dozens of photos showing completely clogged dryer vents at the roof line.The dryer vent on this house passes through the roof just above the left side of the left window in that photo.Look at what is outside.Is there access to the roof from there?No.  Unless a ladder can be put there with leg... 04/20/2017

A passive radon mitigation system installed in new construction.One thing I am seeing more and more in new construction is the installation of a passive radon mitigation system which would only need a fan should a house test positive for radon.Not all the builders do this.But when I see it I point it out to the buyers.This area of Northern Virginia has a medium radon potential.  But there are some spots that are more prone to radon than others.However, any house can test with a "high" radon result*, and the only way to know is to do a test.With a passive system, when a house is built a tube is placed through the slab, extending to the dirt below.Doing this when a house is being built makes it dramatically cheaper to install a radon system in the future, which would have to create a new ... 04/18/2017

Should a builder change an installation to accommodate a buyer?This is a good one.  The buyer of this house wanted a basement laundry room in addition to the normal one on the bedroom level.  The builder said fine.This is what we found on the pre-drywall inspection.But when the installation was complete the buyer was not satisfied.Why?Because the supply plumbing (plastic CPVC) runs under the duct right in front of where the washing machine will sit.What's wrong with that?That supply tubing is only 6'3" high.The buyer is 6'5" tall!  And he wants it moved.In my opinion the installation as it is now was not well done.  Plumbing should always be run near to walls and not in places where it is vulnerable to accidental damage.Even if the buyer was not 6'5" tall this plumbing is run in a preca... 04/17/2017

The great reveal of this new home was ... revealing.When a final walk through is scheduled on new construction, to happen a week or so before closing, the idea is to show the house off!  And let the buyer see the features, and get a feel for the depth of craftsmanship and construction.This was a custom home, and VERY expensive.  And the buyer wanted to be sure of what he was getting.  He hired a home inspector.Sometimes what is revealed is surprising, however.There is the usual stuff, like the two AC units which were leaning badly.Level compressors are the idea.Tilting units can cause other problems, and especially when they are set up to tilt by other no-think installations.This particular unit has had the soil compromised by the condensate discharge tubing delivering its water onto th... 04/15/2017

This expansion tank is probably too heavy for the plumbing.This brand new house is fitted with the plastic CPVC plumbing.It's fine material, when installed right, and has been used around here in residential construction for about 20 years.But, it is plastic.  It does not have the same strength as does copper.Being plastic it does not like to have air in the pipes which can create a hammer effect.But also, when it gets hot and expands too much pressure can be put on the system.So an expansion tank is installed to help with those two possibilities.The expansion tank in the photo obviously has a lot of water in it as it is bending down the plumbing it is resting on.Over time that will not bode well for the plumbing.  There are three joints within inches of where it attaches to the horizon... 04/13/2017

How to Avoid Low Appraisals When Selling Your Bristow HomeWhen you are selling your Bristow, VA home at a time when prices are increasing, appraisers can be stingy.  They don't like to get overly optimistic since our real estate crash a decade ago.  They are very cautious and the result is that many sellers are facing low appraisals.  And low appraisals mean sellers are faced with lower their sales price so the buyers can proceed to settlement.  Since I studied appraisals for three months as part of getting my broker's license at the end of 2010, the appraisal issues my clients experience can be counted on one hand.  That wouldn't be impressive if I only sold ten or fifteen houses since then.  Not at all the case.  Since receiving my broker's license, I have listed and sold 95 homes.  T... 04/12/2017

Renting vs. Buying:  The Real Reason You Should BuyWhen you talk to a real estate agent about renting vs. buying, they usually launch into a discussion about how mortgage interest is tax deductible and how you can actually save money buying over renting.  Mortgage interest is tax deductible and can save you some hard earned tax dollars.  However, I do not think that is the number one reason to purchase vs. rent.  The main reason I believe someone should buy vs. rent is CONTROL and STABILITY.In the course of my real estate career, I have represented enough landlords to know that I would never want to be at their mercy.  They see the home you are renting from them in dollars and cents.  They are always attempting to maximize profit.  That means delaying repairs, if they do them at all.  T... 04/10/2017

It's called an AC pan condensate float switch because it floats.There are many detection devices to hopefully avoid a leak problem from a clog in the AC condensate drain line or drip pan.One of those devices is a float switch which turns the unit off if there is a clog.All HVAC units have a primary condensate drain line which sends the collected AC condensation to the outdoors or a sump pump.Best practice would have a drip pan underneath the HVAC unit with a secondary overflow line attached which would send any water collected from the drip pan also to the outdoors, usually via gravity.The often drip water in front of a window so when there is a clog in the drain pan it can be detected.However, both the primary and secondary drain lines can clog, and so there is a further fail-safe way ... 04/10/2017

Some Days Are Better Than OthersYesterday in Manassas and Bristow...heck, nearly the whole Northern Virginia region, there was extreme weather going on.  It started with morning thunderstorms, a rather odd occurrence in our area.  Most of our thunderstorms are late afteroon or evening in the summer.  Nonetheless, paying no attention to rumbling thunder that woke me, I went about my morning routine and getting ready to head out for work.  Normally, I work from home, but yesterday I had to get out to our Manassas office.As I was leaving my home, I felt that maybe the rain was behind us and that leaving my umbrella at home wasn't a bad thing.  HA!  As soon as I got to the office, I looked out the front window and all hell broke loose.  The wind was driving the rain sideways.  You couldn't ... 04/07/2017

Not a roof leak repair you want to see.Almost any roof can leak at any time given the force and direction of driving rain.My roof leaked in two different places during Hurricane Sandy.  It had not leaked before and has not leaked since.In this house there was evidence of a roof leak that was reported to have been fixed.   Why leak stains are not primed and painted prior to an inspection sometimes baffles me.  But the location was not wet during the inspection, and it had recently rained.  So perhaps it had been repaired.But we always want to have a closer look.Going into the attic I was able to get above the leak stain location.And that was what I found.The plumbing vent tubing which passes through the roof had been leaking.Towels had been tightly wrapped around the tube from the roof s... 04/06/2017

This is a must - access to shut-off valves "shall be provided."And especially the water main valve.Why wouldn't easy access to the water main valve be provided?  It's an ESSENTIAL valve!  If water to the house needs to be shut off for emergencies you want quick and easy access to the valve.The code is unusually simple.  From the International Residency Code, subscribed to by the Virginia Residency and Plumbing Codes -Access to valves.  Access shall be provided to all full-open valves and shut-off valves.The bold there was my contribution.  And that's all valves - main, hose, water heater, fixtures, etc.So why am I seeing this more and more?Obviously neither of these photos show access.On the left the red arrows point to two different shut-off valves beside a stackable washer/dryer shove... 04/05/2017

Replacement windows DEMAND replacement insulation!Replacing old windows with newer, more efficient windows is a big business.It isn't cheap.  But the companies all promise savings.About 30% of the energy efficiency in the house is lost through windows and doors.  Therefore the promised savings varies depending on what is purchased and how the new materials are installed.  But new windows and doors will likely be more efficient in a couple of ways and will actually work properly!When the older windows are removed often insulation comes with them.Certainly that insulation would need to be replaced.But also, around the windows the new technique is to add a bead of minimally-expansive foam into any gaps around the new windows and the old framing.When well done that foam will seal nearly 100... 04/04/2017

Braemar Townhouse Report: January-February 2017Been wondering what your Braemar townhouse is worth?  Well, this edition of the Braemar Townhouse Report is sure to help get in the ball park of your townhome's value.  In this report, we are looking back to the first two months of 2017.Between January and February there were three Braemar townhouses that sold.  Details of those sales are shown below.Three sales aren't very many for a two month period when it comes to Braemar townhouse sales.  Simply put, there just weren't any others on the market.  Hence the low marketing time (DOM.)  And there is no doubt that some of these townhouses likely faced multiple offers.  Let's see how the sales detailed above jive with the six and twelve month average and median values.All but one of the sales... 04/01/2017

Braemar Property Values:  January-February (Ryan Homes)Braemar's real estate market has been hopping ever since the turn of the new year.  And in this edition of the Braemar Property Value Report we are going to take a look back at January and February sales activity of properties built by Ryan Homes in our neighborhood. There were three sales to report from January to February:    Taking a look at how these sales figures, compare with the rolling six and twelve month average and median prices we see that Ryan Homes in Braemar are ticking up in value. Even looking at the more recent six month figures to the longer term twelve month figures we see the increase in average and median values.  However, the two sales that did give closing costs came in above the average and median seller sub... 04/01/2017

Braemar Property Values:  January-February 2017 (NV Homes)Putting together Braemar Property Value Reports is something I have been doing since 2005.  And this cycle, I've retooled how I'm working my stats to be more true to average and median market values.  Good thing too, because in this edition of the Braemar Property Value Report for NV Homes, we have no sales to report.You may be wondering what in the world I can tell you about properties built by NV Homes in Braemar when I have no sales to report for the reporting period of January-February.  Well, I decided to take a six month and twelve month rolling pool of data.  From there, I will be giving you sales price, closing cost and marketing time figures.  So even though there are no numbers to toss in for January and February, we ha... 04/01/2017

Braemar Property Values:  January-February  2017 (Heritage Series)One of the things I love most about my job is keeping Braemar home owners updated about the values of their property.  And that is exactly what I am about to do.  This particular Braemar Property Value Report focuses on Janaury and February sales in the Heritage Series.   If you aren't familiar with what type of homes make up the Heritage Series, they are he mid-sized single family homes, built by Brookfield Homes.  They have two car attached garages and include the following floor plans:  Exeter, Yardley, Zachery & Waverly. There was only one Braemar Heritage home to sell in the first two months of the year.  That home was a Waverly model with five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms over three finished levels. It was a... 04/01/2017