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Hobbs, NM Real Estate News

By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
"Oh no another one". Why would you buy this home? A few duct issues. There are homes and there are homes. Many homes are the so called "normal type homes". Then there are the homes that make you "wonder" what in the world they were thinking. I really don't like seeing these types of homes. It really puts me in a dilemma. How do I write this up when it is legal to run the duct work on the top of a home. This flat topped home is right in the middle of town and there is little if anything that can be seen from the street. No this existing ducting is not insulated. This means the duct work being metal will draw out the heat when wanting to heat the home and draw out the cooling when cooling the home. This will cause the expense in the utility expense for the home as well. I try not to get t...
Comments 14
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
It's in the storage room, why would you write it up? Uh, because. At Desert Sun Home inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, we are here to serve the buyer or seller who ever it is that hires us for a home inspection. If it is not correct is it wrong? Should it be in the report as an issue for the buyer to see? I was told recently that the issues I had put in a report should not had been there. My thought's are this. If it is an issue to me as a certified inspector, then it should be to the home buyer or seller or even both. Here we have a look at what was in the report as an unfinished room. There is no sheetrock taping and mudding sealing the seams of the existing sheetrock on the ceiling and the walls of the storage room. This storage room is located just off the living room (next to). I...
Comments 7
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Proper Attic Venting and the issues. Home inspections in Carlsbad N.M. It seems that when home owners and service techs do repairs to homes they don't follow the requirements that are needed when repairing and or modifying a home. In this case there was a new power vent installed in a second bath. Good news for the seller and the buyer right? Not so fast I say. When inspecting the bath I did notice the vent did work and the light did come on as intended. "Alright I thought..." Then my mind immediately went to what I did or did'nt see on the roof. Like a vent for the bath exhaust, neither of them. Hmmmmm Now the attic will tell the tell. With the home owner in my back pocket the entire inspection, I did warn him of the health and safety issues of not having the vent vented to the outside...
Comments 14
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Liability issues This home has a few. This is exactly why you need to get inspections before you sell or you buy a home. If the seller would have had a pre listing inspection before listing the home these  issues would have never been an issue with the home that is for sale at this time. They could have been taken care of before the buyer even looked at the home. At Desert Sun Home Inspections, we try and give the buyer the most information possible when buying a home. This inspector found the issues with this home. These liability issues with this home need to be addressed as soon as possible. Lets take a look at the areas that are in question. This broken off sewer plug is a liability issue. There is a lawsuit just waiting to happen. This is never a good thing to see when inspecting a...
Comments 21
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
New Home inspection. Ready to move in? Not quite. At Desert Sun home Inspections in  Carlsbad, New Mexico. We get calls from buyers who want a home inspection on a new home. For the most part the inspections go without a hitch in the closing process. But in this case there are more than a couple minor issues with this home. Take the attic for example. You would think with the Certificate of occupancy issued, it would have been inspected by the local building and mechanical inspectors to make sure everything was to code and there are no issues with the home. You would think... Lets take a look at the attic that had a few issues of it's own. Keep in mind the electrical inspector was just at this home. These were not inspected or the inspector was blind. When the "mechanical inspector was ...
Comments 10
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Pre listing inspection. Some times all you have is a good laugh. When I got the call for this pre listing inspection, I was a little surprised. I don't get many pre listing inspections. At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, I have been trying to get as much information out to the public about getting a pre listing inspection as possible. There has not been a big response, but the calls are starting to pick up a bit for pre listing inspections. I did find a few funny things on this inspection that, Some times all you have is a good laugh. Here we have a handy dandy support for the water heater's exhaust vent. I asked the home owner who did this. Her response was "I did" I asked her if her name was Bobby LOL She said no and I told er the story of all the Uncle Bob's worki...
Comments 18
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Rebuild it or tear it down. There are only two options for the garage. When inspecting homes for Desert Sun Home Inspections there are things that we get to see as inspectors the home buyers are not going to see. The home buyers are focused on the home and where they are going to put the furniture they have and how everything is going to fit in the home. If the Man of the home is a "tinkerer", then he will be focused on the workshop and or garage for the home. Not really interested in where the wife places the furniture in the home. He wants to see the man cave or workshop he can call home when home. In this case the garage or carport with a man cave at the rear of the carport is a very good way for the man of the home to relax and get away from inside the home. But what if the workshop...
Comments 24
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Electrical issues I recommend it's time to upgrade the home. There is a vast number of homes out there that need an electrical upgrade. This number would be in the Tens of millions. That's a lot of homes that need a lot of TLC to the electrical systems. At Desert Sun Home Inspection in Carlsbad New Mexico, we strive to present the best information possible for the buyer. This home needs a lot. Like a total upgrade for everything to the home. Even though this home is a "Grandfathered in home" there is still a lot of safety concerns with this one. Let's take a look at just a couple of them. I really don't like seeing all the extra sub panels for the home. This means that the electrical has not been upgraded at any time. Just added to as time and needs were required. Notice the two double ...
Comments 21
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
I smell something, and it's not dinner cooking. I was called about a smell in a home. This is not uncommon, but it's not a call I get every day. I was asked to see if I could find the source of a small that had been around for a while.  After a little bit of investigating in and around the bath and utility room I think I may have found what the source of the smell is. This vent stack for the bath sink had become dislodged and was letting the sewer gasses enter the home. This needs to be repaired as soon as possible. It looks like the vent had been worked on in the past. But it needs to be repaired again. Many people don't realize that these gasses are flammable as well as deadly in high doses. When ever you have a smell like rotten eggs. There is more to it then just a smell that you ca...
Comments 32
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
The roof is on. Lets clean it up. It's on, but is it done right? It seems I find more and more homes with repaired roofs. By this I mean there are more and more homes with just one section of the roof that has been replaced as opposed to the entire roof. I'm sure this is a cost saving measure by the home owners at the time of needing the roofing repaired and or replaced. Remember as a roofing contractor, you need to make sure the roofing you did install is better than the roofing you took off the home in the first place. You have to check then double check the work of your crew to see if EVERYTHING was done correctly. And I di mean everything. The last thing a home owner or contractor wants is to have to call the contractor back to the home for "issues" that had come up in the recent pa...
Comments 26
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Sometimes "Grampa just needs to retire". There are a lot of things on a home that gets "grand fathered in". At Desert Sun Home inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, we work hard to make a report that is the best report for the buyer. It is not up to us as inspectors to say this needs to be changed just because it's outdated or just old. Case in point. The electrical system on this home had been upgraded but a long time ago. It seems the owners never stopped building or adding additions to the home. But the electrical was not up graded for the home as the home grew in size. The nice home started out as a 1,100 two bedroom one bath home with no garage and just the home on the electrical system. Built in the 1950's and after many new additions to the home, now the home is a whopping 2,800 Sq...
Comments 16
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Uncle bob now in town again. All I could do is laugh. Now that the repairs have been completed and the second inspection has been completed. Now what? There seems to be a special effect with the repairs. The brick facade with the front of the home was in need of repairs as the brick had a wide crack in them. I called for the issue when I inspected the home the first time. Take a look at the repairs made by "Uncle Bob". Uncle Bob must have made the repairs. Now that Uncle Bob had been to the home to repair the Issues in the report. I headed over to check out the stucco crack repairs. This too had a lot to be desired when it comes to matching the homes exterior colors. Here is another wall. The entire exterior of the home was like this shot. Now the whole home needs to be repainted.  So t...
Comments 14
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Commercial draw inspection. Working on a Sunday. I like to have Sundays off. Especially when the Football playoffs are in full swing. But I needed to get this inspection completed for the Bank. When i arrived at the site there was a full crew working on getting the building completed. They were working on a Sunday so I felt a little better about being there myself. I entered the building to get some shots of the interior and there was some men on a scissor lift working on installing the roll up doors. Here is a shot of them to the right on the scissor lift. I asked if they were about to complete the door, one man replied "what door", I then said "the door your working on", Then the worker looked at the other worker  as if to look for some guidence for an answer. Then he replied      "we...
Comments 29
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Why is this happening? More of the same? This needs to change. On one of the three inspections I was on yesterday. I ran into the same problems I have run into in the past couple of years. This home was built in 2010, two years ago. Why was the home not inspected by the local building official. Or was it? After I asked the previous inspector now working in another town about how they inspected the attics ventilation, he got upset with me. Now there are more questions than answers about the ventilation and the way new construction has been or not have been inspected properly. Let's take a look at a couple venting issues in the attic of the home built in 2010, just Two years old. In this picture you can clearly see why the vent is not installed in the correct way. Even if the vent is a po...
Comments 28
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Inspecting a home and cracking up about it. At Desert Sun Home inspections, we see all kinds of homes. New ones old ones not so old ones and ones that really should not have been listed let alone lived in. This latest home inspection was a real challenge. It's a two story with a brick siding. The brick layers must have been learning on how to lay brick. When building a new home, now is not the time to bring in a learning person on the brick install for the home. This is exposed to the exterior and where every one to see when walking around the home. Lets take a look. This first shot does not do  well showing of the repairs that are needed. The next shot is a "what were they thinking" See the way the bricks are smaller the farther to the left under the window. I think they were learning ...
Comments 26
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Loosing your grip in the attic. Is there a better way? There I was in an attic at a recent home inspection and the insulation was waving at me. At desert sun Home inspections we really try hard to find everything we can when it comes to inspecting every part of the home that's accessible for review and inspection. When I entered this attic in a home built in 2010 and yes this is the rental home of the builder that had not sold it. We can't blame these issues on the renters. These are issues that are one unto them selves. Remember everything is "out of sight and out of mind, till the inspector shows up to inspect the home". When inspection the attic on this home I did find a lot of insulation falling from the joists. As you can see when you look back further and further in the attic, the...
Comments 32
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Vegetation and the electrical mast. Not good to combine them. I was at a town house inspection on Saturday and was starting in front then the roof. I did'nt make it to the back of the home yet when I ran into what I thought was a "Medusa looking area". The entire electrical mast was entangled with a vine that thought the electrical mast was it's own playground. The vine belonged to the neighbor but was on the buyers side of the block privacy wall. Take a look at this as I had seen it when inspecting the home. This vine had been growing for some time. It is all intertwined with the wiring on the mast. Here is a look down the back wall of th home. Can you say fire anyone? Here we have a view from the ground. Not a good situation for the vine that feels right at home on the mast. It should...
Comments 47
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
Uncle Bob Strikes again, the "Duct Tape saga" continues. At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico, we get to see a lot of homes that have been altered and modified by the use of duct tape. It seems it's the "creative choice of many owners, builders and even contractors who install everything in and on a home. Many times the Duct tape application will work if the area the Duct Tape was used is very well protected from the outside elements like the sun wind and rain. But in this case on a home built in 2009, it's not the best use of the duct tape. A reminder to all contractors. "If you don't have the proper fasteners like caps and zip ties, then go get some. Don't use duct tape as a fix all. It will not work in the long haul". This is my humble opinion when it comes to using ...
Comments 65
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
New Home Inspection, Why they are needed. New homes need an inspection too. Never buy a home without a home inspection. Yes even a brand new home. Yesterday I went to a new home that was just built. The new owners were getting ready to move in and closing is next week. I was met there by the Realtor and there are issues with the home. At Desert Sun Home Inspections in Carlsbad New Mexico we strive to provide the best home inspection we can to the buyer or seller. In this case it was the buyer who requested an inspection. After inspecting the exterior and roof of the home. I entered the attic after finding there was a faulty drop down ladder for the attic. Notice there is no fastener for the bottom step to the ladder going into the attic. This is a safety issue. Here we have a pull strin...
Comments 16
By Clint Mckie, Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586
(Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections)
It's Monday, are you busy this week? I hope all Active Rain members are busy this week. I have a re-inspection of two homes that the sellers "SAY" the repairs have been completed and they want me to verify that they have been completed. I also have a full home inspection to get done for a new client. Two Relocation home assesments and a roof inspection. When I perform home inspections and re-inspections for Desert Sun Home Inspections, there can be no Grey area.  The repairs have to be right. Are the repairs done? Are they one correctly? Who did the repairs?Was a permit needed for the repairs and or upgrades to the homes electrical system? There are a lot of questions for the seller or the sellers agent. Too many times we find the seller simply called their Uncle Bob to do the repairs f...
Comments 21
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