Replies

1. 
   DougU | Dec 23, 2006 03:51am | #1

   Are these pictures you actually took?

   Some look pretty scarry!

   Doug

1. 
   gb93433 | Dec 23, 2006 05:06am | #3

   No I did not take them.

2. 
   McDesign | Dec 23, 2006 04:28am | #2

   Those are great!  I may have to reuse some of those - "ma'am, you've got a real dangerous situation down there"

   ;-)

   Forrest

3. 
   hasbeen | Dec 23, 2006 05:37am | #4

   The chimney next to the wall looks like no biggie since it seems not to be in use.

   Hard to imagine why a home inspector would care about an overloaded power strip. It's not part of the house.

   My fave is the bare wire/plug hook up! (Doggone cat! I told him not to go in there!) <G>

   "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

   ~ Voltaire

1. 
   rjw | Dec 24, 2006 05:26pm | #10

   >>Hard to imagine why a home inspector would care about an overloaded power strip. It's not part of the house.I'd point that out to my client for 2 reasons: it might suggest an inadequate number of plugs in the area (which, of course, I'd further check myself,) and mentioning it might help the client avoid similar screwups. (And keep the client from doing the same stupid things and then complaining after the fire "Well, you didn't say anything.")Also, we get to see lots of stupid things and it is kind of fun taking pictures of them to entertain our friends and, for those of us who teach, our students.BTW, home inspections are also (or at least can be) educational - we tell people how things operate, what to look for as materials and components age, how to maintain things, and things to avoid.I usually discuss general safety issues, depending on the client and the client's family.E.g., if they have infants, I suggest low level CO monitors; young children, point out older blind cord loops; etcHI's can be a lot more interesting than just looking for problems.IMO, HI's should avoid real estate type issues: value, etc.

   The "War on Terrorism" has failed - in part by narrowing our options to only the option of last resort.

   I propose we start a worldwide Partnership Against Terror, in which the reasonable people of the world work together to oppose terrorism and the conditions which lead people to that desperate condition.

   "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

1. 
   hasbeen | Dec 24, 2006 07:50pm | #14

   I like your pro-active approach with your clients. Educating them is good, whether or not the items covered are actually part of the property. Most real estate buyers and sellers have a lot to learn.What I meant by "the plug isn't real estate" is that, at least in Colorado, anything on the property is real estate if it is screwed down, plumbed in, glued on, or otherwise mechanically affixed. Theoretically, a refrigerator with an ice maker is real estate (plumbed in), while any free standing refrigerator is simply personal property.That is why we try to get our sellers to remove family heirloom light fixtures, screwed on coat racks, etc. before the home is shown for sale and why we get clear lists of inclusions and exclusions.

   "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

   ~ Voltaire

1. 
   Kowboy | Dec 24, 2006 10:53pm | #15

   I did a home inspection for a friend. He ended up not buying the house, but i did spot a high efficiency furnace that had condensate running back down a metal flue and had eaten through it.

   He told the homeowners about it anyway, they had it fixed and the guy said his headaches went away too.

   Might have saved some lives,

   Kowboy

2. 
   SamT | Dec 26, 2006 01:51am | #16

   I wish you would lose that polijive signature up here outside the tavern.

    SamT

   Now if I could just remember that I am a businessman with a hammer and not a craftsman with a business....."anonymous". . .segundo <!----><!----> 

1. 
   rjw | Dec 26, 2006 05:59pm | #20

   Good point - I've tried to remove it when posting outside but haven't done a good job - time for a change anyway"Law reflects but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society. The values of a reasonably just society will reflect themselves in a reasonably just law. The better the society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law, and the lion shall lie down with the lamb. The values of an unjust society will reflect themselves in an unjust law. The worse the society, the more law there will be, In Hell, there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed." Grant Gilmore, "Ages of American Law"

   Edited 12/26/2006 10:05 am ET by rjw

1. 
   SamT | Dec 26, 2006 06:31pm | #21

   Bob,

   Thanks.

   It was getting to the point where I was gonna have to respond to yer sig, and we know what happens when U&I talk poli.

   Roar.SamT

   Now if I could just remember that I am a businessman with a hammer and not a craftsman with a business....."anonymous". . .segundo <!----><!----> 

2. 
   rjw | Dec 26, 2006 07:22pm | #22

   Ummm, after changing it, I've been wondering if my new tag might also be too "political."Whadda ya think?

   "Law reflects but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society. The values of a reasonably just society will reflect themselves in a reasonably just law. The better the society, the less law there will be. In Heaven, there will be no law, and the lion shall lie down with the lamb. The values of an unjust society will reflect themselves in an unjust law. The worse the society, the more law there will be, In Hell, there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed." Grant Gilmore "Ages of American Law"

3. 
   McDesign | Dec 26, 2006 07:27pm | #23

   Ummm. . .

   Maybe take it camping as part of a fire-starting kit?

   Forrest

4. 
   SamT | Dec 26, 2006 08:11pm | #24

   First, I generated all the negative attitude I can. Threw in severe Libertarianism and Enlightened Self Interest. Added some Anti Christianity.

   Then I read your tag and thought it was Philosophical.

   Naive, inane, and unrealistic, but still just philosphy. (|:>)SamT

   Now if I could just remember that I am a businessman with a hammer and not a craftsman with a business....."anonymous". . .segundo <!----><!----> 

3. 
   Geoffrey | Dec 27, 2006 12:42am | #26

   rjw, just to clarify, It's  "inalienable"  not "unalienable", no such word as "unalienable" . Interesting tag line though.

                                                                              Geoff

                                          

4. 
   Luka | Dec 23, 2006 05:38am | #5

   "several plugs on a power strip"...

   You'd think with all the arcing and sparking, they would not need that nightlight...

   ---

   Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06

1. 
   try50772 | Dec 23, 2006 05:54am | #6

   My fave is that power strip is in a bath. Who the hell needs all that shid in a bathroom.

1. 
   Luka | Dec 23, 2006 05:57am | #7

   I saw that too.Never lived with a houseful of women and teenagers, have you ?;o)

   Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06

1. 
   dovetail97128 | Dec 23, 2006 06:04am | #8

   Got me rolling on the floor with that one ;-)))

1. 
   Trusshauler | Dec 24, 2006 03:07pm | #9

   I hope all of these weren't in the same house !!

   Want to make God laugh? Tell Him you've got plans.

   - Anonymous         

2. 
   rjw | Dec 24, 2006 05:32pm | #11

   >>I hope all of these weren't in the same house !!As a general rule, when I start spotting weird stuff, there's a lot of weird stuff in that house.There are about 10 basic photos that I take at every house: front view, back view, 2 roof shots (or more), furnace, main & sub-panels open, water heater, attic, and general shots showing the state of storage (garage/basement) Then there are the (i) problem photos and the (ii) "what the heck was he thinking" photos (often overlapping with the prob photos) and the (iii) CYA photos as needed[poljive sig tag removed on edit]

   Edited 12/26/2006 10:04 am ET by rjw

5. 
   Shacko | Dec 24, 2006 07:28pm | #12

   I could only view some of your pictures, but what I've seen looks like the Breeding Police have failed again!

1. 
   brownbagg | Dec 24, 2006 07:37pm | #13

   How about posting some of those pictures when you get bored.

1. 
   rjw | Dec 26, 2006 05:54pm | #19

   I've posted some here.I keep meaning to copy weird stuff to a separate folder so I can find it easily - maybe that'll be my new years resolution.

   Edited 12/26/2006 10:04 am ET by rjw

6. 
   Matt | Dec 26, 2006 03:24am | #17

   I'm gonna try a different kind of attachment - a power point presentation that includes your pics and others... 

   Warning to dialup users... don't try this at home ;-)

1. 
   DougU | Dec 26, 2006 05:32pm | #18

   Matt

   Those are some scary/wierd/funny pictures!

   I think my fav is the guy that layed the hot water heater on its side! WTF could he have been thinking???

   Some one mentioned a while back that Bosshog should make a book out of his farming thread, well you  could market one of those daily tear away calenders with a new home inspection pic for each day, l doubt there will ever be a shortage of stupid stuff!

   Doug

   Edited 12/26/2006 9:36 am ET by DougU

7. 
   txlandlord | Dec 26, 2006 10:39pm | #25

   Thought you might find the pictures rather interesting.

   Rather interesting? Looks more like life threatening.