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Cure for the Cell Phone Dead Zone at Home

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Finally there is a “fix” for people who have cell phone deficit disorder syndrome.

Do you or someone you know suffer from poor cell phone coverage at their home or office? I had to run out my back door every time my cell phone rang so I could talk to people from my patio. I simply had no coverage inside my house. This was frustrating and actually cost me money. That’s right, I had to maintain a seldom-used landline for emergencies.

One day I was lucky enough to perform a home inspection for client who worked at a company that designs cell phone antennae. She told me about “Femtocells” which are offered by some cell phone companies. These devices plug into your broadband router and work like a mini cellphone tower in your house.

Network Extender

Several cell phone companies offer these devices. Verizon calls then “Network Extenders”, AT&T calls them by their technical name “Femtocell”.

Installing this device could not be easier. You simply plug it into your router and put the small GPS receiver next to a window. The unit must be able to pick up a GPS signal to establish its location for emergency phone calls.

Once the GPS signal is established, your phone automatically connects to the extender when you get home. You don’t need to do anything! The extender will handle up to three phone calls simultaneously. So to make sure your neighbors don’t hog the connections, you can register up to 50 phone numbers that the device will recognize, excluding all others. However it will only provide coverage for three phone calls at once. If you have an office with poor coverage, you could purchase several of these so that more calls can be handled at the same time. 

The list price for the Network Extender from Verizon is $250, but they usually offer $100 off. The best part is that it is a one-time expense and there are no monthly charges for it. I was able to disconnect my land-line which saves me $25 per month. So the Network extender will pay for itself in six months.

Please note that the extender does not improve mobil broadband coverage. It only improves your coverage for making calls.

About the author: Philippe Heller is the president of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company in San Diego. It is one of the largest home inspection companies in San Diego County, and uses the latest technology to perform inspections.

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Stop, Look and Listen

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Checking your own house periodically can prevent disasters

Home inspectors use all of their senses when inspecting a house. An experienced inspector can draw several conclusions within the first few minutes of a home inspection. Actually, as soon as we pull up to a house, we can pretty well determine what we are in for. Many of the problems we see and report on could have been avoided. Here are some things you can (and should) do periodically to maintain your house.

At least once every six months, take some time to care for your prized investment – your house. Pick a quiet time of the day when the kids are away, no gardeners are blowing leaves, and you have about half an hour of free time. Turn off the radio, iPod or TV. Quietly walk around the interior of your house and listen. Really listen for drips, leaking water, and running toilets.

One common source of leaks is in the toilet tank. If you hear running water it is usually caused by one of three things; a high water level, a

Brittle Flapper

worn flapper, or a worn valve. The simplest problem is when the level of the water is set too high. You will see water pouring over the top of the spill tube. Adjust the float to shut the water off before the level goes over the top of this tube.

If you still hear water trickling at the toilet when the valve has stopped, your flapper valve may be worn out. Over time the flapper valve becomes brittle. It will no longer create a good seal and water trickles through. This constant flow of water can cause a lot of problems. It can deteriorate the wax seal under the toilet which leads to floor damage. It can also cost you money because tens or hundreds of gallons of water per month are going down the drain. One telltale sign of a worn flapper is “phantom-flushing”. That’s when your toilet mysteriously fills with water periodically by itself. Flappers are inexpensive and easy to replace. We recommend replacing all of them throughout the house at the same time.

If the water continues to flow after changing the flapper and adjusting the level, the valve itself may be bad or your water pressure is too high. Flush the toilet and observed the water flow. If it is spraying really hard, or if the valve whines when shutting off your pressure regulator may have failed. Call a plumber or buyer a pressure gauge (about $12) and have it checked. If the water pressure appears normal (50 – 80 psi max) then your toilet fill valve may be worn and requires replacement. Changing the toilet fill valve is fairly easy and a reasonable do-it-yourself project.

You’ll also want to listen for dripping tub and shower faucets. Again this wastes water, but it can also rust out components in the tub and

Tub Drain

 drain. Fixing this might be beyond the average homeowner. So get a plumber to do it. It will save you money in the long run.

Your water heater can cause a lot of trouble particularly if it is more than 10 years old. If the water heater pops or gurgles when it is heating water, replace it. This indicates pending failure and poor efficiency. You are hearing sediment at the bottom of the tank. Over the years, sediment from the water and the rusting tank settles at the bottom. This layer of gunk acts as an insulating layer. When your water heater tries to heat water, the flame must stay on longer to heat the water. By the way, simply flushing your water heater once a year can prevent this.

To wrap up your plumbing inspection, check all of the valves under the sinks, at your clothes washer and behind the toilet. These valves

Corroded Valve

 commonly fail, and can flood your house. If you find valves that have excessive calcium build-up, have them replaced immediately. We recommend changing them all even if you find one that is deteriorated. The others will follow.

Another item that should be checked periodically is your electric panel. Now if you have any concerns about your electrical system you should not do this yourself. Rather, call an electrician. But if your electric panel is in good condition open the lid and listen for buzzing breakers. You can also gently rest your hand on the breakers to see if they are excessively hot. If either of these conditions

GFCI receptacle

exists you should have your panel checked.  Your GFCI receptacles must also be checked periodically. They have a built-in test button. Go ahead and test them. If they do not trip, or reset, they need to be replaced.

There are many other items that should be checked at your house including the roof, windows, garage door, heating and AC system, and appliances. Plumbing and electrical systems cause the most problems. Most home inspectors will provide a maintenance inspection for homeowners. It is a good idea to have your house inspected periodically. Catching some of these items early can save you money in the long run.

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Making Sense of the Housing Crisis

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

A must-read for anyone in real estate

While we are seeing an increase in “traditional” transactions, the majority of the houses we inspect lately are short sales or forclosures. So how did we get here? And what can we do about it?

My friend and Real Estate Broker Marian Anthony has published a book that answers all the questions surrounding the current real

Short Sale Rush

 estate environment. In his book “Short Sale Rush” Marian goes through the history of what lead to the current real estate crash, what can be done to avoid a repeat, and what homeowners can do if they are faced with losing their home.

The book answers so many questions. There are chapters on Non-Performing Assets, Short Sale procedures and Hard Money Lending to name a few. And it has a great “frequently asked questions” chapter which answers many questions such as:

• What is a short sale?
• Will I have to pay taxes on the amount of the loan the lender loses?
• What is the difference between a recourse and a non-recourse loan?
• What happens to my credit with a short sale or foreclosure?
• How long until I can buy another house?

This book really is a must-read for anyone interested in real estate today.  Whether you are a homeowner facing

 the reality of short sale or forclosure, an agent who wants to help people sell or buy a short sale, or just someone who wants to cut through the “noise”, you need to read this book. It is a short 124 pages packed with information.  

I highly recommend this book for agents, homeowners, or anyone who wants to understand the current real estate environment. I learned stuff I never even considered!  It is available at www.amazon.com or read an excerpt at www.shortsalerush.com

Marian Anthony is the CEO of Anthony Realty Group in Carlsbad, California.

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Identifying Problem Roofs

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Asphalt Shingle Roof

A roof is one of the most expensive components of a home. Hundreds of different materials have been used as roofing material from sticks to plastic, and grass to glass. When you are looking for a home you need to know what type of roofing material is installed, if it was installed correctly, and the current condition. A thorough home inspection will include a detailed evaluation of the roof. A roof in poor condition can be a deal breaker, so here are some things to look for that can give you a heads-up about the condition of a roof.

The majority of the houses we inspect range in age from the 1950′s to new. The most common roof material we see in San Diego is the three-tab composite asphalt shingle roof. It is made of oil-impregnated fiberglass material, with an aggregate (which looks like kitty litter) pressed into the surface. The aggregate adds color, but its primary purpose is to protect the shingles from UV exposure. Once the aggregate is worn, the shingle deteriorates rather quickly. The majority of asphalt shingles have a life expectancy of 20 or 30 years.

Worn Asphalt Shingle

Before making an offer on a house, take a close look at the roof. If you see worn areas, this indicates that the shingles are nearing the end of their life. You can also do some simple math to estimate the age of the roof. If you are looking at a house built in 1970, the house is 40 years old. Assuming that the house originally had a 20-year asphalt roof, it was most likely replaced in the early 1990′s. That means that the current 20-year roof is nearing the end of its 20 year expected life.

Look around the perimeter of the house for evidence that the aggregate is washing off of the roof. If you see piles of gritty material which is the same color as the roof, you’ll know that the roof is deteriorating.

Tile Roof

The other most common roof type in San Diego is the tile roof. Authentic Spanish tile roofs are made from baked clay, and the color is solid all the way through. These tiles will last a long time; 50 – 100 years if properly maintained.

A less expensive, but very durable material is the concrete tile. These tiles are more uniform, and are color coated concrete. These come in a variety of shapes and colors. Tiles can be flat, or curved to emulate Spanish tiles. These tiles should last 50 years, however some of these tiles were poorly made and will not last that long. You will notice that some tiles, which should be glazed, are now dull and often have moss or dark staining on them. Some roof contractors will recommend that you replace these tiles.

Prior to the 1990′s, many tile roofs were poorly installed without the metal flashings now common on tile roofs. On the older tile roofs, the bottom edge of the lower row of tiles was held up by a small board commonly called a

Fascia Detail

shadow board, so that the slope of the tile was consistent with those at the the upper rows. (On the upper rows, each tile rests on the top edge of the tile below it.)  Without a shadow board, the bottom row of tiles lay at an different angle than the remainder of the roof.

The tar paper was draped over the shadow board. Over time, the paper sagged causing water to “pond”. The standing water eventually damages the paper underlayment, which can cause damage to the wood under the paper, and the fascia. To make matters worse, the open end of arched tiles allows the sun to shine in on the paper. The UV rays caused the paper to dry out and shrink.  Once the

Open tile

paper deteriorates, water then pools behind the shadow board causing dry rot.

Newer tile roofs installed after the mid-1990′s were installed with a metal flashing at the bottom edge of the roof. This flashing serves several purposes, it holds the bottom row of tiles at the correct angle, it encloses the open end of arched tiles, and it acts as a drip edge to direct water away from the fascia board.

There is another important reason to “close” the ends of the tile. Wind driven fires proved devastating even for houses with tile roofs. That is because embers were blown up into the roof through the open ends of the tile. There the embers start roof fires which  are very difficult to extinguish. This flashing is often referred to as “bird stop” for its ability to keep birds from nesting under the tiles.

If you are purchasing a house that is 20 years old or more, take the time to look at the roof. You could save yourself a lot of heartache later.

Tags: buying bank owned, Roof
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What is an Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor?

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) are special types of electrical outlets and circuit breakers designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring.

Dwelling Units. All 120-volt, single phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets installed in dwelling unit in family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, sun rooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination-type installed to provide protection of the branch circuit.

Home inspectors should refrain from quoting exact code in their reports. A plaintiff’s attorney might suggest that code quotation means that the inspector was performing a code inspection and is therefore responsible for identifying all code violations in the home.  Some jurisdictions do not yet require their implementation in locations where they can be helpful.

Tags: AFCI
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