Gary N Smith – Residential Building Consultant

Send to KindleThe most obvious time to change your roofing material is when it begins to leak…but, that’s not always true. I use this 4 stage method when performing a roof inspection. Remember that the roof’s life span can be shortened by a number of factors, which includes poor attic ventilation, hail damage and poorly manufactured roofing [...]

Send to Kindle I ran across this piece submitted by Paul Lesieur of Remodel Crazy. Great pun on the drama that sometimes surrounds a residential rehab project. How about giving out Oscars for remodeling? We could have 4 categories. Best Dramatic Performance by a Homeowner or Contractor. Nominees are: Mrs. Buttwig, homeowner and president of Women [...]

Last week, for the fun of it, I Googled how to hire a contractor. I discovered a couple of fascinating facts. “How to hire a contractor” comes directly between “How to hire a bill collector” and “How to hire a hit man”, and Kim Kardashian is only Googled three times more than “How to hire a contractor”

In the end it was another loan that came to the Mercados’ rescue: the Federal Housing Administration’s 203(k), also known as the F.H.A. rehab loan, which is designed to cover not only buying the home but also renovating it, and is then paid back like a regular mortgage. A hybrid that has been around for more than 30 years, the loan program has recently surged in popularity.

First and foremost, clear communication is paramount. If you know what you want the contractor to do for you and can clearly relate that need, your contractor is less likely to misunderstand those instructions. Cost overruns almost always start with poor communication. Step #1 starts with You! Write it down.

Happy Leap Day! It only happens once every 4 years – how will you take advantage of the extra day? We’re looking at all the ways we can share a little more information with home buyers today, because we’re seeing all kinds of good news on the housing market. Low prices, low interest rates and great mortgage programs all point to one thing: it’s a buyer’s market.

This past week, I had three conversations with Realtors who had buyers who were looking at foreclosed or short-sale homes. They were considering using the FHA 203K program. All three Realtors wanted a bid so they would know how much to offer on the house.

Many Realtors think this is where the 203K process starts. If you are one of them, don’t feel bad – you are not alone. Intuitively, it makes sense.

First, a quick definition. A tandem circuit breaker is a double circuit breaker that takes up the space of a single circuit breaker on a panelboard. You’ll also hear them called duplex, slimline, twin, half-height, half-inch, double and wafer breakers, depending on local customs. While a two-pole circuit breaker gets connected to two different poles at a panelboard and has a common trip or a handle tie for simultaneous disconnecting of two poles, a tandem breaker does not.