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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Seasonal Showers & Your Crawl Space Or Basement

April showers bring May flowers….or flooded crawl spaces and basements! Seasonal water damage isn’t as obvious as you may think. It doesn’t take a severe flood to do water damage to your home just increased saturation. For most of the Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Seattle areas we’ve experienced an increase in precipitation and strong winds over the last week. Now is the time to pay close attention to your crawl space, basements and drainage in your yard.

Right now is a good time to take a trip down to your crawl space. Prolonged moisture in the crawl space can attribute to mold, mildew, sill rot, joist rot, soil settlement, contamination of insulation and insect attraction. Monitor the walls in your basement for signs of moisture as well.

Follow these tips to keep the water out of your home. Clear gutters and downspouts of debris ensuring that water will be pulled from the roof and away from your home. Remember, a downspout doesn’t do any good if it deposits the water next to house! If your home’s yard frequently floods like the picture then you have problems resulting from a negative grade to the property. In other words your home should built up so that water slopes away from the home’s foundation. Finally, clear the storm water drains on the streets by your home frequently. This will avoid blockage and buildup of water causing dangerous street and property flooding. Should the property become a bigger problem than you can manage call the municipality. Of course, we are happy to perform a maintenance inspection on your home to determine any damages resulting from seasonal floods or moisture intrusion.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"Think Local First" in Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Washington, is a great little town of about 2,000 full time residents, but draws just over one million visitors every year.  The Bavarian theme town has a healthy economy, a thriving downtown and abundant recreational and tourist attractions.  Last week Rebecca attended a reception for local independent business owners called "Think Local First."  While our home inspection company advertises service from Seattle to Wenatchee our office is based out of Leavenworth for the wonderful reasons listed above.

The mission of Think Local First in Leavenworth & the Upper Wenatchee Valley is "to build a sustainable economy by increasing awareness about the personal, community and economic benefits of choosing local, independently-owned businesses first."  After seeing many familiar faces and sipping on donated local wine in the Barn Beach Reserve River Haus we watched a Bellingham based short docu-film highlighting the processes and successes of supporting locally owned businesses by purchasing their goods and services.  The room was packed!

Next, the group was introduced to the board of advisers that were behind the night's event.  We were encouraged to "Think Local First" with each purchase.  The idea is that money stays where you spend it.  According a handout from the evening, a consulting firm (Civic Economics) found that "when West Michigan consumers choose a locally owned business over a non-local alternative, $68 of every $100 spent stays in the community."  It went on to describe that only $43 stays in the community if spent non-locally and $0 remains when choosing to spend online.  Of course, the bottom line here is growth:  in activity, jobs, income and community.

The Call To Action!  Everyone was encouraged to sign a "10% Shift" pledge by the end of the evening.  If you could pledge to spend 10% more of your normal purchases locally then signing the dotted line was not too hard.  Living in a small town you'll find that you can't get everything in your neighborhood.  I happen to know that you can't process film or purchase a car in Leavenworth, but daily tasks and common services are very easy to manage.  The aforementioned handout referenced the same 2008 Kent County, Michigan, study when discussing the power of the 10% shift.  Their study estimated that the "10% shift would result in $140 million in new economic activity; 1,600 new jobs, and $50 millions in new wages."  In Chelan County that would mean "$16.8 million in new economic activity; 192 new jobs; and $6 million in new wages."

I'm up for the challenge!  We're going to make the 10% Shift.  I know that whatever we can't find from local business owners in Leavenworth we can certainly find within Chelan County in Wenatchee.  How about you?  Can you make the pledge in your town?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Wenatchee Home Inspector's Social Media Experience: Using Facebook to Add Newsletter Subscriptions

Our home inspection company has a large service area from Wenatchee to Seattle and sometimes it's a challenge to keep everyone informed.  Recently I was updating my Facebook business page. I really wanted to upload an application that could embed my e-newsletter sign up form. The most obvious Facebook Tabs include Wall, Info, Photos, Videos, Discussions, Links, and Applications. Using the Applications (Apps) tab you can insert your own HTML code to display your very own unique information. The Apps you want is called the Static FBML. This is what I needed to do in order to embed my e-newsletter sign up form on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AMSinspection.

1. In the Facebook search bar type “Static FBML.” Click Add to my page once you’ve found the Static FBML page.
2. Click on the Add to page button for the appropriate business page.
3. Go your business page and click Edit Page in the top right corner.
4. Click Applications and find FBML-FBML in the list of applications.
5. You have 3 options. Choose Go to Application and click.
6. An edit page will open. Paste your HTML code into the FBML box.
7. Personalize your tab link in the Box Title box. For example “Newsletter Sign-Up”.
8. Click on Save Changes and then go to your business page and admire your work!

You should have a new tab link on the left side of your page under your profile picture. You can delete it any time or change the name by following the easy steps that you used to create the link.

Here is mine. I use mailchimp for my e-news and they provide the HTML code use on other sites.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Closing Costs Calculator for the Washington Home Buyer


Photo Credit: http://themortgagereports.com
We perform home inspections in about 10 counties throughout Washington from Seattle to Wenatchee. Occasionally our clients call to book an inspection and are still a little confused about the inspection cost-- who pays it, how much it is, etc. We did a little internet search and found a few closing cost calculators that may help the potential home buyer. The calculator we are sharing seems to have the most descriptions of the costs, but will only give you a rough idea since the costs are only estimations. For example, they estimate the cost of an inspection at $175, but our inspections start at $275...this is standard for a single family home. Condos may be less. Also, the appraisal fee usually starts around $300. A loan application fee will be added to the credit report for a combined fee of $75-$300. With all this in mind you can use the calculator to get an idea of the added costs associated with buying a home. If you have a good agent to walk you through the buying process then you won't be blindsided with these costs. They can also help you negotiate fees that may be shared with the seller.

Closing Costs Calculator from Mortgage-Investments.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Homeowner Tax Guide: Get All Your Deductions!

In a time where buyers are cautious and are really weighing out all the benefits of home ownership here are some considerations for tax season. Several tax deductions and credits are providing relief to homeowners and making them very proud of their investment decision. Deducting mortgage interest, home equity debt, capital gains on home sales and taking advantage of energy conservation credits are just a few of the tax season benefits that homeowners can cash in on. Do you have a home office? There’s another one. Most of our monthly home loan payment is interest and you can deduct every bit of it. Only those folks with a loan of $1,000,000+ receive a cap on this deduction.

Stephanie Singer, a Realtors.org contributor wrote about this topic in Tax Time Less Taxing for Home Owners. She said that, “ninety-one percent of home owners who claim the mortgage interest deduction earn less than $200,000 a year, and the ability to deduct the interest paid on a mortgage can mean significant savings at tax time. For example, a family who bought a home in 2010 with a $200,000, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, assuming an interest rate of 4.5 percent, could save nearly $3,500 in federal taxes when they file this year.”

We found a great resource from Kiplinger.com. They have listed all the deductions for homeowners at “What’s Deductible? – A to Z.” Check it out to make sure that you're getting the most deductions as a homeowner. We use a skilled accountant in Wenatchee to guide us through our own tax deductions. We suggest that you hire a recommended accounting professional to point out these important opportunities for you.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Wenatchee Fire Chief Applies For Smoke Detector Grants

This week I attended a North Central Home Builders Association dinner in Wenatchee, Washington. One of the speakers was Mark Yaple, the Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Wenatchee. He talked about the number one problem that causes a total loss in a house fire– a faulty or absent smoke detector. Since 1995 building code has required homes to have hardwired smoke detector alarms with battery backup. Yaple is concerned about the homes built before 1995. He has taken it upon himself to provide smoke detectors to any home in the city of Wenatchee that needs one.

State Farm Insurance gave him a $5,000 grant to purchase battery operated smoke detectors. With the help of a Red Cross volunteer and driving his fire truck he went door to door inspecting smoke detectors and installing new ones where needed. He advertised his free service to the public and received many calls from elderly people that were not able to deal with the problem themselves. His goal is to receive more money and continue his good work. He has applied for more grants from State Farm and the Federal Government and hopes to receive up to $27,000 to purchase detectors. Obviously, new construction homes are not entitled to his program because they would not meet the code adopted in 1995. If you would like to volunteer with Yaple to install smoke detectors contact him at the City of Wenatchee. He could use our help!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Hög Loppet Ski Trek 2011

Ski 30 km from Mission Ridge to Blewett Pass. Stay in Leavenworth!
For the second year in a row I skied the Hög Loppet and Rebecca, our office manager, coordinated the huge event for the third year with the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club.  This was the first Saturday in a long time that our AMS Inspection office was completely closed...and for skiing!  The event was a great success with over 600 registrations and folks traveling to the Leavenworth-Wenatchee area from all over the Pacific Northwest and other areas.  Here are some intersting facts that Rebecca shared about the event.

Cashmere World articles:
"Hog Loppet Draws Record Attendance Despite Near Record Cold Temps"
"Hog Loppet Highlight Colorful Capes and Shot Ski"
YouTube Video From A Participating Skier:  Hög Loppet 2011
Wenatchee World blog:  Hög Loppet 2011
Leavenworth WorldHog Loppet Weekend
Cross Country Skier MagazineLeavenworth Winter Sports Club to Present Hog Loppet Ski Trek
 
Data about registrations:
  • 5% from Wenatchee
  • 6% from Leavenworth
  • 19% other
  • 70% from Western WA

Other Info:
  • Farthest Participant From: New York
  • 70% stay in Leavenworth
  • 87% use shuttle buses
  • 3 shuttle buses were required in Wenatchee
  • 10 shuttle buses were required in Leavenworth
  • Youngest Skier= 10 years
  • Oldest Skier= 73 years
  • Last chairlift: 8:30 a.m.
  • First Skier to finish: 9:45 a.m.
  • Last Skier to finish: 5:10 p.m.
  • 70 staff/volunteers
  • 557 participated
  • 602 registered
  • 30 kilometers

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Northwest ENERGY STAR's New Standards

Northwest ENERGY STAR Verifier Update Training started in November 2010 to educated certified Verifiers about the new standards for ENERGY STAR Homes, with a roll-out date of January 1, 2011. In the November/December 2010 "Builder News" Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes said that, "due to the changing energy codes across the Northwest, the January 1 roll-out of the enhanced specifications was necessary to maintain the high level of quality and performance associated with the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes label."


Our company owner, Aaron Schreiner, attended the update training in Olympia in January.  For more information about the new standards visit the ENERGY STAR Insider News page.  Aaron's professional achievement was highlighted in the Wenatchee World People & Places article on March 5th.

-Rebecca Darley

Thursday, March 3, 2011

WA State Energy Code's New HVAC Requirement

     This week one of our staff went to a WSU Extension Energy Program training in Wenatchee with a focus on duct sealing and testing requirements for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code for HVAC: 503.10.3 Sealing.  We have two Energy Star Performance Technicians on staff so this class was more of a refresher course on duct testing but we did benefit from understanding more about the changes to the new HVAC requirements.  Basically, the code is in a trial period.  Contractors must test the HVAC now but do not have to meet the target rate of allowable leakage during this 120-day testing period.  In April 2011 a judicial committee will listen to arguments from all sides and make a decision about the 503.10.3 Sealing WA State Energy Code. 
     We performed a HVAC leakage test on a home in South Wenatchee.  The new construction home performed well.  It would have passed the new requirements.  It was interesting to note the small leakages that could be easily fixed by mastic.  The equipment used for testing the HVAC includes a duct blaster, manometer and blower door which could add up to $5,000.  This is a new expense to contractors.  There is also discussion about requiring third party testing due to conflict of interest.  Should HVAC contractors be able to test their own work? 
     Here are a few interesting facts we learned in class this week.  Did you know that 40% of a home's fresh air comes from the crawl space or garage?  Thinking about cleaning those spaces right now...aren't you!?  This is also a good time to remind you to open your garage door any time the car is on.  A family of four can emit up to 3 gallons of water into a home daily from sweating, showering, cooking, etc.  Where do the 12 gallons of water go?  Be sure to use your oven and bathroom exhaust fans regularly!