JUNE 2008
Graduation:
A Special Ceremony for C-M Seniors
Dominic Bioni stands at attention as the Canon-McMillan
graduation ceremony gets underway
Celebrations!
First the prom and then graduation
Successful Women of the South Hills
Attaining a goal is certainly an attribute
of success, especially when it involves a high
degree of personal risk.
Animal House
They’re all accepted, including neglected dogs,
one-horned cows, even horses. It’s a 24/7 mission
for Washington County’s animal shelters.
Unique Development: Summerbrooke
.
Home Staging
Before you decide to put your house on the
market, you might want to talk to a home-staging
expert first.
Home of the Wild Things
The Washington County baseball team makes the
sport exciting to play and to watch.
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House Detectives
The sale of a home often hinges on the work of
one person – the home inspector
By Tim McNellie
When Thomas Scheidler goes to work, people
get nervous.
That’s because he makes his living as a
home inspector, looking for defects in the
houses that his clients are just one
favorable report away from buying. That can cause a bit of
stress among prospective home-buyers. After weeks or
months of house-shopping, and finally finding the perfect
structure in the perfect location at the perfect price, the
entire deal often hangs on the inspector’s findings. A
serious problem like a damaged foundation or a bad roof
could complicate, or even end, negotiations over the sale.
“The homebuyer is usually very quiet when I start an
inspection,” says Scheidler, owner of AllTech Engineering &
Inspection Services in Bethel Park. “They’re under a lot of
stress and they’re very nervous.”
It’s an odd line of work, being a home inspector. They’re
part engineer, examining the structural integrity of a home;
part detective, making sure that the current homeowner isn’t
hiding any serious issues with the house; and part
counselor, as they work with people going through what will
likely be the largest (and most nerve-wracking) purchase
they ever make.
Not all mortgages require a home inspection, but
virtually every real estate agent, banker, and mortgage
broker will agree that it’s a good idea to have one done.
Without a thorough inspection, a homebuyer can easily get
burned by overpaying for a house with serious structural
flaws. And it’s that prospect that gets people nervous.
“When I arrive at the house, it’s usually just me and the
home-buyer, and maybe a real estate agent” Scheidler says.
“I’ll start by introducing myself and going over what I’m
about to do, to try to put them at ease. If they’re
comfortable, they’re willing to ask questions about the home
they’re buying, and once they get involved, they feel better
about the process, like they’re not being excluded.”
It’s helpful to have them involved, many home
inspectors agree, because almost inevitably the house is going to have defects. Not necessarily moneydraining,
deal-killing problems like a chimney
about to topple over, but every house, even the
brand new ones, will reveal something that
needs attention. It’s the nature of the beast; a
house is the result of the labor of scores of
different tradesmen toiling in a relatively short
time. In the process, things are overlooked or
aren’t constructed properly.
“I’ve never inspected a home that had
nothing wrong with it,” says Matt Adams, owner
of the BrickKicker Home Inspection in
Washington. “You’ll typically find something
wrong, even it is just a minor thing in the
electrical box, or a gutter not installed just right.”
Easily-fixed problems like those typically
won’t affect a home’s sale, however. Only about
20 percent of the houses inspectors see will
have significant problems that could adversely
affect the value of the home, Adams says.
In Western Pennsylvania, the most common
of the more serious problems stem from water
issues. The soil in the region is predominantly
clay. When it rains, it doesn’t absorb water very
well, which leads to constantly flooded
basements. When the soil does soak up the
water, it expands, pushing out against basement
walls, which leads to cracking and buckling.
Home-sellers are required to disclose
serious problems prior to sale, but some choose
not to (or just aren’t aware of serious defects).
It’s up to the home inspector to uncover any
flaws that haven’t already been reported. Often
a simple process of disclosing a defect,
sometimes the evidence is covered up. “I don’t
see a lot of it, but a few times a year I’ll see
fresh paint over mold and stains,” says Mike
Orr, of Basset Home Inspection in Cecil.
Photo: Home inspector Thomas Scheidler checking out a fixture.
“Sometimes, people will store boxes in front of
a cracked wall, or actually build a wall in front
of the bad wall.”
“If I go into a place with fresh paint, I’m
suspicious,” Scheidler says. “If I go into a
basement or garage without fresh paint, I can
see everything I want about that wall.”
Occasionally, Orr says, the home-seller will
have paid to fix a problem, but the original
defect is not corrected.
Despite the potential cost-savings of a solid
home inspection, some people still opt against
them when buying a house. Or they’ll try to save
a few bucks by finding the cheapest inspector
possible, a move that leaves experienced
inspectors befuddled. “It’s the biggest
investment they’re ever going to make,” Orr
says, “but instead of asking the inspector
questions about his experience and background
they’ll simply pick one based on price.”
Scheidler agrees: “When you’re buying a
home, you’re spending a lot of money. The
inspection is the cheapest part of it. We don’t
pass or fail a home, that’s up to you. But in the
three hours we’re there, we get you as much
information about that house as we can.”
"The real estate
market in the
South Hills is
very stable. In
fact, home
prices are even
edging up.
We never
experienced the
bubble that
affected home
purchases
across the
country. There
was no
over-production
here. Realtors
in Pittsburgh
are very professional.
We give
buyers and
sellers a sense
of confidence
in the process."
- Lisa Carr, Howard Hanna
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