How do nonprofits handle real estate?

Inspections for the next generation

Nonprofits, NGOs, and ministries often own real estate. How do you determine the structural condition of that property? When it’s time to buy or sell property, who inspects its condition, to warn you of concerns so that you won’t be surprised later on? You may think of hiring a local engineer. However, most engineers are specialists who don’t have the broad training needed to create a comprehensive Property Condition Report. And, I offer a 20% discount, or sliding fee scale, for nonprofit organizations of all kinds.

James Eubank is a member of ASTM International

I’m James Eubank, a Certified Commercial Inspector. My inspection services and consultations are available around the world (except perhaps a few locales with restrictions or regulations), I’ll be glad to make a free Written Proposal for your project. You can contact me through LinkedIn, or through my website at www.westinspect.us. I look forward to meeting you!

Autumn home maintenance

Winter is on its way.  In fact, here in Colorado, it seems to have arrived early, with days of freezing rain, or snow, or cold fog.  So it’s time to start thinking about winter preparations for your home.  It’s important to get your house ready for winter, and you may already have the good habit of doing that.  Here are a few more online tips for taking care of your home, and providing a little help to the neighborhood birds, too.

Drain your water heater:  Watch a video on flushing out built-up sediment in your water heater.

Another video shows parents and children how to build a bird feeder together.

And an article about wood fires and taking care of your chimney.

Thanks to This Old House for timely and useful information that is worth passing on to others.

A view of life after the recession

Sometimes you run across an article that says it just right.  I’ve made comments about the effects of the recession before.  But Jeff Rundles has done such a great summary, that I’m just going to pass it on to you.  His conclusions seem pretty accurate.  And somehow, the attitude comes through that it’s ok, that the new reset economy will be an improvement.

Read Lather. Rinse . . . .

The focus on housing problems

Have you noticed how different sources can put a different spin on the same news?  I try to get my news from a few different sources, including The Pueblo Chieftain, BBC World News, Business Week, LinkedIn, and others.  However, even with that variety, they have all been saying some similar things.  They are saying that the housing market is not recovering.  Housing prices have probably bottomed-out, but the number of actual sales is still weak.

I hear different reasons for this weakness.  Some say the lenders still won’t lend.  Others say that buyers won’t offer a fair price to the sellers.  Still others say that consumers are scared, and they won’t buy anything.  All of these factors, and others, are probably working together to slow down home sales across Colorado and America.

So what’s a person to do, especially someone who cares about real estate?  If you are in business, you have probably already tightened your belt and fine-tuned your marketing.  We will all be living with slimmer bank accounts, counting our dollars, euros, pesos or yen more carefully.  And we’re not just talking about short-term frugality.  The way of the future will be less debt, less extravagance, more green (environment, not dollars!) and more simple lifestyles.

That may sound like bad news, but it’s actually good news in the long run.  After this recession runs its course, the results will include less debt-stress, more economic flexibility, and (hopefully) more emphasis on people rather than things.  That doesn’t sound like bad news at all.  We’re in the midst of an economic correction that was long overdue.

So don’t let the “bad news” get you down.  Hang in there with your family, your work, your exercise, and your generous spirit.  Be willing to help others, even when there is no obvious payback to yourself.  Get together with some like-minded friends, and instead of complaining, do something positive to influence those around you.  You’ll be glad you did!

First-time homebuyer?

Have you been thinking about buying a home for the first time?  Maybe the current economy makes you nervous, wondering if now is a good time to buy?  Home prices are down, and that’s good news for buyers.  But where can you get some solid advice about buying?  Who can you trust in these troubled times?

Ask three or four friends what they think, and you’ll get three or four different opinions.  So consider the source . . . Does this family member or friend seem like they spend money wisely?  Do you know their reputation for handling money?  Don’t take serious financial advice from someone who is always complaining about money, who never has money to pay bills, or who has a bad money reputation.

When it comes to home buying, it’s important to find a trusted real estate agent.  If an agent seems in a hurry to sell you a house, any house, then they may not be looking out for your best interest.  There are plenty of reputable agents available, so you just have to start asking around to find someone who is not in a big hurry to make a sale.

Home buying is complicated, there’s no doubt about that.  And when it’s your first time, it can be even worse than you imagined.  But don’t give up, there are some really great resources out there.  Start with this one from HUD, Common Questions from First-time Homebuyers.

Now there is one current benefit that you will need to work on sooner, not later.  It’s the $8000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. The last day to use this tax credit is November 30, 2009.  Considering how long it takes to get mortgage approval, find a home, then reach a deal on the home, then get to the closing table, you might want to get serious now.

There’s been some talk of extending that tax credit, maybe for six months or longer. That seems like a great idea, but it’s not decided yet.  When there’s any kind of tax credit or government grant, that means someone else is paying for a benefit that you receive.  So it’s not a sure deal for the tax credit to be extended.

If you’re just getting started to find your new home, I wish you well!  And I know there are lots of good properties out there, so don’t give up if you don’t find your dream home right away.  If I can help at all, just call me.

15 tools every homeowner should own

So you’re finally buying a house of your own?  Or maybe you’ve had your own place for years, and never got around to getting a few tools.

Where do you begin?  I’m not expecting you to be a master carpenter, or an electrician, or (yipes!) a plumber.  But you do need to know about fifteen basic tools that will really help you out.  It’s not an expensive list, and they are easy to find at a local store.

Hey, this would even make a good Christmas list to share with your family and friends.  So download the two-page PDF file here, and see what you still need to fill your handy toolbox.  Or maybe you’re like a lot of folks, and you just throw your tools into a kitchen drawer.  Whatever.

And here’s the helpful inspector’s offer:  If you get stuck, finding a tool (unlikely), or using a tool (more likely), give me a call.  I mean I’m not a licensed contractor (disclaimer there, you know).  But I do know how to swing a hammer or use a drill.  In fact, I can do those tasks either right-handed or left-handed.  Pretty talented, huh?

Download your 15 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own.

Water-Tight Promises for All Kinds of Weather

watertight promises

Inspecto-photos

Just seems like time to post a few photos.  Most of them were taken during inspections.  All are my originals except for one.  I’m not a great photographer, don’t really have the eye for it, but it’s fun when every once in a while a photo op jumps out at me.  Ok, here we go . . .

This first one was just taken yesterday, where winter is just beginning here in southern Colorado.  The aspen leaves are dead, black, but not all fallen off.  The leaves contrast with the stucco wall and decor behind the tree.

Little bird mouths, species unknown, yelled up at me when I opened the lid on a propane tank back in the summer.  Mom or Dad had built a nest on top of the tank’s gauge.  No, I didn’t have any worms for them, so sorry.  Just closed it back up and wished them well.

When you travel on Colorado Highway 10, between Walsenburg and La Junta, there’s a great panoramic view about 20 miles east of Walsenburg.  In fact, it’s my favorite highway scene in all of Colorado.  You’re heading west up a hill, when all of a sudden you crest the hill and there it is!  Such a wide-open view of Greenhorn Mountain to the right and Spanish Peaks to the left, with a good dose of Mt. Blanca in the distance.

Sheep are not as common in Colorado as they used to be.  Seems like cattle are more profitable.  But for the rancher who is willing to make the effort, sheep can be an unexpected source of pride, beauty, and yes, even income.  These sheep were finishing off a field of wheat, before heading for a field of turnips.  Yes, that’s right, turnips!

Lew Sterritt can train horses like no other man.  He took a horse that had basically never been “broken,” and taught it to trust him in the matter of about an hour.  You can see the horse sitting down here.  As you can imagine, the horse did not want to sit down like a dog.  But he eventually trusted Lew’s instructions, and sat peacefully for a few minutes.  It’s a convincing picture of how our creator leads and teaches us.

Walking along the Arkansas River always turns up something unexpected.  This simple spider was fairly large, and was totally unconcerned as I moved around him trying to get a decent photo.  He was waiting for lunch, no doubt, and he was just as patient as can be.  Ah, that I would be so patient . . .

I suppose I should throw in a photo of an inspector.  And not just any inspector, but me, inspecting under a deck.  Just in case you’re curious about deck inspections . . .

That’s all the photos for now.  Hope you enjoy.

Flat Iron Art

As part of my inspection business, I see a lot of remarkable creations at peoples’ homes.  Sometimes it’s the home itself, where the way it’s been built or remodeled is amazing.  And homes have plenty of fine art work, too.  But I’ve never seen anything quite like these flat iron sculptures.

Five of these sculptures are mounted on the walls of a home in southeastern Colorado.  The owners told me they were done a few years back by a Navajo man.  He looked at photos of the owners, and then cut the iron using a laser.  Although there are computers made to guide laser cuts, he did it all freehand instead.

This is one-of-a-kind art work (actually five-of-a-kind).  Hope you enjoy seeing them.

Log Cabins video

Log cabins bring memories of simpler times here in the West.  If you have a log cabin, it’s probably a good idea to inspect its structure, since logs can shift and deteriorate so quickly.  Here’s my brief video introduction to log cabin inspections.