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Time to Read: 5 Minutes or Less

Routinely, agents confess how little they know about the physical product they sell…(the house). At times, they are embarrassed that they can’t answer client’s questions regarding the physical aspects of the house.

In each publication, you will find helpful comments and pictures to help build your knowledge base. This information is not to make you a home or termite inspector. It’s to increase your core knowledge to make you even more valuable to your client.

 

 

Inspect FIRST....repair SECOND

For the last several years, selling a house was easy. List it on Friday...and receive five offers by Tuesday. 

Things are changing rapidly.  Sales aren't guaranteed to happen; listing prices are dropping...and sellers are even performing repairs. 

Some agents are wisely using this slow time to "prepare" the client's home for sale.  This is a GREAT time to spruce up the house and make it as marketable as possible....

EXCEPT....some are putting the cart before the horse.   Some are installing the "pretty" stuff BEFORE determining whether damage exists below. 

Below is a dramatic example of what can happen.

This property owner decided to completely update the house.  He installed new kitchen cabinets, granite countertop and tile floors.  This is an expensive kitchen.  (Damage was found under the cabinet with the box.)

 

 

 

 

 

A downspout outside the corner windows was discharging water next to the house.  It caused a substantial amount of damage to the subflooring and rim joist.

If this damage was discovered when the flooring and cabinets were out...it would have cost less than $300 to repair. 

Now, hopefully, the damage can be repaired by removing the stucco and surgically removing the damage from the exterior without damaging the cabinets. 

The repair may cost 10 TIMES MORE than it would have originally.

 

 

 

 

The owner then had all of the hardwood floors throughout the house sanded and professionally refinished. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The master bedroom floor was pretty and shiny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He even gutted and replaced the bathrooms with tile floors and tiled walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our inspection discovered the subarea had a very bad ventilation problem.  Fungus damage had spread to nearly 200 sq. ft. of subflooring in a 1000 sq. ft. home.

 

 

Sometime in the past, a floor joist had completely rotted out and was replaced.... however, the substantially rotted subflooring was left in place. 

This damage extended from the master bathroom floor, through the master bedroom, into the hallway and the formal dining area.  A giant portion of the newly refinished hardwood flooring will have to be removed.  

It would be nearly impossible (and financially impractical) to try to match the hardwood flooring.  Sanding and refinishing the flooring cost the owner many thousands of dollars.  All of this work was completely wasted.  Not only is this lost, he will now have to pay to carpet the entire house.

Having inspections performed too late cost this homeowner more than $10,000! !

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PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.....have your inspections performed up front BEFORE you install "the pretty stuff".  NBI's non-biased inspections will offer your clients the very best value.   We don't have a vested interest in your client's home; therefore if there are repairs to be performed, we can offer you the most practical repair methods... rather than those that are the most profitable for the repair contractor. 

Call our office at (800) Go-NBI-NOW (800) 466-2466.  Place your inspection order NOW! !

Place your inspection orders on-line, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. 

 

 

 

My Holiday Wish for You

In honor of the season, I have a special gift for you.

This story is about a fighter pilot in the Vietnam war, and in his case one flight nearly ended in tragedy.

The story is true and it contains an important lesson for me personally but (I hope) for you, too.

The Parachute

After 75 combat missions, fighter pilot Charles Plumb was shot down over North Vietnam.  Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands.  He spent 6 years as a POW, but he survived and returned to America.

Sitting in a restaurant years later, a man came up to Plumb and said, “You’re Plumb!  You flew jet fighters from the Kitty Hawk.  You were shot down!”

Plumb asked, “How in the world did you know that?”

“I packed your parachute,” the man replied, “I guess it worked!”  Plumb shook the stranger’s hand, “It sure did—otherwise I wouldn’t be here today!”

As I think about this story, I visualize this junior seaman, sitting with many others at long tables in the bowels of an immense aircraft carrier, carefully folding and pleating the silks of each chute for glamorous fighter pilots.

And it raises an important question: "Who folds and packs YOUR parachute?"

For me the list is very long—it’s my entire office staff that aspires to provide you with the best customer service possible and my dedicated inspectors who untiringly crawl in the dirt and mud each day inspecting your client's homes only to return after a long day to generate the highest quality inspection report in the industry.

As for my wife Patti, our children and grandchildren, they ARE my parachutes.

What Captain Charles Plumb discovered is one of the great secrets of success and human happiness: Understand what you are counting on.

My Hope

I hope you can spare a moment during these holidays to think of all the people that pack your parachute.  Tell your friends the story of Captain Charles Plumb—and suggest that they, too, pass along the thanks and pass along the thought.

Please accept my sincere wishes for a good life and another wonderful year.

 

Dale J. Luger, Founder
National Building Inspectors

 

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(Snippets of life from NBI)

Picture of the Week:

 

“Super Husband” to the Rescue

 

 

Wife: 

"The builder put the garage light switch on the opposite wall.  I have to walk around the partition to turn on the lights…. I really hate that."

 

Super Husband:

"No big deal dear.  I can fix that in less than 10 minutes."  

 

Wife:  

"Ohhhh.   I’m so lucky to be married to someone as handy as you."

 

 

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YES...that is what you think it is.

"Super Husband" strikes again.

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We need your help! !

Our records are showing that thousands of our emails are being swept out to Sea by overzealous spam filters that filter on graphic text and pictures. 

If you feel that NBI's newsletters are informative and helpful, we would really appreciate you jumping up and down, waving your arms during your next sales meeting asking all of the other agents in your office to put us in their email address book.  They are missing out on very worthwhile information.

Thank You

FREE Termite Inspection ! ! !

NBI has only two things to sell, unequalled construction knowledge and “TIME”. We understand that we will never be able to sell “TOMORROW” again. NBI would rather give your client a GIANT discount for acting fast, than not filling an open time slot.

By ordering a “Last Minute Home Inspection”, we will include NBI's famous "Non-Biased Termite Inspection for FREE! !

Our normal rates are:

(Based upon homes under 2000 sq. ft.) (Prices may vary between market areas.)

(San Francisco and Fresno County prices are slightly different.  Please call our office for exact fees.)

Home Inspection: $395.00
Termite Inspection: $240.00
Total:.. $635.00

If you order a home inspection and fill a vacant time slot for the following day; your client will receive a FREE termite inspection!

(Example: If you call NBI on Monday and you are able to fill an open time slot we have on Tuesday, you will receive a FREE termite inspection.)

(Note: Our condominium inspection prices are $240, $310, and $380 respectively.)

Call our office at (800) Go-NBI-NOW (800) 466-2466 for complete details. For additional information about our company, please visit us at www.goNBI.com.

NBI produces the highest quality inspection reports in the industry.   EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE! !

We provide pictures in our Home "AND" our Termite reports.  These pictures add a tremendous amount of clarity to our findings.  Click here for a Sample Home Report.   Click here for a Sample Termite report. 

Place your inspection orders on-line, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. 

Have you missed previous Straight Fax Newsletters?  Click HERE.  We have many posted for your review.  They contain a lot of great information.

The Man is the BOSS! !

(Recent conversation I had with a friend.)

Friend:
Dale, I heard you really like ballroom dancing?
 
Dale: 
I enjoy the Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha Cha and especially the Swing, but ballroom dancing is a little too formal sounding.  I think "partner dancing" would be more accurate.
 
Friend:
So what do you like best about partner dancing?
 
Dale:
Ohhhhh....That's easy.  In partner dancing, the man is the "lead"...He's the BOSS! !
What other time are you able to give a woman orders for four hours straight and she willingly complies with a smile.
   
Friend: 
Laughing out loud! 

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Like NBI's Straight FAX Newsletter?   Nearly 500 new agents per month are asking to receive our newsletter.  Encourage everyone in your office to register for this worthwhile information. Send to, Answerman@goNBI.com.

What issues would you like us to discuss in future Straight Fax Newsletters?  Electrical, Plumbing….Roofs???   Proper interpretation of pest control reports???   Let us know.

HAVE QUESTIONS or concerns regarding a potential home problem, ask NBI's AnswerMan at Answerman@goNBI.com 

Editor Notes:  Dale J. Luger founded National Building Inspectors in 1986.  Mr. Luger has purchased; rehabilitated and sold over 1000 residential units in his career.  His credentials as a General Contractor, Roofing Contractor (1976), CA Real Estate Broker (1982), Pest Control Operator (1987) make him uniquely qualified and knowledgeable of all aspects of real estate transactions.