Whether the client is the home buyer or seller, it’s important for the inspector to know some of the obligations, limits and liability when it comes to disclosure, including when they may intersect—or not—with the homeowner’s.

The Homeowners’ Duty to Warn

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Online, you can find dozens and dozens of return-on-investment (ROI) calculators which aim to do the math on whether a given home improvement project is worth the money (or not). They tend to focus on how much of the remodeling spend will come back to you in the form of added value when the home is sold. I submit that this is only one part of the equation, as the primary measurement for many home improvement projects should be tallied up in terms of lifestyle improvement over the years you plan to benefit from the increased comfort, joy or efficiency of your newly-improved home.

Surprisingly, this calculus of what home upgrades are (and aren’t) worth doing gets slightly more complicated in the context of preparing a home for sale. It seems like it should be even more simple – dollars in vs. dollars out. But most agents or stagers will tell you that preparing a property for listing is more art than science, in that there are many human factors that must be weighed and balanced against the costs involved.

For instance, whether a given project is worth doing sometimes depends on the current state of the property vis-a-vis local buyers’ expectations at that price range. It can also depend on the relative aesthetic and perceptual boost that a particular project promises, and on any negatives that the property needs to compensate for. The seller’s budget and even local municipal codes all must be factored in.

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Flooding in Olde Towne Slidell during Hurricane Isaac in August 2012. (James Varney/ NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The crush of Slidell residents that turned out for a presentation Monday night on the city’s latest flood mitigation grant program could be excused if they went home less than totally optimistic. After all, they were told, the amount of money the feds will shake loose for the program remains unknown – and if history is an indicator, it won’t nearly be enough to cover all those who qualify.

“We’ll be lucky, based on past grants, if we get enough for 100 houses,’’ Monica Martin, who oversees the city’s flood grant programs, told the overflow crowd at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium. Scanning the room, she guessed there were 500 people in attendance.

“So, one in five,’’ she said. “It’s very competitive.’’

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Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said Friday that she will introduce legislation soon to delay implementation of a 2012 flood insurance law that is leading to sharply higher premiums for policyholders. The new legislative effort comes one week after Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., blocked her proposal to add the legislation to a water resources bill, which passed the Senate on Wednesday. (The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

The fight to block sharp increases in federal flood insurance premiums continues.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said Friday that she will introduce legislation soon to delay implementation of a 2012 flood insurance law that is leading to sharply higher premiums for policyholders. The new legislative effort comes one week after Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., blocked her proposal to add the legislation to a water resources bill, which passed the Senate on Wednesday.

Also Friday, Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who is challenging Landrieu in the 2014 Louisiana Senate race, announced formation of a congressional Home Protection Caucus to fight premium increases.

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As a Jacksonville homeowner, there are simple things you can do to increase your home value. The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors has reported more than 13,000 homes and condos are on the real estate market. Because there are so many choices for homebuyers, sellers have to make sure their homes stand out against the competition.

You can make some easy, inexpensive updates to increase your home value so your home is as appealing as possible to potential home buyers in the Jacksonville area.

Add the Extras

Buyers want as much as possible for their money, and many buyers want to be able to enjoy the Jacksonville weather. Sliding glass doors and large, open windows will also showcase the area’s weather. Make sure you add or fix the lanais or porch screens and keep the pool clean. You can even buy flowers that can hang on hooks by the front porch to make your home seem more welcoming. If you want your home to stand out, offering buyers ways like these to enjoy the weather will help.

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At the end of June, mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to 4.5 percent, up from 3.9 percent on June 1 — and a notable jump from the historically low 3.35 percent monthly average rate toward the end of 2012. However, while higher rates do mean an increase in monthly mortgage payments, experts are urging potential home buyers not to resign themselves to renting for the next few years just yet — it’s still a good time to buy a home.

These moderate increases in payments may still be manageable, particularly if buyers look at less expensive properties, or negotiate a lower price.

For example, the difference in monthly payments for a $200,000 home at 3.9 percent and one at 4.5 percent is just $70.03. If budgeted correctly, this could be a manageable expense.

Rick Allen, chief operating officer of Mortgage Marvel, is one expert who says now is still the time to buy a house. His platform records online mortgage loan applications, about a million transactions a year, which serves as a barometer for how well the housing market is doing. He says that refinances are down, as to be expected with a rate increase, but that “shouldn’t scare people off.”

“Relatively speaking, rates are still at or near historic lows,” says Allen. “A 4.5 percent mortgage is still an incredibly attractive rate at which to finance a home. From a real estate perspective, we’re not far off from recent lows, and we’re heading to improve real estate values. The combination of those two factors make this still a good time to buy.”

As the unemployment rate continues to decline, Allen says we’ll see more potential homeowners enter the market as well. Though Allen says “theoretically, rates could go through the roof or back down to the floor” but he personally believes we’ll see rates around 5 percent through the end of the year.

This is the early stage of the recovery of the housing market, and the rising interest rates encourage potential home buyers to be more decisive, and act quickly. As more homes are bought, supply decreases, so prices may rise even further. So if you’ve been thinking about buying a home, don’t lose your confidence, but it may be prudent to act quickly as rates continue to rise.

Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at InterNACHI, we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Of course, for homeowners who want to take advantage of the most up-to-date knowledge and systems in home energy efficiency, InterNACHI energy auditors can perform in-depth testing to find the best energy solutions for your particular home.

Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:

• Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous for homeowners in most parts of the U.S.
• It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
• It increases the comfort level indoors.
• It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
• It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

1. Find better ways to heat and cool your house. 

As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

• Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require a large amount of energy.
• Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
• Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70° F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
• Install a wood stove or a pellet stove. These are more efficient sources of heat than furnaces.
• At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

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Home Inspection Reports: What to Expect

by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard

Influenced by the changes in the economic and legal environments over the past 30 years, home inspection reports have changed to accommodate increased consumer expectations, and to provide more extensive information and protection to both inspectors and their clients.

Development of Standards

Prior to the mid-1970s, inspection reports followed no standard guidelines and, for the most part, there was little or no oversight or licensure. As might be imagined, without minimum standards to follow, the quality of inspection reports varied widely, and the home inspection industry was viewed with some suspicion.

With the founding of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) in 1976, home inspection guidelines governing inspection report content became available in the form of a Standards of Practice. Over time, a second, larger trade association, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), came into existence, and developed its own standards.

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