Barry Stone
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Contractors often blindly remove asbestosMay 14, 2023 6:00 am - Q: In one of your columns, you stressed the importance of testing for asbestos before removing some types of building materials in older homes. In particular, you mentio...
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Home inspector ignores known fire hazardMay 07, 2023 6:00 am - Q: When I bought my house, the home inspector reported no problems with the main electrical panel. After moving in, my insurance company requested a photograph of the pa...
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Growth, change and liability in inspection businessApr 30, 2023 6:00 am - Q: As an insurance agent for more than 40 years, I've watched with interest the rapid growth of the home inspection business. Back in the 1980s, I didn't know what home ...
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No excuse for ground-level roof inspectionsApr 23, 2023 7:00 am - Q: I've got two complaints against home inspectors. The last two inspectors I hired inspected the roofs from the ground only, and neither reported any defects. That's pr...
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Heavy snow hinders home inspectionApr 16, 2023 6:00 am - Q: This is not a question, but a comment. I met a home inspector in Montana. He told me he loved doing home inspections in the winter because exterior problems were ofte...
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Builder makes excuses for squeaky floorsApr 09, 2023 6:00 am - Q: Floors that squeak and groan. That's what we've got in our newly built home. We've asked the builder to do something about this, but he says: "It's normal." Can you b...
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Why it is difficult for new home inspectors to gain experienceApr 02, 2023 6:00 am - Q: Your column often advises people to find the most experienced home inspector possible. That's all well and good, except for those of us who are just starting out in t...
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Clarifying the essence of real estate disclosureMar 26, 2023 6:00 am - Q: As a veteran Realtor, I'm writing to disagree with the advice you gave in one of your past columns. You said sellers should provide additional information to buyers i...
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Cockeyed contractor ignores the plansMar 19, 2023 6:00 am - Q: Construction was just completed on our new home, but the building official would not approve the final inspection. He says an as-built permit is now needed before cor...
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Agent advised not to hire a home inspectorMar 12, 2023 7:00 am - Q: We recently purchased a bank-owned home that had been repossessed. When we made our offer, our agent advised us not to get a home inspection because the bank wouldn't...