Barry Stone
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Home inspector frustrated by inspection feesJan 15, 2016 12:00 am - Q. I've been a home inspector for about eleven years and am frustrated by the price pressure throughout the inspection business. When I think of the time and effort that...
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Another case of undisclosed defectsJan 08, 2016 10:00 am - Q. We bought our home about 6 months ago, and now we are stuck with a bundle of problems that were concealed by the sellers, dismissed by the agent, and overlooked by ou...
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Choosing the best type of smoke alarmJan 01, 2016 12:00 am - Q. I installed new smoke alarms in my home about a year ago. Now that I'm selling the property, the buyer's home inspector says these are not the best kind of smoke alar...
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Home inspector killed my dealDec 24, 2015 3:00 am - Q. We spent a year and many thousands of dollars fixing up our home. Then we put it on the market and found a couple who wanted to buy it. They were all enthusiastic unt...
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Electrician vs. home inspectorDec 18, 2015 12:00 am - Q. Before buying my home, I hired a home inspector, and he reported no problems with the electrical subpanel in the bedroom closet. After moving in, I hired an electrici...
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Insurance company denies damage claimDec 11, 2015 2:00 am - Q. We bought our home a few months ago, and the seller repaired a few minor problems that were found by our home inspector. Everything seemed fine at first, but then we ...
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Clothes dryer vent buckets are not to codeDec 04, 2015 12:00 am - Q. I remember an article you wrote many years ago about vent buckets not being allowed for clothes dryers. My condo has no outside vent for the dryer, so I've always use...
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What could cause a home's floor to sag?Nov 27, 2015 12:00 am - Q. The house we are buying has a sagging floor in the living room and dining room. When we asked the Realtor about this, she said that settlement is common in homes that...
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When to negotiate repairs with sellersNov 20, 2015 12:00 am - Q. We offered full price on a home and hired a home inspector. The main issue in his report was rust and corrosion in the forced air furnace. A heating contractor confir...
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Buyer mystified by stains in houseNov 13, 2015 12:00 am - Q. The home we are buying is about 10 years old and seems to be in good condition. However, there are unusual blackish stains on some of the walls and at some of the car...