Barry Stone
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Living in the shadow of dead treesNov 04, 2023 10:00 am - Q: The neighbors who live behind us have three large cottonwood trees that border our back fence. Unfortunately, these trees are dead. Two years ago, our insurance compa...
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Agent says building permits not required; contractor disagreesNov 01, 2023 6:00 am - Q: When we bought our home, the seller disclosed that the sunroom had been added without a building permit. Our Realtor assured us that a permit was not required because...
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Covering asbestos ceiling with drywallOct 22, 2023 7:00 am - Q: My home has "popcorn" ceilings, the kind with asbestos. The cost of asbestos removal is so high, I've decided to overlay the ceilings with drywall. The person I've hi...
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How do you like them apples?Oct 01, 2023 7:00 am - Q: In a past article, you made an error regarding the right to pick fruit from a neighbor's tree when branches overhang the property line. Common law holds that while yo...
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New home inspector longs for experienceSep 24, 2023 6:00 am - Q: Your column often advises people to find the most experienced home inspector possible. That's great advice for homebuyers but creates a problem for those of us who ar...
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Bargain home inspectors are no bargainSep 17, 2023 6:00 am - Q: When we bought our home, the Realtor recommended a particular home inspector because, as she put it, "He doesn't charge as much as the others." At the time, we though...
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Buyer concerned about asbestos sidingSep 10, 2023 7:00 am - Q: We're about to buy an old house that has asbestos siding and are unsure about whether to proceed with the purchase. We have two children and are very concerned about ...
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Mold behind wallpaper was not disclosedSep 03, 2023 7:00 am - Q: We recently sold our home and made full disclosure of every defect we could think of. The buyers hired a home inspector, and we repaired all of the defects listed in ...
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New home with drainage problemsAug 27, 2023 7:00 am - Q: We bought a newly built home about three years ago. Since then, we have been dealing with drainage issues, mainly pooling rainwater in the backyard. We've worked with...
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Inspector's estimates on repair costs are unreliableAug 20, 2023 7:00 am - Q: When we bought our home, the home inspection report included estimated costs to repair the reported defects. The conclusion of the report stated all of the problems f...