Barry Stone
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Make repair requests in writingOct 04, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. I recently moved from a house that I had been renting. A few months before moving, I noticed a crack in the window above the stall shower. I don't know how or whe...
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Sometimes the seller doesn't agree with home inspector's findingsSep 27, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. I'm having some difficulties with the seller of the home I am buying. When I first looked at the house, he said the fireplace was in working order. But my home in...
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Broker denies that agents avoid 'deal killers'Sep 20, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. As a real estate broker, I read your column regularly and with great interest. But some of your articles trouble me. They suggest that Realtors routinely avoid th...
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Inspectors trained to spot defects in gas furnaces, water heatersSep 06, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. This is not a question as much as a comment. You occasionally discuss how home inspectors inspect gas-burning fixtures. In my opinion, home inspectors are not qualifi...
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Homeowner nearly burned by unscrupulous plumberAug 30, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. I've owned my home for 25 years and have never had a serious plumbing problem. But recently, the toilet has been running off and on for no reason. Several times a...
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Buyers demand new roof from sellersAug 16, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. Before we sold our house, I repaired a roof leak above the bedroom, and just to confirm that the repair was good, I climbed into the attic during the next two heavy r...
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Realtor should have disclosed duct defectAug 09, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. We bought a home from a family trust. The previous owners had died, and their adult children were selling the property. As trustees of the estate, they were not r...
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Siding is best installed over solid woodAug 02, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. The plywood siding on our house is rotted in many places. We're planning to install vinyl siding over it, but we've got some questions that need answers before we...
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Drainage problem needs to be addressed before restoring crawl spaceJul 19, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. I recently discovered about 3 to 4 inches of standing water under my house. I pumped out the water and removed the plastic sheets that covered the ground so the ...
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Commercial properties should be inspected thoroughly before purchaseJul 12, 2008 11:00 pm - Q. I've made a purchase offer on a four-unit commercial property. Do investors typically hire home inspectors for this kind of property? A. The purchasers of com...