Don't be Afraid of Networking

Because we live in the "Information Age," also known as the "Internet Age," there is a lot of attention being paid to social networking and Internet marketing. Though it seems a bit obvious that businesses and individuals can work together to achieve mutually beneficial results, there is often a hesitancy to incorporate new and creative networking ideas because people may feel it is manipulative or disingenuous somehow. The key is to consider the manner in which your business is beneficial to others and to keep these positive aspects of your product or service in mind. Not only is networking natural, recent studies show that plants generally network with other species of plants sharing valuable information. So, if plants can utilize networking techniques, you probably can also!

Increased Home Inspections After Hurricane Sandy

There have been some aftershocks of Hurricane Sandy in the real estate market that have been noted in the aftermath of the storm. For example, homes that had already been inspected have been reinspected - just in case there were any fresh damages caused by the storm. A press release from the Business Journals site describes the situations:

"Many home sales as well as contracts that are in progress will be put on hold until homes can be inspected or re-inspected for damages caused by the hurricane.  If you're selling your home, don't be surprised if a buyer interested in your property wants a second inspection of your home.  And if your home is under contract, be aware that properties in areas impacted by the hurricane may require another appraisal by the mortgage lender. Estimates at property damage range from $60 billion to as much as $90 billion to date on homes in seven states."

How to Winterize Your House: It's Not Too Late

According to CBS News, about 150,000 homes on Long Island, New York still do not have power. The storm was on the 29th of October. Today is November 11th. That's about two weeks without electricity. I'm quite certain that most of those 150, 000 homeowners who still have no power have considered every possible manner of winterizing their houses for maximum warmth. And, even if you have have no break in your electricity, it's never too late to winterize your home.

There are a number of websites that offer good advice on why and how to winterize various aspects of your house. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I've outlined what some of the top-rated articles have to offer and then added my additional two cents worth in the summary.

Hurricane Sandy House Watching and Help, LI, NY

Around 40 people have died in the Caribbean as Hurricane Sandy moves towards the North East. Governor Cuomo has already declared a state of emergency for New York. Bloomberg is calling the approaching Hurricane the worst US storm in 100 years because of its massive girth. If you are on the East coast, get ready and help others to get ready - just in case. A live hurricane tracking map is located at this link.

If you own a house or a boat on the East End of Long Island and are concerned about the condition of your property during the upcoming uncertain weather, I can help you by inspecting your property and providing any services needed to ensure your property is safe and secure. See the lists of qualifications and services in the drop-down menu of the website.

If you know of anyone else who owns a house on Eastern Long Island who is concerned and interested in assistence, we would appreciate your recommendation. Just to give you a taste of what occurred in the area when Hurricane Irene came through, I've posted some photos.

These thumb images of August 28, 2012 on the right are attributed to an article by Harold Harvey, who is noted in the photo in the flooded hotel. The grounded sailboat pictured was photographed in Southampton, NY, the same day, as was the house flooded at a Southampton beach. The electrical fire occurred in Bethpage, Long Island.

Tags: Bloomberg says worst hurricane in 100 years, Frankenstorm, Help with hurricane, hurricane clean up, hurricane assistance Hamptons, NY, SHI, Southampton Home Inspections, unoccupied homes, emergency help, live hurricane track map, live hurricane updates

What is Greatest Source of Home Energy Loss?

As the winter season approaches and energy costs increase, people may be wondering, "What is the greatest source of heat-energy loss in a typical home?" and "How can I save on heating bills?" The answer is quite simple, "Air infiltration is the greatest source of heat-energy loss and a few simple solutions can help dramatically." As a licensed home inspectors, we have been trained to detect problem situations that may be noted on a report and remedied by home sellers and potential home buyers.

The greatest source of air infiltration in a typical home is the hatch that leads up to the attic. In cold climates, this hatch can be a problem because attics are typically insulated on the floor and the hatch door is usually just a thin piece of uninsulated plywood. This is not good. There are at least three remedies for this situation. 

Home Inspections in Hamptons, NY

If you desire the most-thorough home inspection in the Hamptons at a competitive rate, click here to call me at 631-377-2046 at Southampton Home Inspections (SHI), AKA Suffolk NY Home Inspections. I recently met some people who had their homes in the Hamptons inspected and they were unsatisfied with the results. When I looked at one of the houses I could see that the cover of the main electrical panel of the house that was just purchased had not even been removed. As noted in the photo on the left, the entire panel should be removed in order to see important details regarding the electrical panel system.


For people trained and licensed specifically for home inspection work, this in-panel examination is a no-brainer action. However, architects and engineers who have no training in home inspection work are out there trying to do what they are unprepared for. Sure, a detailed structural analysis can be helpful, but that is only one small aspect of all that should be considered in a pre-purchase home inspection. This is one of the many reasons why Suffolk NY Home Inspections is able to offer the best home inspection services in the Hamptons, NY area. SHI began as Southampton Home inspections and now offers a wider field of service.

One problem, I noticed recently was an electrical panel cover that was not inspected by an inspector. In order to properly inspect a home electrical system, it is not enough to simply flip open the door and look at the circuit breakers, the entire panel cover should be removed in order to inspect for serious electrical problems, such as panel voltage ratings and overloaded circuits.

The fact that the electrical panel cover was still painted shut was a clear sign to me that my friend's home inspector did not even take off the cover of the main electrical panel. This is just one of the many reasons why SHI offers a better quality and a better value for home inspections. I not only have training and a degree in architecture, I also have specific training in home inspection work. I offer the best of both worlds.

There are many home inspectors working in the Hamptons, NY area, but I don't know of any other inspector who has both training in architecture and in professional home inspection work. This is why I have no reservations in offering SHI as the best and most qualified home inspection company in the Hamptons. Visit the SHI website to learn more.


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