The number of homes for sale fell to the lowest level in nearly two decades in the fourth quarter, lifting prices and raising concerns that young buyers are being shut out of the market.

Joseph Gutierrez
Co-Owner

The median price of an existing single-family home increased in 89% of metropolitan areas in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. In the third quarter, prices rose in 87% of those markets from the same quarter a year earlier.

 Radon is a known carcinogen. The gas is undetectable by sight, smell or taste. Radon is a by-product of the natural, radioactive decay of uranium in soils and rocks and can sometimes be found in well water. The gas is naturally found in the air we breathe, but can also enter a home or building through drains, cracks or holes in the foundation or basement.

Radon and Lung Cancer

The radon gas can then become trapped inside the home or building and build up to dangerous levels. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers in the U.S. and claims the lives of about 21,000 in the U.S. each year per EPA estimates. Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air represented as “pCi/L.” The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is 0.4 pCi/L, but the radon levels inside a home that are 4.0 pCi/L or higher should be mitigated.
Mitigation is usually done by sub-slab or foundation ventilation using vent piping and powered, in-line fans and sealing cracks, but the method of mitigation should be determined by a certified radon mitigator.

Some sellers want to sell their home “as is” so they don’t have to invest money fixing it up or take on any potential liability for defects.  There is nothing wrong with buying a home “as is,” particularly if you can buy it at a favorable price, but if you are considering buying an “as is” home, you should still hire a competent home inspector to perform an inspection. 

Healthy Homes

There are several reasons for this.

First, you don’t know what “as is” is. Sure, you can walk through the home and get an idea of its general condition.  You may even spot some defects or items in obvious need of repair.  But you won’t obtain the same detailed information you will receive if you hire a home inspector.  Home inspectors are trained to look for things you are not likely to notice, means you’ll be in a better position to know whether you want to buy it.  You may also be able to use information from the home inspection to negotiate a lower price.

Second, many states require the seller to provide you with written a disclosure about the condition of the property.  Sellers often provide little information, and a few even lie.  A home inspection can provide the missing information. If an inspector finds evidence that a seller concealed information or lied to you, that may be a sign that you don’t want to buy a home from that seller.

Every year about 25,000 chimney fires occur in the US which causes $120 million dollars of damage and causing thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths.
How do you know if a chimney fire is happening?
There are basically two types of chimney fires. Free burning fires often sound loud like a freight train and may have flames or heavy smoke shooting out of the top of the chimney. The second type are slow burning fires. This quieter version of a chimney fire is no less dangerous. You may not even know it has taken place. These undetected fires burn slowly and at high temperatures that can cause more than just structural damage to your chimney, they can easily catch flammable parts of your home on fire as well. Often evidence of these slow burning fires are only detected with an inspection.
How can you prevent chimney fires?
The most important thing is to have annual chimney cleanings and inspections done by a CSIA certified chimney contractor. They can remove built up creosote which can ignite a fire.
Other things you can do include:
Installing a metal rain and critter cap at the top of the chimney
Burn only seasoned hard wood ( it produces less creosote), don’t overload wood in your fireplace to help reduce excess smoke/ creosote
Place logs at the rear of the fireplace on a metal grate. Use kindling, rather than flammable liquids to start the fire
Use a spark guard to prevent errant embers from shooting out of the firebox with a mesh metal screen or glass fireplace doors. A guard in front of an open flame is especially important when the room is unoccupied
Consider cracking a window in the home to help with updraft/ venting.

Despite a shortage of homes on the market, permits to put up new residences fell in November, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s new residential sales report. They were down 10.4% from October to November and slipped nearly 0.9% from the same month a year earlier.

Permits are the most reliable way of predicting how many new homes will be built in the months ahead. The report may spell bad news for an expected onslaught of home hunters hoping to capitalize on low-but-rising mortgage rates.

Builders started construction on fewer homes as well in November, falling 28.4% from October and nearly 7.9% from the same month a year prior.

Mushrooms near your toilet?

Mold Test

This means there is a continuous source of moisture at or near the toilet. I would estimate that one in 10 homes I inspect have a loose toilet bowl-to-floor connection that needs to be repaired. Without repairs, the situation can only get worse. I have seen sagging, rotting floors near the toilet that you might eventually step through and injure yourself.

There is a wax ring between the openings on the underside of the toilet bowl to seal the bowl to the plumbing sewer ring attached to the floor of the bathroom. Poor or improper installation has allowed the seal to leak to the wood subfloor of the bathroom. If your home is on a concrete slab there is little chance that mushrooms would be able to grow, but the ring can still leak and would need to be replaced.
Accessing the crawlspace or basement area under the bathroom may be necessary to complete some of the repairs. This requires advanced carpentry skills and being able to work in a confined space. I would strongly recommend having the toilet reset by a qualified contractor with skills in carpentry and some knowledge in plumbing.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Antimicrobial Coatings Market – Global Forecast to 2021” report to their offering.

The antimicrobial coatings market is projected to reach USD 4.19 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2016 to 2021. Growing demand from the medical and indoor applications in North America and Europe is expected to drive the antimicrobial coatings market.

Antimicrobial coatings find usage in applications such as, indoor air / HVAC, medical, mold remediation, building & construction, foods & beverages, textiles, and other applications (consumer products, packaging, and so on).

The medical application accounted for the largest share of the overall antimicrobial coatings market and this trend is projected to continue throughout the forecast period. Antimicrobial coatings are used in medical products, devices, and surfaces in medical facilities to prevent the spread of infections. Medical is also anticipated to be fastest growing application segment during the forecast period.

Indoor air / HVAC was the second largest application segment of antimicrobial coatings in 2015. Antimicrobial coatings are used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC. These systems regulate the temperature and indoor air quality, and maintain comfortable and safe atmospheric conditions in buildings. Air filters built into these systems reduce the effect of airborne diseases.

The mold remediation, building & construction, and foods & beverages application segments are expected to grow at moderate rates from 2016 to 2021.

Companies are carrying out intense research & development activities to innovate and develop new products which can open new avenues of applications. Developments are taking place in medical applications leading to the further penetration of antimicrobial coating applications.

Sophie The Giraffe
With reports of mold found in a popular teething toy, many parents are wondering: How can I protect my child?

Several parents have reported finding mold growing inside of their child’s Sophie the Giraffe teething toy. The toy, which is made of 100% natural rubber, has a small hole, which the manufacturer stresses should never be submerged in water or get wet.

Pediatric dentist Dana Chianese told Good Housekeeping that she always followed the directions when cleaning her child’s Sophie the Giraffe and only used a damp cloth and soapy water.

“It still hurts my heart to know that for months I allowed my babies to chew on moldy toys,” she told Good Housekeeping. “I no longer buy any chew toys with a hole or recommend any to my patients.”

Another parent questioned whether if it’s inevitable that liquid will get into the hole since babies use the toy for teething.

“Beware!! If you have a drooly baby, moisture will get in the hole, and you’ll end up with mold,” Oprea said in a review of the product. “We’ve had ours for two years, and the entire inside is coated with black mold.”

Laurie Schraenen, a spokeswoman for Vulli, the company that makes Sophie the Giraffe, said in a statement that the company had not received a formal complaint from Chianese or Opera.

She said the quality department assessed photos that the women provided to media outlets and concluded that: “It is not possible that saliva could cause the type of mold formation shown in the pictures.”

“Internal studies have been conducted and indicated that it is improbable (or in really rare cases) that saliva can transform into mold,” according to a statement provided by Schraenen.

“The tricky thing is figuring out if there’s mold, this happens to bath toys as well because sometimes there is a little hole in it, so any place that can let air or moisture in that is a breeding ground for mold,” she said. “Things like teething toys, bath toys, any toys that babies put in their mouth may have mold.”

Moorjani said that parents should throw away any toys that have mold.

There are about 30,000 home inspectors in the U.S., but not all are licensed. In fact, there are around 15 states where inspectors aren’t required to be licensed at all, according to the national trade association known as the American Society of Home Inspectors, including California.

The first state to adopt a licensing law for inspectors was Texas in 1991. Virginia will require licenses for all of its inspectors starting July 1. While home inspections aren’t generally required to buy a home, many buyers opt to get one to satisfy mortgage requirements, avoid pricey repairs after moving in, and to use as bargaining chips in negotiations.
Here are some tips to pass on to your clients who are looking for help in choosing an inspector:
Do your homework.
In unregulated states, buyers may want to check with their local Better Business Bureau or consult online reviews.
Check for insurance.
Homeowners likely will want to ask whether the inspector carries errors and omissions insurance, which covers mistakes the inspector may make. This can also be a sign of basic competence, since an insured inspector has likely been vetted by an insurance company.
Ask about professional affiliations.
Inquire whether the inspector is involved in any professional affiliations, such as membership in a prominent trade organization.