Welcome to the Western NY School of Real Estate                                    (716) 639-7877 or (888) 460-0804
 

This is an interactive "internet-based" course which will grant you 22.5 hours of New York State approved continuing education credit for your real estate salesperson or broker license renewal.  It will take you approximately 22.5-25 hours to complete the program.  Follow the directions as you read through and make sure to log in the LAST FOUR digits of your social security number to confirm your "attendance and active participation" in the program.

Please read each section then respond to the questions that follow based on your careful reading of the material. Students receive an "S" for satisfactory completion of the program on their official transcript. We remind you, according to the NYS regulations for real estate agent & broker continuing education, exams CANNOT be a requirement for successful completion of a CE program [however, in order to fullfill the time requirements and show active participation in the program, students must attempt to answer ALL questions]. Call if you have any questions at the numbers above.  We recommend that you print each segment and retain the valuable information for future reference.  Certified Home Inspector questions that follow the end of each segment will require you to refer back to see how you answered. Good luck and enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST CONTACT OUR STAFF AT THE NUMBER ABOVE TO REGISTER AND DISCUSS
SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR THIS ON-LINE COURSE!   (only at the initial start of the program).
 
 



COURSE TITLE:     HOME INSPECTION TECHNIQUES FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS


{2 hours and 30 minutes}

Answers to questions from the preceding page:

1. d / 2. e / 3. c / 4. e / 5. e / 6. d

Quality and Miscellaneous Issues in a Home Inspection
 

Insulation

Here are some important facts regarding insulation:

    R-value:  Insulation is measured in R-value, which simply means the ability to resist the passage of heat.  All products have insulating value; some more than others.  Anything dense, such as wood or concrete , is poor.  Trapped air bubbles are good.  The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.  Attics need more insulation than walls because heat rises.
Please note: r-values are "additive" - that means that two layers of 10 r-value insulation will equate to one layer of 20 r-value insulation.
 

    A typical wall is just over three and a half inches thick.  That figure dictates the amount of insulation you can have in the wall.  There are numerous products available at different prices.  Insulating the walls of an existing home is difficult because of the anatomy of a wall.  It is done by drilling holes into the existing wall and pumping in an insulating product.
 

    Ceilings and roofs:  These should be the most heavily insulated areas.  Overall one loses more through walls because there's more wall area.  But, as heat escapes through the ceiling -  a draw effect is created.

    Weather stripping around all doors and window areas is very important.  Doors especially get rough treatment and get out of alignment.  Flexible weather-stripping will take up the voids that occur when two solid pieces come together.  Caulking around door and window frames is necessary.   If a house in snowy or cold areas don't have double-pane windows, there must be at least good storm windows.

Security Locks

    Security locks are important.  Take a look at the door latch, which is the part that protrudes into the door jamb.  If it has a small, half-round movable piece of metal on one side you have a trigger bolt. A mortise lock with buttons on the edge and a thumb turn on  the inside is good, especially if the bolt is a long one.
 

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON YOUR READING ABOVE - BE AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR ANSWERS....

A) What does "r-value" mean with regard to insulation?
B) Name two important details regarding insulation in attic & ceiling areas noted above.
C) Name two important features from the "security" section above.

>> ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BELOW AFTER YOU READ AND RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING...
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A LOT OF INFORMATION WAS COVERED IN THIS PROGRAM.  THE FOLLOWING SECTION WILL CONCLUDE WITH "TERMITES & PEST RELATED ISSUES" (AN IMPORTANT PART OF A RESIDENTIAL INSPECTION). BEFORE THAT HOWEVER, A SERIES OF DETAILED QUESTIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO MEET THE TIMING REQUIREMENT OF THE PROGRAM (AS WELL AS REINFORCE THE LEARNING PROCESS OF THIS COURSE).  YOUR ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGH AND WELL DETAILED.  YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE TO REVIEW PARTS OF THE COURSE PRINTED OR PREVIOUSLY VIEWED [SIMPLY CLICK THE "BACK" BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER TO GO TO PRECEDING SECTIONS].

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Question One
When approaching a residential property, describe in complete detail what should be looked at while viewing the exterior of the home [a complete walkaround of the exterior includes not only the physical building but the driveway, sidewalks, roof and attached items "decks, porches, patio's", etc].
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Question Two
Substantial detail was provided throughout the course on the "interior" portion of the home inspection. In your own words, develop a check-list that a new home inspector would want to utilize to remind themselves of what to look for on the inside as well any "additional clarification" that would assist in reading or understanding the list.
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Question Three
One of the most common legal suits brought against home inspectors and home inspection company's is for mis-detecting problems with residential furnaces.  Substantial time was devoted in this course on how to inspect a furnace and what specific items to look for.  Describe these in your own words.

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[RESPONSE]
 

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