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Hot Real Estate Markets and Home Inspections
Real estate in Montreal has been heating up with some districts experiencing hot market conditions and a shortage of property listings. Stories of tight closing dates and bidding wars are very common. In normal markets, the potential buyers have more control over the transaction. However, in a hot market, home sellers are dictating the conditions,…
Read MoreSpring Cleaning: 5 Tips for Your Furnace
It’s still hard to believe that after our brutal winter, spring is really around the corner. Yes, we see the snow and ice are finally melting and we will need to prepare our annual spring-cleaning to-do list. Spring is obviously not the time of year you want to think about furnace maintenance, but as a…
Read MoreCan a Home Inspector Detect when a Flip is a Flop?
Canadian investors have been flipping houses at a phenomenal rate. As real estate prices continue to rise, flipped houses have become more common on the market. Realtytrac, a real estate hub, recently reported that 6.6 percent of all single family home and condo sales in the first quarter of 2016 in the U.S. were flips—a…
Read MoreWhat is Vermiculite and Why Should You Know?
Unless you live in an older home, you may not know about vermiculite. Vermiculite is a natural mineral that was used as insulation in homes from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, and is often found in attics. It is silver-gold or gray-brown in colour and when it’s in its natural state, it is shiny and…
Read MoreCarpenter Ants: Facts and Fiction for Homeowners
Carpenter ants are small insects that can cause big problems. As home inspectors, we often come across the signs of carpenter ants in a home and we need to let homeowners know why this could be important. Carpenter ants can damage wooden structures in a home, and their presence usually means you have a problem…
Read MoreTop 8 Dos and Don’ts for Water Heaters
The last few weeks have brought the bitter cold, blowing winds and snow we all dread. Winter in these parts is not for the weak. One thing you really want to avoid at any time of the year, but particularly in winter, is problems with your hot water tank. When you’ve been stuck outside shovelling…
Read MoreCarbon Monoxide Detection 101: What You Need to Know
A few weeks ago, a school in LaSalle had to be evacuated due to carbon monoxide poisoning. 43 people, adults and children, were taken to hospital for treatment. It appears unclear whether the school had a carbon monoxide alarm or whether it was functioning. What is clear in either case is that the threat of…
Read More7 Reasons Why We Love Smart Smoke Detectors
New Year Wish List: Smart Smoke Detector This holiday season, many smart home devices were flying off the shelves in stores. These devices were designed to make life easier by offering connectivity to your smartphone and providing many new and convenient features for homeowners. If a smart device was under your tree, congratulations. Now you…
Read MoreChristmas wish list: Renovations that come with a tax credit!
As many homeowners may know, it was announced that the period of eligibility for the RénoVert tax credit offered by the Quebec government had been extended to March 31, 2019. This means that there is still some time left to get your renovations done and claim the tax credit. That credit can be a nice little…
Read More4 Good Reasons to Test Your Home for Radon Gas
November is Radon Awareness Month in Canada but most people don’t even know what radon is. People are aware of the importance of testing for things like carbon monoxide in a home but not everyone is aware of the need to test for radon as well. So let’s learn a little about radon, where it…
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