Thinking about purchasing a masonry building? Think again! – Brick and split faced block fail the test
When buying a masonry building in the City of Chicago remember a couple of critical points: 1. We do not do concrete foundation inspections as part of our new construction package. 2. The City can’t afford a masonry inspector 3. A Certificate of Occupancy is typically not helpful under the terms of the Chicago building Read More
Case of the missing building engineer
I got a new lesson in “faulty disclosure” yesterday, one that won’t be forgotten for quite a while. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that Tomacor demands access to all common areas when we inspect condominiums and town homes. We insist that the agent or building engineer walks us through Read More
Another Happy Customer
A Tomacor client sent this testimonial after their inspection: “… our experience was good…the sellers were initially upset at the findings but were willing to come forth to pay for repairs. With how negotiations had gone previously with this seller, it was surprising that they came forward on their own to pay for these repairs Read More
Warranty? What Warranty?
The Chicago Tribune published an article entitled Home warranty leaves family sweating about a family that suffered through this hot, sweltering summer without an air conditioning unit in their new home. The unit in the home quit working and, because it was warranted, the homeowners expected to be cool in no time. Unfortunately, this “warranty” Read More
Preserving Chicago Landmarks
I was disheartened when i read the following excerpt from a Chicago Tribune article entitled Chicago landmark lawsuit heats up; designation of landmark districts slows down. “…watch out: From graystones to bungalows, Queen Annes to two flats, the neighborhood fabric of Chicago will again be vulnerable to destruction.” Using our current real estate recession as Read More
Tomacor in the News
Tom Corbett, president of Tomacor accompanied journalist Pam Zekman on an investigation of Chicago porches. Despite the tragic porch collapse that took place in 2003 the investigation uncovered multiple hazardous porch deficiencies. Check out the article from CBS 2 Chicago here Read More
Green Light
Please share this with Tom. As mentioned to him our experience was good…the sellers were initially upset at the findings but were willing to come forth to pay for repairs. With how negotiations had gone previously with this seller, it was surprising that they came forward on their own to pay for these repairs after Read More
Make or Break Issues
Tom, Thank you very much for your work over the weekend. My lawyer and I are now battling it out with the seller over the repairs to that roof! I wouldn’t have even known the roof leak was a problem if you weren’t as thorough and adamant about full access as you are! So I Read More
Toddler Falls From Second Floor Window
According to NBC Chicago a toddler fell from a second story window. Luckily, the child was okay and was only treated for cuts to the face, but this incident could have been tragic for the family. The part of the article that caught my eye (as a home inspector) read: he family recently moved into Read More
Home Inspectors Save Lives
Coming up the front stairs to my office this morning I saw the above photograph hanging on the wall. This is a picture that I took several years ago and it is a reminder of one of the most tragic events of my career. The devastating story behind this picture represents the reason I got Read More
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