Make Your Real Estate Agent Work For You!!
After 11,000 home inspections, its not unusual for me to over hear the agents discussing how quick the deal went “All I had to do was answer the phone and show them a couple of properties” is a common comment which often times nets the agents $30,000-$40,000. The smart buyer makes their agents get any Read More
Is Your Inspector a “Butt-Kicker”?
Do you know anyone that was kicked out of their real estate deal at the last minute even though they had a signed sales contract and a committed seller? Well there is clear insider information about why this happens which may be a bit different than what interested parties have tried to convince you occurred. Read More
Fly On The Wall: Line Up Behind Multiple Offers
Legally, the broker you hire to sell your home is obliged to tell you about all offers that come in. Tomacor actually found a reference to this while training potential home inspectors in the Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5). If your agent doesn’t present every offer to you, it is a violation of Read More
The Fly on the Wall- The Truth About Open Houses
Tomacor would like to introduce you to The Fly on the Wall, a regularly occurring blog designed to assist in reestablishing solid ground and relationships for those buying and selling real estate. Years of experience has gone into producing these regularly featured articles. Enjoy! After the disastrous failure of the real estate market and the Read More
Surviving A Chicago Winter
Christmas has come and gone and there are only 90 plus warming days until the springtime warmth and festivities that we are all eagerly awaiting. In the mean time, let’s be safe and stay warm despite the low temperatures. In our continued efforts to relate building science to anatomy and physiology, we offer the following Read More
Stairway to Heaven
Three weeks ago I spent an entire day in a North Shore single family home where the buyer was demanding that the seller repurchase the property. The main topic of examination and cross examination involved the installation of three flights of stairs in the new building. First, some background: The house was sold in the Read More
Water Infiltration Getting You Down?
In the last month Tomacor has completed more than a dozen building inspections that have water infiltration problems through new roofs and new masonry walls. Overall, the quality of the construction detailing installed by masons and roofers is very poor and usually without regard for primary components that keep water out of masonry buildings such Read More
Buying Foreclosed Properties
Now is a great time to buy property, especially if its in foreclosure. During this period of “finger pointing” when banks own more property than they would like to, Tomacor has discovered a unique service to help buyers, retailers, and developers. We now offer a cost break-down for completing distressed properties. Tomacor has inspected approximately Read More
Dumping (Garbage Accumulation) Prohibited in Chicago
Section 4(7-28-710) within the Chicago Municipal Building Code specifically prohibits any person to place, leave, dump or permit to accumulate any garbage or trash in any building, structure or premises so that the same shall afford food or harborage for rats or to dump or place on any premises, land or waterway any dead animals Read More
Do you know if the house you designed has been built the right way?
Well, chances are you can’t, especially when it comes to proper installation of dry wall, sub-flooring or hidden components. For example, industry and most manufacturer standards require that a standard 4’x8’ sheet of dry wall be fastened four times over its 4-foot-width: at the top followed by fasteners at 16” intervals, meaning the 16”, 32” Read More
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