Wind Loss Mitigation Insurance Inspections

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Wind Loss Mitigation Insurance Inspections | Home Inspections Colts Neck NJ

certified home inspector monmouth county njFrank J. Delle Donne, Inspector and co-owner of Regal Home Inspections, LLC, has passed the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) class to perform Wind Loss Mitigation inspections. Wind loss mitigation inspections are done in an attempt to save money on your home insurance in hurricane zones.  The class taken and passed is based on various Florida construction codes including Miami Dade’s codes but is an insurance industry process so the insurance company can determine if the home is less likely to sustain damage (Financial losses) in a high wind event like a hurricane.

The training requires inspection and documentation of a number of wind and projectile protection mechanisms in a home. That includes the types of windows and glazing as well as the roof structure and strapping that can help prevent a roof from being pulled from a home in a High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Call for a quote. 908 902 2590 or email at frank07722@gmail.com

Other Services | Certified Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Be Aware! Part 1. Termites and Structural Issues (Horizontal cracks in the foundation wall)

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Termites and Structural Issues | Home Inspections Colts Neck NJ

Be Aware!  As a homeowner look for things that don’t look right. Often people comment that my son and inspection partner Brian and I are, “very thorough” or words to that effect.  Well, it’s our job to be thorough.  We’re not only looking for things that appear to be wrong but we’re also, “Looking” for things that aren’t there. This is the first in what hopefully will be a series of posts that point things out to homeowners and prospective buyers that will help you either see things (For the owner) that may require some immediate attention and for a buyer, may help you notice things when you look at a prospective home to buy that will require attention.  On a side note, I am appreciative when someone calls for an inspection and says, “I noticed… (Fill in the blank)… when we visited the house. Can you take a look when you do the inspection?”

 

Termites

We did an inspection this week. From the outside it looked like a nice house, well kept and it appeared to be well maintained. However, when inside the basement there were text book termite mud tubes. It’s easy for me to say now but a homeowner must be aware of their surroundings.  If these tubes were there from the start then shame on the termite inspector for not seeing them. However, if they occurred over the years that the current occupant lived in the house then shame on them.  I don’t understand how someone doesn’t see this and then not investigate what it is followed by asking, what do I do next?  Often termite tubes or termite damage are hard to find. As a termite inspector, there may not be any outward signs but when the wood is probed, the wood shreds because the termites have destroyed the wood internally with very few outward signs.  If you see things like I’ve shown below, call a pesticide company.  If you’re not sure, call a home inspector and ask for just a termite inspection.

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Not until the wood was hit with a probe did the termite damage become apparent.

 

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Termite tubes are hanging down from the joists like stalactites seen in caves.

 

 

 

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Termite mud tube seen growing from the floor joist along the plywood sub floor.

 

 

 

 

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Termite mud tubes seen at the corner of the floor joist and the plywood sub-floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horizontal Foundation Cracks

Home inspectors, at least we at Regal Home Inspections, don’t like to be the bearers of bad news. It’s our job to find these issues and matters and we’re are thankful when we find them because it’s usually very important information for the clients. Horizontal cracks in foundation walls are one such example.  The follow up for some findings in an inspection report are easy; For example, call and electrician to replace an outlet. Others are much more difficult and the next steps to fully evaluate a horizontal foundation wall crack are not easy and costly but are required. In accordance with the NJ Home Inspection laws and standards of practice, an inspector is required to: A) Identify material defects. B) Explain why the material defect finding is important and then C) What the client must do next.  For a horizontal crack (It’s been identified) it’s B) important because the foundation wall is structural and a horizontal crack indicated that the foundation wall has moved inward. From an inspection perspective, the next steps C) Should include further evaluation by a structural engineer and then repair as that professional deems necessary.

 

The engineer may recommend that the crack be, “Patched and monitored” if it’s hairline. An engineer may specify repair. Often, the repair is intended to strengthen the wall to prevent additional movement. This may be done by having a qualified contractor install “I beams” vertically against the wall.

If your house has exposed, foundation walls, look at them. Notice their condition. Notice any changes that you may see over time.  Ask yourself, “Why is that different now than how it was before?”  This applies to all areas, not just foundation walls and termite tubes.  I’ll try to cover other items at a later date.

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The gray colored, vertical I-beam can be seen here. It was installed to provide additional support to the foundation wall that has cracked.
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Horizontal crack. Here and the next 2 photos are from another house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A horizontal crack through the buttress.
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The buttress is moving away from the top of the wall because the inward movement of the foundation wall, evidenced by the horizontal crack, is creating a gap at the top between the buttress and the foundation wall. A clear indication of foundation wall movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Structural Issues – Don’t waive your NJ home inspection part 2

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Structural Issues – Don’t waive your NJ home inspection part 2

Let’s start with the overarching purpose of the home inspection in the great, Garden State.  Identifying “Material Defects”.  By law here in NJ a material defect is defined (Paraphrasing for brevity) as a condition of a structural system or component that’s, “Readily ascertainable” (aka visible) and, “Substantially effects” the value, habitability or safety.

In my experience, most of the material defects are for safety reasons and most (I haven’t actually counted) are electrical in nature.  And the majority of the electrical issues are relatively easy for a licensed electrician to fix. They may include a GFCI outlet in a bathroom that doesn’t work, an incorrectly wired outlet, loose wires, etc. Some are very serious but most are not.

This piece however is intended to look at some structural issues that are often, material defects as well.  That could be due to the fact that the structural matter jeopardizes the structural integrity of the home or because it also effects the value requiring significant cost to repair to restore the intended structural integrity.  As with all material defects, the inspector’s job is to A) Identify the problem. B) Tell you why it’s important and C) Give you a recommendation of what needs to be done next to address the matter.

Here are a few structural matters seen recently in different home inspections.

Horizontal cracks and foundation wall issues. Vertical cracks may or may not be a structural issue. Horizontal cracks are usually of significance. Horizontal cracks seen from inside a basement are almost always caused by an exterior force pushing against the foundation wall. It could be a tree root, water pressure, frozen soil and is occasionally due to the force of landscaping installed outside.

A buttress is an integral part of a foundation wall and is often there to provide additional, structural support against lateral (aka side-ways) movement. When the buttress is cracked or the foundation wall’s movement shifts the buttress, those are some significant forces at play.

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Crack through the buttress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gap at the top of the buttress.

 

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Horizontal crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next problem is all too frequent. Other trades people, in this case a plumber, needs to place a pipe exactly where there’s a joist.  Joists are important because the joists hold the floor up (And the ceiling but we’re talking about floor joists here). Joists usually rest on the perimeter foundation wall at one end and often a beam in the middle of the floor.

Occasionally, the joists are run from foundation wall to foundation wall

without a beam in the middle.  The structural issue seen here is that a plumber cut a joist in half to place their pipe. Now, not only is this joist NOT supporting the floor above, it’s actually the floor above that’s holding the joist up! Another joist issue is termite damage that has eaten the joist rendering this, structural element, irrelevant.

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Severed joist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The end of the joist was eaten by termites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the interest of brevity, the next issue, all too often found in older homes and in crawl spaces are poorly constructed columns. The columns support beams and the beams support the joists, etc. If one domino fails, the others that are relying on the 1st one also, may fail.

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The post/column is one issue. Another is that the beam sections are not the same height. And the beam ends should be supported.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Substandard support column.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the difficult parts of this job is going through crawl spaces. They are usually very dirty, filled with cob webs and other insects, often wet and occasionally they’re filled with mold.  But it’s part of the inspection job.  NJ home inspection law does not require inspectors go into spaces that in the opinion of the inspector may jeopardize their safety. Also, NJ home inspection laws don’t require inspectors to climb through hatches that are too small.  It’s important to make the effort but safety, my safety is paramount. On that note, as important as it is that the inspector do what the law requires, it’s equally important the inspector tell you what they’re supposed to do but couldn’t do and why.  Safety is a justifiable reason not to climb on a roof, open an electrical panel (If there’s a puddle of water on the floor in front of the pane for example) or go into a crawl space that, in the inspector’s opinion jeopardizes their safety.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Do Not Waive Your Home Inspection. Part 1.

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Electrical Issues…A Great Reason NOT to Waive your right for a home inspection.

July 27, 2021

We’re in the COVID Era.  Many people are in a panic, including, for the first time, panicking about where they live.  My wife and I came to New Jersey, from Staten Island, NY in 1987.  We, like many New Yorkers, sought a better life and standard of living for our young and expanding family.  And, without a shadow of a doubt, we achieved a better life in the Garden State.

As a licensed home inspector in Monmouth County, NJ I’ve done many inspections for people moving to NJ for a better life.  NJ’s beaches and rural, suburban areas were a welcome change and attraction for people moving from Staten Island, Brooklyn and occasionally Queens. At one time the cost of living in NJ was an attraction too but unfortunately that may no longer be the case but that’s not important when compared to the other, quality of life issues.

Covid has been the catalyst for change in many, many ways. As it relates to the real estate business, Covid is pushing people to NJ. To some degree people are still coming to NJ for a better quality of life but 2020 has given New Yorkers other reasons to flee the Empire State and the Big Apple; Congestion, crime, unbridled riots the summer of 2020 and more. To some degree the real estate industry in NJ has benefited. I heard that Connecticut is also a welcome alternative to New York.

This all means that the competition for buyers is tough. Many buyers and too little inventory.  Supply and demand. What gives? Bid prices go up and sellers put stipulations that only structural or environmental inspection will be permitted. What? For buyers that’s a bad proposition.  You could be buying a money pit or a safety hazard.

Here are some examples of egregious electrical issues recently found that you would have no knowledge of if you gave up your right for a FULL inspection.  One area that a run of the mill DIY homeowner must never do is electrical work!  It could kill if not done properly, start a fire and worse. The examples shown are, in my opinion, so bad that there’s no way they were done by a licensed electrician or an apprentice working under the guidance of a licensed electrician. Items 1 and 2 are from one house inspected the week of July 19, 2021. Items 3 and 4 are from a house inspected the week of July 12, 2021.

  • A sub panel that’s mis-wired.  Neutrals and grounds are together on 2 different bars.  One set, on the top right is wrong because the bar is, by design, electrically isolated from the metal box (Also part of the electrical ground). So the ground wires are not really grounded.  “No big deal” you say?  Wrong, it is a big deal. If one of the hot wires short circuits it will want to go to the ground wire and to an earth ground. But due to the way it’s wired, there is no metallic path to an earth ground. The electricity from the short circuit will energize all of the other wires in the house and potentially electrocute someone or start a fire.
  • The same panel’s ground bar (Bottom left) also has neutrals wired to it. The grounds are grounded but so are the neutrals.
  • certified home inspector monmouth county nj
    Improperly wired sub panel.
    home inspector monmouth county nj
    Grounds and neutrals on the same bar. The problem is that it’s not grounded.

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    Neutrals are also part of the ground.
  • At another house there’s a 20amp circuit breaker with a 14 gauge wire. That’s definitely a safety issue. If you don’t believe me try Googling, “Can a 14 gauge wire be connected to a 20amp circuit breaker?”  The 1st response is, “You can not use 14 AWG anywhere on a circuit that has a 20A breaker.”  For me it’s case closed.
  • At Regal Home Inspections, LLC we use combustible gas detectors and check the natural gas valves and couplings around the water heater, furnace or boiler and dryer when accessible. Yes, we found a gas leak. Do you want to move into a house with a gas leak? Of course that’s rhetorical question, of course you don’t. But if you give up your right to an inspection, that’s what you may end up doing!

  • home inspections monmouth county nj
    Gas leak detected.

Don’t give up your right to a full home inspection.  If you plan on renovating the bathrooms and kitchen, fine, exclude them from your inspection and maybe the seller will be OK with that.  But do not give away your right to identify Material Defects that effect the safety or habitability of the house.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

 

Thermal Imaging Certified

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

home inspector monmouth county njThermal Imaging Certified | Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Frank J. Delle Donne, owner and inspector at Regal Home Inspections, LLC has become certified by InterNACHI, the largest home inspector association, as a thermal imager. This requires taking and passing classes in Building Science and Thermal Imaging. This service will be rolled out this year as an ancillary service for home inspection clients or clients needing the specific analysis of thermal imaging.

What is thermal imaging? Thermal imaging is the use of specialized cameras that can look at the thermal (Heat and cool) properties of objects. A thermal imaging camera compares the thermal signatures of building surfaces comparing hot (or warmer) areas to cold (or cooler) areas. Then, using the training, a skilled thermographer can interpret the images that may identify moisture or poor insulation for example. In the photos below some examples show how the thermal imaging can identify or confirm electrical issues as well. Not all thermal imaging efforts are to identify issues. As shown below, thermal imaging can be used to confirm the operation of radiant heating in a ceiling or floor. The radiant heat is very subtle and not able to be distinguished with a laser thermometer, for example. But, as shown below, a thermal image can confirm the proper operation of a radiant heat system.

The thermal imaging service will be offered to home inspection clients at a steeply discounted rate or offered as a singular service for home or building owners. For more information call Frank at 908 902 2590.

This photo shows the heat of a light against the background of the cooler ceiling. Building anomalies such as moisture, poor insulation and electrical issues can be photographed in the infrared spectrum to identify issues that are not apparent to the naked eye.

 

There was a small stain on the kitchen ceiling, approximately 6 inches wide. The thermal image shows (the dark area in the photo) an area approximately 3 feet wide that’s wet from a bathroom leak above the kitchen ceiling.
Visually, an overheating wire can be seen.

 

The thermal image confirms that the circuit breaker and wire are warmer than the surrounding breakers and wires.

 

The thermal image camera can detect the heating coils for a radiant heat system. The coils can’t be seen with the naked eye but are in sharp focus with thermal imaging. This image is of the heating coils in the ceiling.
These two photos (above and below this caption) are of the radiant heating coils in the floor of a bathroom.

 

Other Services | Home Inspections Monmouth County NJ

Regal Home Inspections, LLC is thermal imaging certified and offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

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Radon Testing Monmouth County NJ

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Radon Testing: It’s Someone Else’s Problem, Not Mine. Right?

Originally published in 2014.

Updated March 16, 2023

My name is Frank J. Delle Donne, and I am a NJ Licensed Home Inspector.  I am the co-owner and Inspector at Regal Home Inspections, LLC. My son and co-owner, Brian, works with me and he’s also a licensed home inspector, radon measurement technician and he’s licensed to test for lead paint. I was a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for over 26 years and was a member (Now retired) of the Colts Neck, NJ Board of Health and was Chairman of that Board for 2008 and 2009. During my studies to become a Home Inspector and earning my NJ Certification to be a Radon Measurement Technician I learned a great deal about Radon and felt compelled to share that information in a manner that is easy to understand and increases awareness.  Every home in New Jersey should be tested for Radon on a regular basis. The, “Action Level” where mitigation is required is 4.0pCi/L. That’s “Pico Curries per liter” of air which is the measurement of radioactivity. I’ve had many above 4.0. Some in the low double digits such as 10+, 20+, 30+ (None in the 40s) but 50+ and even a 317!

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been leading the effort to make citizens aware of radon and closer to home, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ-DEP) has been following suit.  Please read our earlier post for general information about radon.   This piece is intended to point out that a radon problem may be closer to home than you think.

Radon: The Basics

A few points that I’d like to repeat from the earlier article is that radon is everywhere and it is naturally occurring.  It is a radioactive gas which means that it transforms spontaneously and in that transformation it releases tiny bursts of energy.  When radon is inhaled in your home (living levels, bedrooms or basement) it is these tiny bursts of energy, occurring inside your lungs, that cause harm.

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas.  Radon IS NOT flammable, toxic or noxious.  It is, however, radioactive and it occurs naturally.  This article will look at the radon potential, as identified by the NJ-DEP, in various parts of the Garden State.   As you can see from the map, NJ is divided into 3 classifications of radon potential; Low (Blue), Moderate (Green) and High (Red).  Let’s look closer.certified home inspector monmouth county nj

What Areas of NJ are of Concern and What Types of structures?

New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 5:23-10 (2013), among other things, specifies the construction codes, as they relate to radon mitigation in “E” and “R” Use Groups.  “E” stands for educational and “R” is for some Residential.  The International Building Code (New Jersey Edition) identifies educational as a building that houses 6 or more people for educational purposes through grade 12.  Section 305.1 identifies K-12 and Section 305.2 refers to younger facilities (Pre-K and day care) that may have five or more children 2&1/2 years of age or older.  The same source identifies five different residential types, R-1 through R-5.  These include basically any and all residence structures from single family homes to apartments, dormitories, convents and more. Frank and Brian are both certified to conduct radon measurements in Single Family Homes. Currently, Frank is also certified to conduct radon measurements in schools and large, non-residential homes such as commercial buildings of all sizes.

N.J.A.C. also identifies two other very important aspects (among many other good things).  First, Sub Section 5:23-10.4 states the specific construction techniques that must be followed for E and R construction in Tier 1 areas.  Tier 1 are the High Radon Potential areas shown in red in the previous map.  Before I go to that discussion, let’s finish the discussion on the construction.  Among other important elements, for example, the N.J.A.C. states that, “Basement slabs with interior foundation pipe drains installed shall have a solid, three-inch minimum diameter vent pipe installed in conjunction with this drainage system and be connected to an independent vent stack pipe terminating at an approved location on the exterior of the building.”

This accommodation is to allow for the future installation of a vent fan in order to actively draw air from below the basement slab and out of the house before the sub slab gasses have a chance to seep into the house. These are referred to sub-soil depressurization systems.

Therefore, new construction in these Tier 1 areas should have the basics for a radon mitigation system installed right from the start. So then, where are these Tier 1 areas?

NJ Counties and Towns that are Deemed to be Tier 1

As you can see from the map above the Tier 1 areas are nearly in every part of the state. From northern Sussex County to southern Cumberland County, high radon readings are possible in many areas. One thing you might notice is the sandy soils of the areas along the shore and the Pine Barrens are the lowest areas. As written about in other articles, these sandy soil areas don’t have a lot of the bedrock with uranium as some of the other areas. Northern Jersey has granite and shale that are ripe for the presence of Uranium 238 which is at the beginning of the radioactive decay process that results in Radon-222. The N.J.A.C. specifically mentions counties and towns that are Tier 1 areas so if you can’t quite figure out if you live in a red area or a green one, this list should help.

If you live in one of these areas, you live in an area of High Radon Potential. You should get your home checked regularly. Even if you have a radon mitigation system it wouldn’t hurt to check annually. If you do not have a radon mitigation system, you should check quarterly for a period of time. Radon levels can change season to season and month to month. It would be a good idea to have a baseline of seasonal levels. If you have young children and you haven’t checked your home for radon it is something that you should do immediately. When you are dealing with the health of you and your family, the cost to install a mitigation system is reasonable. It’s a lot less costly compared to dealing with the illnesses that can occur from extended and continued exposure to radon.

Testing is easy and relatively inexpensive considering the health hazard that radon is.  

Conclusion | Radon Inspector Colts Neck NJ

Radon is a serious health issue, but it can be minimized. You need to test now and then every 6 months.  Likely, it cannot be 100% eliminated but mitigation can usually get the radon levels very low.  It’s naturally occurring and exists in nature. It’s not man-made nor can we stop it from existing.  We can, however, minimize its pathways into our homes and help ensure a healthy and safe environment.  It is better to know than to hope.

Please call today to schedule your radon test for your family.  Regal Home Inspections, LLC does not mitigate so we are not motivated to find elevated readings so we can clean them up.  We inspect homes and we are both, Frank & Brian, licensed as a Radon Measurement Technicians – MET13186 & MET14070 respectively.

Other Monmouth County NJ Certified Home Inspector Services

Regal Home Inspections, LLC offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Call Frank @ 908-902-2590 or Brian @ 732-740-8365 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Crawl Spaces – Buyer Beware | Home Inspector Monmouth County NJ

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Many homes in NJ have crawl spaces as part of the foundation. Foundations typically are either concrete slab on grade, basements or crawl spaces.  Over the years we’ve inspected many crawl spaces and it’s been some-good, some-bad. The bad ones have been very bad. A few photos are below.

One that comes to mind was a flip-house. The interior of this approximately 100 year old house in northern Monmouth County was nicely done; New floors, kitchen, bath and a fresh coat of paint. However the crawl space was an entirely different story.

Moral of the story, make sure you hire an inspector that will go into the crawl space. Don’t be mesmerized by the nice paint to forget about the bones or foundation. The house is only as good as the foundation it’s built upon.

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Poor structural support.
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Again, poor structural support.
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Wet wood due to lack of a vapor barrier. Measured with a moisture meter.

 

Monmouth County NJ Certified Home Inspections

Regal Home Inspections, LLC offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Both of our inspectors are also licensed to perform radon inspections. We have NJ DEP issued Radon Measurement Technician licenses and are affiliated with the best radon lab in the state.

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Good Bye 2020 and Hello 2021

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

While 2020 was a challenging year 2021 is off to a good start. It seems that the exodus from New York State is continuing and home sales are supported by historically low mortgage interest rates. The first mortgage that my wife and I had in the early 1980’s was 13%! I remember asking my father what his mortgage interest was when he and my mother bought their first house circa 1958 and he said that it was, “6%”.

So for those buying a home these days, a mortgage interest rate of 2.5% is truly historic.  Here is a comparison.

  1. For a $200,000 mortgage, 30 year term at 6% results in monthly principal and interest payments of $1199/month. Over 30 years, to borrow $200,000 you’ll pay a total of $431,676. You’ll pay more in interest than the original loan amount!
  2. For the same $200,000 mortgage. 30 year term at 2.5% results in monthly principal and interest payments of $790/month. Over 30 years, to borrow $200,000 you’ll pay a total of $284,487.
  3. 6% vs. 2.5% saves the borrower, over 30 years, $147,189!!!

I believe a combination of the flight from the big apple and low rates will support a good real estate market in 2021…let’s hope.

Here are a few homes we’ve inspected at Regal Home Inspections so far this, new year.

Inspected May 20. Aberdeen
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Middletown
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Holmdel
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Ocean Grove

 

Monmouth County NJ Certified Home Inspections

Regal Home Inspections, LLC offers Monmouth County NJ certified home inspections, condo inspections, estate inspections, and townhouse inspections.

It’s likely your mortgage company will require a wood-destroying insect inspection. Regal Home Inspections has the NJ DEP Core & 7B Pesticide Applicator license, so we can offer professional termite and wood-destroying insect inspections as well!

Both of our inspectors are also licensed to perform radon inspections. We have NJ DEP issued Radon Measurement Technician licenses and are affiliated with the best radon lab in the state.

Call 908-902-2590 for your free quote or if you have any questions!

Waste Pipe Video Inspection

Posted by Frank J Delle Donne on

Regal Home Inspections, LLC has for a few years recommended that the buyer of a home have the sewer pipe inspected using a video camera inserted into the waste pipe from the house to the street. Repairs or replacement of the waste pipe can be very expensive when you consider the cost of excavation, dirt, sidewalks, driveways, etc. all the way into the street. Please read the attached.

Sewer Pipe Inspection