The Pay at Close Program allows homebuyers to pay for their home inspection at the time of closing instead of at time of service. Homebuyers who are either reserving on-hand cash, or hesitant to put large purchases on a credit card while the close is pending, now have a pay-later option to ensure a more comfortable home buying experience.
Excellent option for homebuyers limited on funds at time of inspection. Provides the ability to include all inspection services that are important for the home purchase and not pay up front. Easier financial planning by having all home buying-related fees scheduled for payment on set date.
Pay-At-Close FAQs
1) How is Pay-At-Close on home inspections communicated to the loan officer? As soon as the title company information has been sent to Guardian, Guardian reaches out to the title company to communicate the inspection fees being added at closing. This is done well ahead of time so that there are no surprises at the closing office.
2) Does the client have to pay extra for Pay-At-Close on home inspections? No. Pay-At-Close is offered at no charge to the homebuyer.
3) What happens if a client doesn’t know their title company? If the client doesn’t know their title company, they can click the box at checkout that says, “I don’t have my closing company info”, and their agent will be contacted to fill in these details for them.
4) What happens if the homebuyer changes title companies? If the homebuyer changes title companies, they can either give the information to their agent to reach out to Guardian or can contact Guardian directly at 1-800-608-7363.
5) What is Guardian’s process for collecting payment from the client? Guardian handles all aspects of collecting payment from the title company or client if the transaction does not make it to title. In all situations, we are representing ourselves as Guardian and not the home inspector or the real estate agent. The agreement / invoice that ISN generates is sent to the designated title company for payment. If Guardian is made aware of a canceled transaction or goes past 60 days from the time of inspection, Guardian will bill the credit card that the customer provided when signing the agreement. Once the amount has been billed to the credit card, Guardian will attempt to reach the client and let them know. We recognize the importance of treating the client fairly and with respect. We anticipate that most transactions that do not make it to title will be paid with the credit card on file and that only a small percentage should have to be collected through an actual collections process.
Radon mitigation is any process used to reduce radon gas concentrations in the breathing zones of occupied buildings, or radon from water supplies. Radon is a significant contributor to environmental radioactivity. Mitigation of radon in the air is accomplished through ventilation, either collected below a concrete floor slab or a membrane on the ground or by increasing the air changes per hour in the building. Treatment systems using aeration or activated charcoal are available to remove radon from domestic water supplies. Because high levels of radon have been found in every state of the United States, testing for radon and installing radon mitigation systems has become a specialized industry since the 1980s. Many states have implemented programs that affect home buying and awareness in the real estate community, however, radon testing and mitigation systems are not generally mandatory unless specified by a local jurisdiction.
According to the EPA’s “A Citizen’s Guide to Radon, the method to reduce radon “primarily used is a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside”, which is also called sub-slab depressurization, soil suction, or active soil depressurization. Generally, indoor radon can be mitigated by sub-slab depressurization and exhausting such radon-laden air to the outdoors, away from windows and other building openings. EPA generally recommends methods that prevent the entry of radon. Soil suction, for example, prevents radon from entering your home by drawing the radon from entering your home and venting it through a pipe, or pipes, to the air above the home where it is quickly diluted and EPA does not recommend the use of sealing alone to reduce radon because, by itself, sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently according to the EPA’s “Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction: How to fix your home.
Ventilation systems can utilize a heat exchanger or energy recovery ventilator to recover part of the energy otherwise lost in the process of exchanging air with the outside. For crawl spaces, the EPA states, An effective method to reduce radon levels in crawlspace homes involves covering the earth floor with a high-density plastic sheet. A vent pipe and fan are used to draw the radon from under the sheet and vent it to the outdoors. This form of soil suction is called sub-membrane suction, and when properly applied is the most effective way to reduce radon levels in crawlspace homes.”
The most common approach is the active soil depressurization(ASD). Experience has shown that ASD is applicable to most buildings since radon usually enters from the soil and rock underneath and mechanical ventilation (MV) is used when the indoor radon is emitted from the building materials. A less common approach works efficiently by reducing air pressures within cavities of exterior and demising walls where radon emitting from building materials, most often concrete blocks collect.
In hot, humid climates heat recovery ventilators (HRV), as well as energy recovery ventilators (ERV), have a record of increasing indoor relative humidity and dehumidification demands on air conditioning systems. Mold problems have originated in homes that have been radon mitigated with HRV and ERVs have an excellent record in heating climates.
A recent technology is based on building science. It includes a variable rate mechanical ventilation system that prevents indoor relative humidity from rising above the present level such as 50% which is currently suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency and others as an upper limit for the prevention of mold. It has proven to be especially effective in hot, humid climates. It controls the air delivery rate so that the air conditioner is never overloaded with more moisture than it can effectively remove from the indoor air.
It is generally assumed that air conditioner operation will remove excess moisture from the air in the breathing zone, but it is important to note that just because the air conditioner cools does not mean that it is also dehumidifying. If it is 14 degrees or less, it may not dehumidify at all even though it is cooling.
Factors that are likely to aggravate indoor humidity problems from mechanical ventilation-based radon installations are as follows and an expert radon mitigation/building scientist will check for and correct any and all of the following when he or she performs radon mitigation procedures:
Air conditioner duct leaks located outside the breathing zone, such as in the attic.
Excessive exhaust fan operation
Oversized or over-capacity air conditioners
AC air handler fans do not stop running when the air conditioner compressor stops running.
Delta, which is the amount that the air-cooled as it is passed through the air conditioner’s cooling coils. A good delta performance figure for home air conditioners is about 20F in comparison, automobile air conditioners deliver delta performance of 32 to 38f. A delta of 14f will dehumidify poorly if at all.
What is radon gas? Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that’s formed during the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rocks, and water. Radon exits the ground and can seep into your home through cracks and holes in the foundation, as well as contaminate well water. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Some studies show that children may be more sensitive to radon gas. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage. Testing would be the only way to find out your home’s radon level. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels. You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local, or neighborhood radon measurements. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon levels in your home. Homes that are next to each other can have different radon levels. In some areas, companies may offer different types of radon service agreements. Some agreements let you pay a one-time fee that covers both testing and radon mitigation if needed. To have your home tested for RADON levels. Click here
Make the madeleines: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter mini-madeleine pans.
Whisk cocoa powder and water in a medium bowl until smooth. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until incorporated.
Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a mixer on low speed until combined. Raise speed to medium, and add butter and 1/2 the cocoa mixture. Beat for 2 minutes, then scrape sides of the bowl. Beat in a remaining cocoa mixture on medium speed until completely combined, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip, and pipe into buttered pans, filling each 3/4 full. (Refrigerate batter between batches.) Bake, rotating halfway until testers inserted in centers come out clean and madeleines spring back when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Unmold onto wire racks, and let cool.
Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisking until combined. Pour over chocolate, and process until smooth.
Set racks with madeleines over parchment-lined baking sheets. Spoon some of the glazes over each madeleine to coat. Transfer to clean parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until glaze is firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Push sticky side of marshmallow skulls into madeleines, and serve immediately.
Please help us welcome Ross Bailey onto our team Thornton Home Inspections!
Ross owned and operated a 5-star home inspection company Mockingbird Home Inspections (MockingbirdHomeinspections.com) and has vast expertise in our industry. He also maintains the InterNACHI home inspector certification.
Ross stated the following about his former company:
When you choose Mockingbird for your property inspection needs, you can expect a thorough inspection of the major home systems, their crucial components, and their operability, especially the ones in which failure can result in dangerous or expensive-to-correct conditions. Our Certified Professional Inspector will follow the InterNACHI standards of Practice and Code of Ethics while performing all home inspection services on your property.
He brings this same integrity and thorough inspections to save you a headache or to help you find your next dream home.
Contact us today to find out how you can have Ross or one of our other InterNACHI certified home inspectors come out to protect you from a potentially bad investment.
