 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||
|
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, §§ 221-226 and c. 30A, the
Board of Registration of Home Inspectors will hold
public hearings relative to proposed promulgation of
amendments and additions to board regulations 266
CMR 6.00.
The hearing will be held at the following time and date
at the following location on Wednesday, June 24,
2009 at 10:00 a.m. 239 Causeway Street, Second
Floor, Boston, MA, 02114. Interested parties will be
given an opportunity to present testimony orally or in
writing at the hearings. Written comments will be
accepted until the close of business on Tuesday,
June 23, 2009.
Written comments may be mailed to the Board of
Registration of Home Inspectors, 239 Causeway
Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02114, Attention Zane
Skerry, Executive Director or e-mailed to
Zane.B.Skerry@state.ma.us.
A copy of the proposed regulations may be obtained
by contacting the Board at 239 Causeway Street, 5th
Fl., Boston, MA 02114 (617-727-4459) or on the
Board website.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||
|
ASAP Environmental
HEALTHY HOMES FOR BETTER LIVING
1 Arcadia St. Dorchester, MA 02122
inspections@asapenvironmental.com 800-349-7779 www.asapenvironmental.com
|
||
|
|
||
|
The chapter's next membership meeting and
educational program will take place on Thursday,
June 25th at The Lantana in Randolph, MA. The
meeting
will start with dinner at 5:00 followed by the roundtable
at 6:00.
Join us and learn all about Geothermal Energy
(heating and cooling) during a one-hour program lead
by Brian Hayden of the HeatSpring Learning Institute
followed by a two-hour presentation on engineered
construction materials and how to inspect them lead
by Brent Rheinhardt of Coastal Forest Products and
Jim Blair of Engineered Wood Technical Services.
During his program on geothermal energy, Hayden
will discuss how geothermal heat pumps work and
what the benefits are to homeowners who install this
type of equipment. He will also address the various
types of geothermal systems available. Additional
geothermal and solar technologies will be
introduced. During their two-hour program on
engineered building materials, Rheinhardt and Blair
will take us through a series of typical field problems
and what to look for including damage to beam and
joist; cutting of top flange on joist and bottom flange
(and the important difference), improper shims,
transfer of vertical loads, improper load path, loads
not blocked to the foundation and many others. Floor
performance will also be reviewed including point
loads, area loads and vibration and deflection.
Please note that we will take a break from meeting in
July and August but will return with our two-day 2009
Fall Conference on Monday, September 14 and
Tuesday, September 15. Mark your calendars and
watch your mail and email for registration materials!
I look forward to seeing everyone at this membership
meeting to hear these excellent speakers.
Bob Mulloy, Education Chairman
|
||
|
|
||
|
FREA
E&O Insurance for Home Inspectors
800-882-4410 www.frea.com |
||
|
|
||
|
ASHI-New England Chapter Education Committee
Chairman, Bob Mulloy has been rather busy working
on the agenda and program speaker roster for the
Chapter's 2009 Annual Fall Conference. The two-day
event is scheduled for Monday, September 14 and
Tuesday September 15 at The Lantana located in
Randolph, MA.
While the official conference promotion will be made
available in early summer, the following are the topics
and speakers already confirmed by Mulloy with
assistance from various other member home
inspectors providing assistance on the committee.
During the morning of Monday, September the
Chapter will welcome Attorney Jonathan Braverman of
Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro, P.C. for an in-depth
look at legal issues of relevance to home inspection
professionals. Steve Gladstone of Stonehollow, Inc.
Fine Home Inspections (and 2004 ASHI National
President) will address old home issues.
The afternoon session will begin with a "Trial by
Peers" lead by Donald Lovering of Advantage Home
Inspection that will offer a mock-trial format to
demonstrate how to better prepare to defend yourself
and your inspection report when called into question.
Bill Sutton of Bay Colony Home
Inspections Consultants, Inc. will offer a program on
Ethics for the home inspection professional.
On Tuesday, September 15, the Chapter will introduce
Kenny Hart who will conduct an intensive seminar on
all aspects of plumbing as it relates to conducting and
reporting on findings during a home inspection. Hart
is a second-generation Master Plumber and
Mechanical Contractor with more than 30 years of
experience. He is a past chair of the ASHI Technical
Committee.
The Chapter is especially pleased to announce that
Tedd Benson of Bensonwood Homes has been
confirmed. A speaker at a past ASHI-NE conference,
Benson was thrilled to be invited back (by popular
demand) and will offer a special glimpse into
the "Weston House Project" which a pre-fabricated
timberframe home featured in Fall 2008 on This Old
House. Day two wraps up with a presentation by Brad
Keyes of Keyes North Atlantic on high efficiency
boilers and furnaces.
Again, information on costs and how to register will
soon be made available via the Chapter's website
and a membership mailing. Watch
www.ashinewengland and your mail for more details.
Both days of the conference agenda will
be submitted to the Mass. Board of Registration for
Home Inspectors and to ASHI-national for continuing
education approval.
|
||
|
|
||
CORCORAN & HAVLIN INSURANCE GROUP
THE SUPERIOR HOME INSPECTOR ERRORS &
OMISSIONS INSURANCE PROGRAM!
Underwritten by AIG's Lexington Insurance Company - Rated A++ by A.M. Best Home Inspector E&O Coverage offers these features:
For a quote or more information, please call Debi
Drury (x244 or ddrury@chinsurance.com) or
Mike Curtis, Marketing Manager (x243) or visit
website at www.chinsurance.com
287 Linden Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 800-304-8242 Fax 781-235-7190 |
||
|
|
||
|
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors has
reported that median home prices for single-family
homes and condominiums showed slight signs of
improvement in April. While median prices were
down 12.5 percent for single-family homes and 14.2
percent for condos, it is the smallest annual price
decrease since October 2008 and November 2008
respectively. On a month-to-month basis single-
family median prices were up 7.8 percent from March,
the largest month-to-month increase since MAR has
been tracking monthly median prices. Single-family
home sales were down 13 percent in April compared
to the same time last year, while condominium sales
were down 28.8 percent.
"On a year-over-year basis, median prices are still
feeling the weight of the market correction that has
been taking place over the past 20 months," said MAR
President Gary Rogers, a broker at RE/MAX First
Realty in Waltham. "However, it is encouraging to see
month-to-month median prices going up, as it is
reflective of the increased activity REALTORS® are
seeing today as buyers are looking to get back into the
market."
There were 2,448 detached single-family homes sold
this April, a 13 percent decrease from the 2,814
homes sold the same time last year. On a month-to-
month basis, home sales were up 9.6 percent from
2,234 homes sold this past March.
The median selling price for single-family homes in
April was $275,000, a decrease of 12.5 percent
compared to $314,450 in April 2008. This is the
smallest annual monthly decrease since October
2008. On a month-to-month basis, the April median
selling price was up 7.8 percent from $255,000 in
March 2009. This is the largest month-to-month
increase since MAR has been tracking median
prices. The April median selling price continues to be
back to 2002 levels.
The condominium market experienced a significant
28.8 percent decrease in the number of units sold this
April compared to the same time last year (from 1,286
units sold in 2008 to 916 units sold in 2009).
However, on a month-to-month basis, condominium
sales were up 4.4 percent compared to the 877 units
sold this past March. This is the third straight month
of month-to-month increases.
Condominium median selling prices in April were
down 14.2 percent from $275,000 in 2008 to $236,000
in 2009. On a month-to-month basis, the median
selling price of a condominium was up 5.1 percent
from a March median of $224,500. The April median
selling price for condominiums is back to August
2003 levels.
The number of homes that went under agreement in
April was up 20.7 percent over March "pending sales".
The number of condos under agreement went up 23.9
percent compared to March. Pending sales are
homes that have gone under agreement, but have yet
to close and be recorded.* [please see note at bottom
of release]
The inventory of residential properties on the market
as of April 30, 2009 decreased 18 percent compared
to the same time last year (from 49,641 listings in
2008 to 40,864 listings in 2009). At the current sales
pace, this represents approximately 12.1 months of
supply, equal to the 12.1 months of supply in April
2008. On a month-to-month basis, the average
months of supply is down from 12.3 months in March.
It is considered a balanced market when there are
between 7.5 and 8.5 months of supply.
The inventory of single-family homes decreased 17.0
percent from April 2008 (34,067 listings in 2008 to
28,404 listings in 2009) which translates into 11.6
months of supply in April 2009. This is down from
12.2 months of supply last year and down from 12.0
months of supply in March. This is the 13th straight
month that inventory has gone down compared to the
year before.
The condominium market saw April inventory
decrease by 20 percent from last year (15,574 listings
in 2008 to 12,460 listings in 2009), which translates
into 13.6 months of supply, up from 12.1 months in
2008 and up from 13.3 months this past March. This
is the 13th straight month that inventory has gone
down compared to the year before.
Detached single-family homes stayed on the market
an average of 155 days in April 2009 compared to an
average of 166 days in April 2008, while condos
stayed on the market an average of 140 days, down
from an average of 162 days in April 2008. On a
month-to-month basis, days on market for single-
family homes were down from 156 days and condos
were down from 158 days in March.
|
||
|
|
||
|
CRACK-X
Got water in your basement?
Since 1985, CRACK-X has been a full service company specializing in residential and commercial foundation welding of cracks and other concrete repairs such as bulkheads, penetrations, cold joints, elevator pits, and slabs. We are committed to 100% customer satisfaction and back up all vertical wall crack repairs with an unconditional 10-year warranty. 25 Washington Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
877-272-2539 www.crackfx.com |
||
|
|
||
|
B-Dry Systems
20 YEARS OF SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS
Written warranty for the full life of the structure. 800-320-2379
|
||
|
|
||
|
The NH Board of Home Inspectors will be holding a
meeting on June 23, 2009 at 9:00 am. at their office at
57 Regional Drive in Concord, NH.
The Board has posted on their web site the final
proposed NH Board of Home Inpsector Administrative
Rules.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Vent Master
ATTIC VENTILATION SPECIALISTS
Inspectors, when you see signs of:
Recommend Vent Master For a FREE consultation, call Don Marcoux at Vent
Master
|
||
|
|
||
|
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, has
announced a voluntary recall of the following
consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise
instructed.
Name of Product: Composite Decks
Units: About 48 million linear feet (decks vary in size)
Manufacturer: Louisiana-Pacific (LP) Corp., of
Nashville, Tenn.
Hazard: The recalled decking can prematurely
deteriorate and unexpectedly break. Consumers can
fall through broken decking and suffer serious injuries.
Incidents/Injuries: LP has received 37 reports of
composite decks breaking, resulting in 14 injuries,
including a broken wrist, sprained ankle, minor
lacerations and bruises.
Description: The recall includes outdoor deck board
and railings sold under the brand names LP
WeatherBest®, ABTCo., and Veranda®. They are
composite products that look similar to natural wood
and were sold in various colors including Tuscan
Walnut/Chestnut, Driftwood Grey/Greystone, Pacific
Cedar and Western Redwood. Veranda decking
products were manufactured by multiple firms; only
products manufactured by LP are included in this
recall.
Sold at: The Home Depot (Veranda® brand) and
building product dealers (LP WeatherBest® and
ABTCo. brands) nationwide from January 2005 to
August 2008 for between $1.50 and $2.25 per linear
foot.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers with the recalled decking
should immediately contact LP for a free inspection. If
the decking is affected by premature deterioration, LP
will arrange for a free replacement.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact
LP toll-free at (888) 325-1184 between 6 a.m. and 5
p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web
site at www.deckingnotice.com
|
||
|
|
||
|
Peter Greifer Enterprises
ASBESTOS REMOVAL & MOLD REMEDIATION
Serving Eastern Massachusetts & Rhode Island 800-582-5288
401-946-4506 (Rhode Island) peter.greifer@verizon.net |
||
|
|
||
|
Recently, ASHI took steps to make the ASHI Standard
of Practice and Code of Ethics requirement more
accessible to new members. The Standard of Practice
exam was only available through an outside provider.
Now, it has been updated to an Education Module,
accessible directly through the ASHI Web site.
The module as a membership status requirement
Bringing the education module in house is beneficial
to new and existing members and to ASHI as an
organization. New members may access the module
at any time through the Members Only section of
www.HomeInspector.org at no additional charge.
Elimination of the $85 fee to an outside provider will
ease the monetary burden on new inspectors joining
ASHI. By providing an easily accessible no fee
module, ASHI expects to increase new member
retention because doing so removes a hurdle that
prevented applicants from quickly learning our
Standards and staking their claim as part of the ASHI
family.
The module as a resource for all members
Existing members can use the education module to
test their knowledge of the ASHI Standards of Practice
and Code of Ethics. This can be done through the
Education and Training section on
www.HomeInspector.org.
Exam vs. module
ASHI's requirement to demonstrate knowledge of and
agreement to follow the Standards of Practice and
Code of Ethics to achieve Associate with Logo Use
status has not changed. Only the method of doing so
has. The procedure includes the exact same 50
questions used in the third-party exam. Proof of
successfully completing the education module must
be provided to ASHI. The software tracking program
crosschecks usage records and records completion
in the member's file.
The Standards of Practice Education Module has
been created at no cost by using technology already
owned by ASHI. Committee members, Board and staff
worked to fulfill a request to streamline the process
and reduce the cost of joining ASHI without
compromising the requirements.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Rene Mugnier Associates
When in doubt, refer to a structural engineer
specializing in the investigation of homes and
commercial structural problems.
REHABILITATIONS & INVESTIGATIONS
777 Concord Ave., Ste. 201, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-7773 |
||
|
|
||
|
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Home
Inspectors holds meetings on a regular basis that are
open for home inspectors to attend. These board
meetings are usually held at 239 Causeway Street,
2nd Floor, Room 204 in Boston from 10:00 am to 3:00
pm.
The meeting dates for 2009 are as
follows:
July 15, 2009 September 16, 2009 November 18, 2009 You are encouraged to call the board office at 617-727-
4459 for any posssible changes in location and time
of these meetings.
|
||
|
|
||
Atlas Watersystems
WE DON'T MAKE THE WATER.
WE MAKE THE WATER BETTER!! Residential & Commercial Water
Filtration & Purification Water Testing & Analysis
Radon & Arsenic Remediation Softeners * Filters * Purification 800-215-9966 www.atlaswater.com "Bringing Technology to Water"
|
||
|
|
||
|
President
Lisa Alajajian-Giroux /
homequest1@comcast.net
Vice President
Mike Atwell /
m.atwell@rcn.com
Secretary Donald Bissex /
dbissex@comcast.net
Treasurer
Len Rucker /
lrucker1@comcast.net
Directors
Paul Cornell / pcornell@inspecthouses.com Paul Rogoshewski / paul@harmonyhomeinspection.com Alex Steinberg / alex@jbsinspections.com Council of Representatives
Lisa Alajajian / homequest1@comcast.net Bill Sutton / wsuttoninspector@hotmail.com Committee Chair
By- Laws: Mike Atwell / m.atwell@rcn.com Communications: Education: Bob Mulloy / rmulloy@verizon.net Legislative: Membership: Executive Director
Walter Perry /
wperry@choiceonemail.com
|
||
|
|
|
|
We look forward to seeing you at our monthly membership meeting on June 25th !
Sincerely,
ASHI New England
email:
clough@choiceonemail.com
phone:
800-248-2744
|
|
