Adventures in Home Buying

Ever been told you have to share your entire home inspection report to cancel a deal? We dismantle that myth and walk through what your contract really asks for, what the law says about client names on reports, and why passing around full inspections can hurt both buyers and agents. As licensed pros who’ve seen the pressure tactics firsthand, we explain how a report is created for one client, one...

The cold snap didn’t break the house—bad decisions did. We walked into a vacant property with no furnace, water service left on, and a bathroom faucet growing an icicle. From there we unpack how frozen pipes actually happen, where they strike first, and why a little planning prevents a lot of damage. If you’ve ever wondered whether to leave the water on in winter, this story gives a clear, practic...

Thinking about going solar but unsure if the numbers truly add up? We walk through the real-world checklist that decides whether panels pay for themselves: roof age, orientation, installation quality, and how long you plan to stay put. The hard truth is that free sunshine can get expensive if you mount panels on a tired roof or sell the house before hitting the break-even point. We start with the...

Ever walk into your home, catch a “new” smell, and feel off—but have no idea what to test or fix first? We break down the real-world differences between VOC testing, mold air sampling, and mycotoxin analysis so you can stop guessing and start solving. Using clear scenarios from inspections, we explain when a VOC screen uncovers chemical off-gassing from paints, flooring, and furniture, how MVOCs t...

Buying a home is stressful enough without guessing what your inspector can or can’t do when the utilities are off. We pull back the curtain on the real workflow: what we can still evaluate with gas or water shut down, why some issues like slow plumbing leaks require time under load, and how we handle return visits without derailing schedules. You’ll hear exactly which systems we can test, what get...

Deals fall apart when “finished” repairs aren’t finished at all. We open with a return visit to a house where the thermostat read 50 degrees, the furnace cabinet was open, and parts were sitting on the panel—proof that someone was “working on it” without telling anyone. From there we unpack the bigger pattern: fake receipts, bogus license numbers, sloppy DIY patches like gutter downspout stuck ove...

A calm estate purchase turned chaotic when the sewer backed up just three weeks after move-in. We pull back the floorboards on what really went wrong: a rotted cast-iron section hiding directly under a foundation wall, invisible to a standard home inspection and ready to fail the moment a family’s daily water use ramped up. With the clock ticking and a toddler in the house, we break down how to th...

A scratchy throat and a cold snap collide, and suddenly we’re talking about the quiet ways winter punishes a house. We pull back the roof to explain how ice dams form, why pretty icicles often mean trouble, and how small ventilation mistakes turn into leaks, mold, and early shingle failure. If you’ve ever wondered why a finished garage cracks each winter or why your gutters groan under ice, this i...

The sump pump wouldn’t quit, the skies were clear, and the water meter didn’t budge—so where was all that water coming from? We walk you through a real inspection that turned into a detective story about a hidden supply line leak, the clues we followed, and the tech that made the difference. First, we break down the telltale signs: a constant trickle feeding the pit, a quiet meter inside, and a lo...

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can “feel” radon or smell a warning before it becomes dangerous, this conversation will reset your radar with science, not scare tactics. We unpack what radon really is—a radioactive noble gas formed from decaying uranium in soil and rock—why it’s invisible to your senses, and how long-term exposure becomes a major lung cancer risk, especially for smokers. The g...

Fire belongs in a box, not your framing—and the difference comes down to design, materials, and the way you burn. We start with smoky Tudor rooms and walk through the evolution to Rumford’s reflective geometry and Franklin’s efficient stoves, then zoom into the details that decide whether heat stays where it should. Along the way, we unpack how flue liners changed chimney performance, why refracto...

A cozy fire shouldn’t come with a hidden fuse. We pull back the brick and look straight up the flue to show how chimney scopes catch the problems you can’t see—gaps between tiles, missing mortar, cracked terracotta liners, and nests that choke draft and raise carbon monoxide risk. Along the way, we explain pyrolysis in plain language and why repeatedly heated wood can ignite at far lower temperatu...

Ever wondered what happens when something goes wrong during a home inspection? We pull back the curtain on a recent incident where a jetted tub malfunctioned during testing, spraying water that our inspector quickly cleaned up. What should have been a minor hiccup turned into a revealing lesson about real estate transactions and the importance of professional representation. The situation exposed...

We share our experience inspecting a newly delivered manufactured home with serious foundation issues that could have been prevented with proper oversight and quality control. • Manufactured homes are solidly built in factory conditions but require proper site preparation • A homeowner called us to inspect their two-week-old manufactured home after noticing ceiling cracks • Inspection revealed imp...

Our company recently helped an older woman who bought a house in Ohio to be near her daughter undergoing chemotherapy but discovered mold issues that were clearly noted in the inspection report she never read. The situation highlights the dangers of relying solely on real estate agents to interpret inspection findings, especially when health concerns like compromised immune systems are involved. •...

Deciding whether to build your dream home on your own land or buy into a developer's community represents one of the biggest choices in the homeownership journey. After navigating this process ourselves, we're pulling back the curtain on the surprising realities that most people discover too late. Financial considerations extend far beyond the obvious purchase price. While building on yo...

The housing shortage has turned what should be an exciting milestone into a stressful decision. Should you settle for what's available on the market or create exactly what you want from scratch? After navigating this journey ourselves, we break down the crucial factors that will help you make this life-changing choice. Speed versus control sits at the heart of this decision. Existing homes of...

Your home inspection report is a goldmine of critical information, but are you using it properly? Despite investing in professional inspections, many homebuyers never even read their reports, missing out on valuable insights that could save them thousands of dollars and countless headaches. Think of your inspection report as a multi-purpose tool. During the purchase process, it serves as your prim...

Would you spend $289,000 on a house only to discover it needs $323,000 in repairs? That's exactly what happened to one family whose child became seriously ill after moving into their seemingly beautiful "flipped" home. Their nightmare scenario perfectly illustrates why home inspections are non-negotiable in the buying process. Laura and Jim tackle one of the most critical yet overlo...

Wondering whether to buy or rent? Struggling to find a trustworthy real estate agent? In this revealing conversation, Jim and Laura share hard-earned wisdom about the home buying journey that could save you decades of regret. The hosts begin with a sobering story about an elderly woman forced to move after 30 years of renting—having essentially paid for her landlord's house while securing not...

Jim and Laura Troth with the first episode of Adventures in Home Buying discuss the decision to buy a home. This discussion regarding home buying mentions the economic and personal aspects of becoming a homeowner.  Jim shares a story of a women who rented the same home for 30 years and when the landlord decided to sell this renter has zero say and zero equity in the home that she in practicality b...