Henderson and Las Vegas Real Estate

Get a Start on Your Energy Conservation by Doing an Evaluation of Your Home Energy Consumption

Before you can possibly begin to make good decisions about your domestic energy usage, you need to give it some dedicated time and start from a solid foundation of pertinent knowledge with some measurements and calculations. Understanding how and when you use energy will let you make the best decisions about updating appliances or changing your home's systems.

The first step is finding out what your base-load energy consumption is. Your base-load consumption is defined as the energy used by those systems and appliances that operate all year. It includes the ovens, computers, refrigerator, water heater, and any other appliances. If your home uses both natural gas and electricity, then you will have to calculate your gas and electricity base-loads in separate calculations. It's not very hard. Here in Southern Nevada electricity is provided by NVEnergy and natural gas is provided by Southwest Gas Corporation.

Let's get on with it. You will need a year's worth of utility statements. If you don't already have them, you can contact the company and ask that they send you the last year's collection of bills. Next, you'll want to take a look at how the amount of usage varies through the year. The shape of the curve will be characterized by the climate in which you are located. If you are located in a cold region, (like Mt. Charleston) your highest expenses will be for heating, and conversely, in a warmer climate your air conditioning costs will be more significant (like the rest of Southern Nevada). Find your months of lowest energy spending. These months will be most likely the months which are composed of mostly base-load consumption. The idea is to identify the months in which there are little or no seasonal uses such as cooling or heating. If there are a number of months that are low and close together, take the average usage. Be sure to measure the actual usage, not just the amount you have to pay. Energy prices fluctuate and are subject to cyclical economies of world and local markets in energy commodities like coal, oil and natural gas. Electricity usage is metered in kilowatt hours and gas is in therms, which is a measure of heat energy, or sometimes in hundred cubic feet. Measure the amount of your usage in these units rather than in dollars and you will have a good profile of your energy consumption at the commodity level.

Now that you know what your base-load usage is, it's easy to find what your seasonal usage is. Subtract the base-load quantity from each month to find out how much of each month's bill is due to heating or cooling usage. Add up the amount for each month and this will give you your annual cooling and heating usage. Multiply the base-load usage by 12 to get the yearly base-load usage. As an optional step, to validate the figures, you can check the figures used so far by comparing them with the actual dollars paid, which of course can be found right on the statements. Then, to get the amount of what your costs are for a year, find out the price you pay for each kilowatt hour of electric power and each therm (or whichever volume unit your utility uses to bill natural gas usage) of natural gas. Multiply the unit price by the annual usage and you can verify what your annual cost is.

Now, for the point of the exercise. You can now use this information to put your home improvement projects in an order of priority. Should you buy a new furnace or replace the inefficient dishwasher? If you know your base-load energy levels versus your seasonal figures, the decision will be easier to make. You will know which project will be worthwhile. NVEnergy has more Money Saving Tips and Southwest Gas has Energy Efficiency Programs to help you make these decisions.  Knowledge is power and a powerful way to save money too!

Article furnished courtesy of Automated Homefinder, your Colorado Boulder real estate specialists.

This topic for discussion is provided by Spectrum Inspection Group. Spectrum seeks your advice and comments on this so they may decide how to act upon this issue. Here is the dilemma:

No Disclosure

We were recently involved in an inspection on an REO home where the Selling Agent and buyers were very worried about mold.  They had somehow gained entry into the home before it was "officially" on the market and observed an extensive amount of water damage and mold.  But the Listing Agent, through the Asset Manager, had the damage repaired and mold remediation performed before the home was placed on the market.
 
When the Selling Agent inquired about the damage the Listing Agent informed her that the home was being sold "AS-IS" and that there was no SRPD being provided.  No disclosures about the property condition were going to be provided.  They had an accepted offer to purchase contract in place. 
 
The SRPD is the Seller's Real Property Disclosure Statement.  True enough, especially with a fully signed NRS 113 waiver in place, the bank who owns the home is not required to make any disclosures about the material condition of the home. 
 
But in this case it was the Listing Agent who arranged and coordinated the repairs that were accomplished.  Forget about the SRPD, think about the "Duties Owed"
 
The DUTIES OWED BY A NEVADA REAL ESTATE LICENSEE specifically states: 
 
Licensee's Duties Owed to All Parties:
A Nevada real estate licensee shall:
1. Not deal with any party to a real estate transaction in a manner which is deceitful, fraudulent or dishonest.
2. Exercise reasonable skill and care with respect to all parties to the real estate transaction.
3. Disclose to each party to the real estate transaction as soon as practicable:
a. Any material and relevant facts, data or information which licensee knows, or with reasonable care and diligence the licensee should know, about the property.
b. Each source from which licensee will receive compensation.
4. Abide by all other duties, responsibilities and obligations required of the licensee in law or regulations.

Our inspection revealed that the home was plumbed with Kitec® plumbing and that a plumbing system leak was the cause for all the previous water damage the home had sustained.  The leak and the damage had been repaired but the issue that caused the damage (Kitec® plumbing) still existed in the home. 
 
This particular home was a Woodside Home.  Woodside is currently in bankruptcy and no Kitec® replacement actions are going to happen on any Woodside homes until the bankruptcy is completed.  If or when the buyers move into this home and then happen to develop mold related health issues do you think that the Listing Agent is going to be immune from litigation? 
 
I am not an attorney and as such I do not provide legal advice.  But as is the case with most home inspectors I always am cognizant of the potential liability that may exist in any inspection situation.  There is no doubt in my mind that unless the Kitec® in this home is replaced, and replaced soon, there will be other water intrusion issues occurring and further water damage is imminent.  And when the homeowner is unable to obtain relief from the Kitec® class action lawsuit they will be looking for other ways to obtain remuneration for the repair and replacement expenses they will have incurred.  The buyers are already questioning the responsibility of the Listing Agent to provide the disclosure they seek.
 
Once they lament to an attorney that the Listing Agent was aware that previous damage existed and failed to disclose any information about the issue it seems to me that it is very possible that the Listing Agent could be held liable and end up in court
 
What say you?  This is a true scenario and the deal is still in escrow.  Although our inspection firm represents the buyer the Listing Agent and the seller are not our enemies.  Home inspectors are licensed by the Nevada Real Estate Division, just like real estate sales people and our guiding regulations NAC 645D.460, which outlines professional conduct, states:
 
A certified inspector shall:
1.  Perform his duties with the highest standard of integrity, professionalism and fidelity to the public and the client, with fairness and impartiality to all.
 
In light of the information we possess and in consideration of our responsibility to the standards that we are required to observe should we advise the Listing Agent of the potential liability that exists?  

Paul J. Donohue, RHI, RREI, CREI
President, Spectrum Inspection Group Inc.

8345 Coyado Street
Las Vegas, NV 89123

Phone:  (702) 269-6716
Web:  www.INSPECTLV.com
Email:  spectrum@inspectlv.com

THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S APPROVED!

No need to wait months to get bank approval of this one, we can get you in for the Holidays.

This home in the Northwest area of the Las Vegas Valley, is just under 1700 square feet and it's approved at $112,000 with 1% back to the buyer. That works out to just over $65.00 per square foot. It has 4 bedrooms (all upstairs), 2 1/2 baths and a 2 car garage. All appliances are included. To top it off it's in a great cul-de-sac.

There is a Home Owners Association (HOA) managed by Desert HOA Management Inc. The Cimarron Gowan Community Association has quarterly fees of only $37.50. You can't beat that!

It does need some minor TLC, like most short sales, but it is a great value for the condition. I don't think you will need to change the carpet as it is fairly new.  Take a look at the video below and you'll see all of the details.

Who do you know that would like to get into a new house in the next month? Act fast as I know this will not last long at the current price. 

Here is a map to help you with understanding the location. Check it out, it's close to lots of terrific Las Vegas amenities.

View Larger Map

This educational info is provided by Paul Donohue and Spectrum Inspection Group.

Have you ever previewed a home and noticed that there is no light fixture in the ceiling of the room but there is a wall switch on the wall?  

Chances are pretty high that the wall switch controls a "Half-hot" electrical receptacle.

But how do you know which receptacle the switch controls?  

Normally (well normally in Las Vegas) electrical receptacles are installed with the ground prong down.  Refer to the photograph to the right for further clarification.

Half-hot electrical receptacles are generally inverted in orientation from the rest of the receptacles in the room.  The half-hot receptacle has the ground oriented toward the top of the receptacle.  See the photograph to the left.   In electrical terminology when a component has live power present it is referred to as being "Hot."  In a half-hot duplex receptacle one side of the plug receptacle always has power and the other plug receptacle is controlled by the wall switch; hence the term "Half-hot." In one room of the home the top portion of the receptacle may be controlled by the wall switch while in the adjoining room the lower portion of the receptacle is controlled by the wall switch.  Rarely will an entire home be oriented the same way.

When a room has multiple wall switches installed, a properly wired home will have the first switch closest to the entry door serve the half-hot receptacle to provide illumination for the room. To ascertain whether it is the top or the lower portion of the receptacle that is controlled by the wall switch, all you need to do is  ensure that your home inspection firm provides the level of detail necessary to appropriately mark both the receptacle and the switch.

SPECTRUM INSPECTION GROUP inspectors identify the half-hot outlets and the corresponding wall switches in the course of their inspections. We provide the prospective homeowner with an explanation of half-hot receptacles both verbally and in the report. In our orientation we explain not only the issues found but disclose to the prospective buyer information about the positive features found in the home.  This would also include whether or not: A water softener is installed A reverse osmosis is installed Properly sized air conditioner breakers are installed The age of the water heater The main electrical panel is properly bonded and grounded. Air conditioner differential temperatures And more than two dozen other informative disclosures.

This information on Chinese Drywall is provided courtesy of Paul Donohue at Spectrum Inspection Group.

Chinese Drywall is a Concern to Many Prospective Home Buyers  

One of the objectives of our firm is to ensure you are kept up-to-date on structural / mechanical issues pertaining to our industry.  

More and more frequently our inspectors are asked:
"What do you know about Chinese Drywall?"

Chinese drywall is a very complicated issue that refers to a sheet rock product that may be producing an invisible gas that causes accelerated corrosion of copper components in the home and is purportedly causing the inhabitants of the home to suffer adverse health effects.  

It is notorious for causing rapid corrosion of air conditioning system evaporators coils and other metal products in the home including smoke detectors.  

How Las Vegas is Affected   Chinese drywall has been found to be used predominately in the hurricane ravaged regions of the country such as South Florida and Louisiana.  The concern for Chinese drywall being used extensively in Southern Nevada is low because we have two local Sheetrock manufacturers.  CertainTeed Gypsum has a plant in Blue Diamond west of Las Vegas and Georgia-Pacific has a plant at Apex northeast of Las Vegas. To date, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received about 1,501 reports from residents in 27 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China.  None of these reports originate from the State of Nevada.   Officially Chinese drywall is not known to exist in any Las Vegas Valley constructed homes.  The likelihood of Chinese drywall existing in Las Vegas residential construction is very low. Although there are indicators of its presence that a trained property inspector could observe that may lead him to believe Chinese drywall could be present no property inspection firm in Southern Nevada is able to ascertain the presence of the defective product. The identification protocol has not yet been formulated and will be determined by the CPSC.