LEAP helps eligible Coloradans pay a portion of their winter home heating costs.
ayuda a los
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LEAP proporciona asistencia de energía para bajar los gastos de calefacción.
The importance of hiring a professional home inspector can’t be overstated, whether you’re buying a new home from a builder or an existing home of any age.
Many, perhaps most, readers understand that and know how a professional inspector works in the context of a signed purchase contract. For others, let me answer your likely questions in hopes that some readers will benefit from this column. The questions below are from a consumer guide published by the National Association of Realtors, but the answers are all my own, based on over two decades of representing buyers in the purchase of both new and existing homes. What is a home inspection?
cause we’re in the Rocky Mountains, he will certainly recommend a test for radon gas using an electronic device that samples the air for the presence of radon gas once an hour for 48 hours. And he (as well as your agent) should always recommend a sewer scope to determine whether the sewer line from the house to the sewer main is damaged or simply requires cleaning. Are home inspections required?
Your inspector will be looking at every element of the home — the structure, the roof, the siding, the foundation, the flatwork (driveway, walkways, basement and garage slabs), rainwater management (downspouts, gradient of earth next to the foundation), insulation (both walls and attic), windows, doors, flooring and ceilings. He (or, rarely, she) will test all appliances, including disposal, and run a cycle of the dishwasher and clothes washer. He’ll test all faucets, making sure, for example, that hot is on the left and cold is on the right. He’ll fill sinks and bathtubs enough to see whether they leak when drained. He’ll flush toilets. He’ll test light switches and outlets, using a device which shows whether the hot/neutral polarity is correct, and whether the outlet is grounded. Within 5 feet of any water source, he’ll use the same device to see whether an outlet is ground-fault protected, as required by current building codes. If the home was built in the 1960-70s, he’ll check to see if there is aluminum wiring. If so, he’ll check whether the wiring has been pigtailed with copper. He’ll inspect the breaker box. He’ll look at the manufacturer’s tags on the furnace, A/C and water heater, which will tell him the year of manufacture. If they are over 15 years old, he’ll indicate that they are “beyond their useful life” on the inspection report, suggesting that the buyer should demand replacement, even if they’re working fine.
Your inspector is usually a generalist, and he’ll recommend a secondary inspection by a specialist if, for example, he suspects the presence of asbestos, or structural issues. Be-
No, but any buyer would be illadvised not to spend the few hundred dollars for a professional inspection, a radon test and a sewer scope, given that any single issue that is uncovered could cost far more to mitigate than you spent to uncover it, and the buyer could reasonably expect the seller to agree to the repair, especially when it’s a health or safety issue, as is often the case. That’s why I wrote in the headline that an inspection is your “best investment.”
Who performs the home inspection?
Fortunately, there are national associations (e.g., NACHI) which certify home inspectors, because the State of Colorado does not license or regulate home inspectors (which I have argued for in previous columns). Radon inspection is regulated, and the person who installs the device must be licensed. Sewer inspectors are also not licensed. That said, however, your real estate agent, if he or she is not a newbie, probably has all kinds of specialists, including electricians and structural engineers, that he can recommend based on past experience with other buyers. Who is responsible for inspection costs?
The state-mandated purchase contract says that inspection is the buyer’s responsibility and expense. Sometimes, a buyer will submit and “inspection objection” which demands that the seller hire, for example, a licensed electrician to inspect the home and make any recommended repairs, but a seller should reject such a provision and remind the buyer that doing so is the buyer’s responsibility and expense.
Should a buyer attend the inspection?
Absolutely. The inspector will provide a PDF detailing the results of the inspection, but there’s no substitute for the buyer to attend the inspection so the inspector can ex-
plain any issues that he uncovers, but also show where utility turn-offs are located and answer other buyer questions. How long does the home inspection take?
A thorough home inspection should take at least two and usually three hours for a typical single-family home. A condo or townhome can be inspected in less time, and a large home could take even longer, especially if there are outbuildings.
When the inspector has finished his rounds he will want to go over the key issues that he uncovered. He will have taken photos and possibly videos of the issues he uncovered, which will be included in the PDF he sends you and your agent that evening or the following day. Some inspectors now put their reports online, which has the benefit of including links to video clips.
Some inspectors provide a 3-ring binder
which not only includes the printed report, but also useful homeowner advice about all aspects of maintaining the home year-round. What does it mean if a home is listed as is?
I addressed this in my column two weeks ago, but let me repeat my comments. Yes, a seller may say upfront that the home is sold “as is” and that they will not make any repairs. Or, to win a bidding war, the buyer may “waive inspection” in their purchase contract, but I consider both actions bogus, for the reason that the buyer will (or should) still conduct a professional inspection, and, if a serious issue or two are uncovered, the buyer can still terminate the contract because of that condition. When notified, the seller will most likely want to salvage the contract by offering to make the necessary repair. Thus, the house was not sold “as is” after all, or the buyer didn’t really “waive inspection objection.”
Covenants has been around for at least as long as subdivisions, and probably longer. Not so long ago, covenants tended to focus more on racial discrimination than on controlling things like the minimum or maximum size of homes, the requirement to have grass and one tree in the front yard, etc.
Nowadays those old covenants which discriminated against people of color and/or Jews are illegal and can’t be enforced, but there are covenants about those modern topics which can be enforced — but by whom?
That’s why homeowner associations (HOAs) were created. Not only do they provide services for which they charge dues, but they can enforce covenants plus their own rules and regulations to which homeowners must abide. And state law stands behind those enforcement powers. In fact, until last year an HOA could actually foreclose on a member’s home if they failed to pay fines for violations levied by the HOA. (Now an HOA can only foreclose on a member for unpaid dues.)
So, let’s say you are in a subdivision with no HOA (yippee!), but a neighbor is violating something in the covenants, such as parking their work truck or an abandoned car in their driveway or on their front lawn?
As the complaining neighbor, your only recourse is to sue the offending neighbor in civil court for violating the covenants that pertain to that home. Because of the cost and inconvenience associated with litigation, only egregious violations are likely to be enforced by one neighbor against another. Has this softened your attitude toward HOAs?
Rita and I have discovered a great Mexican restaurant, La Huacha, right under our noses — literally. The restaurant is on the corner of Rogers Street and South Golden Road, on the 1st floor of GW Apartments. We live right above it!
This restaurant began as a food truck 1/4 mile away, but now they occupy the space occupied briefly by Pancho & Jane, which didn’t last long at all because it was just a bar with tacos. La Huacha is a full-menu restaurant. See www.LaHuacha.com and give it a try! It has a well deserved rating of 4.9 on Yelp and elsewhere.
I ordered their crispy chili rellenos and a tequila drink served in a carved-out pineapple which they call Pina Loca. Yum!
If you know anyone who lost their home in the California wildfires who is thinking of relocating to the Denver area, we’d like to help them by rebating up to $10,000 of any commission we earn and using our connections to acquire and deliver donated furniture and furnishings for their new home. You can download this column from www. JimSmithColumns.com and send it to them. Our broker associates and I look forward to serving them. Invite them to contact me or any of our broker associates listed below.
Ron Louis Riedelsperger
November 25, 1956 -January 9, 2025
Ron Louis Riedelsperger, 68, was born on November 25, 1956, in Brighton, CO and passed away surrounded by family on January 9, 2025 in Denver, CO.
Ron graduated from Brighton High School in 1975 and went on to work for Pepsi Bottling Company where he retired after 46 years of service. On September 15, 1979, Ron married Gail Sharrai of Brighton, CO and they enjoyed 45 years of wedded bliss and the birth of 2 children, Sara and Ryan.
Ron was an avid sports fan for all sports including the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets, which he passed onto his children. Ron also enjoyed spending time with his friends and family.
Ron is survived by his wife, Gail, his daughter Sara (Justin) Ratzla of Monte Vista, CO, his son, Ryan Riedelsperger of Brighton, CO, his sisters Elizabeth (Alan) Schritter of Cambridge, NE and Helen (Doug) Robinson of Fruita, CO and many nieces and nephews.
Ron is preceded in death by his parents Herbert and Elisabeth Riedelsperger.
Darlene Jean (Naeb) Rowe July 1, 1931-January 19, 2025
Born on July 1, 1931 to Reinie and Elsie Naeb, Darlene Rowe, a lifelong resident of Brighton, joined the church Triumphant on January 19, 2025.
In high school, she enjoyed close and long-term friendships and cheerleading and graduated in 1949.
She married her high school sweetheart, Jack Rowe, on December 30, 1950. ey were blessed with 5 children Alan, Marla, don, Cheryl, and Je .
She is preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Jack, and later, her oldest son, Alan. She is survived by her seven grandchildren, Kelly Zappanti (John), Brian Rowe (Nicole), Polly Taylor (Lionel), Daniel Voth (Adriana), Donald Rowe II
(Kindra), Aaron Gordon (Casey), Ty Gordon (Aly), and 16 great grandchildren.
She enjoyed a long career at the Adams County district court, full time for approximately 40 years, and part time into her 80’s. She was a long-term member of the Zion Lutheran Church, Brighton and was active in bible studies, Mary/Martha Group, and other volunteer activities.
Her hobbies include sewing, knitting, quilting, and Tole painting. She enjoyed travel, and particularly loved following her children and grandchildren’s school and sport activities. Memorial Contributions can be made to the Zion Lutheran Church.
Kathy, a beloved teacher and treasured member of her community, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born to Leroy and Dorothy Davis, Kathy lived a life full of purpose, compassion, and joy.
She is survived by her brother-in-law James Walker, brother Gordon Davis, nieces Kelley Moss, Janelle (Brian) arp, Sheryl Trego, neice-in-law Christine Stadler Walker(Eric)and numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews. Kathy’s family fondly remembers her as a vibrant, witty, and thoughtful soul whose humor and warmth brightened the lives of everyone she met.
Kathy graduated from Brighton High School before pursuing degrees in Special Education/ Elementary Education at UNC and SpeechLanguage Pathology and Deaf Education from the
University of Denver.
Kathy’s life was enriched by her love for animals, gardening, traveling, reading, and lifelong learning. Her home was always lled with the love of her cherished pets and the vibrant greenery of her carefully nurtured plants.
Her legacy of kindness, laughter, and resilience will forever be cherished by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents Leroy and Dorothy Davis, her brother Leroy Davis Jr., her sister Dodie Walker, her nephew Eric Walker, and her nephew-in-law Randall “Randy” Moss.
In accordance with her wishes, a private family gathering will be held to celebrate Kathy’s remarkable life. Her family invites those who knew her to honor her memory by spreading kindness, embracing curiosity, and living with an open heart.
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