Buying a Home Is Emotional

For most of us, buying a home is a big deal. It's likely the largest purchase we ever make and for many it's a rollercoaster. According to a recent survey I found on the internet, more than 65% of Gen Z buyers and 61% of millennials report crying at least once during their home-buying journey.

It doesn't matter if it's your first, second, or third home. It doesn't matter if you're single, raising a family or thinking about doing so. Your purchase or lack thereof will affect lives. 

A house is a dwelling; a place of residence, no more, no less.

 A home is different. A home is where you raise your kids, celebrate life events, entertain family and friends, live, love, sleep, work and play. A home is a refuge from the world. … even more relevant these past few years.

 

Knowing what you're getting into while looking to buy a home, and having a basic understanding of its systems is core to making wise, informed choices. 

A home inspection provides knowledge.

An inspector gathers information about the dwelling and its systems. Mostly, inspectors look for defects.

You get a report. 

But a great home inspection does that and more. A great home inspector provides insight to help make a better home.

This is where we come in. 

This is what we do.

 

CBI inspectors not only identify and report the broken stuff, we're mindful about how it all works together, or not. 

We live and breathe this stuff. We do this every day and in Chicagoland, we see it all. ...everything from Architectural Digest alumni, century-old mansions, new-construction and old single family houses, multi-unit apartment buildings, high-rise condos, townhomes, 3 flats, 2 flats (I've inspected parking spaces. Yeah.

We also temporarily take all of the liability off your shoulders (and hopefully some of the stress and anxiety) while performing your inspection. And then we give it back to you. 

You get a report.

But that's not all. We want to make sure you have basic understanding of what's going on, ...of how it all works together. We want you to understand the both the report and the dwelling's innerworkings.

Real estate is serious business. The money is big no matter who you are. There are pressures from all sides—sellers, agents, lawyers, lenders, family. People's livelihood and in some cases their lives may depend on real estate transactions.

With CBI you'll have all the support needed to understand the current condition of the dwelling, and how to make a better. We will walk step-by-step through the report with you. We expect questions. We encourage questions.  Even if they come up 6 months, a year, 10 years down the road or whatever and you don't know who to call, call us. CBI is here to help you.

Thank you for reading.

Ken

Ken Whitelaw,

ken@inspectingchicago.com

CBI, Inc.

Office: 312INSPECT

www.inspectingchicago.com

Quippy Quips

"I no longer turn blood into ink. These days I turn whiskey into journalism."- Ted Wallace - The Hippopotamus 2020

Get yer Shot. Save a Life. 10.14.2021

To everyone who has put others before you, thank you.

To y'all others, unless you have a legit medical reason not to, get yer fuckin' shot. Religious, personal choice, laziness are selfish, stupid and ignorant excuses not to do so. You're potentially killing someone, someone you probably know, someone you may deeply care about. WTF is wrong with you?

You likely saw some stupidity on FB or Twitter or insta or SC or YT or wherever and that was the extent of your research. You blithely or wholeheartedly  concurred with some manipulative fuckwad telling you exactly what you wanted to hear. With the global realization that social networks push information to garner revenue and not facts, that their best interest supercedes yours, y'all should (should!) begin to understand you are being manipulated by the very thing you chose. 

If you think that something having a time-proven, empirically positive track record is bad for you because you heard it from some bullet-headed podcastor, an ex-playboy bunny, Senator Grandpa Munster, or some other red-faced jagoff screaming into a microphone, you are dangerously ill-informed.

You believe a liar/snake-oil salesman that horseworm medication is actually better than the that which people a thousand times smarter than him, you or me have proven effective? WTFIWWY? Get yer shot.

Humanity 09.23.21

I was sitting at the stoplight at Division and Austin. Muse was playing Hysteria. Aside from the fact that this is one of my all-time favorites songs, there's a particular hook that happens twice in the song, if you know the song you know what I'm talking about. ...just so much fun to play on air guitar.

Anyway, I'm sitting at division and Austin rocking Hysteria, and that hook comes up and I'm rocking out. 

As I'm rocking out, I look to my left and there's a guy sitting in front of a laundromat having as much fun as I am watching me rock out.

Seeing him laughing, then turning back into the laundromat obviously saying to the person or people inside, "Hey, y'all gotta see this!", I yell to him as he turns back to me, "Dude, it's a really good song."

He yells back, "I can see that!"

Today was a good day. 

What does Anachroism Mean? or I think I Made a New Word

I was making a comment online and I used the term "print" instead of "publish". ...an anachronistic use of a verb that I caught upon editing. I wanted to use the term "anachroism" to give a name to my habit (malady) of doing so and learned that it's not a word, until now.

a·nach·ro·ism

/əˈnakro,izəm/ 

A linguistic condition characterized by archaic terminology references in speech.

What Makes a Good Rooftop Deck?

Question

Hi Ken,

I have a question: would you happen to have a picture of what a good roof deck looks like? One that you can properly assess?

We really want a place with a rooftop deck, but we can't tell a make-shift bad one, from a make-shift good one.

Thanks, Joe

Answer

Hello Joe,

Thank you for your email.

What you're asking is way too subjective and open to a universe of interpretation. So the short answer is no. But I can provide you with some information regarding what to consider.

Roof Structure

First and foremost, the underlying roof structure must be capable of supporting the deck's weight. This should be determined by a qualified structural engineer. Where necessary, your design/build firm should be able to provide this determination/service, as well as ensuring the deck and its attendant components comply with local municipal building codes.

Traditional Wooden Lumber Decks

Traditional wood lumber decks, because of material cost, are the most common. These can be constructed with pergolas, terraces, etc. to enhance their function and aesthetic. Generally, traditional wood lumber decks are not modular in design.

A Basic Wooden Rooftop Deck

Walking Surface

Ideally, the walking surface should be modular so that it can be removed to provide access to the underlying roof for assessment, maintenance, and repair.

As far as materials go, it can be anything. Modular deck systems are constructed of wood, concrete or other masonry, composite materials, etc. These are aesthetic choices that can be combined to create differing, delineated areas. Aside from being modular, the only other criteria should be weather resistance and maintenance requirements. Modular deck systems generally are designed to be and utilize materials that are weather resistant.

A Modular Tile Deck System

A Modular Wooden Deck System

Build-Out/Design

Your deck design is limited only by your imagination, your wallet, municipal building code, and the structural capacity of the underlying roof structure. This is where a qualified design-build firm can help.

A Rooftop Deck Using Multiple Walking Surfaces

Chicago has a number of quality rooftop deck design/build firms. Their websites are a great starting point for design ideas. I would start here:

Chicago Roof Top Deck Designers

I hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Kind regards, Ken

Ken Whitelaw,

Chicago Building Inspections, Inc.

http://inspectingchicago.com

ken@inspectingchicago.com

312-INSPECT (467.7328)

Mobile: 773.350.2325

...where I'm at, 11/20/2020

Greetings fellow Earthlings,

To state the obvious, what we've been dealt with vis-à-vis the current political environment goes way beyond any party line. What we've experienced is not unlike the beginnings of single-minded, abusive governing by a wannabe despot. 

There are people who will always agree with Trump, et al., and his incendiary rhetoric. ...wanting nothing more than the eradication of anything they perceive as un-American, including but not limited to everything Obama, non-white people, personal choice, truth, science, the Golden Rule, etc. 

These subhumans will not disappear but will once again go underground, waiting for the next Hitler-like wannabe to once again prey on human insecurity, fomenting hatred and violence against what most of us know in our hearts to be good, true, and right.

I recently read a thought by someone that maybe DJT will leave for Florida for the holidays and never come back to the WH.

That's what I want for Christmas.

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Keep you Powder Dry

This slow burn towards fascism that's happening in our country has completely unnerved me. I awoke this morning with a feeling of dread, due to what is taking place in Portland and the implication that it has on my new home town of Chicago. Portland, Chicago... Where next will our Nazi-loving, subhuman president send troops to seek his crown? While I agree in principle of the use of federal force to quell criminal violence, it's use to stifle peaceful protests, a right we are given by the Constitution of the United States, scares the shit out of me. The only thing I can think of doing is to keep my powder dry, and I've never felt this way before. Mr. President, you have irrevocably ruined my country, our country. I am saddened, angry and don't know what to do.

Wrong Number in the Time of Covid-19

I'm driving home, on a phone call, on speakerphone. A number that I don't know, from Alabama, comes in so I let it slide. I get done with my drive and phone call, and push return on the Alabama number.  This nice lady answers, "Hello?"  "Hi, my name is Ken Whitelaw and I'm returning your call". She says "Well, I was trying to figure out who, what this number was." Says I, "How are things in Alabama?" " Pretty good, how are things wherever you are?" "Chicago-ish. We're ok." "Well good, you take care. Bye." "Bye." Lol

Buying your First Condo? Read this Blog!

So Many Choices

Buying a condo is insane. Buying a condo in Chicago is even crazier because (a) there are thousands of them. And (b), there's a lot of merde.

There're the hoops one must jump through. ...the time-suck, the money, the move. The Move.

Anyway, before most of that one must first choose a dwelling. With this, I'll try to provide you some useful information.

What three things do you think of when looking at a condo? What rattles around your melon? ...the price? ...the neighborhood? ...the walk-in closets? ...the steam shower? ...the view?

First-time condo buyers, whether that condo is in a high-rise, a low-rise, 6-flat or less, often pay scant attention to the outside, the roof, or the general structure. 

I know, reader.  Try and push through.

The exterior (the shell or envelope in industry parlance) keeps the outside out. It protects you, yours, and your stuff from the elements. But doing so takes its toll. As a potential buyer of a dwelling in a multi-unit building, it is essential you understand the absolute necessity for periodic exterior evaluation, maintenance, and planning. This is where we can help.

Many first-time homebuyers become enamored with interior finishes and details. The quartz countertops, the deluge shower, programmable lighting, etc., often distract buyers from conditions that can hit a homeowner, financially or otherwise.

Water Is the Devil

Water, the thing we can't do without, has the potential to destroy almost anything. It is called the "universal solvent" for a reason. To a building, it causes insidious and catastrophic damage if not managed.

Fortunately, this battle has been fought for thousands of years, resulting in a huge knowledge base of success and failure. Modern construction materials have been developed as a result of this knowledge base. The implementation of how they're used is equally and fundamentally important.

Boom! So Much Junk.

There was a building boom in Chicago, roughly from 1995 through 2015. An awful lot of small, multi-unit (2, 3, 4 flat) buildings were built. A bunch were built within a hair's breadth of municipal building codes. ...pretty crappy stuff, tail-light warranties, ...the like. Many developers and contractors during this time utilized bankruptcy to, in fact, make their profit. Many of these structures have fundamental flaws in basic construction methods that can negatively affect occupant comfort, safety or health.

Now, someone (developer, builder, others) may say, "It's built to code." But, and I cannot stress this enough, 'built to code' is code for 'built to the absolute minimum set of standards required for a structure to receive a certificate of occupancy'.

Noobs!

Noobs are called such because of their lack of experience. Well, I and my colleagues eat and breathe this stuff.

So, noob, first-time homebuyer, even those not so green, y'all can benefit from our knowledge and experience. I urge anyone reading this to give us a call.

Happy Hunting!

Ken Whitelaw\Chicago Building Inspections, Inc.

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