Blog Posts in September, 2012

The Most Important Questions to Ask Your Real Estate Inspector about Multi-Family Buildings

One of the current hottest areas in real estate investment is Multi-Family properties. As a result, we are doing a lot of Multi-Family inspections. Buyers usually have a number of questions they ask the inspector during a property inspection. However, there are a few important questions we usually don’t get asked: Are the utilities on separate meters? This can make a huge difference in your return ...

What Should You Expect from a Multi-Family Inspection?

What should a real estate inspection cover? What type of inspector do I really need? How will I get solutions and cost information to remedy what the inspector finds? What is covered in the written report? The best and most useful real estate inspections uncover the true condition of the property including all the major systems. By major systems we mean plumbing, electrical, HVAC, structure and ...

Updated California Energy Standards Effects on Multi-Family and Commercial Real Estate

The Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings were established in 1978 in response to a legislative mandate to reduce California’s energy consumption. The standards are updated periodically to allow consideration and possible incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies and methods. According to the California Energy Commission, the 2008 Standards went into ...

Fire and Life Safety Requirements for Multi-Family and Commercial Buildings

Fire and life safety are very important aspects to consider when purchasing Multi-Family and Commercial property. The ADA (American Disabilities Act) codes alone are in excess of 175 pages of very detailed requirements. Since commercial real estate inspections are general visual inspections, this short article will focus on fire and life safety from an overall general standpoint. What is meant by ...

How do ADA Requirements Apply to Your Building?

What exactly is ADA? It is the American Disabilities Act. What does that mean to you if you are buying a property? Will you have to make costly changes to the site? What kind of changes will I need to make, if any, if I decide to buy this property? The answers to these questions are of concern to all buyers of Multi-Family or Commercial buildings. Below is a very brief explanation of some of the ...