I'm really just posting this to get rid of the "Our records indicate that you have never posted on InspectionNews!" message.

I'm not a HI, and have no real intentions of becoming one. However, I do a lot of my own work on the house (it's an old house, and I don't have money for a contractor), so the threads are very useful to me. I see a lot of mistakes that I've made in the past, which, although not likely to be dangerous, should be resolved to be code-worthy. I live in a rural area where permits and inspections don't mean much.

I did have my house inspected before I bought it... was a total waste of money, because I hired a contractor who did inspections in the "off season" to make money. I think he was a roofing/siding contractor who didn't like being in the cold. Anyway, I didn't know what I was doing when I hired him... he charged me $50, and told me what "looked wrong". Never tested outlets except to see that there was voltage, never pulled the panel, didn't write up a leaking lead drain pipe (very visible!), and was a complete waste of money, as I ended up going back through after I bought the place and finding tons of dangerous and costly repairs to make.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I was 20, buying my first house, and had no idea what I was doing. I'm 23 and much wiser now, and doing my best to make this house into the house I wanted to buy in the first place...

Thanks to all you guys for your informative threads and detailed pictures and descriptions of problems. I really appreciate it!

Welcome New guy... 20 And have your own home... Good for you... Now that you got some head knowledge you can get yourself into a lot more truble... L.O.L. So what kind of work do you do?

Best

Ron

Hi Ron,

I was 20 when I started the adventure of homeownership. By the time I signed on the dotted line, I was just 21. Everyone knows how long closing takes!

My full-time job is a IT Technician for Wise Foods (potato chips). Part-time, I work evenings and weekends helping to support a local school district's PCs. I also do side computer work.

I tend to put in a lot of hours to pay the bills and give myself a little fun money. House, truck, and all the other payments take precedence, though. Oh, and no college education, so I don't make the big bucks at any job. I'm just lucky to have one.