John Martino's (looksmart) Blog

How Long Should a Home Inspection Take?As a full-time home inspector with over 24 years in the home inspection field, I get asked this question often: “How long does a home inspection take?” The short answer? For an average-sized home, a comprehensive home inspection should take between 3 and 4 h...

One of the most overlooked and underestimated safety hazards in a home is the pull-down attic access ladder. These access ladders can be in the garage, hallway, or in a bedroom. Often these pulldown ladders are installed improperly without adequate attention to safety. This simple convenient acce...

Purchasing a home is probably the largest financial moves a person can make. Buying a home is exciting and can be stressful. During the process it’s easy for home buyers to make mistakes during the negotiation process. As a NJ home inspector, I have seen buyers make many mistakes missing out on s...

Purchasing a home can be one of the most stressful and financially significant and emotional investments that people make in their lifetime. However, sometimes during the rush and excitement of finding the right home homebuyers make critical errors when selecting a home inspector. These mistakes ...

Most people, when they think about a perfect home inspection day, think about a crystal-clear day with plenty of sunlight and dry conditions. This makes perfect sense because most people aren’t thinking about rain. But here’s the reality, rainy days are some of the best days to perform a home ins...

Your home’s foundation is one of the most important parts of the structure. Over time, cracks and bowing walls can develop due to soil pressure, moisture issues, or natural settling. Understanding these problems and knowing how to fix them is critical for keeping your home safe and in good struct...

Cracking in homes is a common concern that can point to structural issues. Cracking can also be quite normal and expected caused by houses settlement over time. Experienced NJ home inspectors encounter numerous types of cracks in foundations, floors, walls and ceilings. Understanding the causatio...

As an experienced home inspector, I have seen thousands of different problems and homes, even beautiful homes with nasty secrets lurking behind the scenes. Home buyers tend to focus on how the home would be useful for their family and how the different rooms in the home will look once they are fu...

The Role of Infrared Cameras in NJ Home Inspections: Benefits, Limitations, and How They WorkInfrared (IR) cameras have become an important tool for NJ home inspectors. These cameras use thermal imaging technology to detect differences in surface temperatures. They are useful because sometimes th...

Performing home inspections in the winter presents unique challenges for both the home inspector and the buyer of the home. The most challenging aspect of performing home inspections in the winter is snow-cover. Snow can cover the roof, walkway surfaces, the deck top, and the driveway. It is chal...