John Martino's (looksmart) Blog

As a New Jersey home inspector with more than 25 years in the field, I can tell you this is one of the questions I hear almost every week. A buyer goes into a basement, spots a crack, and immediately wants to know if the house is in trouble. The truth is, not every crack is a big deal. Some are p...

If you are buying a home in New Jersey and looking for an NJ home inspector, you probably want to know what the home inspection report will actually look like. This is smart to ask because not all reports are the same. Some inspectors give you a thin checklist or a few quick notes. Others give yo...

I get this question all the time. People figure if the house is brand new then everything must be fine. The builder just finished it, right? So why spend money on a home inspection. The truth is I have inspected a lot of new construction homes in New Jersey and I can tell you new does not mean pe...

One question I hear a lot from buyers is should I get a radon test during my NJ home inspection. The short answer is yes. Radon is not something you can see or smell. You would never know if it is in the home unless you test for it. Because much of New Jersey is in a moderate or high risk zone fo...

One of the most common questions buyers ask is how do I actually find a good home inspector in New Jersey. The truth is there are a lot of inspectors out there and they are not all the same. Some are very thorough, some are quick and basic. Some are independent, while others rely heavily on real ...

When you are buying a home in New Jersey, the inspection is one of the most important steps. Some findings are small and easy to handle, but others are real red flags. These are the problems that can cost a lot of money, affect safety, or point to bigger issues that are not always visible at firs...

When you are buying a home in New Jersey, choosing the right home inspector is one of the most important steps in the process. A home inspection is your chance to learn the truth about the house before you move forward. Not all inspectors work the same way, and the quality of the inspection can m...

A question I hear all the time is whether a NJ home inspector checks everything in a house. The answer is no. A home inspection is very detailed and covers all the major systems, but it does have limits. The New Jersey home inspection regulations make it clear what we are required to look at and ...

When people go searching for the best NJ home inspectors what they really want is somebody they can trust with one of the biggest purchases of their life. The problem is a lot of folks do not know what makes one inspector better than another. Some inspectors run through two or three jobs in a day...

When most people think about a home inspection, they picture the roof, the foundation, or maybe the electrical system. What they do not think about is the sewer line. The sewer line is underground and out of sight, but when it fails it can become one of the most expensive repairs a homeowner will...