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Kankakee, IL Real Estate News

By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Maybe a Seinfeld Episode?     Many years ago when I first started doing inspections, I had the pleasure of inspecting a condo for my daughter and her soon to be husband. The marriage didn't last for a few good reasons but that's not what this story is about. They were buying unit one of a 4 unit condo. The complex was horseshoe shaped with a detached row of garages in the middle of the horseshoe. The seller was home. As I walked around the back by the gas meters, I could smell a strong natural gas smell at the meters. I used my gas leak detector and located the leak on meter number one. I told the seller he should call the gas company, NICOR, and ask them to send a repair man. I kept doing the inspection and eventually made my way to the detached garage and as I wrapped it up and walked...
Comments 8
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Not a Bozo Bucket For Sure     About 6-7 years ago, I had an inspection scheulded for a client that was buying his very first flip house. He owned a carpet cleaning business and this property was only $30,000. I remember thinking how many carpets he must have cleaned to save up $30K. Nothing was really out of the ordinary on the roof and exterior. The interior was a different story however. As I was in the basement looking at a section of about five  2x8 floor joists, I saw there were termite tunnels and what looked like squishy wood. There were entire sections I could actually squeeze and compress with my hands. There were also a short couple of pieces of 2x6 boards that the seller had attempted to nail in to the termite infested joists to help support the floor above. By attempted I m...
Comments 16
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
     If I could live anywhere, I have to think I may just end up where I am at this very moment. I know there are zillions of other locations around the world and for sure around the country that are more beautiful, have more amazingly intense sunsets, more green cool forests and maybe even a better quality of life. But, and this is a really big but, it's not where I call home. I've been living in the Kankakee, IL area ever since my family moved here from a small town in central Illinois in 1970. At the time I was furious with my parents since having to leave all my grade school friends at the age of 13 was super traumatic. I went through my junior high and high school years without any deep friendships. My best friends are from various jobs I've had over the years. But, without our fam...
Comments 13
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
     We have two Frank Lloyd Wright homes in our town. Kankakee, Il.      Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) is famous the world over and his homes are known for some of the coolest, most innovative and striking design ideas ever built. Kankakee, IL is proud to have two Wright homes. Next door to each other too. One of them is privately owned and there are not a whole lot of people that have visited that home as long as I can remember. But the B. Harley Bradley home is a very different story. It's long history has several inspiring chapters, several chapters of struggles and near demise, and one single chapter of extreme sadness. The Bradley house is the very first home that FLW designed with his new Prairie Style design concept. Located on the banks of the Kankakee River (the cleanest river in t...
Comments 3
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
See if you can guess which one of these things are fake. 1. Buyer shows up wearing bright blue, yellow, red, orange and purple fingernail polish. 2. Buyer has on a woman's diamond engagement ring on his ring finger. 3. A friend shows up and proceeds to pull a box of cards and dice and a clear plastic tube with 2 felt placemats out of his coat. The 2 of them play a game of Magic the Gathering on the kitchen island countertop. 4. The sewer line drains just fine and no water starts bubbling up into the basement through the floor drain. All ductwork is in great shape with no remnants of friable asbestos. The main beam in just fine, noone has chain sawed it nearly all the way through. The chimney brick is not falling off the chimney into the front yard. Good guessing. From the files of now I...
Comments 7
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
The Great Kankakee River-Gotta Love It.       I have lived in the Kankakee River Valley for over 50 years. Kankakee,IL is the county capitol for Kankakee County. Kankakee was an Indian name for the local tribes. The French fur traders discovered the great land surrounding the Kankakee River in the 1800's. I have spent time in numerous states around the country camping with BoyScouts. I was a Scoutmaster for over 9 years and a member of the local Troop 324 for nearly 20 years. I have taken pontoon rides, speedboat trips and rafting trips. But nothing compares to taking a trip down a river in a canoe, and I have logged hundreds of miles in my canoe on the Kankakee River. There are many rivers in Illinois and all throughout the midwest. Many of them are dirty, trash filled, with speed boa...
Comments 7
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
I've said it before...Water always wins and is not your friend inside your home. This sump pump discharge jumped out at me the minute I saw it at my Bourbonnais Illinois Home inspection. Matted down grass. Moss growing on the wall. Large opening where the pipe exits the wall. It took every ounce of willpower to not run inside the house and look at the interior wall, joists and plywood. The house next door had an elbow directing the water down into the drain pipe away from the house. This house was a bit different. When the pump turned on, the water was moving with such force and volume that most splashed outside the drain pipe on the ground. Some was splashed back into the pipe opening into the wall cavity. And of course some also went down the pipe where it is supposed to go.    All t...
Comments 5
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Did you remember to tuneup your furnace?  Winter has been pretty rough in Bourbonnais, Illinois so far this year. There are a few things that are worse than a furnace acting up in the middle of the winter, but for the life of me I can't think of any right now. Your furnace needs an annual checkup and if you put it off until now, you're asking for trouble. Waiting until the snow flies means you waited about 3 months too long. Now if you're depending on something like this old furnace to keep you warm through the winter, then you might want to invest in a space heater. Or rent a hotel room. And also get a working Carbon Monoxide detector, because this Ole Smokey is a potential death trap. But when I think of an old Smokey, I think of this old gravity octopus furnace. I know that this is ...
Comments 5
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
     This might be our big break. That's the conversation my wife and I were having after an odd phone call in the fall of 2000. We were friends with a family and their children attending the same school as our kids and one of their daughters also went to the same ballet classes as our oldest daughter. We didn't see them much outside of school and ballet, as the father was disabled. They lived in the formerly fancy pants part of town called Briarcliff. The new hot spot for higher end houses was outside of town about 2 miles or so.      At the time, our family of 6 was living in a 1200 square foot ranch with 3 bedrooms and no basement. Both of the homes were built at the same time, 1973, but were like night and day. Briarcliff had been the homes for doctors and lawyers. Our subdivision h...
Comments 9
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
I Think This Home Inspection Thing Might Work Out. I used to have a very steady and enjoyable job before I was a home inspector. I worked for Georgia Pacific Corporation which became Bluelinx. Most people thinks that's a railroad. It's not, it's a building materials distributor. I sold building materials to contractor lumber yards in Illinois and Indiana. Blulinx gave their outside salesmen every tool needed to be successful. In 2001 I was asked to join a group that serviced Home Depot stores. It was a new challenge and one I accepted. Late in 2006 there were rumors that the contract for Home Depot was up for bid, and a short time later we learned that Bluelinx had lost the bid. All of our group of reps were losing our jobs unless we wanted to move to Atlanta. We also learned that the ...
Comments 8
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
 Winter is not Coming, It's here and it's Mad Old Man Winter is here and he's here with a vengeance. It's Furnace Time! Winter was pretty rough in Bourbonnais, Illinois last year and it's even worse this year. There are a few things that are worse than a furnace acting up in the middle of the winter, but for the life of me I can't think of any right now. Your furnace needs an annual checkup and if you put it off until now, you're asking for trouble. Waiting until the snow flies means you waited about 3 months too long. Now if you're depending on something like this old furnace to keep you warm through the winter, then you might want to invest in a space heater. Or rent a hotel room. And also a Carbon Monoxide detector, because this Ole Smokey is a death trap.But when I think of an old ...
Comments 1
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Blessed to Have Him      I have been inspecting homes for new home buyers for about 8 years full time. I was doing inspections part time for a few years before that. I was always a one man shop until July of 2018. I have averaged 2 inspections a day Monday through Friday for the past 2 years. Over 500 inspections each year is enough to wear anyone out. All I was doing is inspecting and writing reports, sometimes working 18 hours a day from 5AM until midnight .        I was approached by a young man who I had done an inspection with for him and his young family a few years before. He was interested in becoming a home inspector, and wanted to see if I was interested in hiring him. I had attempted the same the thing in 2017 with another possible future inspector, but it did not work out a...
Comments 2
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
I am always looking for an edge in my business, and if that edge can even make me look a little better than usual, all the better. My original profile picture was one that featured an American flag flying over the bridge that crossed the Galena River. It was taken at  Boy Scout campout that our troop went to every other year in April. That picture was chosen because my real profile picture was terrible and featured me in a very unoriginal picture of a home inspector standing next to a brick wall. Bet ya never saw that before. I'm surprised I wasn't holding a magnifying glass like Sherlock Holmes. Last year I was actually at an inspection and a friend of mine was at the inspection to set up an alarm system. I had gotten a hair cut a few dairs before and my hair was fabulous. Just kidding...
Comments 6
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
We are officially done with inspections for the year 2017 and have been extremely blessed to help so many people with their home purchase and achieving their piece of the American dream! We can't thank our customers and agents enough for trusting us with such an important task and making 2017 such a great year! We look forward to an even better 2018 as your trusted inspection partner!! Thank you everyone for everything and I vow to always do my best to make your inspection and value the best in the business!!! Happy New Year all with much love from the SLS Home Inspections family! Would you like a FREE CPE certification?  What is CPE?It's called Client Protection Expert  How can It Help YOU? Click this link for the course...  http://www.cpecertification.com/  Watch the video below and t...
Comments 1
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Play for more than you can afford to lose, and you will learn the game.                                                 Winston ChurchillYou know the game, now play for real and  this could be your best week ever.  Would you like a FREE CPE certification?  What is CPE?It's called Client Protection Expert  How can It Help YOU? Click this link for the course...  http://www.cpecertification.com/  Watch the video below and then take the short 10-15 minute test and you will receive several free items that will benefit you and your clients as well as a certificate that you can use for your marketing. Click this link for the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqH7KaZOuT4 Click this link for the course...http://www.cpecertification.com/  Here is the link for the Simple Home Warranty. If SLS...
Comments 0
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
There is a great difference between knowing a thing and understanding it.                                                                                     Charles Kettering Take a few minutes and get certified with the CPE course and you will then know how to finish the best last quarter ever. Would you like a FREE CPE certification?  What is CPE? Client Protection Expert  How can It Help YOU? Click this link for the course...  http://www.cpecertification.com/  Watch the video below and then take the short 10-15 minute test and you will receive several free items that will benefit you and your clients as well as a certificate that you can use for your marketing. Click this link for the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqH7KaZOuT4 Click this link for the course...http://www.cpe...
Comments 0
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
The work of the individual still remains the spark that moves mankind forward.         Igor Sikorsky Make everything you do the spark that can move your business ahead and this can be your best week ever.  Here is the link for the Simple Home Warranty. If SLS Home Inspections does the inspection, your buyers have 18 months of protection, starting the day of close.http://illinoishomewarranty.net/12 month warranty is available if inspected by any other inspector. Same great conditions apply...no waiting period, choose your own contractor, no appliance prorating, no pre-existing conditions.  All these bonuses are FREE with every home inspection.  ​ CHECK OUT  ******* SMART Home Service Plan- Extend the warranty on your home after the inspection. Covers sewer and water lines, Mold, Alarm an...
Comments 0
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Opportunities are never lost. The other fellow takes those you miss.                                                                                                           Anonymous Make all your minutes count and take advantage of every opportunity. This can be your best week ever.  Here is the link for the Simple Home Warranty. If SLS Home Inspections does the inspection, your buyers have 18 months of protection, starting the day of close.http://illinoishomewarranty.net/  All these bonuses are FREE with every home inspection.  ​ CHECK OUT  ******* SMART Home Service Plan- Extend the warranty on your home after the inspection. Covers sewer and water lines, Mold, Alarm and low voltage wiring, Radon remediation and termite. Available on every home inspection from SLS Home Inspections....
Comments 3
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.                                                                     Luther BurbankMake sure and take some time to enjoy the spring flowers. It will make your week even better. Painting by Natalie Seaton hanging outside the cath lab at Riverside Hospital.   18 month home warranty Click here for information.​ All these bonuses are FREE with every home inspection.  ​     BRAND NEW ******* SMART Home Service Plan- Extend the warranty on your home after the inspection. Covers sewer and water lines, Mold, Alarm and low voltage wiring, Radon remediation and termite. Available on every home inspection from SLS Home Inspections. Scott Seaton-The Home Inspector With A Heart  SLS Home Ins...
Comments 2
By Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties)
What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom "to" and freedom "from."                                                                                                            Marilyn Vos SavantDoing what you can do make this week your best ever is really what will make a difference for you and your loved ones.               Click Here----->>> SMART Home Service Plan VideoBRAND NEW ******* SMART Home Service Plan- Extend the warranty on your home after the inspection. Covers sewer and water lines, Mold, Alarm and low voltage wiring, Radon remediation and termite. Available on every home inspection from SLS Home Inspections.  Scott Seaton-The Home Inspector With A Heart SLS Home Inspections @815-644-6271Inspecting homes like your...
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Kankakee, IL Real Estate Professionals