When your looking for the perfect property for your new or expanding business, what do you look for?  The perfect size and the perfect location?  Definitely.  Without satisfying these two factors you can't expect your business to be around very long.  Is there anything else that might effect your selection?  Hmmm.  Let's think.  How about the need for the appropriate electrical service?  You have an oven that takes a 240 volt 3 phase electrical connection. Is this available in your new location?  Now that you've moved in you find that there is water leaking from the ceiling down onto you newest tanning bed.  You didn't see any spots in the ceiling prior to moving in, well it did have some new ceiling tiles in that corner.  Now the tanning bed won't work at all. Your three bowl sink req... 07/27/2010

  For those of you that have been following the Reds here is the update I promised you. They are now in second place with a record now of 55 wins and 45 losses.  Just 1.5 games in back of the division leader Cardinals.  Here are some great individual stats that you may want to know. Brandon Phillips, the Reds 2nd baseman, is carrying a 284 average for the year.  Scot Rolen, at 3rd base, is also among the team leaders 287 average. Joey Votto, 1st baseman, has knocked the ball out of the park 25 times and is sporting a 315 average and  an amazing 67 RBI's. Bronson Arroyo is still among the top pitchers with 10 wins and 5 losses.  Coming into his own is Johnny Cueto with 10 wins and only 2 losses.  He also leads the team in the strikeout category with 89. Though the Reds have dropped to se... 07/26/2010

Clayton's Neighbor's Yes, I live in Clayton, Ohio, but just 2.5 miles away is the City of Dayton.  Dayton, Ohio has always been a hot bed of innovation and invention.  Founded on April 1, 1796, seven years prior to Ohio's becoming a state in 1803. It was named after Captain Jonathan Dayton who owned the land where the city was founded. Dayton is a city of approximately 155,000 people and accounts for most of my business.  Like most cities today Dayton's population has decreased mainly due to the move to the suburbs.  Renown Citizens: Charles Kettering (inventor of the automobile ignition system, co-founder of DELCO) John Patterson (founded NCR) Paul Lawrence Dunbar (nationally renowned poet) Joseph Raymond Desch (head of the Navy decryption machine project during WWII) Harold Elstner Ta... 07/21/2010

Why is it that people still don't think they need a home inspection.  Oh, I understand that in some cases this is a macho thing for the males involved in the transaction (sorry guys, women more freely admit a lack of knowledge than men do).  But unless your a qualified/certified home inspector you are doing yourself an injustice not getting a home inspection.  Ok, so you've had years of experience in building homes, just ask yourself the following question: Is your education general or specific?  Are you a carpenter that knows plumbing?  Maybe your an electrician that knows about pouring foundations?  Here's another scenario. Your brother in-law is an engineer he should be able to do it.  Sorry, was he schooled on the construction of a home?  Can he recognize conditions that lead to wat... 07/19/2010

People often tell us, "We are selling our house!"  We always want to ask them, "Are you really, are you selling your house or do you just have a sign in the front yard?"  What is the difference??   Marketing is more than having something to SELL... Marketing is having something desirable to BUY!     Staging a home can mean the difference between having your House For Sale and Selling your House! 07/13/2010

For those of you that might be fans of the Reds I would like to update their stats for you. They are still in first place with a record now of 49 wins and 37 losses.  A full 3 games ahead of the second place Cardinals.  Some great individual stats have to start with Brandon Phillips, the Reds 2nd baseman, who is carrying a 307 average for the year.  Scot Rolen, at 3rd base, isn't far behind with a 296 average. Joey Votto, 1st baseman, has knocked the ball out of the park 21 times so far this year.  Bronson Arroyo leads the pitching team with 9 wins and 4 losses and we aren't at the halfway mark yet. Lets hope they continue the great season.  See all Reds information at See Reds.   Jack Gilleland Home Inspection Services, Clayton     07/08/2010

I've had my share of interesting homes lately.  They just seem to get better as time goes on.  I had one yesterday that seemed to a typical special home.  The house was 91 years old and of structural brick.  That in itself makes it different considering when it was constructed.  As I walked around the building I did notice more and more that peaked my interest.  Its no secret that I love old homes and I am fascinated with the history of building in the US, but this one really got to me.  It is within yards of a neighborhood in the Dayton area that it is know for its large sprawling mansions. This area was home to many famous inventers of the early 1900's. Maybe not Menlo Park famous but famous still.  I'll blog about that at another time. Does it look like a 91 year old started home.  ... 07/03/2010

Since there are only 68 more days until the season opener with Marshall, I thought it important to post the schedule for the Bucks. I know I might be jumping the gun a little, but we all must have our priorities. The National Championship isn't scheduled yet, but we can guess one of the teams that will be there. Jack Gilleland Home Inspection Services, Clayton     06/26/2010

This is a great year for Reds fans.  We are almost half way through the season and The Reds are in first place in the National League Central Division having passed St. Louis.  They have a 5 game win streak going and seem to be getting stronger as the season progresses. At 41 wins and 33 loses The Reds are playing great ball (win average of .554).  They are 5th in batting with a .275 team average.  Rolen leads the team with 16 home runs and Phillips is presently carrying a .308 average.  See all the Reds information at The Reds Official web site. The Great American Ballpark is 54 miles from downtown Dayton on the Ohio River Corridor just a few blocks from Paul Brown Staduim (home of the Bengals).   Jack Gilleland Home Inspection Services, Clayton 06/26/2010

Utilities Contact Information in the Dayton, Ohio Area Moving soon to the Dayton, Ohio area? Then contact these utility companies in the Dayton, Ohio area to have everything turned on before moving in! Dayton Power and Light DP&L (electric) 937-331-3900 or 1-800-433-8500  http://www.dpandl.com/on_off.php Vectren (natural gas) 1-800-227-1376  http://www.vectren.com/ AT&T (home phone provider, cell phones, internet, digital TV) 1-800-288-2020 http://www.att.com/ Satellite TV                  DISH 1-888-615-1697 http://www.dishpromotions.com/                   DIRECTV 1-800-370-3587 http://www.directv.com     06/23/2010

    The owner of this property called me and ask that I do a simple check on the condition of the house and yard.  I get this fairly frequently from out of town investors.  Having bought the property last fall they did little more that winterize the drains and blow out the water lines to prevent freezing.  This was a new client (who had bought the house at auction) for me so I told him what my "Investors Inspection" consisted of and he agreed to it.   The front didn't look all that bad, but as I proceeded around the house things got worse,  When I reached the back I found some of the worst exterior (visible) water damage I have ever seen. The raised patio was all but destroyed and the siding (wood) would have to be completely removed and replaced. Part of my job on an "Investors Inspect... 06/22/2010

          Times change and with time all things change.  With the market the way it is I change the type and names of inspections that I do.  Five years ago I could limit my inspections to just real estate transactions and I would have been satisfied with the number of inspections I was doing.  A one man shop has a limited amount of time and therefore can do a limited amount of inspections. Unfortunately, the market changed and with it the number of real estate transaction inspections that were available.  Since the dogs like to eat on a regular basis with the occasional biscuit I have had to change also.  Oh, I still have my share of the real estate transaction market, but dog food and biscuit prices haven't really gone down.  So my focus has to change to supplement the amount of work... 06/21/2010

Catch a game with the Dayton Dragons, Southwest Ohio's minor league baseball team, downtown Dayton at Fifth Third field this summer! Cheer on the Dayton Dragons players along with Heater and Gem, the Dragons mascots too! View the complete schedule and more at www.DaytonDragons.com . 06/02/2010

Visit the Oregon Express in Downtown Dayton, Ohio for great local music! The Oregon Express is located in Dayton's Oregon District, the first historical area in Dayton. The building is over a century old and has been home to many different trades, including a corner grocery market, an optical shop, bootleg joint, various neighborhoond pubs, and the Oregon Express or "O.E." established in 1976. The O.E. offers a unique atmosphere with delicious food, drink, and fun entertainment with Dayton's best live music nightly. The outdoor patio on the 2nd floor has a great view of downtown Dayton and the friendly passing train engineers waving! 06/01/2010

Be sure your PRESENTATION justifies the PRICE you are asking!!!  Price gets the seller in the door (or on the website)but no one buys a house just because the price is right! An offer is made because the house meets the buyer's expectations in the presentation! Only 3 - 10% of buyers can see what the house could be, make sure you show them. A few pieces of furniture, some well placed accessories, a coat of paint and new carpet can transform your house into an offer! This house was on the market for over one year. It sold in 3 months after staging!!   When you are considering putting your house on the market, we are the difference between having your house for sale and selling your house! 05/28/2010

I have to preface this information with a little information. The following facts/statistics are from 2008 and are from the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association.  A residential fire include but are not limited to all of the following structures: one- and two-family dwellings (including manufactured homes), apartments, hotels, motels, college dormitories, boarding houses, etc. In 2008 there were approximately 403,000 reported fires in residential structures. These were directly responsible for 2,780 deaths and 13,560 injuries. Approximately 8.5 billion dollars of damage was accredited to these fires. Property losses are estimated to be 85% less in structures that are sprinkled. Overall injuries and loss of life are estimated to be 50% less in sprinkled b... 05/22/2010

I do.  I see this much too often in one form or another.   It doesn't take long for this to happen.  All you need is a situation like the one above and Spring Rain. If the house isn't too old then you might need a few seasons without repair, but eventually you'll see it too.  Unfortunately, the damage in the above picture is severe enough that it isn't going to be an easy, cheap fix.  Unlike the fix the prevention is much cheaper and easier.  For every downspout one $10 purchase will do the job of redirecting the water away from the house.  Now don't get me wrong, this may not be the perfect fix, but a little is better than nothing.  The perfect fix is to install underground drainage to an area in your yard where the water can be dispersed or to the street or stormsewer (if local ordnac... 05/12/2010

"What leak" the realtor said.  "The one from the bathroom tub faucet", I responded.  "It isn't a really a big deal". I continued.  "Looks like just a little TLC from a qualified plumber will take care of it", starting to get irritated.  The rest of the conversation was about the same. This was a bank owned property that had some major problems that the investor/buyer knew she was going to have to repair (roof, water heater, and drywall), but the sellers realtor was focused on probably the least expensive repair there. Of course, the buyer wanted the seller to pay for some of the repairs, but they were having none of it. So when the realtor objected (in the name of the bank) the buyers realtor asked if I would talk to the "opposition".  I said, of course, that I would explain what I had ... 04/16/2010

It's no wonder that NAR says that, "90% of all buyers used the internet to search." We have seen this first hand, and especially over the last few months. When people relocate to other states, it's a long distance move. These people usually start by researching the city on the Internet. More times than not, they find one of our 1,100+ relocation websites. If they're serious, they'll request help in a possible home purchase. Due to a very large demand, we need a Buyer's Agent in Dayton that is able to assist these prospective home buyers. These families and individuals are wanting assistance from a Realtor, and if you would like to get in contact with them, we need to talk soon. Time is of the essence, and we only need 1 Realtor to be able to contact these people. We NEVER send people t... 04/13/2010

I just want to scream when I walk into anotherwise normal home and find that more than half of the mechanicals, siding or anything else just gone.  When the thieves take the copper, duct, cabinets, water heater, furnace, or appliances they are not only stealing from the seller of the house, but from the community.  The home owner (bank or other) normally would have to repair the house to even get it on the market, let alone sell it. The home where this picture was taken was, outwardly, in good condition.  Being on a slab the new plumbing will have to be run overhead and insulated raising the cost of replacement substantially.  Other damages due to the hasty and not too kind removal must be repaired also. The home is now uninhabitable, yet at one time it was nice home. After all their wo... 03/18/2010