Alyssa Guerra
Through articles, newsletters, and social media posts, Marketing Content Editor Alyssa Guerra provides risk management education to home inspectors nationwide. A Gonzaga University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in English and minors in Spanish and journalism, Alyssa's passion for communication enables her to write engaging and clear content across mediums. A former "Harry Potter" fan club president, she is a fervent reader, podcast listener, and someone who also enjoys exploring Utah with her husband and corgi.
One late-summer day, a home inspector was called to a small seaside town to inspect a log home. This property had everything: Rustic pine logs, front-row sunset balcony views of the mountains, beachfront swimming and fishing access to the lake, and even a stone fireplace built with rocks from that same lake. This log home…
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No home inspector wants to imagine a client or agent injury arising from their inspection. But as terrifying as these potential accidents may be, there’s another type of general liability (GL) claim that happens way more often: third-party property damage. Property damage claims are trickier to mitigate than third-party injuries. While you can decrease the…
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“Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” Although composed in the fourth century BC, this line from Plato’s “Phaedrus” continues to resonate with audiences today. Those who’ve worked with flipped homes understand it all too well. Flipped homes are a common grievance among home inspectors and buyers alike. While house…
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The United States may not have Europe’s castles and cathedrals or Japan’s ancient shrines. But tucked among modern skylines are homes that have witnessed generations of change. Some date back hundreds of years and are still private residences today. For inspectors who appreciate old architecture, performing historic home inspections offers a unique glimpse into the…
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Summer’s here, and you’re probably wishing you were “knee deep in the water somewhere.” Maybe you’d rather be “sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away.” Maybe you’re kicking back with an iced tea or lemonade at your beach home and “wastin’ away again in Margaritaville.” Or perhaps you’re dreaming about…
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It’s your first crawlspace of the day. You consider the host of potential dangers and crawlspace safety concerns that await you, and your heart races. Suited up and armed with your flashlight, you face the entrance, ready to explore the dark, inner recesses of another property. Crawlspace Safety for Home Inspectors Inspecting homes is a…
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People involved in the real estate industry know 2021 was a year to remember. Between stimulus checks, low mortgage rates, and the sharpest supply drop seen in decades, houses across the United States sold for record highs, writes online business publisher Kiplinger. According to Kiplinger’s article and data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR),…
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You wouldn’t bring a fishing pole to a basketball game. You wouldn’t wear a raincoat to a forest fire. Nor would you use wedding invitations to collect RSVPs for a business meeting. So why would you use your standard pre-inspection agreement for a standalone ancillary service, like a mold or radon inspection? Not all pre-inspection…
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Be honest: How many of us had the same childhood fantasy of pulling a lever and finding hidden passageways in houses? Imagine: You pull a book from a seemingly unexceptional bookshelf. Or maybe you trip a wire while walking through your childhood home. Alternatively, you move a picture frame off the wall, exposing a Big…
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In 2023, a home inspector was hired to perform a luxury, big home inspection at a nearly 8,000-square-foot property. The home sold for more than $10 million. A year later, the client sued their inspector for breach of contract, negligence, and violating the Unfair Trade Practices Act. They cited 17 errors and omissions, all either…
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One inspector was evaluating an HVAC unit and determined it was relatively new, about three to four years old. But the air handler coils were dirty. The inspector recommended cleaning and maintenance to extend the unit’s functional life, estimating about $450 in home inspection repair costs. Eight months later, after the client had purchased the…
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If you don’t know the differences between arbitration and mediation, they could catch you off guard. That’s what happened to one home inspector, whose client wanted to rescind their purchase a year and a half after buying the property. Their complaint? The air conditioning unit was too noisy. Sound ridiculous? The buyer’s counsel would agree.…
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