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For any enquiries and feedback, please write to us at info@bandjinspections.com or call or text us at (281) 980-2157.
Investing in real estate is a huge and costly step. If you are looking to invest in a property, irrespective of whether it is a commercial or residential building, getting it inspected helps you ensure that it is a prudent investment. Enlisting the services of a real estate inspector will help you avoid risks and give you a rough estimate of the value of the building so that you don’t end up paying too much for too little.
A real estate inspector focuses on every aspect of the building without bias; structure, electrical, plumbing and mechanical. Their sole purpose is to make sure that the building you called them to inspect is perfect and safe in every way and if it isn’t, they will let you know.
If you are trying to sell a house, it is also advisable to get an estimate of the damages and the value of your property. This will help you in setting an appropriate price for your property as well as help you isolate the problem areas that you could fix to raise the value of your home or property.
However, finding a quality real estate inspector isn’t an easy task. If you are looking for a professional real estate inspector, here are a few tips that will simplify your search.
Always look for a licensed and experienced professional inspector. One who has been in the business for many years. Generally, the lower the inspector’s license number, the more years of experience they have.
Look for an inspection company who adds as much value to their service as possible. Successful home inspection companies that have been around for a long time add a lot of value to their customers, and in most cases, far exceed the customer’s expectations.
Find out what other people are saying about the inspection company that you are hiring. Word of mouth is typically the best indicator of how an inspection company performs its duties and responsibilities towards its clients. Successful inspection companies have been around for a long time, and in most cases, they have built up a lot of trust in the industry and have been referred to by friends, family and clients alike.
Look for an inspection company or a licensed inspector who is knowledgeable about all aspects of the inspection and real estate process. Someone who pays very close attention to detail has a reputation for being as thorough as can be, and who always puts the client first. After all, knowledge is nothing without applying that knowledge to the inspection.
When interviewing your inspector over the phone, go with your gut. Go with someone who has strong communication skills, someone who is capable of building a good rapport with you, and someone who expresses care and compassion to you during this most important time in your life as purchasing a home involves such a massive investment.
If you are looking for a real estate inspector around Sugar Land, Pasadena, Pearland, Cypress, Missouri City City, Stafford, Richmond, West University, Bellaire, Jersey Village, Sienna, League City, Humble, Spring, Katy, Fulshear, Rosharon, Houston, Rosenberg & the surrounding areas, reach out to B & J Real Estate Inspection. We provide quality and reliable home and commercial inspection service at an affordable price. We pride ourselves on our ability to personalize our inspections according to our client’s requirements. To learn more about the services we offer, please click here. To get in touch with us, please click here.
Sugar Land Award Program Honors the Achievement
SUGAR LAND July 27, 2018 — B & J Real Estate Inspection has been selected for the 2018 Best of Sugar Land Award in the Home Inspector category by the Sugar Land Award Program.
Each year, the Sugar Land Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Sugar Land area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 Sugar Land Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Sugar Land Award Program and data provided by third parties.
The Sugar Land Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Sugar Land area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Sugar Land Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.
Sugar Land Award Program
Sugar Land Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@rivate.org
URL: http://www.rivate.org
Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you’re looking for more information about B & J Real Estate Inspection, you’ve come to the right place.
We are a home and commercial inspection business based in the Sugar Land, TX area. We provide quality third-party structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections for home or commercial properties at an affordable price.
We have been in business since 1988, and our office is open for business, seven days a week. We serve all of the Greater Houston and surrounding areas across Sugar Land, Pasadena, Pearland, Cypress, Missouri City City, Stafford, Richmond, West University, Bellaire, Jersey Village, Sienna, League City, Humble, Spring, Katy, Fulshear, Rosharon, Houston, Rosenberg and more.
We are a very mature business that always tries to find ways to grow and stay on the cutting edge of technology for our clients, right from inspection tools, to report writing, to being more user-friendly and fully automated from start to finish of each job.
We have recently launched a new website and are now able to schedule appointments directly through our website. Realtors will be able to view our appointment calendar and schedule inspection appointments for their clients by using our app. We also accept all major credit cards through online payments.
Summer is typically our peak season, and fall and winter tend to slow down a bit from year to year, so if you’re purchasing a home, set up an inspection with us by clicking here.
Our present owner, Jaycee Castro, has as much or more experience in the field of real estate inspection than probably more than ninety-five percent of our competitors. He has performed several thousand home inspections over the eighteen plus years as a full-time inspector.
Here’s what he had to say about the firm: “I never take anything for granted. This business was passed down to me by my father, and I strive every day to live up to and exceed the expectations that were passed on to me. I take great pride in what I do, and I serve each and every one of my clients with passion and conviction, knowing that every promise is delivered, and that hard work and dedication to your craft is the only thing that you can control.”
Our client base consists primarily of home buyers looking to hire an inspector who is very experienced, knowledgeable, thorough, detailed, and who cares about them with high regard and is interested in protecting them and their interest in an unbiased and straightforward manner. That, in a nutshell, is B & J Real Estate Inspection.
What sets us apart from the rest of our competitors is that fact that we love what we do, and we love those that we serve even more. To ensure we give the best to our clients, each inspection is fully automated, and we provide instant results every step of the way. This helps to create exceptional value for our clients and allows us to offer the best in customer service. We are also continually improving our customer and realtor experience and satisfaction.
Care and compassion for every one of our clients is another aspect that makes us second to none in the industry. We genuinely care about the people who entrust us to inspect their home, which is typically the proudest and biggest investment of their lives. We are humbled every day as we have the privilege to serve others in such a capacity.
B & J Real Estate Inspection received the Best of Sugar Land 2014 award for the Home Inspector Category by the Sugar Land Award Program. We also recently received awards and were honored in 2017 and 2018 for “Excellence In Customer Satisfaction” by Pulse of the City News. Our most recent award was again from the Sugar Land Award Program for Best of Sugar Land 2018 for the Home Inspector Category, and we were also inducted to the Sugar Land Business Hall of Fame.
While awards fill us with pride, our commitment to our clients and excellent home inspections remains the same. Our dream for the future is to continue to grow little by little every day because you can never stop growing even after thirty years in the business, and in business as in life, if you take care of the little things every day, big things are always sure to follow.
To learn more about all that we do at B & J Real Estate Inspection, please click here. If you have any questions about how we can help you, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.
Buying a home is a big deal and ensuring it’s a good investment is equally significant. To assess the condition of a house, you’ll need assistance from a home inspector. They don’t only uncover the faults of a house but also offer information on how to maintain the property once it’s yours. However, many people feel the home buying process is lengthy and try to skip steps which results in some costly mishaps.
The biggest mistakes you can make during the home buying process is not consulting the right professional. Without the guidance of an expert in the real estate business, finding the ideal home for you and your family becomes stressful instead of fun.
To help you avoid some basic errors that could prove to be costly, here’s a list of the most common mistakes people make during the inspection and home buying process.
1. Settling for the cheapest inspection cost. A common mistake people make when looking for a home inspector is focusing solely on the cheap inspection cost. Don’t only look at prices; try to find an inspector who provides a combination of experience, proven expertise, affordable prices, and the best overall value. Conversely, most large inspection companies carry substantial overhead. Typically the money spent on a larger home inspection company goes towards paying the employees (sometimes inexperienced) hired to perform your home inspection (before the company can make any revenue). This equals more money out of your pocket for poor quality service, which equals less value or ‘bang’ for your hard earned buck.
2. Not hiring a real estate agent. Another common mistake customers make is not hiring their own real estate agent to assist in the negotiation of repairs and handling of contracts. Sometimes relying on one agent to represent both sides in the negotiating process can put you in a situation that is not advantageous. As a result, it’s difficult to negotiate a better deal when purchasing a home. As awkward as it sounds, there have also been occasions when a buyer is dealing directly with the seller, and after the home, inspection is performed the seller decides to no longer sell the home! Wasting the buyer’s precious time, effort and money on a deal gone wrong. Hiring an experienced realtor and home inspector are critical keys to making the home buying process smooth, easy, and stress-free.
3. Not following the safety inspector’s instructions. After the home inspection, a common mistake people make is not following some or all of the maintenance and safety recommendations of the home inspector. It may include not caulking windows and tub surrounds, not changing an air filter, failing to service/clean the AC system, not installing GFCI protection to receptacles, or not maintaining the moisture content of the ground around the home during dry seasons or drought. Failing to follow a home inspector’s maintenance and safety recommendations can lead to enormous structural repair expenses in the long run. You can count electrical safety hazards, as well as premature wear on mechanical systems in that list of expenses. A home inspector’s safety and maintenance recommendations are always made to protect your family, and home from elements are physically and financially harmful now or in the future.
To save yourself from the troubles mistakes like these cause reach out to the experts at B & J Real Estate Inspection. Being a small family owned and operated business, we truly provide customers with the best of both worlds by combining many years of experience in the industry, lower overheads, the best customer service, extremely competitive pricing, and best overall value. Our team performs thorough structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections. We are an independent real estate inspection firm built on fundamental principles of providing quality and reliable inspection service at affordable prices in Sugarland, TX.
For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about home and commercial inspection in Sugar Land, TX, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.
Is your future home strong enough to stand the test of time? Even if it is a recently constructed house, a home inspection is your best chance at finding out. A licensed home inspector will examine the present condition of your house and inform you about areas that need repairs. If an inspector is certified, their inspections will be performed as per professional standards of practice.
While there is a general understanding of the value that home inspection provides, many are still unaware or uncertain about the details involved. With tonnes of misinformation related to inspection cost or work carried out by an inspector doing the rounds, it has become necessary to separate fact from fiction.
To put some of your doubts to rest, B & J Real Estate Inspection has debunked a few of the most widely believed myths about home inspection.
This myth exists because number one, the home buyer typically wants to believe that buying a new home is like buying a brand new car, electronic or appliance, and they think “brand new” means perfect condition. And number two, the builder will lead people to believe preconceived notions which will mean less work for them, or sometimes the builder may naively think nothing is wrong with the house and if there is a problem, it can be rectified without the services of a third party home inspector who inspects hundreds of homes per year.
New homes typically come with a one year warranty, but how is a home buyer expected to find hidden deficiencies to protect their full interest and investment? Additionally, warranties carry a lot of fine print that does not cover many aspects. If you have a home inspector, they would point out faults with the house prior to the final sale, which the builder would be obligated to address or repair before the final walkthrough and closure.
The bottom line is to get your new home inspected by a trained professional. This is the best way to avoid any potential conflict with the builder after closing.
The foundation is the most important structural component of the home, and we all want to live in a perfect world where no foundation will ever move or settle. However, the fact of the matter is that every foundation will have some settlement or movement throughout its lifetime. If a foundation is deemed necessary for repair either by a structural engineer or by a foundation repair company, it will mean either of the two – the foundation has exceeded its tolerance of movement/deflection, and/or that the foundation is in an unstable condition that can deteriorate over time if not addressed and provided with additional support.
The fact that a reputable company has repaired the foundation could be considered good. Typically when the foundation has been repaired, most of the time the worst is already over. Aside from the necessary repairs that might arise from repairing the foundation and previous movement (i.e., cracked brick and drywall, and doors that stick). Items should be fixed after a foundation repair is performed and not before. Foundations that are repaired by reputable companies come with lifetime transferable warranties. Of course similar to the New Home warranties stated above, a warranty usually has fine print that mentions the components covered and not covered. But at least the homeowner can have peace of mind knowing that such a warranty backs the foundation repair.
The bottom line is to ensure the foundation is serving its intended purpose (which is the only thing holding up the structure), and that it has stabilized. If the foundation has had ample time to stabilize following foundation repair work, and other areas of the house affected by the movement are repaired, it is wise to consider a home with foundation repair.
Home inspectors have a general understanding of the functioning of the various components of a house. For them to provide an accurate quote for the repairs, there are many variables to consider. A home inspector will naturally feel obliged to assist his clients in any way that he can, and will sometimes help his client arrive at a “ballpark guesstimation” regarding the cost of all of the repairs. These “guesstimations” are just that, and should not be taken as a be-all-end-all when it comes to negotiating with the seller for repairs.
Potential homebuyers should pay due diligence and gather as much information as possible from all the necessary tradesman to ensure their “guesstimation” is valid.
For the best home and commercial inspection in Sugar Land, TX, reach out to the professionals at B & J Real Estate Inspection. We have over thirty years of experience providing quality and reliable residential and commercial inspection services. We pride ourselves in delivering exceptional, thorough, detailed and personalized inspections.
To learn more about our services, please click here. To schedule a property inspection, please click here. If you have any questions about home inspection, get in touch with us by clicking here.
Home inspections are a vital part of selling and buying a home. They provide you with details to see a house for its real worth and make quick purchase or cancellation decisions. However, when it comes to home inspections, there are a ton of questions clients have but often find answers difficult to come by.
At B & J Real Estate Inspection, we want to arm you with the most accurate information available to help you take advantage of a thorough home inspection and to help you do this, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about getting a home inspection.
The short answer is a resounding yes! A home inspection by an experienced and knowledgeable home inspector, can not only save you thousands of dollars in unexpected repair expenses, but it may even put more money in your pocket during negotiations with the seller. At the very least if the home is being sold “as is,” the potential buyer will know exactly what the issues are with the house and can make an educated decision on whether or not to proceed to close or terminate the contract altogether. Also, in case you are searching for the cheapest inspector, please be aware that you may actually be losing more money, than if you hired an experienced and thorough inspector. The latter will find every detail and deficiency with a property, and in turn, put more of your hard earned money back in your pocket through repair negotiations with the seller.
Typically a home inspection ranges from $350 and up. It depends on the square footage, the age of the home, optional systems such as swimming pools and irrigation systems, and optional services such as infrared thermal imaging inspections.
It is always a great idea to know what the issues are with the home you are about to sell, and what might come up on a potential buyer’s inspection report. It not only puts sellers ahead of the game, but it also gives them an opportunity to use the tradesmen of their choice. This means that they can perform “do it yourself repairs” or hire a family member to do some of the repairs which can save a lot of money in the long run.
A typical home inspection these days takes at least three hours at the property, and when you get it done with B & J Real Estate Inspection, we guarantee the inspection report will be emailed to all applicable parties within twenty-four hours.
If you can, it is always a good idea to attend at least some part of the inspection. Preferably the latter half of the inspection if not the entire thing. That way, you can shake hands with the inspector, and also ask as many questions as you can think of. Also, the inspector will be able to physically point out and discuss any deficiencies, clarify any confusion, and answer any questions you might have about their findings.
In the state of Texas, all licensed home inspectors are required to carry a minimum of $100,000 in errors and omissions insurance to be able to perform inspections.
Yes, there are minimum standards of practice set forth by the Texas Real Estate Commission for all home inspections. Although, at B & J Real Estate Inspection, we strive to exceed the minimum standards of practice, to provide the greatest value and service quality to our clients.
If you have any more questions about getting a home inspection, reach out to the experts at B & J Real Estate Inspection. When it comes to a home and commercial inspection in Sugar Land, TX, we provide the very best. We offer thorough, detailed, and personalized real estate inspections at affordable prices. We also specialize in a variety of inspections like structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections for clients purchasing a home or commercial building. We offer the same services for clients interested in the current issues of a property that they are trying to sell or simply maintain and improve.
To learn more about how we can help you, please click here or contact us by clicking here.
If you’re looking to purchase a new property, it’s vital to get a home inspection organized before you put pen to paper. A home inspector will soon let you know if a building is up to scratch by assessing the structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing aspects, using various inspection tools.
However, some inspection tools that are becoming quite commonplace in our industry may be more “Show than Tell.” The use of Compu Levels or the more common brand name Zip Levels, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, better known as Drones, are becoming common in the industry today.
The big question to ask is if these tools help perform better inspections, or are they just a marketing ploy by inspection companies to compete in a highly competitive industry?
The use of Zip levels in a home inspection has become extensive. There are even some realtors/clients who will only use an inspection company that utilizes Zip levels in their home inspections.
The Zip level’s primary function is to determine the actual level of a foundation at the time of the inspection. However, is it essential to know the exact level of the foundation during a home inspection?
The two main things we ask during a foundation inspection is how well the foundation is serving its intended purpose, and if the foundation is stable. I can confidently say that a Zip Level cannot answer either one of these two questions more accurately than an experienced inspector, who uses just their eyes.
Also, does one need to know the actual level of the foundation during a home inspection to know whether or not the foundation is performing its intended purpose or is stable? The short answer is NO.
Zip levels will determine the level of the foundation at the time of the inspection, but without a baseline Zip level reading of the foundation, there is no other reading for comparison.
Drones are another tool used more and more today in the home inspection industry. However, I do not believe there is a camera that can observe the condition of the roof better than actually physically getting a closer look with the naked eye.
Yes, a drone can help get a general idea of the overall condition of a roof if climbing on the roof is impossible. My only concern with the use of drones for home inspections is that a home inspector might rely on the use of the drone more as a crutch instead of getting on top of the roof to get a more detailed assessment.
The average consumer may readily perceive the inspection company which uses a drone to perform a quality home inspection, but the truth is that it’s not always the case.
The advantage of these trends is that these tools are providing information about the current state of both the foundation and the roof which we can all agree are two of the most critical parts of a home inspection.
On the other hand, the information given by the use of these tools cannot replace or give more importance than that of a knowledgeable home inspector.
A proper home inspection takes just three to four hours, even without the use of such tools, and there are a number of things to consider during a single home inspection.
So it’s worth weighing up if the time it takes to utilize these tools the best use of the home inspector’s time? Alternatively, does the time it takes to use these tools detract from being as detailed in other vital areas of a home inspection?
In my opinion, the use of these tools does have a place in the home inspection industry. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that if a home inspector uses these tools, then they are performing a better inspection than an inspector that does not rely on such devices.
With over thirty years of experience, B & J Real Estate Inspection offers exceptional, thorough, detailed, and personalized real estate inspections. Our services include full turnkey home inspections, besides pool inspections, termite inspections, thermal imaging, and build one-year warranty inspections.
Our services are available across Sugar Land, Pasadena, Pearland, Cypress, Missouri City City, Stafford, Richmond, West University, Bellaire, Jersey Village, Sienna, League City, Humble, Spring, Katy, Fulshear, Rosharon, Houston, Rosenberg and the surrounding areas.
If you have any questions about home inspections, please contact us by clicking here. To learn more about the other services we have to offer, please click here.
I’m Jaycee Castro, proud owner of B & J Real Estate Inspection.
I look forward to sharing my story. I hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.
B & J Real Estate Inspection was started in 1988 by my father Genaro A. Castro (BSME) who had the simple vision and desire to help and educate others in the home and commercial inspection process through his expertise as a QA/QC inspector with major engineering companies locally and overseas over a 15 year career. He used his keen awareness as a QA/QC engineer to point out and document problems in specific systems.
Today, B & J Real Estate Inspection has been taken over by me, his son, Jaycee Castro. With over 20 years of experience as a full time Professional Inspector, I carry out the same simple vision and desire to help and educate others in the home and commercial inspection process through the same care and attention to detail that was lovingly passed down to me.
I aim to provide every client with the same quality and reliable inspection service that all of our past clients have come to know and trust.
B & J Real Estate Inspection has been in business for 32 years, and during this time we have built an excellent reputation for providing thorough, dependable and reliable service to all of our clients at an affordable price. We work as hard for you as you do!
The most rewarding part of my work is knowing that I am helping my clients to make an informed and educated decision about the home or commercial building they are looking to purchase, while simultaneously helping them to in most cases negotiate a better deal with the seller in their favor. Knowing that this may very well be the single greatest investment in their lives, I take great pride and responsibility in helping to make sure that my clients know exactly what they are investing in.
Being awarded best inspector in Sugar Land, TX in 2014 and 2018, and being inducted into the Sugar Land Business Hall of Fame in 2018 by the Sugar Land award program, as well as being recognized and awarded for excellence in customer service by Pulse of the City News in 2017, 2018, and 2019 are some of the proudest moments in my business life.
As a devout Christian, I run my business for the greater honor and glory of God the Father. I attribute my business’s success first and foremost to God. The giver of all good things. Secondly to the hard work, perseverance, passion, persistence and servant attitude that was passed on to me by my father (our founder) and mother who is a loving and caring retired Registered Nurse by trade. Success has also been possible because of all of our friends and family who have shown support, and to the real estate agents who have entrusted us to their precious clients. I have a deep sense of gratitude and thank you all.
When I am not at work, I enjoy playing golf and basketball. I love the outdoors, fishing, biking, and spending quality time with my wife and three kids.
I have enjoyed sharing my story about the things which matter to me and how they influence the way I do business.
If you or someone you know could benefit from our expertise in real estate inspection in the Greater Houston and surrounding areas, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.bandjinspections.com.
Sincerely,
Jaycee
3103 Redcliff Dr, Sugar Land, Texas, United States 77479
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