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When I set out to describe the beauty of prairie grasses, I made three discoveries. First, and most important, I discovered that the closer you look, the more there is to see. It’s easy for us to drive by a patch of prairie grass and ignore it, or perhaps just say, “Oh, that’s pretty.” But when we stop, get out, kneel down and look, really look, it’s then that the prairie grasses really come to life. The colors, shades, textures and varieties are a creative masterpiece.

My second discovery was that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” How true that is for the prairie grasses. So many varieties, so many angles of sunlight, so many backgrounds . . .

And I also soon discovered that others have written more eloquently, and more informatively, than I ever could. Not to say that I’m speechless, only God himself has that effect on me. I’ll tell you that for me, the best aspect of prairie grasses is walking through them with the wind blowing. The grasses wave, of course, but it’s the sound that gets to me. It varies from the quietest whisper to the loudest roar. And the grasses don’t break, they just bend. . . think about it.

I especially want to tell you about my all-time favorite place to walk on the prairie. It’s at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, in the Flint Hills of Kansas. If you’re ever in that area, kind of between Emporia, Council Grove, and Wichita, take the time to see it. It’s a detour you’ll never forget!

So here’s a small collection of articles about prairie grasses.

“What is it about prairies? What fascinates us so about the grasslands that gird our continent?”

Can you identify six different types of prairies?

How is prairie land being protected in Colorado?

How can students learn more about prairies?

What is range, or shortgrass prairie?

Hope you enjoy the beauty of the prairie. Let me know your comments about the prairie.

Posted on April 9th, 2008 by James
Filed under: Environment | No Comments »

Have you checked out the micro.Westinspect? It’s full of all sorts of frequent observations, quick tips, interesting sites to visit, photos of life as an inspector, and and maybe a little trivia thrown in, too. Check back often, or better yet, subscribe with an RSS feed to micro.Westinspect. See you there . . .

Posted on April 8th, 2008 by James
Filed under: Life in the west, Environment, Observations | No Comments »

Let’s start a conversation about Life Out West, by deciding where Out West is. Many people say that the 100th meridian of longitude is the boundary between the moist east and the arid west. So we’ll let our “Out West” be west of that imaginary north-south line in North America. Out West also evokes a certain lifestyle, so I’m going to say that big cities on the West Coast aren’t included. That leaves out San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle. Not trying to be “place-ist,” but just wanting to limit what we’re up to here.

So a few weeks ago I asked the question over at LinkedIn:

“What is it about living Out West that you really like?”

Terry Gault gave some great responses:
. . . Culture is easily accessible as are cutting edge companies in high-tech, biotech, and green tech. . . It’s also a beautiful area that is not over-developed. There is plenty of open space, cow pastures, orchards, and vineyards. . . You can be outdoors most of the year and there is much to do outdoors. Skiing is 4 hours away, though Sierra skiing is not as good as Rockies (Colorado [my home state] or Utah). The ocean is 30 - 40 minutes away. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails in this county and Marin to the south. . . I could also see myself living in Colorado or New Mexico. The central coast of California (Santa Barbara - Big Sur) is also fabulous!

Tim Tymchyshyn wrote:
I love it. . . it keeps my mind clean and refreshed and around here I can see my dog runaway for days

Doug Hering said:
I live in Colorado Springs. I like the changes in the weather, the lack of much smog, lots of activities winter and summer (especially outdoors). Colorado Springs is also beautiful with Pikes Peak seeming to loom over the city. The people are friendlier than in big cities. Fashion isn’t a big deal. People pretty much are people.

And another LinkedIn member wrote:

Big sky. . . I had heard that phrase, but never really understood it until driving from Salt Lake City (home base) to Estes Park, Colorado a few years ago, I saw the most amazing cloud formations set against awe-inspiring mountains. . . Salt Lake City is repeatedly on top livability lists, and I love it. . . My take? “The West” emphasizes life over work; day over night; xeri over sculpted; new versus tradition; sweat versus starch. . . What’s not to love?

———————————————————————-

These folks have asked some great questions, like:

• Where would you see yourself living?
• How does living Out West help your attitude?
• What are people like Out West?
• What’s not to love?

Now it’s our turn. What do you like about living Out West? Let’s see your comments . . .

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by James
Filed under: Life in the west | 2 Comments »

Maybe you’ve seen the popular Colorful Colorado forum at ActiveRain. If not, then you’ll want to check it out at the bottom link. But first, meet Dena Stevens, the founder of Colorful Colorado. She has brought new life and ideals to southern Colorado’s real estate market.

Dena is a fourth generation Californian, now transplanted, who is enamored of nature and the beauty in Colorado. I caught up with her a few weeks ago, and she told me all about why she loves life in the Pueblo area. The topography is so interesting, with prairies, mountains, rivers, lakes, sand dunes, forests, all close by. But I sensed that people are even more important to her than scenery. Pueblo’s diversity of cultures intrigues Dena - this melting pot includes Italian, Slavic, Hispanic, Native American, and many others. All these people brought their traditions with them to southern Colorado, especially (says Dena), “Great Restaurants!”

The Colorful Colorado group was started in order to educate folks who don’t live in Colorado, to give them a fair taste of the state. The bloggers who contribute to Colorful Colorado have a lot to share, and they have shown the incredible variety of people and places out here in the West. Even though the main readership is other bloggers, the group has still gained lots of attention from out-of-state. The goals for Colorful Colorado remain unchanged: to exchange Colorado information, and to refer to each other. “From the Mountains to the Prairies - All things Colorado! Just 2 simple requests before posting : Write about Colorado or be from Colorado.”

Working in southern Colorado has been awesome for Dena. She gets to be out running around, enjoying the day, not confined to an office. “The people here are so inviting. I’ve made friends unlike any others, and I’ll have them for life.”

So what does the future hold for southern Colorado? Dena would like to see progress without losing the small town feeling, the “mom and pop diversity.” There’s room for growth in technology, as some companies and individuals are not taking advantage of new technology. And there’s a need for better mass transit for the people.

How about some words of wisdom, Dena? “If you vacation in Colorado, make it at least for a week or two. Check out the state, do other things, like checking out the summer activities if you come in the winter. Check out the bed and breakfasts. Check out the small independent restaurants. Don’t be in a hurry, downshift and remember you don’t have to schedule too much.”

And here’s my favorite Dena-quote: “Open yourself up to opportunity, or opportunity may never find you.” Dena sees plenty of opportunity in southern Colorado. She’s a great spicy addition to Pueblo’s menu. We’re glad you’re here, Dena!

What’s coming up for Westinspect.blog? Adventurous places to visit, honest views of the Western lifestyle, observations made while inspecting properties, and more articles about unique Western people. Add your RSS subscription to the Westinspect.blog . . . Observations / Property & Environment / Life Out West / by James Eubank.

And don’t forget to read more at Colorful Colorado.

Posted on March 27th, 2008 by James
Filed under: Life in the west | 5 Comments »

For starters, what’s a Move In Certified inspection? Think for a moment about the wide range of houses that are for sale these days. Some are definite “fixer-uppers,” some are in great condition, and many houses fall in between. A Move In Certified inspection is targeted toward houses in better condition, with the idea of attracting buyers who don’t want to bother with fixing major items right away.

The seller uses the Move In Certified inspection to demonstrate that there are no known major systems defects and no known safety issues. Obviously, the terms “major systems defects” and “safety issues” have to be clearly defined for this to make sense. A seller who wants to have their home be Move In Certified hires the inspector, fixes any major systems defects and safety issues, and then makes the report and the repair information available to potential buyers. There’s a Move In Certified yard sign that’s available, too.

So does this strategy work to sell homes? There are some cities where this service has been available for almost a year, and there are some reports that it is working as intended. But it’s really to early to know what the impact will be. And most areas of the USA don’t even have this available. And there are at least a couple of big questions that only time will answer for sure.

Several kind folks at LinkedIn helped with suggestions and ideas about Move In Certified.

Adam Waldman: As a real estate agent, this is something that I hope takes off, but sellers are generally very reluctant to spend money on things that they feel are unnecessary. Of course, it would be a good idea to do this, as long as the buyer realizes that they still should get their own home inspection done. It could be the difference in having the buyer bid on a home though, as this would show that the sellers are doing their part to be forthright with potential buyers.

Who’s really liable if a major system goes bad? Probably not the inspector, since the inspection is just a brief “snapshot,” not a warranty. The inspector describes any concerns, then the seller takes over to get them fixed. The seller is the one certifying that there are no known major systems defects or safety issues. It’s like a disclosure, with a lot of detail added.

Ken Schneider: It would seemingly transfer the cost of inspection from the buyer to the seller, which as a seller might put me in a position of being libel if the inspection was bad. As a seller I’d rather just buy insurance to cover the new buyer if things go bad. Finally as a buyer I don’t want to just accept what is given me by the seller, I want a bulldog inspector that works for me. In closing I’m not sure what could move the needle in this market, but I don’t think this has a chance.

Is this inspecting, or is it marketing? Traditionally, the two are separate: The inspector describes the home without reference to its ability to sell, while the real estate agent markets the home in the best light possible. But with Move In Certified, the inspector is in effect publishing a marketing item for the seller and agent to use. This could be a conflict of interest if everyone isn’t careful. The Move In Certified website has pages directed to buyers, sellers, inspectors and real estate agents.

From LinkedIn: There is a lot of debate on this issue. As a Realtor I like to have a pre-inspection if there are obvious problems which need repair (and actually get them fixed) and which will cause an issue at a home inspection contingency. The problem arises when a seller has paid the first inspector and then another comes through and finds different issues, resulting in more money outlaid. I’d have no expectation that a buyer would actually take that pre-inspection as gospel and not do one of their own (I always recommend a home inspection as a buyer’s agent), thus adding more expense to the process. Not sure there’s enough trust between buyers and sellers to just take this at face value.

There are folks out there saying that Move In Certified is the future for inspectors and for sellers. They predict that eventually most, if not all, inspections will be purchased by the seller as part of their marketing effort. While there is certainly a place for pre-listing inspections, such as Move In Certified, hopefully buyers won’t become complacent. Buyers will still need to do their due diligence in respect to this major purchase.

From LinkedIn: It’s been my experience that a buyer is still going to have their own inspection - whether the house has been pre-inspected or not. The upside, of couse, it that for a house that has lacked maintenance, it’s a great way to let the seller know what needs to be done. The downsides? Well, I’ve run into issues before where the buyer’s inspector found things the pre-inspection missed and the seller was furious. . . . Lastly, if the buyer does not have thier own inspection, then they have no recourse against a defect missed by the pre-inspector as that inspector didn’t work for them.

Posted on February 19th, 2008 by James
Filed under: Observations | No Comments »

More and more of my clients are asking environmental questions:  What about Radon?  What’s in the water?  Can we do an environmental study for this commercial project?  Is there mold in this home?  Can I remove old asbestos when I find it?

People want answers because they care, especially if it’s a place where they will live or work.  No home is so small that the environment wouldn’t matter.  So I say keep on asking questions.  And don’t settle for unclear answers.

Posted on February 13th, 2008 by James
Filed under: Observations | No Comments »