Old Dominion Home Inspection Services

02/24/2026

Many of you know that I retired 1-1/2 years ago. I have since written a book on my inspection career. It is up on several online book sites, mainly Kindle. The title is: Memoirs of a Home Inspector.
I hope you pick it up and read it.

10/16/2024

This post is a little overdue, but I did want to share what has been going on in my life in the last several weeks. I finally made that ultimate decision to retire. I mean I am not getting any younger. As I was coming up on my birthday and realizing my age, I also realized that while working one day recently, that I should be enjoying my family more, or the beach, or Paris, or just having me time. I retired two weeks ago on Monday. I have been doing a few jobs in the last few weeks, trying to ween myself fully out of business. But…..I will still keep the dance business strong, whether I am there running it, or having others run it for me while I get away, which will happen a lot more in the very near future. I have had a great run on my businesses, and my life. I loved working with all the realtors over the years, I enjoyed flipping houses, which I might add, I am currently flipping my last house, a side venture only, and most of all, I truly love my dance community, and the many dancers I have got to know over the years. Dancing has truly been my life blood, my lifeline, and my sanity. It has keep me feeling youthful and healthy, it has been a true blessing in my life. The many lifelong friends I have made along the way has been inspirational.

On to the next chapter on my life while continuing to dance on into my golden years. Buenos dias my friends and family!!!

08/17/2024

So I am currently flipping a house, and as I pulled the tarp off of the roof to figure out why it is leaking so bad,I found this. Hum….let me see, how should I run the ductwork into the attic space. Oh wait! I’ll cut a hole in the roof, run the duct through the roof and then throw a tarp over it and hope it never leaks.

Sorry buddy, it leaks, oh and cause wood rot damage as well.

11/27/2023

Uh, not the best drain line fix. Maybe a plumber would be a better option versus making a home repair fix yourself, lol.

06/30/2023

This is why you do not plant trees next to you foundation wall. They grow up and cause major damage.

03/30/2023

As we approach Spring, be sure to add a cup of bleach to your A/C units condensate line, check your outside faucets for leaks at the hose bib and inside the wall, clean your gutters and roofs of debris, caulk all openings around the exterior of windows and doors, scrape and paint any bare or peeling wood around the perimeter of your house, and ensure the soil against your foundation wall slopes out and away from the wall. A few tips to get you started into a beautiful Spring and Summer season.

04/02/2022

This has been a crazy housing market and a buyers frenzy over the last couple of years. Most buyers have opted out of home inspections just to get the home they want. This is good for the seller but not really that good for the buyer. Those hidden and unforeseen defects in the home will not pop up now until there recent home purchase is resold again and a home inspection reveals the real issues. Unfortunately the current home owner will now have to make those sometimes very costly repairs before they sell. There is still a current remedy though. Old Dominion Home Inspection Services can come out now and perform a visual walk through of your potential home purchase and point out any possible serious defects before you sign on the line. There is no written report and the cost is half of the original home inspection fee. Call Joel at 540 8474581.

01/13/2022

I wanted to repost this from last year. This is still a crazy market but no one should buy a house without a good idea of what they are purchasing.

Good morning, I wanted to inform all my realtor friends that I can also perform a walk-thru inspection with your clients, vs. a full blown home inspection. This is for your clients who may be interested in placing a contract on a home but need to opt out of a home inspection in order to have a better chance to get the home they desire. I can come out to the home with you and your clients, do an walkover of the home, your clients would take notes during the process and I would let them know if there are any underlying concerns or issues they should be concerned about and also I would also go over all the mechanicals of the home with your clients. I have done this many times in the past and it gives your clients peace of mind while waiting to go to the closing table. I would do this for half the normal price of a home inspection.

07/29/2021

Many years ago while in the Navy Seabees I built and renovated buildings on Navy bases around the world. Performing home inspections today is something I enjoy doing while continuing to renovate and flip houses. I am very versed in all aspects of the construction industry, with renovations being my specialty. I am very knowledgeable in structural and foundation issues. I have taught classes on moisture and mold problems. I have performed 10,000 home inspections, flipped 25 homes locally, renovated 200 homes at the Dahlgren Naval base, built out many basements and redesigned and renovated many homes since retiring from the Navy Seabees. I am always available to perform home inspections, look at your home issues, help you get through moisture issues in your home, look at your structural issues and make determinations on the best fix. I also enjoy dancing and traveling in my spare time. Call Joel at 540 8474581.

05/03/2021

This is a crazy housing market. Home prices are skyrocketing, virtually everyone is opting out of vital home inspections and radon testing.

It is so important to conduct an inspection on your home before a purchase. For this reason, I am offering a full inspection on your home before purchase for half price. This inspection is a walk-thru inspection of the entire home, but you will take the notes. You can still have peace of mind before purchasing. Call Joel at 540 8474581, your licensed home inspector for more than 23 years.

03/02/2021

Honey, is this outlet GFCI protected?