| Luxury homes are lots of fun to inspect. Sure, | | | | "plum" with "eggshell". Their best guess was that |
| the pay is better too, but mostly it's just fun to | | | | three coats would do it; I was betting on five! |
| see how the other half lives! I also get to meet | | | | As is always the protocol, all the lights, appliances, |
| those people who have reached such a level of | | | | and heating were turned on for the home |
| financial success that they are buying a home | | | | inspection. My company calls this our "Super Bowl" |
| that seems like it could have been a boarding | | | | check. Seems that the greatest stresses a home |
| school! | | | | undergoes is during the Super Bowl. There are |
| One of the fun aspects of inspecting large and | | | | usually dozens of people around, all of whom are |
| expensive homes is seeing furnishing and interior | | | | using multiple televisions, cooking, washing, |
| design work at the highest level. Unfortunately, | | | | showering, and consuming every possible stitch of |
| that high level does not always translate to | | | | electricity. And all of this is going on simultaneously! |
| attractive! Good-sized decorating budgets does | | | | If the systems continue to work during the Super |
| not always mean good taste. One such mansion | | | | Bowl, they will work fine during routine family use, |
| sticks always in my mind. | | | | or so the theory goes. |
| Among the oldest and most prestigious sections | | | | So, while zipping about the house checking here |
| of Jacksonville, Florida is Ortega. Situated along a | | | | and checking there, one of the painters called out |
| wide expanse of the St. Johns River with a | | | | that he smelled smoke! If the home catches on |
| fabulous view of the downtown skyline is Ortega | | | | fire during the Super Bowl that is most certainly a |
| Boulevard. In our fair town, that address spells | | | | penalty. |
| success! | | | | Upon my arrival to the electrical panel, I smelled |
| It is always a thrill to inspect on Ortega Boulevard. | | | | heat and burning wire. I then ran to the exterior |
| The homes were built during the 1920's and 30's | | | | to disconnect power at the switch adjacent to |
| by the business and political leaders of the time. In | | | | the meter, which was on fire! I told the real |
| a state not known for architecture, homes on | | | | estate agent to call the fire department while I |
| Ortega Boulevard can be compared proudly with | | | | secured the power to the home. Things were |
| any in America. But that does not mean that | | | | going to be fine. |
| some folks don't commit creative crimes in the | | | | To my surprise and confusion, she became upset |
| decorating department! | | | | with me for securing power to the home. When I |
| The listing agent was thrilled to have this home as | | | | asked her why she is upset that I had secured |
| the corner piece of an envious listing portfolio. One | | | | power to the burning electrical panel, she |
| point, though, kept coming up in comments made | | | | exclaimed, "Wally, if you turn off the power, the |
| by would-be buyers after being shown the | | | | painters won't be finished today!" I reminded her |
| beautiful home. The plum-painted walls on nearly | | | | that if the home continued to burn, it wouldn't |
| the entire first floor made the interior look like the | | | | need paint! |
| set from the old "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" | | | | The old adage "when you're surrounded by |
| television show! This simply had to be corrected | | | | alligators, sometimes it's hard to remember that |
| to attract a buyer to the home. | | | | you came here to drain the swamp" must have |
| Upon arrival at the home, I parked behind the | | | | been coined by a guy who was working for a real |
| painter's truck. When I went into the home, a | | | | estate agent in Florida. |
| team of painters was busy working to cover | | | | |