The 6^th Annual ASHI New England Chapter Fall Conference is fast approaching. Everyone will be congregating on September 20th & 21^st at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA. to hear from a group of dynamic speakers.

Joseph Cerniglia, P.E. a fellow home inspector who holds a masters in electrical engineering, is a life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and a professor currently at Boston University will speak on "What Every Home Inspector Should Know About the Electrical System But Is Afraid to Ask".

Joel Lunger, P.E. has been practicing for over 30 years and is a past president of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and is a volunteer structural specialist with the Massachusetts task Force will speak on "Inspecting the Structure System"

Each afternoon of the conference, a field trip has been set for attendees to participate. They include several historic homes in Salem including The Phillips House and The Salem Custom House owned by the National Park Service. The tour will also include the Friendship of Salem, a three-masted, square-rigged 342-ton vessel.

In terms of continuing education, each day of the conference is expected to earn attendees six (6) CEUs for state licensing renewals and six (6) CEs for ASHI-national members' renewals....12 if you attend both days...just in time for ASHI's September deadline.

By now you should have received your own print copy of our fall conference and expo program and registration form. With the early-bird registration deadline of September 3 fast-approaching, I encourage you to take a moment to review the program and make your plans to join us for one or both days of the event.

I look forward to seeing you on September 20th & - 21st.

Bob Mulloy, Education Chairman

For more information on this meeting...

MA Oil System Upgrade Law

The start of Massachusetts Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade Law has been delayed

The effective date of the new state Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law (installation of an Oil line sleeve or oil safety valve) has been delayed until September 30, 2011. The new law, originally set to become effective July 1, 2010, has been delayed and will become effective on September 30, 2011, giving homeowners fifteen additional months to comply.

In short, the law is designed to eliminate oil leaks that have plagued numerous older homes in the commonwealth where a fuel line leaves the oil tank and is then buried in concrete and reappears at the burner. In some of the homes the buried portion of the fuel line leaks and causes expensive environmental damage. In addition, the new law requires homeowner insurance companies to make available coverage, at an additional cost, for oil spills to all homes that are in compliance with the new rules. Visit the DEP's website for additional information:

CORCORAN & HAVLIN INSURANCE GROUP

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Home Inspector E&O Coverage offers these features:

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Pest Inspection, Premises Liability, Radon and Commercial Inspections Available
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For more information on this company...

Continuing Education Reminder

Important Reminder for All Members

ASHI would like to remind all members to make sure that they are keeping records of their continuing education hours and they have all continuing education hours completed by September 30th.

Completion of CE's is just as important as the dues payment.

Home Inspector Training Program

HOME INSPECTOR TRAINING PROGRAM

(75 Hour Class for Trainees)

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School

940 County Street, Taunton, MA 02780-3799

508-823-5151 ext. 123

www.bptech.org

Instructors: Bob Mulloy & Sherman Price

Vent Master

ATTIC VENTILATION SPECIALISTS
Inspectors, when you see signs of:

Excessive Heat Build-up
Ice Dams
Damaged Roof Shingles
Peeling Paint
Mod, Rot & Mildew

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For a FREE consultation, call Don Marcoux at Vent Master

For more information on this company...

Uncertainity in MA Real Estate Markets

For the second straight month, Massachusetts Association of Realtors members reported uncertainty about the state's real estate market.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) July Realtor Market Index (RMI) was down for the second straight month. The July Realtor Price Index was also down for the second time in the past 12 months.

In July, the Realtor Market Index (RMI) was 28.15, down more than nine points from the 37.89 score recorded in the same month last year. On a month-to-month basis, the July RMI was down less than 1 percent from the June score of 28.36. Measured on a 100-point scale, a score of 50 is the midpoint between a "strong" (100 points) and a "weak" (0 points) market condition, MAR said.

The Realtor Price Index was down 6.13 percent in July, compared to the same time last year (from 47.43 in 2010 to 50.53 in 2009). On a month-to-month basis, the July index number was up 1.24 percent from the Home Sales Price Index number in June 2010 (46.85).

"Whether it was the heat of July, the end of the tax credit, or the continued uncertainty in the economy, Realtor members are feeling less certain about the market than they did last year or just this past spring," said 2010 MAR President Kevin Sears, broker/co-owner of Sears Real Estate in Springfield. "If prices do go down as the Realtor Price Index would lead us to believe, then the combination of historically low interest rates should be the type of incentive that will bring buyers back into the market."

When Realtor members were asked how many of their clients were able to take advantage of the homebuyer tax credit because of the closing deadline extension (from June 30 to Sept. 30), 29 percent of respondents reported that one to two clients benefited and 18 percent responded that three to four (or more) clients benefited. Forty-six percent responded that none of their clients needed the extension to take advantage of the tax credit, while 7 percent responded that the question was not applicable.

NH Home Inspector Board

The New Hampshire Home Inspector Board will have its next meeting on September 16, 2010. The meeting will take place at 9:00 am at 57 Regional Drive in Concord, NH.

These meetings are open for all home inspectors to attend.

Rene Mugnier Associates

When in doubt, refer to a structural engineer specializing in the investigation of homes and commercial structural problems.

REHABILITATIONS & INVESTIGATIONS