Whether you are buying or selling your home, the home inspection may be the most important hurdle you have to cross before you can make the deal happen. While the inspector should not be made out to be the "big, bad wolf", the inspection is a vital step in the buying and selling process and should not be ignored.

Most typically, home inspectors will look at the general condition of the home and its systems. The length and intensity of the inspection will vary, depending on the home’s age, location, and many other factors.

According to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the most common areas the inspector needs to check out in the home can include the following elements:

• Structure: including the foundation and frame
• Exterior: including sidewalks, driveways, siding, trim, windows, any decks/balconies, and surface drainage
• Roofing
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Heating
• Air conditioning
• Interior: including garage door, garage door systems, steps, stairways, railings, counter tops, cabinets, walls, ceilings, and floors
• Ventilation and insulation
• Fireplaces

All of these elements are critical to the functionality, and thus, the market value of the home. According to ASHI, the five most common inspection problems are: improper electrical wiring, roof deterioration, plumbing problems, improper surface drainage, and poor overall upkeep.

To maintain these five “problem areas”, ASHI has some tips for homeowners can utilize, which may prevent future problems when buying or selling.

To avoid electrical issues, make sure to keep a copy of any building permits for electrical work done. If the work was done by someone other than a professional, you may face municipality fines and penalties later when selling. So it’s usually best to

make sure when the problem first presents itself to have a professional fix it and go through the proper channels. Proper building permits for electrical work may help clear up discrepancies during the home inspection.

To avoid roof issues, ASHI recommends that homeowners regularly inspect the roof’s condition. ASHI estimates that a total replacement on a mid-level roof can cost roughly $20,000. Using binoculars to closely check for damaged, missing or loose shingles on a regular basis can help save you a ton of money later on! Another issue can arise from tree branches that grow too close to the roof, so make sure to keep them trimmed back regularly.

ASHI recommends that to avoid plumbing problems, the best thing a homeowner can do is just not ignore the problem! A small leak, one that could be fixed for under $10 and is ignored could later lead to other problems, such as mold, mildew, or other structural damage. Regularly check the sink faucets, toilets, and associated valves to prevent leaks.

ASHI recommends one simple homeowner test to figure out if their home has improper surface drainage: the next time it rains, grab your rain slicker and an umbrella and simply observe where the water goes. Basement and crawl spaces can be a particularly troublesome area, so watch to see if the water disappears in through a basement window. Also, if your home doesn’t have a gutter and downspout system, install one. These systems are the easiest way to reroute how water drains from your home.

And the final tip: how to avoid issues with poor upkeep? Keep your home in a healthy, livable condition! Take time at least once a year to go over every surface in your home with a scrutinizing eye. The biggest warning signs of poor upkeep include cracked or peeling paint, broken or dirty appliances, and decayed caulking around doors and windows.

When all else fails, get a home inspection once every three to five years, just make sure your home stays in the best possible condition. Plus, if you fix little problems a couple times a year, then when you are ready to sell, the process of getting your house market-ready will not be such a tedious task!

All you seafood lovers, those wonderful omega-3 and fatty acids are essential for our bodies, but today there are some fish we see in the grocery store that are overfished and becoming endangered.  Here is a list of six of the most overfished fish. So give these guys need a break, and check out these excellent alternatives listed:

1. Atlantic Halibut/Atlantic Cod: the Atlantic coast is being hit hard by fishermen, so make sure if you want halibut or cod that it is fished from the Pacific coast. On the west coast there are still plenty of halibut and cod out there that are not endangered, and they taste almost exactly the same as the Atlantic counterparts.
2. Bluefin Tuna: these fish are found in most of the world’s temperate waters and are being overfished practically everywhere. Although they are one of the tastiest fish out there, excellent alternatives are yellowfin or bigeye tuna.
3. Red Snapper: these fish are mostly native to the Caribbean, where they are definitely being overfished. There are not a lot of exact substitutes for this fish, unless you buy red snappers from the Hawaii area, which has not yet become overfished. Other suitable substitutes include gray or yellowtail snappers.
4. Spiny Lobster: spiny lobster is mostly endangered in the Caribbean waters, but luckily is also found off the Californian coasts and a small part of Australia. Make sure when buying this fish that it was from one of those two areas.
5. Chilean Seabass: obviously these fish are found off the coasts of Chile, and are very quickly becoming endangered. You can still find some Chilean seabass that is ok to buy if it was fished from the coasts of New Zealand, but other tasty alternatives also include striped seabass or Pacific white seabass.
6. Orange Roughy: this type of fish has a very slow and long live span—some take almost 100 years to mature! This was also a very popular fish of the 80s, so numbers have taken a nosedive since then.  There are a couple of great substitutes for the orange roughy; use either tilapia, Pacific sole, or flounder instead.

And a final tip when buying fish: always make sure the fish you buy come from American fisherman. Domestic fishermen are subjected to stricter environmental guidelines and policies, whereas many other countries’ fishermen are not. And on that note, Happy Fishing!

This question has been asked by many, and tries to be answered by even more people. Only until recently have we really begun to understand the importance of an accurate market price on a home.

In the past few years, loose appraisal standards, inconsistent loan policies, and a slew of other problems has led us to face the facts: homes must sell for the price that they are truly worth in today's market.

It has been a harsh reality to face in the past couple of years, but the good news is just around the horizon. Each quarter, we continue to see progresses, even if small, but nonetheless, progress.

One great example of our astounding progress comes from the 2009 fourth quarter home price appreciation figures from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The FHFA provides resources for home buyers, sellers, and provides accurate sales price statistics across the nation.

The FHFA recently released its Fourth Quarter House Price Appreciation report for the final three months of 2009. Overall, the nation did not fare well during the fourth quarter in 2009, having a seasonally-adjusted house-price index decreased by 1.2 percent from the third quarter. However, Colorado and Fort Collins fared much better than the national average.

During the FHFA’s Third Quarter House Price Appreciation report, Colorado ranked 9th among all 50 states, with a one-year projected appreciation rate of a 0.03 percent decrease. Then, for the fourth quarter, Colorado jumped to the 3rd ranked spot, with a one-year appreciation rate of a 2.76 percent increase.

In addition, the Fort Collins/Loveland metro area rose in the rankings, as well. For the third quarter, Fort Collins and Loveland was ranked 108th, with a 1.12 percent quarterly decrease. For the fourth quarter, Fort Collins

This chart depicts the importance of properly pricing your home from the start. If the price isn't right, things might start to get a bit murky.

and Loveland moved up into the 80th ranking, with a 0.83 percent quarterly decrease.  Fort Collins and Loveland edged past Boulder, making it the second best metro area within Colorado, falling only to the Denver metro area, ranked 79th nationally, at a 0.14 quarterly increase.

Another good sign of things to come is the Ires, LLC sales statistics. Ires is the Northern Colorado multiple listing service, and provide data for all the home sales in the area. The Fort Collins area saw a drastic increase in sales volume over the course of 2009. At the end of the 2009 first quarter, sales volume was down 27 percent from 2008, but by the final quarter in 2009, sales volume had increased by 29 percent for residential home sales.

Other surrounding areas saw very similar statistics over the course of 2009. Boulder went from a devastating 51 percent decrease in sales volume, to a 6 percent increase in residential home sales by the end of the year. The Loveland and Berthoud area saw a 25 percent decrease in sales volume and finished out the year with a 6 percent increase in residential home sales. And finally, Greeley saw a 13 percent decrease in sales volume and finished out the year with a 12 percent increase in residential home sales.

As the month of March finishes up, we look forward to reviewing the much anticipated 2010 first quarter sales stats. Stay tuned for next month!