Absolutely Awesome APPs Contest on Facebook

Do you have a “stand out from the crowd” kind of app?  Tell us about your favorite APP (application software) that you use on a daily basis and why it is so useful. Also, LIKE us on Facebook. You will stand a chance to win a $100 discount on a residential inspection.

Contest Rules:
1. You must LIKE us on Facebook.
2. Include your favorite APP and send an email to lisa@champia.com
3. Contest ends midnight on Sunday, July 14, 2013.
4. One winner selected for best APP.
5. Winner selected by owner of Champia Real Estate Inspections.
6. Winner will be selected on July 15, 2013.
7. Winner will be contacted via Facebook.
8. Winner will be featured in our next Champia newsletter.
9. Void where prohibited.
10. Deadline for coupon use: August 15, 2013

If you’re getting in the mood for spring decorating, consider these tips for adding a new color to your favorite room:

Don’t Skip The Painter’s Tape
Do you have the skills to get straight lines around the woodwork, windowsills and door frames? Probably not! So, grab the painter’s tape and get the nice, clean edges you want.

Don’t Paint When Humidity Is High
When the air is full of moisture, water-based paint takes longer to dry. Rather wait for a dry day.

Don’t Underestimate How Much Paint You Will Need
The pros say you need one gallon for every 400 square feet. Plan ahead and you will avoid running back and forth to the store with a paint swatch in your hand.

Must Do: Remove Furniture From Room
Getting paint off your furniture is a lot of work. If you can’t move it out of the room, at least make sure it’s completely covered with a drop cloth.

Must Do: Remove Wall Plates
Want professional-looking results? Take five minutes to remove the wall plates and tape around your light switches and electrical outlets.

Must Do: Cover Your Doorknobs
Unless you like the look of splattered paint, we recommend that you slip plastic bags over your doorknobs and tape the edge to avoid unsightly paint splatter.

As with all DIY projects, a home inspector will verify that the project has been done according to building codes and regulations. So, remember to choose a home inspection from a certified home inspector when you’re planning to buy a new home. It could save you thousands of dollars in future home repairs.

The name Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860-1961) may not ring a bell; however, Grandma Moses, as she was better known, inspired many housewives, widows and retirees when she began her painting career at age 76. According to the Encyclopedia of World Biography, Moses decided to take up painting because she could no longer hold an embroidery needle, and she preferred holding a paint brush to alleviate her arthritis.

Grandma Moses was an atypical woman of her day. In 1887, she married when she was 27 years old. She gave birth to 10 children, five of whom died in infancy. After her children grew up and established their own lives, she could no longer handle the rigors of farm work so she was able to discover a new career. In fact, she was “discovered” by an art collector and engineer, Louis Caldor, who spotted her paintings in a shop window.

Is This Your 3rd Career?

Have you been discovered yet? We would love to hear from you. Are you beginning a new career as a real estate agent in the next stage of your life? Perhaps your children are away at college and you’ve decided to explore new opportunities. Time and energy are your new found friends. Yet, in order to maintain a real estate license, an agent must also complete 24 hours of continuing education classes every four years, according to the Atlanta Board of Realtors.

Need Continuing Education Credits?

Champia is an approved school through the Georgia Real Estate Commission that provides continuing education (CE) classes for real estate agents throughout the Atlanta area. Some of our course offerings include the following subjects:

• HOME INSPECTION 101
• Anatomy of  a House
• Deal Killers
• Building Code for Agents
• NEW CONSTRUCTION: What Should You Expect
• RADON – Truth and Myth

We are scheduling new classes for the summer months. This is a great time of year to obtain some credits before the third quarter begins in the fall. We offer free classes to groups of 10 or more participants in your home office. Our courses are offered in the following Atlanta geographic regions:

Cartersville and Alpharetta to the north, Fayetteville and East Point to the south, Conyers and Covington to the east, Douglasville, Dallas and Powder Springs to the West

It’s never too late to start a new career!

To schedule a course, please email Rick Farber at rick@champia.com or call 770-977-8457.

Successful people find ways to cope with adversity when life throws them a lemon. They take a negative situation and find ways to turn it into a better one.

The Story of Frog and Toad

Frog and Toad, two amphibian friends from children’s book lore, had two distinct approaches to life. One was very “happy-go-lucky” and optimistic, and the other friend saw only the dark side of life and had to have a road map in order to find his way. However, together, they found unique ways to solve life’s dilemmas.
For instance, in Arnold Lobel’s Days With Frog and Toad, Frog found his friend Toad asleep with the covers pulled over his head in the middle of the afternoon because of the enormity of daily tasks on his list. Toad chose to designate his items for “tomorrow” and then he dug deeper under the covers. Frog, the ever optimist, simply asked his friend to get out of bed, take small steps, and start small projects so “tomorrow” wouldn’t be so burdensome.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? What was your approach?
Do you relate better to Frog or Toad?

Radon Testing

Well, what if you started to break down your “to do” list and finally tested your home for radon? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) radon is responsible for nearly 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Almost one out of every 15 homes has an elevated level of radon in their home as reported in Articlesbase.com. Radon can enter your home and harm the air you breathe through a breakdown of granite, soil and water.

Radon is present everywhere, especially in Atlanta, where granite is prevalent. Did your home measure higher than 4.0 pCi/L? If so, were you aware there is an increase of lung cancer in homes which measured at that range and higher? There are remediation options. You can turn your lemon into lemonade. Your first small step begins with scheduling a radon inspection with Champia Real Estate Inspections. We have certified specialists who can identify problems and help you solve a dilemma. Our expertise can help you start the process of remediation with one small step at a time.

The process may begin with a lemon, but you can turn it into lemonade.
Call Champia today for your radon testing: 770.953.0767

by Lisa Ausman

Do you remember the television game show hosted by Bob Barker (from 1956-1975) where contestants were given a few seconds to answer a trivia question, and if they could not do so, they would have to perform a zany and embarrassing stunt as a “consequence?” Well, the “truth” questions were almost impossible to answer.  So, for the contestants, there was always a “consequence.”

What if you were buying a home and you had an opportunity to know the truth about that particular home before you made the purchase? Would you want to know? Or would you rather wait until you were settled in your home and then later discover your new home needed a major repair? What if the consequences could have been alleviated and you had better information from your home inspection report? Would you have asked the seller to pay for the major repair or reduce the purchase price?

A home inspection is invaluable.

An excellent home inspector is even more invaluable when he/she can change the outcome for the buyer and the seller.

Champia Real Estate Inspections prides itself in providing a thorough, efficient, and knowledgeable inspection report within a 24 hour period. We also offer additional services such as termite inspections, radon testing, mold/air quality testing and water certifications.

And, this is where our expertise at Champia can help you.

Hosting your upcoming graduation party on your deck?

Before you invite your family and friends to share in your child’s momentous occasion, have you verified the stability of the deck? According to Vince Tidwell, one of our ASHI certified home inspectors, “It’s important to check the structure of your deck every 15 years.”

In addition, we also have experts who can test and determine the radon levels in your home and answer your questions. Have you ever wondered why the radon levels in Atlanta are high? Have you had your home tested recently? Did you know there is an increase in lung cancer where radon has been found in homes that have a level of 4.0 and higher?

The truth is not impossible for us to answer. And, we want to reduce or eliminate your future consequences.

Our Inspectors Certify Their Value

Niehuser, who has served as an inspector for more than five years with the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), is now certified as a residential plumbing, mechanical and building inspector. To date, he has inspected hundreds of homes. He is also a certified mason and general contractor. Niehuser, who is originally from Germany, resides in Kennesaw, GA with his family.

Tidwell, who is an ASHI certified inspector, is now certified as a residential building inspector. To date, Tidwell has inspected hundreds of homes. He received his BME at Georgia Institute of Technology and his MBA at Georgia State University. He is also a member of Golden Key International Honor Society. Tidwell resides in Dunwoody, GA with his family.

International Code Council (ICC) is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. The International Codes, or I-Codes, published by ICC, provide minimum safeguards for people at home, at school and in the workplace. The I-Codes are a complete set of comprehensive, coordinated building safety and fire prevention codes. Building codes benefit public safety and support the industry’s need for one set of codes without regional limitations. We applaud our inspectors for earning such a prestigious certification, in order to provide the best inspection services to our customers!

Our Experience Over Two Decades

Champia Real Estate Inspections is a commercial and residential real estate inspection company that was founded in 1987. Since then, our inspectors have inspected over 20,000 homes and businesses in the metro Atlanta area. Champia Real Estate Inspections is a member of ASHI National as well as ASHI Georgia. Additional services include air quality and mold testing, termite letter, water certification and radon testing.

by Lisa Ausman
Have you recently relocated to the metro Atlanta area? Well then, you’re not alone. According to the US Census Bureau in the World Almanac and Book of Facts (2012), almost 2.5 million people in the past twenty years, have decided to call Atlanta, the third largest city in the Southeast, their new home.

Navigating through the sprawling areas of this city isn’t easy for newcomers. In fact, there are 71 streets in metro Atlanta with the words “peach tree” in their address. So, we hoped we could help make your adjustment to your new surroundings just a little bit easier. Like most newcomers, many people will circle the perimeter more than once before they realize they have passed by their exit.

Where do you live?

First, envision Atlanta as a clock face, and then I-285 as the clock perimeter.
Do you live at 12 o’clock in Alpharetta/Milton? Do you live at 3 o’clock in Stone Mountain?
Perhaps you live at 6 o’clock near Hartsfield International Airport? Or, maybe you live at 9 o’clock in Marietta?

So the next time you are driving around Atlanta and you’re a little confused as to where you’re going, remember this clock face. And if all else fails, most Atlantans would graciously show you a little “Southern hospitality” and guide you back to your doorstep. Just stop and ask.

by Aldo Nahed

December 13, 2011
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A real estate inspection company based in Alpharetta has announced its employee of the year.

Champia Real Estate Inspections named Alan Bechtol its 2011 “employee of the year” and awarded Rick Farber the “outstanding customer service” recognition at company’s Christmas party in early December.

The “employee of the year” award was presented to Bechtol, an ASHI certified inspector who has inspected more than 1,000 homes in his career.

In addition to his role as an inspector, he is a sought after instructor at Champia University.

The “outstanding customer service” award was presented to Farber, who is the headmaster and a professor at Champia University. He provides continuing education courses for real estate professionals.

Farber works directly with commercial and home inspections clients.

Source: APPEN NEWSPAPERS, INC

Please click link below to see entire article:

http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/rotarians-help-children-escape-future-in-guatemala-city-garbage-dump#c