<p>Most people acknowledge the importance of a home inspection, but not everyone understands who is responsible for the bill.</p>



<p>A home inspection is typically paid by whoever benefits from the inspection. In most cases, this is the homebuyer, so the buyer pays for the home inspection.</p>



<p>In some instances, the home seller will get their homes pre-inspected to uncover - and usually fix - any defects before listing the property for sale. In that case, the seller will pay for the home inspection.</p>



<p>Even if the seller provides a pre-listing home inspection, we still recommended the buyer order another home inspection. It's not that you can't trust a pre-listing inspection, but it's primarily to verify all the issues were repaired correctly and document any remaining defects for future repairs or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">negotiations</a>.</p>



<p>Furthermore, real estate agents do not pay for the home inspection. The realtor might suggest one to three inspectors they trust. They might also help coordinate a time for the inspector to inspect the property. However, it's the buyer who will purchase the report, own the final report, and have a direct relationship with the home inspector.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>When You Should Order a Home Inspection</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/I-want-the-truth.gif" alt="A Few Good Men - I want the truth on a home inspection" class="wp-image-957"/></figure></div>



<p>You want to order the home inspection immediately after getting an accepted offer and opening escrow. You usually have a limited amount of time - only ten business days! - to complete your due diligence, including evaluating the home's condition via the home inspection. It can take a few days to schedule a time for the inspectors to visit the property, which is why you want to order it as soon as possible.</p>



<p>Since the due diligence time period is brief, you also want to take advantage of other tools to help you move quickly. For example:</p>



<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a>&nbsp;provides repair estimates within 24 hours.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://whenisgood.net/" rel="noreferrer noopener">When is Good</a>&nbsp;can help you coordinate a time with multiple people.</li><li>Technically, this isn't a tool, but let your boss know you're buying a house and that you might need to duck out of the office for a bit to meet someone.</li></ul>



<p></p>



<h2>How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/micheile-henderson-ZVprbBmT8QA-unsplash-1024x682.jpg" alt="Plant growing from money to buy a home inspection" class="wp-image-961"/><figcaption>Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@micheile?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Micheile Henderson</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/cost?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Several factors affect the cost of a home inspection. They include the location, size &amp; age of the home. According to the<a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.homeinspector.org/Newsroom/Articles/How-Much-Does-a-Home-Inspection-Cost/15634/Article">&nbsp;American Society of Home Inspections</a>&nbsp;(ASHI):</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>"As with most things in the house buying process, they aren't cheap. You can expect to pay between $300 and $1000, though there are many factors that could influence this. Where you live has a significant bearing on the price of a home inspection."</p></blockquote>



<p>And, according to the<a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/insp/inspfaq#:~:text=How%20much%20will%20it%20cost,does%20not%20necessarily%20reflect%20quality.">&nbsp;U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development</a>:&nbsp;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>"Costs vary dramatically, depending on the region, size and age of the house, scope of services and other factors. A typical range might be $300-$500, but consider the value of the home inspection in terms of the investment being made."</p></blockquote>



<p>You can expect the typical range to be $300-$500, but it might go as high as $1,000 if the house is larger, older, or in a high cost of living area. You can also order additional specialty inspections, like a sewer scope or a radon test that could be as much as $200 each.</p>



<p>The inspection includes a detailed report on the entire home. It will address the foundation, the roof, and all the systems in-between. Based on the inspection, the buyer may choose to accept the condition as-is, terminate the contract, or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/blog/negotiate-the-best-deal-with-the-domoreports-request-list" rel="noreferrer noopener">negotiate with the seller for repairs or price concessions</a>.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Hiring a home inspector</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IMG_6359-3-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-962"/></figure>



<p>Not all home inspections are the same because the home inspection itself is not a standardized process. There are around 35,000 home inspectors using over 30 different software systems to conduct their inspections without much standardization. Yes, most states have license and insurance requirements (but not all), and some states and national organizations mandate standards of practice. But, the reality is that there is little conformity or monitored compliance.</p>



<p>Some home inspectors will do the minimum work required to complete a home inspection. However, many home inspectors go above and beyond the minimum requirements to deliver an extraordinary home inspection. Your goal is to find a fantastic home inspector who will go above and beyond.</p>



<p>To find one, you want to do your research. Start by checking reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Then, call them and interview them. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/9b70d1f91246/free-guide">Download our free guide that shows you how to find a great inspector, and avoid the five biggest home inspection mistakes</a>.</p>



<p>Main photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@blakecheekk?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Blake Cheek</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/point?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> </p>

<p>Most home-purchase contracts include an opportunity for the buyer to get a home inspection to find hidden issues from the untrained eye of the buyer. Another way to say it is: the home inspection helps uncover any defects that might suggest the property is worth less than the agreed-upon price.</p>



<p><strong>But once the inspection is complete and the buyer reviews the inspection report, what happens next?</strong></p>



<p>If the home inspection reveals that some systems within the house are not working as expected - such as a broken water heater, HVAC, roof, mold, etc. - the buyer usually has three choices:</p>



<ol><li>Accept the condition and move forward with the transaction.</li><li>Ask the seller to make repairs or reduce the price.</li><li>Reject the condition and walk away from the transaction, getting their earnest money back.</li></ol>



<p>Let's take a look at how each of these scenarios plays out.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Reviewing The Inspection Report</h2>



<p>First, you'll need to review the inspection report. This report is a comprehensive written report which includes photographs of issues found during the home inspection. The inspection should cover the structural components of the property and any built-in mechanical systems. So, you can expect to see descriptions of the roof, plumbing system, heating and cooling systems, and electrical system in the report. If your inspector found anything on these systems that's not fully functional or in a condition that could cause health or safety issues, they will also mention that on the report.</p>



<p><strong>It's incredibly rare for a home inspector to find nothing wrong with a house, so don't feel discouraged when you receive your report.</strong>&nbsp;As you look through it, you will need to decide which items you can accept as-is, which you would like to have repaired, and which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-repairs-are-mandatory-following-a-home-inspection" rel="noreferrer noopener">need to be repaired</a>&nbsp;for you to move forward with the transaction. Your real estate agent will relay your requests to the sellers through the required documents to keep you in compliance with your purchase contract.</p>



<p><a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo's Domoreport</a>&nbsp;includes an integrated request list your real estate agent can send to the sellers. You can build a custom request list of repair requests, credit amounts, and items accepted as-is by selecting your choice for each repair identified in the inspection report. Then export a professional-looking addendum attachment to use when negotiating with sellers.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/4641002-how-do-i-create-and-use-the-request-list" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more about the request list</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/FwVjjZDXHQk
</div></figure>



<p></p>



<h2>Requesting Repairs</h2>



<p>Requesting the seller makes some repairs is a standard part of a real estate transaction. Your real estate agent will typically attach snippets of the inspection report to the repair addendum for the seller to review. Remember, just because you can ask the seller to fix anything does not mean you should. Asking for cosmetic repairs or replacing older systems that are still functioning is frowned upon.</p>



<p>The seller will need to respond to your request within the timeframe outlined in the purchase agreement, which varies from state to state. During this time, the seller will have the chance to get estimates and consider whether or not they want to agree to complete the requested repairs.</p>



<p>Again, this is why&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/blog/negotiate-the-best-deal-with-the-domoreports-request-list" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo's Request List</a>&nbsp;is so powerful:</p>



<ol><li>It automatically attaches snippets of the home inspection that shows the issue - no more copy &amp; paste projects for the agent.</li><li>It includes zip-code-specific repair estimates next to the request. You're doing the seller a favor by generously doing the research for them!</li><li>The seamless integration means you can get the repair addendum to them faster, giving everyone more time to think and respond.</li></ol>



<p></p>



<h2>Seller's Response and Possible Negotiations&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Depending on what items need to be repaired, waiting on the seller's response can feel like the longest wait of your life. The seller's response will include the issues they'll fix before completing the sale of the home.</p>



<p>The seller may agree to repair all, some, or none of the items you requested. If the seller agrees to make the repairs, they will need to complete them before the transaction closes. You may have the opportunity to do a final walk-through to check on the repairs and the overall condition of the home. Most purchase agreements require that repairs be completed by a licensed professional. And you'll provide receipts to prove the repairs have been completed.</p>



<p>In some cases, they may offer to give the buyer a credit or lower the purchase price instead of making the repairs. This could be helpful if the time it would take to make the repairs would cause a delay in closing. It also might be your preference because then you'd have the option to complete the work yourself and save some money.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>The Ball Is In The Buyer's Court</h2>



<p>Unless the seller agrees to repair everything the buyer requested, the buyer has the right to walk away without penalty. In that case, the escrow office would return their earnest money (unless the buyer canceled the transaction outside of the required time frame). However, you should be aware that the buyer will not be reimbursed for the home inspection.</p>



<p>As a buyer, walking away from a transaction may be necessary in some cases. But in many instances, the time it took to find the house and get an offer accepted will be enough incentive to keep moving forward even if all of the repairs you requested were not agreed upon.</p>



<p>If the buyer agrees to move forward based on the seller's response, the next step will be for the seller to complete any agreed-upon repairs and the buyer to order an appraisal and work toward getting their loan approval.</p>



<p></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Flow-after-the-home-inspection-799x1024.png" alt="Flow after the home inspection" class="wp-image-895"/></figure>



<p></p>



<h2>Moving Forward</h2>



<p>Many buyers consider the home inspection and the negotiations that follow to be some of the most nerve-wracking and frustrating parts of the home buying experience.</p>



<p>Similarly, the sellers and real estate agents agree because sometimes, the findings from the home inspection surprise the sellers and can throw a wrench in their plans. For example, if the house requires a new roof, that's less money to use on a downpayment on their new home.</p>



<p>After completing negotiations, you can expect the rest of the process to take around 20-30 days, mostly related to financing. If you're a cash buyer, you could realistically close escrow as soon as the inspection period ends.</p>



<p>It is always good to work closely with your real estate agent and look to them for guidance on the timing.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>5 BIG Home Inspection Mistakes You Can Avoid</h2>



<p>Are you interested in learning about five big home inspection mistakes you can avoid, including a detailed list of all the questions you should ask home inspectors, additional inspections you should consider, and information on negotiating with knowledge? Download our free guide: <a href="https://mailchi.mp/9b70d1f91246/free-guide">5 BIG Home Inspection Mistakes You Can Avoid</a></p>

<p>Once a home inspector examines a home and sends their report, the homebuyers likely received a long list of defects to be addressed in the home. Both buyers and sellers should become informed on which repairs are mandatory and need to be addressed immediately - before moving forward with a sale - and which repairs can wait. In the following article, we discuss the home inspection process and how to address mandatory verse optional home repairs.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-what-s-the-purpose-of-the-home-inspection">What's the Purpose of the Home Inspection?</h2>



<p>In any real estate transaction, the responsibility of uncovering any defects with a property fall upon the buyer. Buyers must conduct what is referred to as "due diligence" to ensure there are no significant problems with a home before they go through with a sale. This can include getting a title report, <a href="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">checking for permits for a recent remodel</a>, verifying zoning, and getting a whole home inspection.</p>



<p>The home inspection is meant to give the buyer a comprehensive overview of the home's condition - from the roof to the attic, plumbing, electrical, smoke detectors, flooring, windows, HVAC, down to the foundation &amp; crawl space - so that they can make an informed purchase. If a home inspection uncovers any defects, the buyer may try to renegotiate a lower purchase price, request the seller makes certain repairs, or forego the sale altogether. </p>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-contingent-offers">Contingent Offers</h2>



<p>Contingent offers are common and refer to situations where a buyer makes an offer on a home for a certain amount that's contingent upon something else. Typical conditions include the buyer accepting the condition of the property, the buyer securing a mortgage, or selling another property.</p>



<p><strong>An offer contingent on a home inspection is an offer to purchase a home for a certain price on the condition that the home inspection does not uncover any defects to suggest the property is worth a lesser amount.</strong> If a home inspection does find defects, the prospective buyer can resubmit a lower offer, request repairs, or pull their offer altogether without losing their earnest money. Home inspection contingencies are commonplace in home sales.</p>



<p><a href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a> offers an integrated request list. After uploading your inspection and receiving repair cost estimates, you can build a custom request list of repair requests, credit amounts, and items accepted as-is. Then export a professional-looking addendum attachment to use when negotiating with sellers.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Congtingent-Offer-Explained-1-1024x819.jpg" alt="Contingent Offers for Repairs" class="wp-image-887"/></figure>



<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@hudsoncrafted?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Debby Hudson</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/house?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-are-there-mandatory-repairs-or-fixes">Are there Mandatory Repairs or Fixes?</h2>



<p>There are a range of issues that can be uncovered during a home inspection, none of which are legally mandated to be repaired before a sale unless included and accounted for in a sale contract. With that being said, some defects are more urgent than others and there are benefits to addressing them before closing.</p>



<p>More serious issues such as mold, plumbing, or electrical issues may make a home inhabitable. Also, it can be difficult to determine the extent of damage, it's possible the repair costs are much higher than you think! For urgent issues, the buyer needs to seriously consider whether they can wait to move into the home until these defects are addressed. Whereas some defects may be cosmetic only and can be repaired later.</p>



<p>Some urgent issues that may need to be addressed before moving forward with a sale include the following:</p>



<ul><li>Pest infestations</li><li>Water damage and mold</li><li>Material structural defects (like a faulty roof or cracked foundation)</li><li>Fire or electrical hazards</li><li>Lead contamination</li></ul>



<p><a href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a> helps you prioritize repairs by severity and urgency. Within 24 hours of uploading your home inspection, you'll get a list of repair estimates that are broken down by urgent, pressing, and cosmetic.</p>



<iframe id="reddit-embed" src="https://www.redditmedia.com/r/NotMyJob/comments/np3uo5/ahhhhhhhhhh/?ref_source=embed&amp;ref=share&amp;embed=true" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" style="border: none;" height="527" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-as-is-contract-provisions">'As-is' Contract Provisions</h2>



<p>Buyers should be aware that some states allow for 'as-is' contract provisions. The ‘as-is’ provision essentially releases the seller of most all liability relating to the condition of the premises. In effect, the buyer is agreeing to take title to the premises in its current condition and has no recourse against the seller.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-who-pays-for-repairs-after-a-home-inspection">Who Pays for Repairs After a Home Inspection?</h2>



<p>It depends. If your sale contract has been fully negotiated and signed and includes an 'as-is' clause, the buyer assumes full responsibility for any repairs moving forward. However, if there is an offer contingency or the sale contract is not fully executed, the parties may negotiate to have the seller bear the cost of some repairs before going through with the sale.</p>



<p>It also depends on the market. If it's a seller's market (few homes, lots of buyers), then the buyer will most likely pay for any repairs to stay competitive. If it's a buyer's market (lots of homes for sale, few buyers), chances are the seller will pay for the repairs.</p>



<iframe id="reddit-embed" src="https://www.redditmedia.com/r/NotMyJob/comments/no6c59/i_did_it_boss_i_added_the_door/?ref_source=embed&amp;ref=share&amp;embed=true" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" style="border: none;" height="527" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-what-are-common-repairs-after-a-home-inspection">What are Common Repairs After a Home Inspection?</h2>



<p>A home inspection will likely come back with a long list of issues ranging from cosmetic to potentially more urgent defects. Not every defect listed on the home inspection report will need to be addressed. Below are some of the common issues a buyer may want to have repaired before moving into a home:</p>



<ul><li>Electrical panel issues </li><li>HVAC problems</li><li>Plumbing issues, like poor water pressure or leaks</li><li>Any broken appliances</li><li>An old roof, especially if you suspect water damage from a leaking roof</li><li>Drainage issues around the property which might be going into the crawlspace</li></ul>



<iframe id="reddit-embed" src="https://www.redditmedia.com/r/NotMyJob/comments/nokzor/vent_done_boss/?ref_source=embed&amp;ref=share&amp;embed=true" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" style="border: none;" height="527" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-when-to-walk-away-from-a-sale">When to Walk Away from a Sale</h2>



<p>Buyers should examine the home inspector's report with a critical eye and understand the effects of not addressing certain repairs. For example, if the home inspection uncovers conditions that make the home untenable - because it's uninhabitable, not lendable, or too expensive to repair - and the seller is unwilling to make the necessary repairs, the buyer may need to walk away from the sale.</p>



<p>Also, keep in mind that there is still room for negotiations at this stage of the deal! And that no matter what the home inspection uncovers, the parties may be able to reach an agreeable solution.</p>



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<p></p>



<h3 id="h-first-time-homebuyers-can-feel-overwhelmed-after-a-home-inspection">First-Time Homebuyers Can Feel Overwhelmed After a Home Inspection</h3>



<p>Sometimes, first-time homebuyers fall in love with a property, but then become overwhelmed when they receive their home inspection. Not only by the sheer number of defects, but they also struggle to determine what's urgent vs what can wait. So they walk away from the sale. Then about two weeks later, something amazing happens. They're had enough time to mentally process the inspection report that they regret walking away! Then, they're primed to almost accept any home's condition, no matter what the inspection uncovers!</p>



<p>This is where <a href="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/home-buyers" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/home-buyers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo can help</a>. By providing repair estimates that are prioritized by severity and urgency, Majordomo helps buyers process the condition faster, and think about solutions, not only the problem. This reduces the chances of first-time homebuyers feeling overwhelmed when they first read an inspection report.</p>



<p></p>



<p>Main photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@roselyntirado?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Roselyn Tirado</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/repairs?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p><a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomo">Majordomos</a> present themselves in many different and unique ways. For 2020, we've chosen the home from <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-show-inside-real-life-home-alone-house-chicago-illinois-2020-12#:~:text=The%20%22Home%20Alone%22%20house%20exists,following%20year%20for%20%241.5%20million.&amp;text=The%20house's%20exterior%2C%20foyer%2C%20and,Wilkinson%20wrote%20for%20Vanity%20Fair.">Home Alone</a> in the suburbs of Chicago as our Holiday Domoreport home of the year where <a href="https://homealone.fandom.com/wiki/Kevin_McCallister">Kevin McCallister</a> became the <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Majordomo</a> of his home when his family left him behind on Christmas vacation to Paris. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://amzn.to/3mttWTm"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/61crdXdXX6L._AC_SX679_.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-804"/></a></figure></div>



<p>The role of a Majordomo is critical. They're the head steward of a home. The caretaker. The person who makes decisions and puts them into action. Kevin showed he had what it takes!</p>



<p>It is hard to believe that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone">Home Alone</a> was released 30 years ago on November 10, 1990.&nbsp;While the storyline is based on a family leaving their 8-year old home, the real story is about Kevin, played by Macaulay Caulkin, stepping up to protect his home from the Wet Bandits – thus making him a Majordomo.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/original.gif" alt="" class="wp-image-799"/></figure></div>



<p>We enjoy watching movies from a home inspector's standpoint, detecting existing problems, and highlighting the damage that occurs during the movie. In this case, we <a href="https://majordomo.com/home-alone" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/home-alone">identified</a> 14 defects. The most expensive repair was for some wood flooring to be refinished, and the smallest was a handrail that needed to be stabilized.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://majordomo.com/home-alone"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Domoscore.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-797"/></a></figure>



<p>Overall, for a home that was 70-years old at the time the movie was released, the home presented very well with a <a href="https://majordomo.com/home-alone" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/home-alone">Domoscore of 5520</a>.  That being said, Kevin protecting his home came at a cost of $15,000! The good news, 30 years later, is that the home has been well maintained and weathered well with time according to this recent <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/home-alone-house-turns-30/">Realtor.com article</a> </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="http://www.majordomo.com/home-alone"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Domoreport.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-800"/></a></figure>



<p>You can check out the complete Domoreport for the McCalister home at <a href="https://majordomo.com/home-alone">majordomo.com/home-alone</a>.&nbsp;In addition, check out our <a href="https://majordomo.com/clarkshouse">Clark Griswolds Christmas Vacation Domoreport</a> and <a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story">Ralphie's Christmas Story Domoreport</a>.</p>



<p>Stay safe, be sure to protect your home, but please be cautious when using blowtorches, feathers, and tar in your house.  </p>



<p>Happy holidays from your friends at <a href="https://majordomo.com">Majordomo</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<p>Majordomo provides home inspection repair estimates within 24 hours. Get <a href="http://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate/">zip code specific</a> estimates, create a repair &amp; credits <a href="http://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/negotiate-the-best-deal-with-the-domoreports-request-list/">request list</a>, and negotiate the best deal sooner. Get started at <a href="https://majordomo.com">majordomo.com</a>.</p>

<h2><strong>How much maintenance did the Christmas Story home really need?</strong></h2>



<p>37 years ago, the world was introduced to Ralphie Parker (played by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Billingsley" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Billingsl</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Billingsley">ey</a>) - the 9-year old who desired an official <a href="https://www.daisy.com/product/red-ryder/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Red Ryder</a><a href="https://www.daisy.com/product/red-ryder/"> </a>Carbine-Action Model air rifle in the movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christmas Story</a>.&nbsp;He grew up in a home built in the 1880s located at <a href="https://g.page/AChristmasStoryHouse?share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3159 West 11th Street</a> in Cleveland, OH. This home&nbsp;is considered one of the most recognizable movie homes of all time and is now a <a href="https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tourist attraction and museum</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Christmas-story-reduced-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-772" width="520" height="390"/></a><figcaption>The Christmas Story homes was built in 1880 and included 2 bdrms and 1 bthrm</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>We've always enjoyed the 24-hour marathon of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.tbs.com/movies/a-christmas-story" target="_blank">Christmas Story on TBS</a> from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. To prepare ourselves, we enjoyed a special <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a> viewing. We couldn't help but notice some much-needed maintenance, including severe electrical issues, a worn deck, interior wall damage, a smoking furnace, the home being overrun by the Bumpus hounds, and much more.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/christmas-story-elec-1024x539.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-776" width="545" height="287"/></a><figcaption>GFCI upgrades recommended throughout the home</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Our <a href="https://majordomo.com/about" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">team of Majordomo analysts</a> conducted a visual inspection of this famous home and created a special holiday <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Domoreport</a>. Our typical Domoreport includes <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zipcode specific repair estimates</a>, but in this Domoreport, we removed the estimates for our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest" target="_blank">Triple Dog Dare You Contest</a> that is running from 12/1/2020 thru 12/13/2020.<br><br><strong>Here's the contest challenge: </strong>Provide your best cost estimate for the 17 repairs identified in the Domoreport as if they were repaired today. Whoever is closest will win a <strong>Major Award!</strong>  </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest"><img src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/58482e28185abb6d4e665b9111e0d724/tenor.gif?itemid=3578174" alt="Italian GIF - AChristmasStory Fragile Italian GIFs" width="404" height="227"/></a></figure></div>



<p><strong>How to enter:&nbsp; </strong>Visit our <a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contest page</a>, check out the special Christmas Story Domoreport, and then enter your guess.&nbsp;Most important - have fun! </p>



<p>On December 14th, 2020, we'll update the Domoreport with all of the repair estimates and announce the winner.&nbsp;We'll also update this post. Good luck and happy holidays!</p>



<div style="height:28px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center">
<div class="wp-block-button is-style-fill"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-background" href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest" style="border-radius:8px">We Triple Dog Dare You to Enter Majordomo's Contest</a></div>
</div>



<div style="height:50px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://majordomo.com/christmas-story-contest?utm_source=majordomo-blog&amp;utm_medium=other&amp;utm_campaign=christmas-story-contest"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-773"/></a></figure>



<p></p>

<p>Majordomo's <a href="https://majordomo.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domoreport</a> received its most significant update ever with the request list. The Domoreport provides <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accurate repair estimates</a> based on a home inspection in an easy-to-read summary and breakdown. And getting a Domoreport has never been easier: Upload your home inspection PDF, and within 24 hours, you'll have access to your Domoreport. It's already <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/breaking-news-realtor-finally-has-time-to-go-kayaking" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/breaking-news-realtor-finally-has-time-to-go-kayaking" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">saving agents and buyers time</a>, and with the request list for repairs &amp; credits, you're going to double the amount of time saved.</p>



<h2 id="h-the-domoreport-request-list">The Domoreport Request list</h2>



<p>The request list lets you seamlessly take the next step with the repair costs: create a request list that goes with a repair addendum during inspection negotiations.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Majordomo-Purchase-Process-1024x129.png" alt="" class="wp-image-761"/></figure>



<p>The result is a professional document - with 3rd party cost estimates - that clearly details precisely what you want based on the results of the home inspection. It creates a highly customizable request list based on reliable data to stack the odds on your side.</p>



<p></p>



<p>You get to the request list by clicking on the right most tile in the repairs summary section:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Get-to-the-Domoreport-Request-List.png" alt="Majordomo's Domoreport Summary" class="wp-image-756"/></figure>



<p>You'll see the Domoreport transform into a dynamic, interactive tool where you can create a request list for your exact situation. There are 8 powerful features you can use:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Domoreport-Request-List-Overview.png" alt="The Domoreport Request List Builder" class="wp-image-757"/></figure>



<ol><li>At the top is a summary of your requests. You'll see exactly what you're asking for.</li><li>Add any overall comments to the request list. This will be at the top of the request list output. If you're not sure what to say, we provide some examples right below. By the way, if you leave this, or any other notes blank, the system automatically hides it for you.</li><li>Choose a request:<ol><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Request Repair:</span> An item you want to be repaired.</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Request Replacement</span>: When you want to specify that an item isn't just repaired but fully replaced. Side note (which is also a huge deal!): The Domoreport now intelligently calculates trip charges when you request more than one repair or replacement from the same type of contractor. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/4626563-why-are-my-total-costs-updated" target="_blank">Learn more</a></li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Request Credit</span>: Instead of a repair or replacement, you can request a credit amount.</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Accept As-Is</span>: Let the seller know what you're willing to accept as-is.</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Exclude From List</span>: If you don't choose a request, it will automatically be excluded. This is so you know you've already looked at it.</li></ol></li><li>For every request, you have the option of providing additional notes.</li><li>You can upload a contractor's quote and add the exact bid amount for repair and replacement requests. The system will automatically update the total for the bid amount. And don't worry if you mess up because you can always change it later.</li><li>For credit requests, you can specify the amount you want. The system automatically calculates the middle of the estimate range, and you can change it to whatever you want.</li><li>Sometimes you want to add a request beyond the scope of the general home inspection, such as a septic inspection or well flow test. That's built right in as well. Click the button, fill out the simple form, and it's added.</li><li>When you're ready, preview the final report. You can customize the final output even more (see below) and then share it.</li></ol>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-request-list-preview-share">Request List Preview &amp; Share</h2>



<p>When you click on "Preview &amp; Share" here's what you'll see:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Domoreport-Request-List-Output.png" alt="Request List Preview and Share" class="wp-image-758"/></figure>



<p>The left-hand column gives you many customization options. You can choose to display or hide almost every single element to best meet your negotiation situation. These settings are automatically saved. You can choose to share a direct link or print to a perfectly formatted page on the lower left.</p>



<p>See it in action in <a href="https://youtu.be/FwVjjZDXHQk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this video</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/FwVjjZDXHQk
</div></figure>



<p>We think agents and buyers will find this tool extremely powerful. It'll save hours - no more copy and paste projects - and help you negate the best deal possible.</p>



<p>To check it out yourself and play around with the request list, view one of <a href="https://majordomo.com/demo">our demos</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://majordomo.com/demo"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/View-a-demo-Domoreport.png" alt="" class="wp-image-764" width="332" height="59"/></a></figure></div>



<p></p>



<h2 id="h-additional-export-methods">Additional Export Methods</h2>



<p>If you think about it, the request list is a fancy export tool: a way of getting the repair cost data out of the Domoreport webpage onto a PDF, while adding context and action items around that data.</p>



<p>Yet, we know that some customers prefer more basic options. For example, we know that many people love the ability to deeply integrate Majordomo into their existing systems. To facilitate that, you can still <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/download-the-domoreport-to-a-csv" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/download-the-domoreport-to-a-csv" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">export all the Domoreport data to a CSV</a>. And, if you prefer a PDF, you can print the Domoreport page directly using your browser's print menu.</p>

<p>Power users rejoice! Majordomo now makes it easy to archive Domoreports at the top of the Domoreport page and from the settings page.</p>



<p><a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/breaking-news-realtor-finally-has-time-to-go-kayaking" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/breaking-news-realtor-finally-has-time-to-go-kayaking" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Real estate agents</a>, <a href="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/home-inspectors" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/home-inspectors" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">home inspectors</a>, and <a href="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/property-investors" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/repair-pricing/property-investors" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">property investors</a> love the Domoreport because they can get <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">repair estimates</a> from a home inspection within 24 hours. No wrangling of contractors or taking extra trips inside of a home. As a result, agents, inspectors, and investors are ordering lots of Domoreports.</p>



<p>But, one unintended consequence of regularly ordering Domoreports is that the list of properties from previous orders can get long, making it harder to find the properties currently in the pipeline. Today we're fixing that with a simple update.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Easily Archive Domoreports</h2>



<p>Archiving is not deleting. Instead, it hides the Domoreport from <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">your</span></strong> view while still keeping it visible to anyone else you've <a href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3216497-how-do-i-share-my-domoreport" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared a Domoreport with</a>. Plus, if you want to put it back on your menu list, you can easily do that too. Here's how:</p>



<p>On the Domoreport, you can click the red button at the top of the page, and it'll instantly archive it for you. That's it. Told you it was easy.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Archive-button-at-the-top-of-Domoreport-page-1024x380.png" alt="Archive Domoreport on the top of the Domoreport page" class="wp-image-747"/></figure>



<p></p>



<h2>See Archived (and Unarchive) Domoreports</h2>



<p>If you want to see your unarchived Domoreports, head over the Account Setting page and click the "Show Archived Domoreports" button.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Show-Archived-Domoreports-on-Settings-Page-1024x539.png" alt="Show archived Domoreports on setting page" class="wp-image-748"/></figure>



<p>From there, you can see all your archived Domoreports. And if you want, you can click the Unarchive button and it'll show up again in the menu.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Unarchive-a-Domoreport-from-the-settings-page-1024x634.png" alt="Unarchiving Domoreports" class="wp-image-749"/></figure>



<p></p>



<p>We'll admit that this isn't a revolutionary new feature, but it's an example of a small improvement that makes our frequent customer's lives easier. And that's our goal: continuously make updates that improve your experience. We regularly incorporate feedback from our customers, and if you have an idea, <a href="https://majordomo.com/contact-us" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">we'd love to hear about it</a>. Enjoy the new update!</p>



<p></p>



<p>Featured photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@nananadolgo?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Nana Smirnova</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/archive?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p class="has-text-align-left"><a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://youtu.be/HxoBJmyAS04" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Lampoon's Animal House</a> is a 1978 American movie classic.&nbsp;When looking for our next famous house to do a Domoreport, this house was near and dear to <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a> since it was 30-miles down the road from our home base in Corvallis, Oregon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Animal House was directed by <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Landis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Landis</a> and starred <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Belushi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Belushi</a>.&nbsp;It also had other film legends including <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Bacon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kevin Bacon</a> and <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Sutherland" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donald Sutherland</a>.&nbsp;The film is about a trouble-making fraternity whose members challenge the authority of their college. Plus, it just so happens that much of the filming took place in and around Eugene, Oregon, and the <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.uoregon.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oregon</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Creating a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Domoreport</a> for this home seemed like a situation that absolutely required a really futile and stupid gesture to be done... by us!</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Creating an Animal House Domoreport</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Animal-House-Main-Cast.jpg" alt="Animal House Main Cast" class="wp-image-727"/><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/animal-house-now/story?id=19775240" target="_blank" aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC News, Where Are They Now?</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Unfortunately, we could not find any records of a traditional home inspection, but we did have many visual clues to the home's defects inside and out. It required "studying" the movie many times, search for pictures, and finding other historical references for clues regarding the condition of the famed house.</p>



<p>It turns out this house was <strong>REALLY</strong> dilapidated – so much so that it was torn down 7-years after the movie and is today not much more than a parking lot with a plaque.</p>



<p>While our Domoreport's <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/majordomos-repair-cost-estimates-are-local-and-accurate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">repair estimates</a> didn't include new landscaping, it did include significant exterior work, interior updates, and safety improvements to the tune of just under $250,000! With this budget, this house was a keeper. <a aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com/animalhouse" target="_blank">Check out the whole report.</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><a href="https://majordomo.com/animalhouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Domoreport-Repair-Estimates-of-the-Animal-House-968x1024.png" alt="Domoreport Repair Estimates of the Animal House" class="wp-image-728"/></a></figure>



<p>While it is sad the original Animal House was not saved, in 2001 the United States Library of Congress deemed Animal House culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant, and we're fortunate to have many resources dedicated to its fun history.</p>



<p>Thank you to National Lampoon for pushing the limits on filmmaking and for providing us a classic house for a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Domoreport</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVRrkyysB48
</div><figcaption>Animal House - Then &amp; Now</figcaption></figure>

<p>Do you love Excel?</p>



<p>I do. Not as much as Japanese artist, <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/12/tatsuo-horiuchi-excel-artist/" target="_blank" aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tatsuo Horiuchi</a>, but it's close. If I have a task I'm not certain how to do, I start with Excel. That obviously includes anything with numbers, but also for design work, like layouts, wireframes, and feedback markup. Look, Photoshop is cool, but sometimes you need something simple with an infinite canvas.</p>



<p>Or, maybe you're a pivotable master and want to create you own views.</p>



<p>Or, perhaps you have your own database that you want to combine with Majordomo's data, and copy/pasting all of our data is tedious (believe me, I know).</p>



<p>If you fall into any of those groups, or like getting your hands dirty with data in general, I have exciting news for you!</p>



<h2><br>Data Nerds Rejoice, You Can Now Download the Domoreport to a CSV</h2>



<p>We spent a lot of time researching and designing the current <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like">Domoreport</a> and <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/the-domoscore-the-next-evolution-of-home-shopping" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/the-domoscore-the-next-evolution-of-home-shopping">Domoscore</a> reports, but we understand that not everyone has the same needs. So, we made it possible for anyone to directly download the data and use it as they want.</p>



<p>We made it as simple as possible by providing a link right at the top of the repair details. All you do is click the link and it'll download a zip file that contains four CSV files.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Click-Here-to-Download-Majordomos-Domoreport-Data-1024x675.png" alt="Click on the download icon to downland majordomo's data into a CSV" class="wp-image-701"/></figure>



<p><br>The first file is a data dictionary that defines each item in the following CSV files. You can <a href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/4220675-majordomo-s-download-data-dictionary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/4220675-majordomo-s-download-data-dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">view all the documentation here</a> as well.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-02-at-2.41.12-PM-1024x259.png" alt="The list of CSV files once the data is downloaded and unzipped" class="wp-image-702"/></figure>



<h2><br>Custom Reports</h2>



<p>Then you can create your own reports and views that best suits your needs. Here are some quick examples I created:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Pivot-Table-of-Majordomo-Repair-Data-1024x349.png" alt="An example pivotable using Majordomo's CSV data" class="wp-image-703"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Rangles-of-Total-Project-Costs-1-1024x592.png" alt="An example chart showing the ranges of total project costs by area of the home" class="wp-image-705"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Distribution-of-Costs-by-Contractor-Type-1024x584.png" alt="An example chart showing the distribution of costs by contractor type" class="wp-image-706"/></figure>



<p>I like this last one because it visually shows how you're spending your money. Drywall is cheap, but installing it isn't easy, so it makes sense that the labor, including the trip charge, would be the bulk of the expense.</p>



<p>Once you order a <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Domoreport</a>, you'll be able to download this data as well.</p>

<p>We're excited to announce the next evolution of home shopping: The <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domoscore</a>.</p>



<p>Have you ever been surprised by costly house defects found in a home inspection? Wouldn't it be helpful to surface those issues before you submitted an offer? That way you could create a smarter offer sooner.</p>



<p>Are you ready to compare homes beyond location, size, and list price? Taking into account the condition can be difficult if you don't have any construction experience. What if you could systematically look at any home's condition in an objective manner?</p>



<p><strong>Now you can with a Domoscore!</strong> Like a credit score, the Domoscore is a single number between 0-<a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-10000-domoscore-look-like" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-10000-domoscore-look-like" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10,000</a> that gives you the overall condition of a home. Plus, it provides a breakdown of the total number so you can better assess and understand the overall condition of any home. It's easy to use and is <strong>absolutely FREE</strong>.<br></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://majordomo.com/get-domoscore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/0d8c6654c6ad1fe275a334234/images/8cd397ae-e0cd-485b-9056-6f6bdc865678.gif" alt=""/></a></figure></div>



<p><strong>Be one of the first to try it!</strong> If you are a real estate agent, share it with your buyers and sellers to give them an immediate advantage in today's competitive market.</p>



<p>You'd need to wait until you're looking to buy or sell a home to give it a try. It works on any home, so you can try it where you're living right now. My home's Domoscore is 5880.</p>



<h4><strong>To Get Started:</strong></h4>



<ul><li>Download the app from <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/majordomo-domoscore/id1504925770">Apple's App Store</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.majordomo.majordomo">Android's Play Store</a>, or try it <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">online</a>. Enter a property's address.</li><li>We ask a few simple questions about specific items in the house. Then you'll walk through the house, like on a scavenger hunt, to answer the questions. It usually takes 5-10 minutes, is fun and enlightening.</li><li>After you complete the walk-through, you'll get your Domoscore with a detailed report which you can use to surface issues sooner, compare homes, and plan for maintenance and improvements.</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="http://majordomo.com/get-domoscore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMG_1097-644x1024.jpeg" alt="Domoscore Recommendations" class="wp-image-684" width="483" height="768"/></a></figure></div>



<h4><strong>Surface Issues Sooner</strong></h4>



<p>You don't need to wait until the second half of a home inspection - after you submit an offer and receive the inspection report - to start figuring out which repairs need to be made. The Domoscore will give you the home's condition so you can confidently make a decision on the next steps - whether making an offer or deciding to pass - faster. <a href="https://majordomo.com/demo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check out a sample report</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://majordomo.com/domoscore?public=1&amp;report=7&amp;property=793"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMG_1098-541x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-685" width="406" height="768"/></a><figcaption>Click here to check out a sample</figcaption></figure></div>



<h4><strong>Deliberately Compare Homes Beyond Just Pric</strong>e</h4>



<p>Easily compare the condition of multiple homes when buying. The Domoscore makes a home’s condition crystal clear with a single score that goes from 1 to 10,000 while allowing you to dive deeper into the details if you want. Think of it as a credit score for a home's condition.</p>



<h4><strong>Save 10% When You Order a Domoreport</strong></h4>



<p>After you create a Domoscore, secure the home under contract, and receive your home inspection report - visit <a href="https://majordomo.com">majorodmo.com</a> to order your Domoreport. During checkout, select the property and the discount will automatically be applied. It’s that easy. <br><br><a href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3210132-what-will-i-be-able-to-do-with-the-domoscore" data-type="URL" data-id="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3210132-what-will-i-be-able-to-do-with-the-domoscore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check out our FAQ</a> to learn more or enjoy the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://youtu.be/xjtVun7Lii0" target="_blank">3-minute video</a> below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/xjtVun7Lii0
</div></figure>



<p><a href="https://majordomo.com/get-domoscore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Give it a try</a> and get your own home's Domoscore. Be part of the Domoscore <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en" target="_blank">movement</a>.&nbsp; As one of the <a href="http://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/get-your-domoscore-at-the-lane-county-home-garden-show/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first</a> to use this new system, we would love your <a href="hello@majordomo.com">feedback</a>.&nbsp; </p>

<p>Talking with many customers, we know <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/would-you-believe-it-contractors-love-majordomo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/would-you-believe-it-contractors-love-majordomo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">people</a> love the <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domoreport's</a> repair cost estimates. But, they're only really helpful if 1) they're specific to where you're located, and 2) they're accurate. Let's get into it! </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>"Are Majordomo's repair cost estimates local and&nbsp;accurate?"</strong></p>



<h4><strong>The short answer:</strong></h4>



<p>Yes, the repair cost estimates are local and accurate! <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank">Majordomo's</a> project estimate data is sourced from analysts that study contractor and insurance invoices for 20,000 projects from 35,000 providers for materials, equipment, labor, and installed costs across the US. This allows us to create localized estimates for your specific market.</p>



<h4><strong>The long answer:</strong></h4>



<p><strong>Our process for providing repair cost estimate pricing includes:</strong></p>



<ul><li>Reviewing and understanding the time and material costs (a bottom-up method) by price surveying local wages, material, and equipment needed to perform the work.</li><li>Surveying project costs (a top-down method) from local subcontractors and service providers.</li><li>Reviewing estimate and invoice pricing of recent jobs performed in your area for the exact same repairs.</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Repair-Cost-Estimate-Summary-1024x236.png" alt="Repair Cost Estimates Summary" class="wp-image-666"/><figcaption>Repair Cost Estimates Summary</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>We provide a repair cost estimate range because it's actually more realistic.</strong>&nbsp;Most contractor's quotes include disclaimers regarding the final pricing being contingent on materials not increasing and no additional materials or labor required - which is in effect a +/- estimate. Our repair cost estimate range provides for unknown elements of the repair that can't be assessed until the work actually begins. The range is a result of extensive research for the exact job as it's been estimated and invoiced in your specific market. If a quote falls outside of our range, either we don't have enough information from the inspector or there may be some extraordinary circumstances and you should be asking the contractor a lot more questions.</p>



<p><strong>Our pricing partner's team performs industry surveys on both time and material and project costs with more than 50,000 industry suppliers, contractors, and service providers across the continent.</strong> Each month nearly 20,000 market surveys of randomly selected contractors, suppliers, and service providers are analyzed. In addition, each month more than 400,000 repair cost estimates from 500 markets across all 50 states are also analyzed. We care so much about providing clarity to you, that our repair projects are broken down into materials, labor, equipment, minimum trip charges, quantity, measurement, and quality level.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Repair-Cost-Estimate-Detail-Example-835x1024.png" alt="Repair Cost Estimates Summary" class="wp-image-667" width="418" height="512"/></figure></div>



<p><strong>The pricing experts includes individuals with experience in the construction and restoration industries, monitored by an economist.</strong> While each team member has a background in one or more of the construction trades, together they have more than 575 years of combined construction experience. Their specific experiences cover the full spectrum of construction trades. Several are also licensed general contractors. A brief summary of the members of the pricing team is as follows:</p>



<ul><li>5 Licensed General Contractors</li><li>1 Certified Master Inspector (CMI)</li><li>1 Certified LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP)</li><li>7 IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT)</li><li>4 IICRC Certified Carpet Repair &amp; Reinstallation Technician (RRT)</li><li>2 IICRC Certified Master Fire &amp; Smoke Restorer (MSR)</li><li>4 IICRC Certified Fire &amp; Smoke Damage Technician (SRT)</li><li>1 IICRC Certified Journeyman Fire &amp; Smoke Restorer (JSR)</li><li>4 IICRC Certified Health &amp; Safety Technician (HST)</li><li>3 IICRC Certified Odor Control Technician (OCT)</li><li>5 IICRC Certified Upholstery Cleaning Technician (UFT)</li><li>4 IICRC Certified Journeyman Textile Cleaner (JTC)</li><li>11 IICRC Certified Water Restoration Damage Technician (WRT)</li><li>3 IICRC Certified Journeyman Water Restorer (JWR)</li><li>4 Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair &amp; Painting (RRP) Training Course</li><li>4 OSHA 10 Hour General Industry Safety &amp; Health</li></ul>



<p>As you can see, we have invested significant time and resources into assuring we provide the best repair cost estimates possible for your local area.</p>



<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank">Give us a try</a>.&nbsp;We&nbsp;work&nbsp;24/7, 365-days a year,&nbsp;and&nbsp;100% guarantee your satisfaction. We exist to help you make confident home decisions.</p>



<p>Main photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@jrarce?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Ricardo Arce</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/target?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p>Purchasing a home is one of the most satisfying and exciting moments in life, but it also can be one of the most stressful. Fortunately, over the past 15 years, many aspects of the purchase process have been streamlined. For example, you can search for homes online on websites like <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.realtor.com" target="_blank">realtor.com</a> &amp; <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.zillow.com" target="_blank">Zillow</a>, and you can sign documents electronically with services like <a href="https://docusign.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://docusign.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DocuSign</a>.</p>



<p>However, one aspect of the home purchase that hasn't changed much since the mid-1970s since the process was officially formalized is the home inspection.  A quality home inspector will deliver to you the most important information you will receive in a home purchase - the home inspection.  Home&nbsp;inspections are used to provide an opportunity for a buyer to identify any major issues with a&nbsp;home&nbsp;prior to closing. Your first clue that a&nbsp;home inspection&nbsp;is&nbsp;important&nbsp;is that it can be used as a contingency in your contract with the seller.</p>



<p>But, this is just the first half of the home inspection. Then comes everything you need to do once you have the home inspection.</p>



<p></p>



<h2><strong>The Second Half of the Home Inspection</strong></h2>



<p>The second half of the home inspection is that period of time after you receive the inspection report and when you finish negotiations on any repairs or credits.</p>



<p>And so much needs happen during that time, can be stressful and chaotic for agents, buyers, and sellers.</p>



<p>You see, within 3-10 days after receiving the inspection report, it needs to be reviewed and prioritized. Then depending on the home's condition, you need to find contractors, coordinate contractor visits, and receive estimates from the contractor. From there you'll synthesize the data to decide what to do next, draft a repair addendum - often an ugly cut and paste project - and then hope to still have time to negotiate – all while keeping the seller interested in holding the deal together.&nbsp;It's a lot!</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Activities-during-the-second-half-of-the-home-inspection.png" alt="" class="wp-image-653"/></figure></div>



<p></p>



<h2>Contractors Share Your Pain</h2>



<p>In our conversations with contractors, they revealed that it's stressful for them to provide estimates in such a short amount of time. Like you, they're already busy working on other jobs, doing administrative work, and finding new clients.</p>



<p>When contractors first start out, they'll provide estimates to help grow their business, but eventually, their business grows enough that they only keep providing estimates for their favorite agents. That's because most estimating work done during escrow doesn't lead to paid work; because they're mostly only used for negotiations.</p>



<p>This is why we regularly hear from contractors, <strong>"We love <a href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a>. It's super helpful that you do the estimating, and we get to focus on the work!"</strong></p>



<p></p>



<h2>How to Thank Contractors</h2>



<p>You don't need to keep your appreciation a secret or wait until the 3rd week of September for <a href="https://www.irwin.com/nationaltradesmenday">National Tradesman Day</a> to express your gratitude to your favorite contractors. Take a moment today to call, text, or send a notecard of thanks. They will love you for it! Then on your next home inspection, use <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank">Majordomo</a> to get your repair estimates in 24-hours or less, then recommend your contractor to complete the&nbsp;work. It's a win for you and a win for them.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="www.majordomo.com"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Jack.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-550"/></a></figure></div>



<p>Feature photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@d_mccullough?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Daniel McCullough</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/draft?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.martyfulford.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.martyfulford.com/">Marty Fulford</a> has been a Realtor in Oregon for 7 years. Two years ago her business started to grow exponentially and she's worked diligently to build systems to work smarter, increase her customer satisfaction, and improve the quality of her life.</p>



<p>While technology such as <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.docusign.com" target="_blank">DocuSign</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.zipformplus.com" target="_blank">Zipforms</a> have streamlined the paper parts of her transactions, the second half of the home inspection - that time period between receiving the home inspection and final negotiations, like getting contractor quotes -  has remained the most time consuming, stressful part of the transaction for her and many agents, buyers, and sellers.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuoSJcnRG_k"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_4270-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-562" width="428" height="571"/></a><figcaption>Marty Fulford with <a href="http://www.contentmarketingservice.com">Anthony Veltri</a> during her interview</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Marty started using the <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domoreport</a> on every transaction starting in October, 2019.  Since that time:</p>



<ul><li>She's saving 6-7 hours per transaction. In the last quarter of 2019, Marty gained back 40-hours of her life!</li><li>Marty's clients are negotiating faster with increased seller concessions.&nbsp;Plus, they love the gift of the Domoreport.</li><li>With her newfound time, she's able to offer better service, close more deals, and finally have time again to go kayaking.</li></ul>



<p></p>



<h2>Real Estate Agents Need to Save Time, Or Pay the Price</h2>



<p>We're excited to help real estate agents like Marty get their time back while providing a higher level of service. That's because there are some real health issues if you <span style="text-decoration: underline;">don't</span> create systems and figure out ways to save time. For example, <a href="https://magazine.realtor/well-being/health/article/2018/08/is-real-estate-a-depressing-career">Realtor Magazine has noted</a> that real estate practitioners suffer a high rate of clinical depression:</p>



<p>"Depression, characterized by prolonged periods of sadness and a change in mood, energy, or behavior, affects real estate professionals at a high rate. The industry has the second-highest rate of clinically diagnosed depression among a wide range of professional occupations in the U.S., according to a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4557731/" target="_blank">2014 study</a> published in the academic journal <em>Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology</em>."</p>



<p><a href="http://dimatteogroup.com/real-estate-news/the-hardest-part-of-being-a-real-estate-agent/">Tom Di Matteo</a>, of the Real Estate Group, observes that real estate can also take a toll on your family. Many real estate agents report that they are always on call, work most weekends, and simply don't have time to get away or even exercise.</p>



<p>Finding that balance can be tricky, but it's critically important to enjoying a long and prosperous career.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Majordomo's Domoreports Saves Real Estate Agents Time, and Which Leads To a Healthier Work Life Balance</h2>



<p><a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Majordomo</a> can help you and your clients too. The <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like">Domoreport</a> streamlines the second half of your home inspection by prioritizing, analyzing and cost estimating ANY home inspection in 24-hours or less with guaranteed satisfaction. Like Marty, take control of your career and let Majordomo help you with the second half of the home inspection.</p>



<p>To watch&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuoSJcnRG_k" target="_blank">Marty's story</a> click below.  You can also watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8v_yJBvwlc">Marty's full 59-minute interview</a> too!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/CuoSJcnRG_k
</div></figure>



<p>  Now Go out and have an awesome today. </p>

<p>Have you ever had a moment when someone shares a piece of wisdom that instantly solves your problem?<br><br>During my first year as an agent, I asked a mentor, named Pete, a question on how to advise my clients on the type of septic system to get. His answer not only solved my problem but changed my life. He said, "Our role is not to know everything. Our role is to be the person&nbsp;<strong>who knows the person</strong>&nbsp;who knows."</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Petes-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-647" width="384" height="512"/><figcaption>Majordomo's friend Pete Sekermestrovich</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>Oh my gosh! It's was so simple and yet so powerful. I don't have to be the expert anymore. I just need to know&nbsp;<strong>who</strong>&nbsp;the expert is for a particular problem. As a result, my business blossomed while I gained back time and stopped stressing about being an expert.&nbsp;</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Build your A-Team to make beautiful music</h2>



<p>What I didn't know at this early moment in my real estate career was that Pete would turn out to be the first person on my "A-Team". My A-team included every real estate professional and service provider I relied upon to deliver the highest level real estate service possible. There is no way I would have lasted in the business if it wasn't for my A-Team. </p>



<p>It turns out, to succeed in this business I needed to look at myself as a conductor, and all the amazing people who helped as the orchestra. Everyone worked together performing their specialty at the highest level - at the exact right time - to help our mutual clients succeed. If I did my job correctly, my clients would simply see me as the person holding a magic wand conducting the transaction up to the moment of delivering the keys to their home. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0468-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-602"/><figcaption>One of my many A-Team parties to celebrate our trusted advisors and team</figcaption></figure>



<p>When we started Majordomo, we believed one of our key measurements for success would be people sincerely saying, <strong>"Majordomo is part of my team."</strong> A key element to this would be the effectiveness of our service, how we delivered on our promise and how willing our customers would be to confidently share <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Majordomo</a> with others. An important step was to make the Domoreport as easy to use and share as possible.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Sharing a Domoreport</h2>



<p>Sharing a <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/what-does-a-domoreport-look-like">Domoreport</a> is a way for you to share "who you know" with your clients. This way, you don't need to be the expert on repair costs and assessing the condition of the home. We know that with tight timelines, it's crucial to be able to easily and securely share important information between you and your clients quickly.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Majordomo-Sharing-Permissions-1024x576.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-643"/><figcaption>Majordomo offers three levels of permission when sharing.</figcaption></figure>



<p>The <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Domoreport</a> was designed from the ground up to make it really easy to work together during the 2nd half of the home inspection - that period of time between receiving the inspection and final acceptance of the condition. No more back and forth, hair thinning, confused communications after the inspection. You can easily, and securely share a Domoreport with 9 additional people. Sharing the Domoreport is beneficial for multiple reasons:</p>



<ul><li>It expedites&nbsp;agent/client communications.</li><li>It simplifies defect prioritization.</li><li>You save substantial time with our proprietory repair addendum creation tool.</li><li>All of that while keeping your data&nbsp;secure and accessible only by invite</li></ul>



<p>Take a moment and check out this <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_MORkaVBsw" target="_blank">short video</a> showing how easy it is to share your next <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/domoreport-is-disrupting" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/domoreport-is-disrupting">Domoreport</a>.  </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/g_MORkaVBsw
</div></figure>



<p></p>



<h2>Be the Conductor</h2>



<p>Stop being the agent who knows it all. Start being the conductor who knows how to build an incredible system with an amazing team - your orchestra, your A-team. Think of your transaction as beautiful music and your job is to create a masterpiece. And remember, share with others.  </p>

<p>We had our <a href="https://kgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Real-Estate-Talk-2020-03-07.mp3">first radio interview</a> with KGAL's Dave Pautsch for Majordomo and it was a lot of fun! Admittedly, I was nervous; it's been a long time since I have sat in front of a radio microphone.</p>



<p>Growing up, I aspired to be a meteorologist - an honorable vocation that helps humanity by predicting weather and sharing forecasts. My "on-air" journey included 4-years as a mobile disc jockey, shifts on a college radio station - <a href="http://www.deltabroadcasting.org/q901/schedule/">Delta College 90.1</a> - and even doing an internship at <a href="https://www.kwin.com/">KWIN</a> in Stockton, California thanks to my friend Johnny Milford. Back in the day, my radio handle was <em>The General</em>.</p>



<h2>Interview with KGAL's Dave Pautsch</h2>



<p>Visiting the <a href="https://kgal.com/">KGAL</a> studio in Albany, Oregon, and spending an hour with my friend <a href="https://davepautsch.remax.com/">Dave Pautsch with the Foundation GROUP at RE/MAX Integrity</a> was SO.MUCH.FUN. Dave and I have been friends for over 10 years and he's an awesome real estate broker. I love that he's been sharing his passion for real estate on the radio for many years to serve others. Dave encompasses the spirit and 5-laws of the <a href="https://majordomo.com/blog/home-go-giver" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/blog/home-go-giver">Go-Giver</a>. </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://davepautsch.remax.com/"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/davep.jpg" alt="KGAL's Dave Patsch is with RE/MAX Integrity and host of the KGAL Real Estate Radio Show" class="wp-image-539"/></a></figure></div>



<p>I was fortunate to come across Dave at the beginning of March at the <a href="https://news.remax.com/2020-remax-r4-kicks-off-in-las-vegas">Re/MAX R4 Convention</a>.  This was the first BIG real estate agent show for Majordomo.  James Furlo, Majordomo's co-founder and COO, and I were invited to exhibit just a couple of weeks prior and felt fortunate to be there with 6500 of the top-producing agents in the country. When Dave saw our booth he said, <strong>"I had no idea this was you! This is awesome. You need to come on my show and share more!"  </strong></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="www.majordomo.com"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/james-1.jpg" alt="James Furlo at the RE/MAX R4 Conference booth in Las Vegas" class="wp-image-535"/></a><figcaption>James Furlo, better known as Tom Cruise and Superman, while we were in Las Vegas.</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2>Majordomo - Helping Humanity</h2>



<p>As I left the radio station and drove back to Majordomo's HQ2, I reflected on the experience and was reminded why Majordomo means so much to me.  Majordomo's <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Domoscore</a> and <a href="https://majordomo.com/demo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/demo">Domoreport</a> were created to help home buyers, sellers and agents make confident decisions. The Domoscore reports a home's condition and helps forecast home maintenance and improvements. The Domoreport predicts repair estimates and project details. Instead of weather, we're reporting on home condition - another honorable vocation to help humanity. Awesome!  </p>



<p><a href="https://kgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Real-Estate-Talk-2020-03-07.mp3">Click here</a> to listen to my lively discussion with Dave, or play below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls src="https://kgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Real-Estate-Talk-2020-03-07.mp3"></audio></figure>



<div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="www.majordomo.com/get-domoscore"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/domoscore-1.jpg" alt="Majordomo's Domoscore" class="wp-image-531"/></a><figcaption>A good quality home represented by the Domoscore.</figcaption></figure></div>



<p></p>

<p>To <em><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/disruptor">disrupt</a></em> is to interrupt or throw something into disorder.  This was never the intent when we started <a href="https://majordomo.com" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com">Majordomo</a>.  As a matter of fact, our goal was just the opposite of disruption.  Our focus has always been to help real estate agents, home buyers and owners make confident decisions – to be the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majordomo">home's head steward</a>.  We figured if we could help improve homes and communities – we would have accomplished our dream for Majordomo.  </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="www.domoreport.com/demo"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Domoreport.jpg" alt="Domoreport Summary" class="wp-image-522"/></a><figcaption>Domoreport Summary</figcaption></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-left">Recently, <a href="https://rismedia.com/2020/01/16/disruptor-roundup-majordomo-home-inspections/">RISMedia published "Disruptor Roundup: Majordomo Looks to Deliver Clarity to Home Inspections"</a> It was exciting to be recognized as an industry disruptor.&nbsp; We are indeed working to deliver clarity to home inspections, but more importantly, to provide clarity on the overall condition of a home.&nbsp; While new Majordomo's (our users) love our detailed estimates and negotiation tools, the Explore resources included with each Domoreport raise the bar on research and due diligence during the home purchase.&nbsp; </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="www.majordomo.com"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DR-Estimate.jpg" alt="Domoreport project details" class="wp-image-518" width="447" height="517"/></a></figure></div>



<p>If building easy to use tools to help better understand a home's overall condition to ultimately make more confident decisions makes Majordomo an industry disruptor – than we gladly accept the title. &nbsp;</p>

<p>As the founder of a new company, it is extremely exciting to wake up and find all sorts of inquiries about your product.  On the morning of December 11th when I awoke I looked at my wonderwife Michelle and said, "Something awesome must have happened in the last 12 hours.  We have a lot of inquiries this morning asking questions about Majordomo!"  Within a couple of hours we learned that we were included In <a href="https://www.inman.com/2019/12/11/10-tech-products-that-impressed-us-this-year/">Inman Magazines's list of 10 Tech Products they loved in 2019.  </a>  Thank you <a href="https://www.inman.com/">Inman</a>.  This is very humbling.  Our 100% focus is, and will remain, to empower home buyers and owners to be the head stewards of their homes - Majordomos.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center">  <img class="wp-image-508" style="width: 500px;" src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/inman.jpg" alt=""></p>

<p>I am a huge fan of every National Lampoon's Vacation movies.  My respect for Clark increased significantly when I became a dad and was able to relate to all of his experiences.  <strong><a href="https://vacation.fandom.com/wiki/Clark_Griswold">Clark </a>is epic!</strong>  </p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/griswold-1024x862.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-495" width="428" height="359"/><figcaption>Clark's Epic Home</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>This year I started my holiday season the same way as every other year - by watching <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon%27s_Christmas_Vacation">Christmas Vacation</a>.  As I watched Clark staple to his home's roof and siding 25,000 Italian twinkling lights that did not actually twinkle I realized Clark really did aspire to be his home's majordomo.  He had a lot of pride and spirit.  </p>



<p>To honor the 30-year anniversary of the release of Christmas Vacation I decided to use Majordomo's website to create a Domoreport for Clark's house - based on the condition that could be seen and all the damage done during the movie.  It was a blast watching the movie many times, doing a visual analysis of the condition, documenting, prioritizing and estimating.  </p>



<p>Take a moment, have some fun and check out Clark's Domoreport at <a href="https://majordomo.com/clarkshouse" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/clarkshouse">majordomo.com/clarkshouse</a>.  Be sure to check out the inspection, documents, notes and Domoscore.  </p>



<p>Happy Holidays and continue to be inspired to be the best Majordomo you can be - like our friend and mentor Clark Griswold.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/giphy-5.gif" alt="" class="wp-image-494" width="446" height="247"/></figure></div>

<p>As a real estate professional, your clients rely on you to advise them what to do during each step of the home purchase process – this includes the home inspection. &nbsp;Over 15+ years I have been involved in 1100+ home sales and learn something new with every transaction.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I was always told that I should advise my buyers about the due diligence THEY SHOULD DO. &nbsp;In the state of Oregon buyers receive a document called the Oregon Buyer’s Advisory. &nbsp;It is a great start making clear that the “Buyer should Beware”. &nbsp;Due diligence goes beyond the normal seller’s disclosures and home inspection. &nbsp;Below is my “minimum” list and suggestions. &nbsp;What are yours? &nbsp;Any red flags?</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><a href="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335964/photo-1513705153361-9bc726c8db67.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format"><img src="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335964/photo-1513705153361-9bc726c8db67.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1400&amp;h=1400&amp;fit=max" alt="" width="314" height="235"/></a></figure></div>



<p><strong>Check building permits: &nbsp;</strong>These can be found at city or county offices and usually online. &nbsp;Take time to look for any red flags. &nbsp;Compare whatever records exist to the house for discrepancies.   Online resources include <a href="http://www.buildzoom.com">Buildzoom</a> and <a href="http://www.buildfax.com">Buildfax</a>. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;House clearly has a converted garage, but there are no permits for the conversion. &nbsp;It gets even more challenging if plumbing was added with no permits.</em></p>



<p><strong>Check assessor records:</strong>&nbsp; Verify what the local assessor knows about the house compared to the actual house, and listing data. &nbsp;If there are discrepancies, try to find out why. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;Assessor shows oil heating, house has natural gas. &nbsp;You might wonder what happened to the oil tank.</em></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft is-resized"><a href="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335969/photo-1510629326852-3f0946701bc6.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format"><img src="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335969/photo-1510629326852-3f0946701bc6.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1400&amp;h=1400&amp;fit=max" alt="" width="347" height="260"/></a></figure></div>



<p><strong>Seek out random home and neighborhood facts:</strong>&nbsp; Websites such as <a href="http://www.homefacts.com">homefacts.com</a> are free and offer general data specific to a home and its general vicinity that might matter to your specific buyer. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;Registered sex offenders in the neighborhood or nearby environmental hazards.</em></p>



<p><strong>The CLUE Report: &nbsp;</strong>Did you know that there is a service that tracks home insurance claims? &nbsp;The report is called the <a href="https://risk.lexisnexis.com/products/clue-property">CLUE report</a>. &nbsp;Only a homeowner or insurance broker can order this. &nbsp;You can request this be provided by the seller. &nbsp;You can also suggest your buyer call their insurance agent as soon as they get the home under contract to request a <a href="https://risk.lexisnexis.com/products/clue-property">CLUE report</a> and to get their insurance estimate. &nbsp;THIS IS IMPORTANT so there are no last-minute transaction hiccups or even worse, cancelled insurance once the transaction is closed. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;Previous owner had a tree fall on the roof and the repair cost $70,000, the new insurance company see’s this and doubles the policy cost.</em></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright is-resized"><a href="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335987/photo-1533292362155-d79af6b08b77.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format"><img src="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335987/photo-1533292362155-d79af6b08b77.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1400&amp;h=1400&amp;fit=max" alt="" width="323" height="215"/></a></figure></div>



<p><strong>Mapping and GIS Resources.</strong>&nbsp; Be sure to recommend reviewing government map data and compare it to what is at the property. &nbsp;Pay attention to lot lines, improvement locations, etc. &nbsp;Look for anything that might not look right. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;Neighbors shop is clearly on your buyer’s property.</em></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft is-resized"><a href="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335994/photo-1561602535-944b7d60ec08.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format"><img src="https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/7335994/photo-1561602535-944b7d60ec08.jpg?ixlib=rails-0.3.0&amp;fm=jpg&amp;q=75&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1400&amp;h=1400&amp;fit=max" alt="" width="189" height="284"/></a></figure></div>



<p><em>If the house is in the county:</em></p>



<p><strong>Check well and septic records.</strong>&nbsp; Find out what you can learn before your inspections. &nbsp;<em>Example: &nbsp;Septic permit records show the septic system installed is for a 3-bedroom home and the home is being advertised as a 4-bedroom.</em>&nbsp;</p>



<p>It is way easier to get answers and negotiate discrepancies before closing then after. &nbsp;Almost everything can be done online, but it does take time. &nbsp;Remember, provide the resources to your buyer and recommend they do the research because issues that may seem insignificant to you might be major to them. &nbsp;Even better, sit down with them and do it together and/or head to the local offices with them. &nbsp;I promise you they will appreciate you.</p>

<p>Want to see what a Domoreport looks like? Now you can check it out for free before committing to anything:</p>



<ul><li>No account required.</li><li>No credit card needed.</li><li>No need to request access.</li></ul>



<p>All you do is click the "View a sample Domoreport" button on the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://majordomo.com/">homepage</a>:</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Majorodomo-Homepage-Sample-Button-1024x1013.png" alt="Homepage button to view the Domoreport" class="wp-image-475"/></figure></div>



<p>Or click this link: <a href="https://majordomo.com/demo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View a sample Domoreport</a></p>



<p>At the moment, you can view two samples, and we'll be adding more over time. To see the different examples, select the address from the Domoreport menu.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Majordomo-Menu-Select.gif" alt="Domoreport menu selection" class="wp-image-471"/></figure></div>



<p>Everything is live in the sample. That means you can view details of each project, add/remove items from your repair list, and print off the repair list. You can also check out the Domoscore, the inspection, Documents, and Explore. Our goal was to give you the complete experience as a <a href="http://help.majordomo.com/en/articles/3216605-when-sharing-what-is-an-owner-contributor-and-viewer">viewer</a> before buying a Domoreport, not just a static image or a video.</p>



<p>Though, we do have a video! Here's a demo video showing you everything you can do.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/2zEgrYvo5jE
</div></figure>



<p>The one thing you can't do is <a href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3216605-when-sharing-what-is-an-owner-contributor-and-viewer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3216605-when-sharing-what-is-an-owner-contributor-and-viewer">share a Domoreport</a> because you only have viewer access, but anyone with the link can see the samples.</p>



<p>We really think you're going to like this new feature as you learn how powerful a Domoreport can be during the purchase process.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>A Little Behind the Domoreport Curtain</h2>



<p>Our top priority is securely storing your private information, which we built in from the ground up. So creating a way to show a Domoreport without first authenticating an account took a little bit of programming judo.</p>



<p>We needed to create a new temporary account for each visitor, which had the equivalent of <a href="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3216605-when-sharing-what-is-an-owner-contributor-and-viewer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://intercom.help/majordomo/en/articles/3216605-when-sharing-what-is-an-owner-contributor-and-viewer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">viewer access</a> but didn't save any activities. Then, we needed to modify the Domoreport interface to function correctly when not logged in. For example, we don't show the settings page, unless you're logged in.</p>



<p>There are a bunch more tweaks, but the bottom line is we figured out how to create temporary users who can try everything without saving anything while keeping everyone's data secure. So, <a href="https://majordomo.com/demo" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check out the new samples</a> and let us know what you think.</p>

<p>We're excited to announce our new <a href="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources">Explore resources</a> with new pictures, additional details, filters, and easy sharing.</p>



<p>When buying a home, there's a lot to investigate beyond the condition. For example, what utilities are available? Is solar a viable option? And, how walkable is the neighborhood?</p>



<p>There are actually a lot of resources online to help you answer these questions, but finding all of them can be a pain.</p>



<p>So we did it for you!</p>



<p>When you order a <a href="https://majordomo.com">Domoreport</a>, we provide you all the national resources instantly. Then a little bit later, all the resources for your state, county, and city.</p>



<p>We found just providing a list of blue links was overwhelming, so this new design makes it much easier to find what's important to you. Here's what it looks like:</p>



<p><strong>All resources:</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/All-Explore-Resources-679x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465"/></figure>



<p></p>



<p><strong>Filtering to your state-level resources</strong>. You can also look at city, county, or national-level resources:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/State-Explore-Resources-1024x798.png" alt="" class="wp-image-466"/></figure>



<p></p>



<p><strong>See more details</strong>, with an option to star ones you want to remember later and share the direct link.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/More-Details-of-Explore-Resources-1024x798.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467"/></figure>



<p></p>



<p>Our goal is to help you make more confident home-buying decisions, and Explore puts those confidence-building resources right at your fingertips.</p>



<p>If you've already purchased a Domoreport, you can check the new <a href="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/features/explore-homeowner-resources">Explore page</a> out now.</p>

<p>I am the son of an upholsterer. My dad, like others in his trade, spent</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shop-007-300x218.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-184"/></figure></div>



<p>his lifetime learning how to make anything covered in fabric look and feel awesome – again. I say “again” because upholsterers are not only laborers, they are artists in refurbishing. Their skills are developed and honed by listening to customers to understand and then create that person’s vision for the finished product.</p>



<p>In upholstery there is no rule or code book. Upholsterers make their own signs out of vinyl and paint their names on their delivery vans themselves. And oh, the things they find in old furniture! If you can think of it, my dad pulled it out of a 10-year-old couch: coins and other money, buttons, pictures, food, bills, pencils, pens, socks, dead bugs – even boogers. Especially boogers.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/van2-001-300x249.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-185"/></figure></div>



<p>As a boy, I helped my dad. One of my jobs was to assist with delivering furniture to people’s homes. I recall so many times that we delivered a chair or couch and the homeowners were just overjoyed, as though they were seeing an old friend that was fixed up and happy again.</p>



<p>I remember one delivery when I was 7 years old, in the 1970s, of a chair and couch done in diamond pintucks – but in different colors. The chair was rose and the couch was red. The foam inside was super stiff, and I remember thinking to myself, “Did Dad use the wrong fabric and foam? They don’t match and both are NOT COMFORTABLE.” I sure was wrong. The customer loved them, was in tears and gave a $50 tip. That was when I learned you don't know what you don't know.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/louie-002-3-300x244.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-182"/></figure></div>



<p>And it was moments like that – delivering the desired product to a delighted customer – that my dad worked&nbsp;for. He became friends with his clients and his single purpose was making them happy. Getting paid was the bonus. And the referral to the next person was the blessing.</p>



<p>Because the truth is, upholsterers are typically underappreciated, overworked and underpaid. The same is true for so many other craftspeople who work in trades across the spectrum of home improvement.</p>



<p>My last 15 years as a real estate broker provided me the incredible opportunity to meet more than a hundred of these workers – artists like my dad. I even have a contact list I call my “A-Team,” made up of amazing folks who know everything about real estate in their specific field of expertise. While they go by many names and labels – plumbers, sheetrockers, roofers, carpet cleaners, lawn mowers, mold specialists, escrow officers, mortgage brokers and more – out of respect I now call them all home professionals, whether they work in the field or in an office.</p>



<p>I’ve learned that there are many levels of care, compassion and quality that professionals deliver. The secret to success in connecting homeowners with the right home professionals is quality communication that clearly states expectations.</p>



<p>To me, it usually comes down to the concept of know, like and trust. First, you have to know of the professional’s existence, be it from advertising, seeing signs or trucks around town, or word of mouth. Then you have to interact with them, to determine whether they’re likeable and whether you trust them. And these don’t always go hand in hand. You may really enjoy chatting with a prospective tree pruner, but decide he doesn’t seem knowledgeable enough about your particular variety of tree to trust him with the job. Or he may come across as gruff and unfriendly, but he has extensive experience with raywood ashes and even though you don’t really like him, you trust he’ll do great work on your tree. You have to weigh like and trust and decide what matters most to you and your specific project.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/louie-003-2-293x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-183"/></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-left">And it goes both ways. While you’re sizing up the professional, they’re forming an impression of you, as well. They want to work for people who are a good fit for them, and most home professionals genuinely care about your success and happiness. They want you to be confident your sink leak was fixed correctly, excited your new deck was installed according to your plans, delighted that your new home loan was closed on time and overjoyed that your favorite lounge chair will last another 10 years with new cushy foam and the upholstery of your choice – even if it’s mismatched diamond pintucks.</p>



<p>But finding that right person can be tricky. That’s a big part of the inspiration behind Majordomo – connecting homeowners and professionals to make life easier and more enjoyable for both. So next time you need some work done, take a little time to assess what strengths in the professional and their service are important to you. Consider the following topics to help you decide who is best for the job:</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/louie-001-3-300x204.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-181"/></figure></div>



<p>Project goal: Know what you want/need to accomplish, whether it is a small or large job and what your timing is. Be clear with yourself before you contact the professional and then after you describe your needs, stop and listen to what they have to say.</p>



<p>Quality of work: Who is their typical customer? What is their favorite type of work? Where do they rate themselves in terms of quality and experience compared to their competition?<br>Communications: What is their preferred form of communication and does that work for you? How quickly should you expect responses?</p>



<p>Timing: What would help the professional evaluate this job? When could they start? How long do they expect it will take? What could cause delays?</p>



<p>Price: How do they charge for their service? Do they perceive themself as the low-price leader, average, or more expensive? Whatever answer you get, ask why, then stop and listen.</p>



<p>Why ask these questions? There are more than a hundred different specialties and thousands of home-related tasks. You are looking for the best fit for you and your project. Just because you decide one professional is not ideal for your needs, it does not mean they are not perfect for the next job.</p>



<p>Here are a few of the key lessons I have learned in my decade and a half of managing more than a thousand real-estate transactions: Many of these amazing people have been practicing their art for five, 10, 20 or even 40 years (like my dad). Pay forward the respect. They are not always quick to use or understand new technology and communication systems, and sometimes they have archaic estimating and invoicing systems. Work with them. Remember, many truly are artists with hard-to-find skills and we all communicate differently.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/louie-001-2-300x202.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-180"/></figure></div>



<p class="has-text-align-left">The term professional has typically been reserved for doctors, attorneys, accountants and others. The next time you need a home professional, I challenge you to think about them on this level. When you find home professionals that help you accomplish your goals, tell them how much you appreciate them, give them online endorsements, refer them to friends and family, pay them what they are truly worth and, most importantly, hug and hold! As your home’s Majordomo, you want them on your A-Team – and it is always good to have a new friend.</p>

<p>What's does a 10,000 Domoscore look like? In a word: new.</p>



<p>In a couple more words: the house itself is less than a year old and all the features are in new condition. That's inside, outside, all mechanical items, and the yards.</p>



<p>But what does that actually look like?</p>



<p><a href="https://youtu.be/UPGir81FUpY">In this video</a>, Danny Wingnet tours - almost overwhelmed - a brand new smart home. It shows a couple things:</p>



<ol><li>Everything is a brand new condition, which is why it would probably get a <a href="https://majordomo.com/">Domoscore</a> of 10,000.</li><li>Even though there are features you may not want (like a toilet that plays music), or features you think are missing, the Domoscore only measures the existing features in a home.</li><li>Those automatic frosting windows in the bathroom are awesome.</li></ol>



<p>Here's the 10:34 minute video. Enjoy!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/UPGir81FUpY
</div></figure>

<p>We believe in inspiring homeowners to be the confident chief stewards of their homes and that your home is your greatest asset.&nbsp; You spend more time in your home than anywhere else.&nbsp; You create memories.&nbsp; It is your space and castle.</p>



<p>Recently my LG washing machine started leaking after 7 years of use.&nbsp; Not unexpected and we have been really happy with it, but it's not old enough to replace.&nbsp; I called every appliance service center in the area and nobody worked on LG.&nbsp; Really?????&nbsp; I called LG and they forwarded me to an appliance repair shop about 30-miles from me and unfortunately, they did not service Corvallis.&nbsp; I was stuck and my wife was not happy.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_6578-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-158"/></figure></div>



<p>My next step research started and I found www.fix.com #fixdotcom.&nbsp; It took me just a few clicks and I found my machine, the problem, the part I needed and even a how-to video to fix it myself.&nbsp; I watched the video and it inspired me.&nbsp; <strong><em>I CAN DO THIS!</em></strong></p>



<p>Game on!&nbsp; I ordered the part and it showed up within a couple of days.&nbsp; I looked up the video again and felt assured when I saw on the screen that the repair was considered "easy".</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1M.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-159"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://www.fix.com/parts/washer/lg/fix3524978/bellow-gray-with-drain-port-4986er0004g/?SearchTerm=fix3524978&amp;SourceCode=3#RepairVideo"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/fix.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-154"/></a><figcaption><em>Steve from Fix.com helping me fix my washer</em></figcaption></figure></div>



<p>The video started and Steve from Fix.com came on and showed me step-by-step what to do.&nbsp; Easy Peasy - I was done in 30-minutes and my wonder-wife was happy.</p>



<p>Fix.com @fixdotcom encouraged me to do something I normally would not and inspired me to believe in myself.&nbsp; They inspired me to be my home's Majordomo and that is awesome.&nbsp; Now go and be your home's Majordomo.</p>



<p>--</p>



<p>Majordomo is located in #Corvallis, Oregon.&nbsp; It is an innovative tech hub in the Northwest and is home to Oregon State University, #HP, and more.&nbsp; The population, including college students, is around 57,000 and is home to amazing outdoor living.&nbsp; For more information visit www.Majordomo.com</p>

<p>For the past 6-years, I have headed out on a week-long mountain bike trip with an incredible group of buddies.&nbsp; On our first trip, we went to Moab, Utah.&nbsp; As we drove into town after driving all night from Oregon we sat down for breakfast.&nbsp; The person who helped us had a tattoo that said: "<strong>Take Chances</strong>".&nbsp; That was a sign.&nbsp; Game on!&nbsp; We adopted that spirit moving forward in all we did.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/11350601_1137018576324679_9104631407002783589_n-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-147"/></figure>



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<p>Have you considered when the last time you thought differently and took chances?&nbsp; Take your home for example - have you considered turning your front yard into completely edible landscaping?&nbsp; It could take months of work,&nbsp; neighbors may get grumpy and the replanting will take a lot of work - but the end result could be amazing.&nbsp; Have you considered leading the way in your neighborhood as the first to give the front of your home an overhaul?&nbsp; &nbsp; This started in my neighborhood in the past 6-months with just one home refacing their home, building a beautiful covered entry, installing a new roof, expanding their home, and more.&nbsp; Their home is coming alive!&nbsp; Beautiful work&nbsp;<a class="_58cn" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/hendererdesignbuild" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}"><span class="_5afx"><span class="_58cl _5afz" aria-label="hashtag">#</span><span class="_58cm">hendererdesignbuild</span></span></a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/house-2-300x182.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-151"/></figure>



<p>All of a sudden there are multiple neighbors following (including me).&nbsp; It feels and looks great!&nbsp; In addition,&nbsp;&nbsp;with each improvement, your home's Domoscore increases -&nbsp; as does the value.</p>



<p>Today - consider "Taking Chances".&nbsp; Do different.&nbsp; Be different.&nbsp; Lead the way - even when there might be a&nbsp; bear standing in the way.</p>



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<p>If you've visited <a href="https://majordomo.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Majordomo.com</a> in the last few days, you'll notice something different: it's no longer a waiting page, you can now get a Domoscore yourself! Exiting!</p>



<p>To celebrate, get feedback, tell the world, and practice standing for a <em>really</em> long time, we'll be hanging out at the <a href="https://eugenehomeshow.com/our-shows/lane-county-home-garden-show/">Lane County Home &amp; Garden Show</a> in Eugene. We're here tonight, 3/9, from 5-9pm, Saturday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm.</p>



<p>Come check out our booth and get your Domoscore! If you can't make it, check out the site and <a href="https://majordomo.com/contact-us">let us know</a> what you think.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lee-of-Majordomo-1024x768.jpg" alt="Lee of Majordomo" class="wp-image-135"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Helping-people-score-their-homes-1024x768.jpg" alt="Helping people score their homes" class="wp-image-136"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lane-County-Home-and-Garden-Domoscores-1024x768.jpg" alt="Lane County Home and Garden Domoscores" class="wp-image-137"/></figure></div>

<p>Have you ever heard the term Go-Giving? The premise is that when your focus is constantly on providing immense value to others you greatly benefit both others and yourself. I will always be thankful for the book<a href="https://thegogiver.com/">&nbsp;"The Go-Giver"</a> by my friend <a href="https://thegogiver.com/about/">Bob Burg and his co-author John David Mann</a>. The book was published in 2007. I read it for my first time in 2011 and have shared at least 500 copies since that time. It is THAT GOOD!</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://thegogiver.com/"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/the-go-giver-ee-3d-left-web-224x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-89"/></a></figure></div>



<p>Recently I reviewed the Go Giver’s 5 laws of stratospheric success and asked myself – “What if I applied these laws to my home? Would I think differently about my home?” Our homes are inanimate objects – yet they are a huge part of our lives. Let’s examine:</p>



<p><strong>The Law of Value:</strong> <strong>Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.</strong> <em>Translation:</em> A home’s worth is best defined by how much more it gives its owners in value than it costs. Make’s total sense! There are so many factors here to consider: location; how often you entertain; the number of guests you have stay with you; is it a money pit or does it operate efficiently. Take a few moments and evaluate your home and ask yourself – what can I do to improve my home’s value and Domoscore for minimal costs. Sometimes a little sweat equity can go a long way.</p>



<p><strong>The Law of Compensation:</strong> <strong>Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.</strong> <em>Translation:</em> The amount of physical and financial investment I make in my home is determined by how many people it serves and how well it serves them. It is so much fun having parties and gatherings at my place. I do work hard to make sure my home is clean, presentable, and awesome for these gatherings. I always have a reason to make sure my home is well maintained and party-ready because life is about relationships.</p>



<p><strong>The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.</strong> <em>Translation:</em> My home's influence is determined by how abundantly it places the users first. Do you have pride in your home? I promise you – the better your home feels and you feel about your home – the more it will positively influence you, your guests, and your community.</p>



<p><strong>The Law of Authenticity:</strong> <strong>The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.</strong> <em>Translation:</em> The most valuable gift my home has to offer is itself. A home is so much more than some wood, nails, pipes, and wires. It provides one of the 3 necessities of life – shelter. It’s the place we break bread and build relationships. A quality home enhances neighborhoods. A quality home is indeed a valuable gift to all.</p>



<p><strong>The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.</strong> <em>Translation:</em> The more my home gives, the more it will receive. This may be the most powerful law of all. Keep your heart and mind open to the many gifts your home has to offer, but be sure to keep caring for your home. It deserves it.</p>



<p>Try applying these rules to the relationship you have with your home and start experiencing your home in ways you never thought imaginable.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image size-medium wp-image-87"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_0810-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87"/><figcaption>Lee Eckroth with Go-Giver co-author Bob Burg</figcaption></figure></div>

<p>In 1996 my wonderwife Michelle and I purchased our first home.  We were living 10 hours away and would visit every few weeks until we finally moved in 1997.  We planned to spend two weeks doing some remodel work….. for two weeks.  Six months later we were still sleeping on a mattress on the sub-floor.  I am pretty sure we made every rookie mistake possible plus a few more.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7922-833x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-99"/><figcaption>The old ugly worn out wooden door that should have been replaced a long time ago.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon did not exist.&nbsp; We were new to town and did not know anyone. &nbsp;When we purchased the home, we had an inspection – but we had no idea what was a real problem or not.&nbsp; It sure would have been nice to know who had worked on the home before us, what had been done and when, and/or just some reliable professionals.&nbsp;We did not know what we did not know.</p>



<p>Our focus was to make the house a home.&nbsp; New paint, floors, trim, fixtures, and more.&nbsp; We even bought tools to do it all ourselves.&nbsp; Hindsight, it was crazy, but we were living the dream and ultimately it was satisfying to learn how to maintain our home and improve it.</p>



<p>Reflecting on the project 21 years later - we laugh a lot about how naïve we were.&nbsp; At the time we chose to not change out the windows or the interior doors.&nbsp; We assumed they were huge jobs.&nbsp; Turns out they would have been the easiest jobs with the help of professionals, and both would have made HUGE differences.&nbsp; Ultimately both were completed in 2011.</p>



<p>In 2016 our Christmas gift to each other was a new garage door and garage door opener.&nbsp; Of all the projects we did through the years, this one strangely had the greatest impact.&nbsp; Instantly we fell back in love with our home and really enjoyed the approach.&nbsp; Multiple neighbors stopped and made positive comments.&nbsp; Our garage is brighter and warmer plus the door and opener are super quiet.&nbsp; As a bonus, we can now control our garage door from our smartphones. Very cool and way higher ROI then we ever expected.&nbsp; Finally, it was a nice way to raise our Domoscore.</p>



<p>Marriages and homes require love, attention, and maintenance.&nbsp; We never imagined a new garage door could create so much happiness for our home and our marriage. Give it a try every 25-years or so.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4760-1024x822.jpg" alt="New white garage door" class="wp-image-101"/><figcaption>Stylish new garage door made a huge difference!</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4766-1024x526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-97"/><figcaption>The new garage door installed and beautiful.</figcaption></figure>

<p>My daughter Morgan is adventurous, creative, and interesting – super fun. When she graduated from high school she was interested in law enforcement and headed off to&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlandia_(TV_series)">Portlandia</a>&nbsp;to attend PSU. Her journey then changed to business marketing with a focus on social marketing. Awesome.</p>



<p>Soon after she announced her major change, she transferred to&nbsp;<a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>&nbsp;in Majordomo’s home town of Corvallis. I asked her if she might be interested in managing her first business. She enthusiastically said, “YES”!</p>



<p>This was an opportunity to practice what I had been preaching for 14 years. It was time to see if my suggestions and advice to clients as a real estate broker worked and made sense.&nbsp; Morgan’s first business was to manage a family-owned rental home in which she lived. She was psyched for the opportunity.</p>



<p>The first challenge – finding a property that could make financial sense in a high-demand college town with the primary requirements of 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The secondary reason was to be as close to campus as possible. We thought it would take months or might even be impossible. It ended up taking days as we found a SERIOUS fixer-upper that had been on the market for months that nobody wanted. Serious fixer-upper meant an initial Domoscore of less than 1500. <strong>Ouch.</strong> As a family, we became Majordomo’s of the home and took control with a plan.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1855tylerMLS-12-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-54"/></figure>



<p>The schedule allowed 6 months to get it ready as July 1 was move-in. Game on! The project included:</p>



<ul><li>Replacing all electrical, installed a new HVAC system, and replaced most plumbing - safety and health are always first.</li><li>Serious foundation work, including replacing a section, while installing perimeter drainage and a sump pump.</li><li>Installation of a driveway for off-street parking.</li><li>Adding an indoor laundry (the original laundry was on the back porch….brrrrrr)</li><li>Kitchen update including painting, new backsplash, faucet, and new appliances.</li><li>Both bathrooms remodeled.</li><li>Serious sheetrock repair and all interior painting that included multiple painting parties with friends.</li><li>All wood floors found under old shag carpet beautifully refinished. All other flooring replaced.</li><li>Low maintenance landscaping installed along with garden beds for growing food.</li><li>Exterior repainted with a 10-year warranty</li><li>…and lots more</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4748.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-53"/></figure>



<p>The result: This home was brought back to life. It has a new spirit and is loved. The <a href="https://majordomo.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://majordomo.com/">Domoscore</a> went from less than 2000 to 6370. We know we still have work to do as it is an old home. Our goal is 8000 and we will get there. A new roof is needed in the next 3 years along with updated insulation. Next on the list? Rebuild the back deck to add more outdoor living space.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tyler-domoscore.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63"/></figure>



<p>Over Christmas, I received a message from Morgan with a picture of her first Christmas tree as an adult living on her own. I knew the home was smiling and that made me happy. All the time, work, and investment was worth it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4749-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62"/><figcaption>A sure sign that this home is loved.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://blog-legacy.majordomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4742-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52"/><figcaption>The end result of applying defibrillation, love and care.  A broken down house becomes a home.</figcaption></figure>



<p></p>



<p>a</p>

<p>As a company called "Majordomo", it seemed appropriate to address our name. What does it mean? Where did it come from? Why did we choose it?</p>



<p></p>



<h2>The Dictionary Definition</h2>



<p>Any good post about a word starts off with a definition from the dictionary, right? So... According to the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majordomo">Merriam-Webster dictionary</a>, a majordomo (noun) is "a head steward of a large household (such as a palace)." You can also think of it as the head butler of a house.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Wikipedia Adds Some Color</h2>



<p>Wikipedia gives a more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majordomo">complete picture</a>:</p>



<p>"A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, the term refers to the highest (major) person of a household (domūs or domicile) staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large or significant residence. Synonyms include castellan, concierge, chamberlain, seneschal, mayor of the palace, maître d'hôtel, head butler, and steward.</p>



<p>The term also refers, more informally, to someone who oversees the day-to-day responsibilities of a business enterprise."</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Famous Majordomos</h2>



<p>Fiction does a great job of providing some concrete <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majordomo" data-wplink-edit="true">examples</a>:</p>



<ul><li>Bib Fortuna, Jabba the Hutt's majordomo, in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Fortuna screens visitors, handles low-level bargaining, and carries out Jabba's wishes in the court.</li><li>In the 1994 film The Lion King, the character Zazu serves as majordomo (or as he introduces himself, "majordodo") to Mufasa and later his son Simba after he became king.</li><li>Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's butler and father figure in the Batman universe. He has been called "Batman's batman."</li><li></li></ul>



<h2>Historically...</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majordomo">The term</a> "come[s] from the Medieval Latin major domus, meaning "chief of the house." In its earliest uses, "majordomo" referred to the head steward of a royal household. The position was a high one with some relatively weighty responsibilities. Later, in the U.S., the word was used for the steward or overseer of a ranch. Since then, the word's meaning has extended even further; today, "majordomo" can designate any person who takes charge of another's affairs, be they business or personal."</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Majordomo, The Company (That's Us)</h2>



<p>Being a majordomo is a position of honor and authority. They get stuff done. Our mission is to help you become a better majordomo. To be the best steward of your household. To help you take charge of your home's maintenance and improvements. I guess you could say, our mission is to be the majordomo's majordomo.</p>



<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/psomVjxL29Y?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Steven Cleghorn</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/bow%20tie?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p>My wife and I love walking through our neighborhood. Not only does it provide a way to exercise and catch up, but it means our kids are strapped into a stroller and not running around the house causing problems!</p>



<p>While walking, we like to look at homes and their front yards. There are all sorts of different types, but the perfectly manicured lawns look the most impressive to me.&nbsp;You know the ones I'm talking about: the grass is trimmed, thick, and perfectly green. The edges are crisp, with a tiny trench. Zero weeds. Zero grass clippings anywhere.</p>



<p>How do they make it look so perfect?</p>



<p>At one time I lived near one of those yards and witnessed the magic.</p>



<h2>How To Create The Perfect Lawn</h2>



<p>First, mow and edge your lawn twice a week. When you're done, use a leaf vacuum to pick up any stray pieces. Fertilizer is used, but the real magic is getting on your hands and knees and removing the start of any weeds.</p>



<p>That's it.</p>



<p>Let's say you wanted to have a perfect lawn. If you committed to spending 60 minutes twice a week on your lawn, it would happen quicker than you think:</p>



<ul><li>At first, you'd spend all your time pulling weeds.</li><li>But then the weeds would be under control and you'd be able to mow twice as often. When you mow that often, it goes really fast because you don't need to stop to empty your bag (plus, the blades of grass don't look at whiplashed).</li><li>That'll give you time to start edging. After a few sessions, that too will be easy to complete and you can focus on picking up scrap material (which will be minimal).</li><li>In under 3 months, you'll have a perfect lawn that'll get you outside, exercising, and something tangible to be proud of.</li></ul>



<p>The trick, of course, is to keep going once you reach this point. To build lawn care into your weekly routine, to do it because you care.</p>



<h2>"Extraordinary Success is Sequential, Not Simultaneous"</h2>



<p>Gary Keller shared that quote in his book "<a href="https://amzn.to/2B9J6Fy">The ONE Thing</a>". It means, having a perfect lawn, an extraordinary lawn, doesn't happen at once. It's not because you spent one whole weekend working on it. Instead, extraordinary results come from consistently making progress every single week.</p>



<p>Here's the interesting part. From a time standpoint doing a little bit all the time verse trying to do it all at once require about the same amount of time:</p>



<ul><li>If you spend 4 weekends a year overhauling your lawn (16hrs x 4 weekends = 64hr). Plus, 1 hour every other week mowing (64 from weekends + 26 every other week mowing = 90hrs total), you'll spend almost 100hrs working on your lawn.</li><li>If you spend 1 hour twice a week working on your lawn, you'll spend a similar amount of time &nbsp;(52 weeks x 2hrs = 104hrs total).</li></ul>



<p>Yet one looks amazing all year round and the other never quite looks perfect. And for my neighbor, he never needed to block out an entire weekend to work on his yard (unlike myself, which I hated to "give up").</p>



<h2>Home Maintenance Works Best Sequentially, not Simultaneously</h2>



<p>Maybe having a perfect lawn isn't your goal. That's fine. Perhaps having a well-maintained home is your goal. If so, just like lawn care, the best results come from consistently setting time aside to work on projects. You don't need to complete everything at once, but you should complete something every week.</p>



<p>At first, the list will be never-ending, but over time, each part of your home will come under control, and maintaining it will become easier and easier. Do this now: pick 1 hour each week when you'll focus on home maintenance. Spend the first week creating your list of things you need to do. Then next week starting working on the list. Just like the lawn, you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll become a proud homeowner again.</p>



<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/pZXg_ObLOM4?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Fauzan Saari</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/grass?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>

<p>When my wife and I bought our house, we knew the bathroom needed some work. Specifically, the shower leaked and needed to be replaced. It was at this point we began to live out the book "<a href="https://amzn.to/2mNJQ0f" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</a>" in real life (...it'll probably want a glass of milk. And if you give it a glass of milk it probably want...). For example:</p>



<ul><li>If you're redoing the shower, you'll want to remove one of the walls.</li><li>If you remove one of the walls you'll need a new cabinet and sink.</li><li>To get a new cabinet, you'll also need to take off some drywall.</li><li>If you take one wall of drywall off, you'll probably have to take drywall off all the walls.</li><li>If exposing the studs, you'll probably want to update the electrical and plumbing.</li><li>Also, if the studs are exposed, you might as well install a pocket door.</li><li>You might as well also install a sun tunnel...</li></ul>



<p><div>You get the idea. We ended up redoing everything. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/PlBqG5zqCVM" target="_blank">Here's a video</a> of me walking through the bathroom before the project started describing everything I wanted to do.</div></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlBqG5zqCVM
</div></figure>



<p></p>



<h2>The Final Results</h2>



<p>The final result actually stayed pretty close to the original vision. You'll notice I didn't mention the sun tunnel or pocket door in the video. Those were definitely "If you give a mouse a cookie" additions you'll see in the final video below.</p>



<p>During the project, I was surprised by the lack of "smart" options. I thought it would be cool to have a shower that somehow recycled water and/or pre-heated the water and/or other magical things, but there weren't any good options at the time. I also ended up putting in standard lights and a standard exhaust fan. There was one fan that played music via Bluetooth and had a nightlight, but the actual fan wasn't very powerful. I also strayed away from floor heating systems, mostly because my floor height didn't allow for it.</p>



<p>But I did install a smart faucet (<a href="https://amzn.to/2mHdnIr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this one</a>). It's a hands-free one with the ability to also control the temperature. I also got a hands free soap dispenser because it made sense to keep not touching things with your hands. Not only does it save water, but it also helps keep germs away. It takes a little getting used to, but overall we love it. Both are battery powered, so we can still use them if the electricity goes out.</p>



<p>It took many weeknights and weekends, but it's done! Here's <a href="https://youtu.be/m2D0g7HS-rY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the final video</a>:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/m2D0g7HS-rY
</div></figure>



<p><div>I hope this project inspires you to improve something in your home. It doesn't have to be this extensive. Maybe there's a vanity you've been meaning to replace for a while. Or that one picture that you <em>still</em> haven't hung up yet. Do something today to improve the quality of your home.</div></p>

<p>In my first year of marriage, a strange thing used to happen in our house around 8pm. My wife and I would start getting into arguments about the smallest things. It didn't happen when we dated... what was going on?!</p>



<p>Then it hit us: when we dated, we used to meet after work and eat dinner together as a way to hang out. Now married and living together, that didn't happen. I worked from home and so my new wife would arrive while I finished up and we'd start doing something else like going on a walk, washing dishes, folding laundry... stuff.</p>



<p>But we'd forget to eat because it was no longer a reason to hangout!</p>



<p>So 8pm would roll around and we'd become <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hangry">hangry</a>. We'd argue for a bit, realize what was going on, and then dash off to a restaurant to eat... and all would be well again.</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Enter The Meal Plan</h2>



<p>Eventually we realized one of our problems was we didn't have a meal plan. We bought food, but it wasn't for anything specific, which made the task at 6pm to make dinner difficult. And&nbsp;when 8pm rolled around... our mindset reached a point where eating out was the only option.</p>



<p>However, if we had a meal to look forward to, and the food already bought, we would eat at a regular hour and skip the not-so-loving-argument later.</p>



<p>So that was the solution: create a calendar of meals we liked. Then go shopping for that food for the next week or two. That way each night, we 6pm rolled around, all we had to do was look at the calendar and make that item. It worked great! We saved money from eating out, we saved our relationship from unwanted stress, and we saved our health by choosing healthier foods than fast food (most days, let's be honest here).</p>



<p></p>



<h2>Home Maintenance Works Best With a Plan</h2>



<p>Isn't home maintenance the same way? Like eating, it's a regular, predictable, event. Yet, many of us will wait until the proverbial 8pm when things are dire to fix a problem. Sometimes the signs are obvious: you can see the paint starting to fade and crack. Sometimes they're hidden: you can't see your heater struggling to push air because your filter is dirty... until the heater's motor gives out.</p>



<p>Like eating, home maintenance works best with a plan:</p>



<ul><li>Write out the tasks that need to happen</li><li>Decide when you plan to do them</li><li>Buy the materials ahead of time</li><li>Set aside time to do that task</li></ul>



<p>It's so simple... yet so hard.</p>



<p>This is one of the ways Majordomo can help. By <a href="https://majordomo.com">creating a Domoscore</a>, you get a complete list of tasks that need to happen for your home and guidance on when to do them. It's like a meal plan for your home.&nbsp;You'll know when to maintain an item before it becomes a big problem and you're required to spend big dollars to fix it.</p>



<p>Like a meal plan, you still need to do the work (there's no magic bullet for that yet), but your house will no longer act hangry towards you if you follow a plan.</p>



<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/4R1YpmGO52I?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Sven Scheuermeier</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/produce?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>