City of San Fernando Retrofit (Code Compliance) Requirements When Selling

The City has adopted the Residential Property Pre-Sale Inspection and Report Program (“the Program”) in order to protect purchasers of residential real property within the city that may be unaware of any un-permitted construction or other unlawful conditions at the property they are considering buying. The Program requires sellers to submit a Residential Property Pre-Sale […]

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Are ADT (and other similar type) Detectors Compliant When Selling?

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Short answer is no, unless the seller can provide a written letter (like this one) from the subscription company (ie ADT, etc) saying that all sensors where needed (in all bedroom, bedroom hallways, etc) will sound an audible alarm loud enough to wake sleeping occupants in case of a fire or smoke event event if

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Santa Clarita and Valencia Retrofit (Code Compliance) Requirements When Selling

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Most Realtors in the Santa Clarita valley commonly ‘waive’ RPA governmental code compliance when selling, even though given the option, many sellers would opt for a ‘retrofit’ or ‘code compliance’ inspection upon sale to cover their liability. When selling a home in the Santa Clarita Valley, as elsewhere in the county of Los Angeles, the

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LADWP Certificate of Compliance (COC) Downloadable and Fillable

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Process is typically this – For the city of Los Angeles, this (below) LADWP COC (Certificate of Compliance) is filled out by the retrofitter, and the blue ink original is then mailed to escrow. Escrow then will send in the fee ($15) directly to the LADWP by check with this original signed COC. Note: This

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Culver City Retrofit (Realtor Code Compliance) When Selling

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When selling a home in the city of Culver City, the following items should be checked by a independent third party retrofitter for full compliance. This ensures all parties, including agents and their brokers, will be covered in case of loss, injury or death after escrow closes. Culver City requires working smoke detectors in each bedroom,

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California Law Requiring Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures Including Toilets, Showerheads and Faucets

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Here is the official ‘skinny’ on low flow toilets in the state of California for agents and sellers. This law was adopted by the state of California in 2017, and applies for all homes in the state of California. Some other states have similar water conservation laws. This explainer is from the CAR (California Association

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Is the Gas Company Responsible for Putting on the Earthquake Shut Off Valve in Southern California When Selling?

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No. The homeowner is responsible for its installation on the gas meter. The earthquake shut off valve should be within 18″ of the meter, unless it is a custom installation. See graphic below as to where the earthquake shut off valve should go. If you live in a condo or townhome with a HOA, the

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City of Beverly Hills Code Compliance When Selling

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When selling a home in the city of Beverly Hills, the following items should be checked by a independent third party retrofitter for full compliance. This ensures all parties, including sellers, agents and their brokers, will be covered in case of problems after the close of escrow. City of Beverly Hills requires hard wired working smoke

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Should Smoke Detectors Be Placed on Wall or Ceiling?

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Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, in the hallways leading to the bedrooms, and on each level of your home, including the basement. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4” from the wall. Detectors can also be mounted on the wall within 12″ of the ceiling if necessary. Wall or ceiling is OK.

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Where to Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors in a Residence To Save Your Life

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Here is a simple breakdown of where to put CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors when selling, or anytime to be safe. Carbon monoxide detectors can either be battery powered, plug-in type, or combination hard wired type with a smoke detector. And it is better to have more than less carbon monoxide detectors if you are unsure

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Smoke Detector Confidential – The Red Wire

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If you are wiring a new smoke detector on your own, and you are working with a 120 volt hard wired detector, be aware that the white and black wires coming out of the electrical box are for power and will be ‘hot’. The red wire is the inter-connected wire that will trigger other hard

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Smoke Testing a Smoke Detector

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Even though the smoke detector alarm may trigger when you push the test button on any smoke detector, its best to test detectors using faux smoke to see if the alarm will sound. Sometimes the push button is damaged, or sometimes the smoke sensor within the smoke detector is not working correctly. The detector alarm

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Santa Monica Retrofit (Code Compliance) Requirements When Selling

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When selling a home in the city of Santa Monica, the following items should be checked by a ‘dis-interested’ and independent third party retrofitter for full compliance. This ensures all parties, including sellers, agents and their brokers, will be covered in case of problems after the close of escrow. The incorporated city of Santa Monica requires smoke

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Best Ways to Double Strap Your Water Heater in Southern California

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Do all hot water heaters need to be strapped? Yes! All water heaters must be strapped in at least two locations; the upper one-third of the unit and the lower one-third. The lower strap must be a minimum of 4″ above the water heater control unit. Note that the required clearances from a wall to

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What is a Retrofit Inspection?

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Retrofitting 101 – A retrofit inspection is an inspection to see if a property that is up for sale and in escrow is up to its city code for the new buyer. Whether this inspection is required or not is determined by the purchase contract between buyer and seller. A retrofit inspection for this purpose

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