Castlekeep Inc

Mr. Smith has been sick for some time and past away in 2015. could be why they have no heard back from him. I a purchasing another house and am very sad that I cannot have him do this inspection.

The inspector, Vernon Smith, was referred to us by realtor Seth Bullard of Keller-Williams Realty in Edmond. Mr. Bullard handled all communication with Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith was professional in appearance and demeanor when we met with him during the inspection. I gave him an "F" for professionalism based on my overall experience. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith missed the following items during his inspection: A. The middle of three outside garage lights remained on 24 hours a day while the lights on either side of it were controlled by a switch. Baxter Electric conducted a service call and advised that the light, for some unknown reason, had previously been "hotwired" to remain on constantly and advised that there was no override to turn it off. The cost to include this light on a switch so it could be turned off was $205.00. B. The latch on one of the patio doors would not lock. Repair cost: $25.00. C. All three toilets needed new toilet repair kits at a total cost (including installation) of $135.00 which occurred last month. However, one toilet would not flush correctly (virtually no draw) and had to be replaced altogether. A different plumber (Mr. Rooter) made two service calls (the initial diagnosis and a return to install the new toilet which I purchased at Lowe's). He expressed surprise that the "inspector" did not notice the problem with this toilet as he stated the flushing issue appeared to be longstanding. The total cost for the toilet replacement including the new toilet, service calls and installation was $531.20. That cost is in addition to the toilet kit purchase/installation cost of $135.00. D The original built-in Jenn-Air dishwasher washed and dried so poorly that it had to be replaced due to it's poor performance. As a result, I purchased a new Jenn-Air from Harry's TV and Appliance. Total cost including installation: $1181.42. Some additional issues: 1. During the inspection, the inspector mentioned to us that the Geothermal heating/cooling system was cycling on/off which was abnormal. Suntech Mechanical, Inc. submitted a letter stating that they had recently serviced the unit and that Geothermal units initially run intermittently which is normal for that type of system. 2. The inspector also mentioned to us that a barrier of some type would need to be placed near the eaves to stop the squirrels from continuing to chew into the structure. This never made it into the inspection recommendations. 3. There were several "dead" electrical switches located throughout the house which Baxter Electric could not find controlled any outlets or lights. Their purpose and/or function remains a mystery. These were never mentioned in the inspection report. 4. I requested Mr. Bullard to contact Mr. Smith to conduct a return visit prior to closing to verify the seller's had completed the repairs and I was aware that would incur an additional fee. Mr. Bullard told me that he contacted Mr. Smith to schedule this return visit and never heard back from Mr. Smith. So, there was no follow-up inspection conducted. Had I been aware of the garage light, dishwasher and toilet situation, the seller's would have either had to resolve the issues or, at least, I would have been able to use the information to negotiate some financial consideration from the sellers to help defray the financial expenditure which I now have solely borne. In other words, these problems should have been the seller's responsibility, not mine. It should be noted that all of these issues have cost me approximately $1942.62. It should also be noted that while the inspection was conducted on October 20, I did not move into the house until Nov. 22 so many of these issues were not discovered until after I moved in. On December 18, I wrote an email to Mr. Smith and copied Mr. Bullard listing the aforementioned issues and suggesting that I at least get a partial refund of the $460.00 fee. To date, neither Mr. Smith nor Mr. Bullard has responded.

Previous review retracted. I initially gave CastleKeep glowing reviews. However, upon moving into the home, we have discovered numerous defects that were not detected by CastleKeep's inspection. We are still assessing the extent of work that will need to be performed, but it is extensive. As an example, CastleKeep inspected the fireplace and determined that the only thing wrong was a malfunctioning damper. Before I used the fireplace for the first time, we hired an independent repairman to inspect the fireplace, chimney, gas insert, for safety and the need for any maintenance. He stated "do not burn this fireplace". The repairs will cost $700-800 on the chimney/fireplace alone. This is just one example of several problems that we have discovered, and I would be reluctant to recommend CastleKeep for a pre-purchase home inspection. The reason I give them a C overall is that the quality of the work is the primary reason for hiring someone like this, and I don't feel that he provided a quality service, and was not as thorough and complete as I initially perceived.