Inspection Red Flags | The Red Flag Almanac

I · The math

What changes before inspection day

The almanac does not certify a house. It gives you a structured first read before you spend time, money, or negotiating leverage.

You see a finished room, not its clues

At a showing, fresh paint can look like maintenance. A basement smell can seem minor. A crack, a downspout, or an old panel may get one glance before the next room pulls you along. You leave with photos and a feeling, but no record of what needs an answer.

You leave with questions tied to systems

You know where to look from the curb, the hatch, and the utility room. You can note what you saw, separate ordinary aging from a reason to investigate, and give an inspector or seller specific questions instead of a general worry.

	Now	With the book
The first walk-through	Room-to-room impressions and a few phone photos	A system-by-system route from lot grading to attic hatch
Water clues	A stain or damp smell noted, then forgotten	Visible drainage, basement, crawlspace, and roof clues recorded for follow-up
Recent renovation	New finishes treated as proof of sound work	Corners, transitions, and concealed areas checked for rushed work
The inspection conversation	“Anything I should worry about?”	Specific observations and questions for the inspector or seller
The decision point	A long report received after the offer is underway	A clearer list of conditions that deserve professional review or a walk-away discussion

The gain is not a diagnosis. It is a written list of visible conditions to investigate before they become somebody else's surprise.

II · Inside the book

Thirteen chapters follow the actual house

Start at the curb and work inward: grading, roof, exterior, foundation, basement or crawlspace, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, attic, finishes, flips, inspection reports, negotiation, and the walk-away arithmetic. Each chapter explains what can be observed safely and what calls for a qualified professional.

1. The Curb Read: Lot, Grading, and Drainagepp. 3–13

2. Roof From the Groundpp. 14–22

3. Walls, Windows, and the Outside Skinpp. 23–31

4. Foundation and Structure: The Walk-Away Sectionpp. 32–42

5. Basements and Crawlspaces From the Hatchpp. 43–50

6. The Plumbing Read (No Wrenches)pp. 51–58

7. The Electrical Read (Hands Off the Panel)pp. 59–66

8. Heating, Cooling, and the Big Ironpp. 67–74

9. Attic From the Hatchpp. 75–84

10. Interior Finish Forensics: What Fresh Paint Hidespp. 85–93

11. Flip Forensics: Reading a Renovation's Cornerspp. 94–104

12. The Report, the Inspector, and the Negotiationpp. 105–112

13. The Walk-Away Arithmeticpp. 113–154

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III · Who wrote it

Twenty-eight years of repeat findings

Raymond Keller walked through more than eleven thousand Mid-Atlantic houses over twenty-eight years. He wrote up the same concealed water damage, bad drainage, unsafe electrical work, roofing failures, and rushed renovation shortcuts until the patterns became hard to miss. He now records what homeowners can spot before the paint, staging, and sales talk carry them past it. His guidance is organized around what failed most often and what deserved a closer look before a buyer signed.

IV · The offer

$17 once. No subscription. Yours forever.

154 pages · 13 chapters · 84-item printable checklist

The Red Flag Almanac

You are buying Raymond’s inspection sequence in a form you can carry through a showing and keep beside an inspection report. At $17, it costs less than continuing to guess which visible details deserve another question.

$17 $69 Launch price — ends August 31

Use it on your next showing, before the inspection is scheduled.

What you get for $17:

The Red Flag Almanac

A Field Guide · No. I · MMXXVI

$27

BonusPre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A printable room-by-room checklist of the 84 items Raymond flagged most often in buyer inspections, organized by system and typical repair cost.

$12

BonusContractor Red-Flag Phrase Guide

A two-page reference of the eleven excuses and deflections Raymond heard from contractors during re-inspections, with the honest translation of each and what it means for your timeline and budget.

$9

BonusLifetime updates

Every future revision of this book, free. When a checklist tightens or a price moves, the new edition reaches you at no charge.

$21

Everything together: $69 of material — today $17

You pay today ~~$69~~$17

Get the guide · $17

Instant download · PDF · 154 pages

Published by Handover Books · secure checkout · your statement will show Handover Books

Read the guide and use the materials for 30 days. If you decide they do not help you organize better questions about a house, request a refund within 30 days of purchase.

V · Questions

The questions buyers ask before ordering

Why is the guide $17?

The launch price is $17 for the 154-page PDF and the included reference materials. It is priced for a buyer who wants a better first pass through a house before paying for professional advice.

Will this apply outside the Mid-Atlantic?

Many of the visible conditions covered—grading, roof wear, foundation movement, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, attic moisture, and rushed finishes—appear in homes across the United States. Local codes, climate, construction methods, and disclosure rules vary, so use the guide to form questions for local qualified professionals.

Is this a substitute for a home inspector?

No. Raymond does not present it as one. The guide helps you notice and document visible conditions; a licensed inspector, contractor, engineer, or other qualified local professional should assess conditions that need expertise.

What format do I receive?

You receive an instant-download PDF with 154 pages, plus the printable Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist and the Contractor Red-Flag Phrase Guide.

How does the refund work?

You have 30 days from purchase to request a refund if the guide does not help you organize better questions about a house.

Get the guide · $17

Do not let fresh paint finish the inspection

A house can be clean, staged, and still worth a closer look. Take Raymond’s route through the visible clues, write down what needs an answer, and bring better questions to the people paid to assess it.

Get the guide · $17