Inspection Red Flags | The Red Flag Almanac

I · The math

Eighty-four checks replace a vague walkthrough

The change is not clairvoyance. It is a better order of attention during a showing.

You notice the room, not the evidence

At a showing, a buyer is usually following the agent from kitchen to bedroom, trying to remember square footage and paint colors. The basement hatch, roof edge, grading, panel cover, and attic access get a quick glance, if any.

You leave with a record of questions

You know where to stand, what to photograph, what not to touch, and which visible conditions deserve an inspector, contractor, price adjustment, or a walk away. You are not diagnosing a house. You are no longer overlooking the places trouble commonly announces itself.

	Now	With the book
Outside water	A quick look at siding and landscaping	Read grading, downspouts, drainage paths, and the foundation line before going inside
Roof condition	Guess from the driveway	Use ground-level clues to note age, edges, flashing, and drainage concerns
Basement and crawlspace	A dark corner you move through quickly	Check accessible clues for moisture, movement, repairs, and hidden utility problems
Electrical and plumbing	Assume visible fixtures mean the system is sound	Recognize warning signs without opening panels or taking tools to anything
Fresh renovations	Treat new finishes as proof of condition	Inspect the corners, transitions, and unfinished areas where rushed work shows

The net result is a written 84-item walkthrough instead of a memory of the paint colors.

II · Inside the book

Thirteen chapters follow the house in order

Start at the curb, move through drainage, roof, exterior, structure, basement, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, attic, interiors, and renovation work. The final chapters cover inspection reports, negotiation, and the arithmetic behind walking away.

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

2. Roof From the Groundpp. 14–23

3. Walls, Windows, and the Outside Skinpp. 24–32

4. Foundation and Structure: The Walk-Away Sectionpp. 33–43

5. Basements and Crawlspaces From the Hatchpp. 44–51

6. The Plumbing Read (No Wrenches)pp. 52–60

7. The Electrical Read (Hands Off the Panel)pp. 61–69

8. Heating, Cooling, and the Big Ironpp. 70–78

9. Attic From the Hatchpp. 79–88

10. Interior Finish Forensics: What Fresh Paint Hidespp. 89–97

11. Flip Forensics: Reading a Renovation's Cornerspp. 98–109

12. The Report, the Inspector, and the Negotiationpp. 110–117

13. The Walk-Away Arithmeticpp. 118–159

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III · Who wrote it

Twenty-eight years of repeat findings

Raymond Keller walked through more than eleven thousand properties during twenty-eight years of Mid-Atlantic inspections. He kept seeing the same water paths, bad repairs, concealed damage, electrical shortcuts, and fresh paint applied over old trouble. This guide organizes those repeat findings by the systems a buyer can observe before bringing in a professional.

IV · The offer

$17 once. No subscription. Yours forever.

13 chapters, 84 printable checks, and 11 contractor phrases

The Red Flag Almanac

This is a 159-page reference for the parts of a house buyers tend to rush past. It gives you an inspection-minded sequence for a showing, reducing the work of deciding where to look first and what a visible clue may require next. At $17, it is priced for the buyer who wants better questions before the larger decisions begin.

$17 $69 Launch price — ends August 31

Its value begins at the first showing where one visible issue changes the questions you ask.

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 · 159 pages

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

Read the guide and use the checklists. If it is not useful to you, request a refund within 30 days of purchase.

V · Questions

What this guide can and cannot tell you

Why is the guide $17?

The launch price is $17 for the 159-page PDF and the included printable references. It is meant to be used before and alongside the larger costs of buying, inspecting, and repairing a house.

Will this apply outside the Mid-Atlantic?

The guide comes from Mid-Atlantic inspection work, but it covers common residential systems found across much of the United States: grading, roofing, foundations, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, attics, and renovation work. Local codes, construction methods, climate, and property conditions still matter.

Is this a replacement for a home inspector?

No. A buyer should still use qualified professionals where appropriate. This guide helps you notice visible clues, document questions, and understand why an inspector may recommend further evaluation.

What format will I receive?

You receive an instant-download PDF with 159 pages, plus the printable Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist and Contractor Red-Flag Phrase Guide.

What if it does not help me?

You have 30 days from purchase to request a refund. Review the material first and keep it if it gives you a better way to walk through a property.

Get the guide · $17

Do not let fresh paint finish the inspection

A house can look settled, clean, and newly updated while the important evidence sits at the roof edge, behind a hatch, below a window, or along the foundation. Take the list with you before the next showing.

Get the guide · $17