Gresham draws buyers because it still offers something that has largely disappeared from inner Portland: a home under $400,000. But the price of a home and the condition of its systems are completely separate things. A 1968 ranch in Rockwood can be carrying galvanized supply plumbing, a Federal Pacific panel, a failed crawlspace vapor barrier, and a roof on its third cover, and none of that shows up in the listing photos. Historic Downtown, Powell Valley, Glenfair, North Gresham: each area has its own inspection profile, and understanding that profile is the whole job.
Not only do I have 10 years of inspector experience, I also worked as a contractor for 12. My specialty was difficult and high-end framing, but I have replaced roofs, built and painted, installed cabinets, ran wiring, poured concrete, waterproofed showers, set tile, replaced siding and windows, installed drywall, and set doors. That dual background is what lets me read a Gresham home the way its builders would: I know what was done right, what was modified after the fact, and what previous owners hoped you would not notice.
When I get into a Gresham crawlspace, I am not peeking from the hatch. I am in it, reading the clay-soil moisture conditions, looking at the framing, checking whether the vapor barrier is doing anything at all. The most significant findings in East County homes are almost always below the living space, invisible from anywhere you'd normally look. That is the whole point of physically being there.
I hold Certified Master Inspector® certification (top 3% of the industry), Oregon OCHI license #1898, and Washington DOL license #1856. Every inspection includes free thermal imaging.
