A Field Guide · No. I · MMXXVI

Spot 84 inspection red flags before you buy

You cannot see every concealed defect on a showing, but missing one of 84 repeat findings can leave you negotiating after the offer instead of before it. This guide shows you where to look first.

Get the guide · $17 Read the math

$17once, yours forever

30-dayrefund guarantee

Instantdigital delivery

This is not a substitute for a licensed home inspection, a contractor’s evaluation, or a specialist’s report. It is a field guide to the visible warning signs that deserve a closer look before you commit to a house.

The Red Flag Almanac

I · The math

The inspection gap, on paper

These are the checks the guide helps you make during a normal walkthrough. It will not diagnose a house. It gives you a better record of what deserves scrutiny.

Before the showing

You move from room to room looking at finishes, trying to remember every concern, and relying on a seller disclosure or a polished renovation to tell the full story.

Before the offer

You have a route through the property, a list of visible conditions to note, and clear questions for the inspector, agent, seller, or contractor. You know which findings merit more information and which ones change the conversation.

	Now	With the book
Outside drainage	A quick look at the siding and landscaping	Read the grade, downspouts, and water path before entering
Roof condition	Guessing from a distant view	A ground-level scan for age, wear, flashing, and drainage clues
Foundation concerns	One crack, no context	A way to separate ordinary observation from a walk-away question
Electrical and plumbing	Opening what you should leave alone	Visible, hands-off checks and questions for a licensed professional
Fresh renovation work	Taking new finishes at face value	A room-by-room read of corners, transitions, stains, and rushed repairs

The gain is a written list of 84 places to look and ask before your inspection window starts.

II · Inside the book

What the guide covers

Thirteen chapters follow the order Raymond used to read a property: the lot and exterior first, then the structure, major systems, attic, finishes, renovation work, and the questions that belong in the report and negotiation.

1. The Curb Read: Lot, Grading, and Drainage

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

2. Roof From the Ground

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

3. Walls, Windows, and the Outside Skin

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

4. Foundation and Structure: The Walk-Away Section

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

5. Basements and Crawlspaces From the Hatch

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

6. The Plumbing Read (No Wrenches)

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

7. The Electrical Read (Hands Off the Panel)

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

8. Heating, Cooling, and the Big Iron

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

9. Attic From the Hatch

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

10. Interior Finish Forensics: What Fresh Paint Hides

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

11. Flip Forensics: Reading a Renovation's Corners

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

12. The Report, the Inspector, and the Negotiation

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

13. The Walk-Away Arithmetic

each method is a self-contained unit the reader can run alone

Get the guide · $17

Raymond Keller

III · Who wrote it

Twenty-eight years of repeat findings

Raymond Keller walked through more than eleven thousand Mid-Atlantic houses before buyers took possession. He wrote up roofs near the end of their service life, drainage that sent water toward foundations, amateur wiring, concealed plumbing leaks, and fresh paint applied where a repair should have been. This guide organizes the patterns he documented most often. It tells you what can be seen during a showing, what to ask about, and when a finding belongs in the walk-away column.

IV · The offer

$17 once. No subscription. Yours forever.

The Red Flag Almanac

13 chapters · 84-item printable checklist · 11 contractor red-flag phrases

The Red Flag Almanac

This is a working reference for the time between first showing and final decision. It reduces the work of deciding where to begin, what to photograph, and which visible conditions deserve a professional answer. At $17, it costs less than walking into an inspection discussion with nothing written down.

$17 $48 Launch price — ends August 31

It can pay for itself before the offer, when one visible finding gives you a question worth asking.

What you get for $17:

The Red Flag Almanac

A Field Guide · No. I · MMXXVI

$17

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

Everything together: $48 of material — today $17

You pay today ~~$48~~$17

Get the guide · $17

Instant download · PDF

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

Read the guide and review the included references for 30 days. If it does not give you a clearer way to examine a property and prepare for an inspection, request a refund within 30 days of purchase.

V · Questions

Questions buyers ask

Is this useful if I already plan to hire an inspector?

Yes. The guide is meant to improve what you notice before the inspection and the questions you bring to it. A licensed inspector remains the person to evaluate the property and report on its condition.

Will this apply outside the Mid-Atlantic?

The examples come from Raymond’s Mid-Atlantic inspection work, but the visible systems covered—grading, roofs, foundations, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, attics, and finishes—appear in homes across the United States. Local construction, climate, codes, and permitting still matter.

Does it tell me how to repair problems?

No. It helps you identify visible warning signs, record them, and ask better questions. Repairs and diagnoses belong with qualified local professionals.

What do I receive after purchase?

You receive an instant PDF download of The Red Flag Almanac, plus the printable 84-item Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist and the two-page Contractor Red-Flag Phrase Guide.

What if it is not useful to me?

You have 30 days to request a refund. Review the material first; if it does not help you prepare for a property walkthrough or inspection conversation, ask for your money back within that period.

Get the guide · $17

Read the house before the offer goes in

A clean kitchen, new paint, and staged furniture do not answer for drainage, roof wear, old wiring, or a hurried renovation. Take Raymond’s field guide with you, write down what you see, and bring the right questions to the inspection.

Get the guide · $17