In Hot Water…(heater)

The house in Berkeley Heights was coincidentally listed by the very same realtor who had sold me my house in Summit, two years previously.   She was a very competent agent who had many years of experience.   I had hoped to be able to chit chat, “girl-talk” with her in the corner, but I soon learned that there was a strict protocol that listing agents and buyers agents were not encouraged to talk at length during the home inspection, because we were representing different sides of the transaction .   

However, toward the end of the home inspection we were all called down into the basement by the Home Inspector, a man with little personality,  for a summary.  

The home inspector spoke as if to no one in particular, “As you can see the hot water heater is leaking… ”

I feigned horror, and immediately went over to the big hulking machine in the middle of the basement, intent on checking things out myself.   

Putting my hands on my hips, I scoured the base of the equipment for several minutes, I called out, “Hello!”  

Everyone turned in my direction.   

 “I don’t see a drop of water anywhere over here.”   My glare directed at the mirthless Home Inspector, I inquired “Can you please tell me what you mean?”  

My clients looked at each other.  

The home inspector looked at his papers, and then gave the side eye to the listing agent .  

The listing agent (did I see an eye roll?)  announced haughtily, (I definitely saw an eye roll.) “Jane, that’s the furnace, not the hot water heater.”

I felt like someone else might have handled the situation differently….maybe spun around and said, “Of course!! Duh!!”  

But instead, I turned bright red and retreated to the corner of the basement, standing next to what I believed to be the washer and dryer….but at that point, I really couldn’t be sure of anything.