I’ve been asked several times now where I get the info for the “Did you Know?” info that I include with each inspection report (not to be confused with the “Did you Know” section at right on my website).
If I haven’t done an inspection report for you yet, I’ll explain what this feature is: along with every inspection report, I include links and/or info about the neighborhood, house style or some fascinating detail about the home which I inspected. Sometimes this is a series of fun facts about the neighborhood, an explanation about those metal rings that are stuck to your curb, why your home has a parlor or where your street got its name… whatever detail it is, it piqued my curiosity and at some point and I researched it. The result is some (usually) obscure trivia about your home and/or the area. I am wildly passionate about the history of houses and details like these and I would find it a crime to not pass this info on to you since you will probably be living there!
I’ve got all kinds of sources for the info I use, but one of my new favorites is Tanya Lyn March’s blog, History Treasured and Sometimes Endangered. If you like to nerd out on the history of Portland and its architecture, I highly suggest following her blog and taking one of her walking tours.