Are you thinking about making the jump from renting your space to owning your own home? If you are, you’ll probably use a mortgage loan to purchase your property. Knowing what to expect when you close on your loan can make the process of getting the right mortgage loan for you a little easier. No matter which lender you work with, you’ll probably go through these three steps when your lender underwrites your loan.

• Appraisal. An appraisal is a required part of the home buying process. During an appraisal, a home value expert will visit your home and assign an official estimate of value to your property. Lenders require appraisals because they cannot loan you more money than your property is worth.
• Inspection. Most lenders don’t require you to get a plumbing or electrical inspection in Montgomery County before you close on your mortgage loan. However, you should never skip this step because a professional inspection ensures that you know the true condition of your home before you buy it. During an inspection, a home condition expert will visit your property and safely test your home’s major systems, noting anything that isn’t up-to-code or that needs a repair. If your home has an underlying issue, you might want to ask your seller for a repair before you sign on your loan.
• Financial verification. While you’re receiving your inspections and appraisal, your lender will work on verifying your financial information. Your lender will run a credit check, verify your income and assets, and ensure that the financial documents you submitted when you applied for your loan are correct.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, be sure to schedule an electrical inspection in Chester County from the independent team at A-1 Electric before you commit. To learn more or make your appointment, give our team a call now!

In order to avoid emergency electrical situations, it is important to know what types of situations are most likely to cause an electrical outage. Understanding when you’re most likely to experience an outage can help you and your family have emergency supplies at the ready and your emergency electrical service provider’s number on-hand. Here are five of the most common issues that could lead to a power outage.

• Bad Weather: When a storm hits, there are many issues that you could face that could cause your electricity to go out. It could be lightning, too much heat or cold, or even ice that knocks out the power.
• A Crash: When cars run off the road and hit a power line, it can lead to a power outage. This issue may take hours or longer to correct.
• Digging: An excavation can also easily lead to major power issues. This can happen when one of the buried wires is hit or cut accidentally, causing you to experience a power disruption.
• Poor or Old Electrical Work: One thing that you need to be aware of are times where someone did not have qualified electrical work or an electrical inspection done, or when wires are simply getting too old. This can result in several problems, including a lack of power and even unsafe conditions inside your home.
• Natural Disasters: All types of natural disasters can result in power struggles, from blizzards and ice to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. Whenever weather impacts power lines, you can anticipate an electrical outage.

If you’re currently dealing with an emergency electrical situation at your home or business, remember to stay calm. Ensure that each member of your family is safe, then call A-1 Electric’s team of master electricians to have a repair professional at your door within 24 hours.

The United States has over 450,000 miles of electrical lines running across it. While these electrical lines are almost always functional, blackouts can happen at any time — and some blackouts can span multiple counties and last for weeks on end. Let’s take a look at three of history’s worst blackouts and how they affected our country.

• 1965 Northeast Blackout. On Tuesday, November 9, 1965, a major blackout struck the Northeast United States after a tiny power surge occurred on a minor line, which shut down a major line originating from Northern Ontario. In just five minutes, over 30 million people in 8 different states were left completely without power for 13 hours. This blackout was so severe that it led to the creation of the Electric Power Research Institute to place additional electrical inspection regulations into place.
• 1977 New York City Blackout. On July 13th, 1977, the Big Apple saw its worst blackout ever when a substation was struck by a bolt of lightning. Neighborhoods from Bushwick to Crown Heights lost power for around 16 hours until power was restored. Large-scale rioting and looting ensued as restoration was delayed. By the time power came back online, around 4,500 looters were arrested, and 550 police officers were injured.
• 1982 West Coast Blackout. On December 22nd, 1982, high winds knocked a key transmission line out of commission outside of the town of Tracy, California. About 2 million people lost power, going without electricity for hours. The blackout stretched from San Francisco to Las Vegas, Nevada, and is considered one of the worst blackouts the West Coast has ever experienced.

An electrical emergency can strike at any time. If you’re in need of emergency electrical services, your first call should be to the team at A-1 Electric. Give our team of independent electrical inspectors and professionals a call and receive service in 24 hours or less!