Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991                   TAG: 9103040305
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

OWNER/BROKER OF LAND SALES FIRM IS FINED

The incident involved the November 1983 sale of property for Louise Johnstone of Wythe County by agent Kenny Gusler. The Virginia Real Estate Board determined that the three-month delay was unreasonable.

A Chantilly-Centreville auctioneer has surrendered his license and paid a $750 fine after the Virginia Board for Auctioneers found his advertising for oriental and Persian rug auctions to be misleading.

Anwar M. Khan traded as Fidelity First Financial Corp. and hired temporary workers to act as shills to increase the bids at his auctions, the state board said.

The board, which is part of the Department of Commerce, also said it learned that Khan had falsified his original application for a license when he said he had never been disciplined by any auctioneer board. The Virginia board learned that Kentucky had revoked Khan's license in that state in December 1987.

Khan held auctions in Northern Virginia and elsewhere in the state.

Michael T. Jones of Pearisburg has paid a $500 fine for violations of regulations in work done in 1989 for Mary E. Perdue of Pearisburg, according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Commerce.

Jones Home Improvement was hired by Perdue to install new guttering and vinyl siding and 1/2-inch insulation at her house. Investigation by the State Board for Contractors revealed that no guttering was installed, that\ -inch insulation was used and that no building permit was obtained for the project.

The department also has received payment of a $150 fine from Lindel Winners of Roanoke, who had been the principal broker of Olympia Realty Corp.. Winners failed to renew his license last year. Winners has indicated he will not seek a renewal.

Von W. Moody III, director of Real Estate Valuation for Roanoke, has been elected to the national board of directors for the Appraisal Institute. He also has been appointed to the national General Appraiser Board Admissions Committee.

Moody also served on a committee that helped design the new state exam for appraisers.

Thinking of selling or buying, check out these tips from The American Society of Home Inspectors:

Among the 10 most frequently found problems in a home inspection are:

Improper grading and drainage around the house;

Electrical system inadequate, or amateur wiring connections;

Roof damage; and

Heating and air conditioning systems problems.

To improve overall appearance of a piece of property, consider trimming trees and shrubs that touch or overhang the house, caulking and weatherstripping around windows and doors, cleaning gutters of debris and leaves and repairing or replacing cracked or broken gutters and downspouts, and replacing bathroom caulk or grouting for appearance and to prevent seepage.

For a free brochure about home inspections and a list of ASHI members in your area, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to ASHI at 3299 K Street N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20007.