From water leaks to termites, a building inspector has shared the worst property defects, highlighted the limitations of building and pest reports, and discussed how investors can interpret them.

“Stacked Decks: Building Inspectors and the Reproduction of Urban Inequality” published this month. (Images courtesy University of Chicago Press) This is your first of three free stories this month.

Hurricanes and massive snowstorms are inconvenient for many Nutmeggers, but they also prompt additional work for Connecticut’s already-busy building inspectors. During the Northeast’s recent rough ...