I have a leak in my home’s exterior, have prevented this from becoming so bad?

Q: I have a leak in my home’s exterior.  It’s been there for a while, but I didn’t know it until the water showed up inside. How could I have prevented this from becoming so bad?

A: I tell people to become a student of their homes.  Go outside, walk around it, and look for telltale signs for problems.  The job of the exterior of your home is to protect the interior.  If there are breaches, the earlier you detect them, the better.  As a homeowner, it may be difficult to see tiny details that end up making a world of difference on the inside of your home.  However, I’ve been dealing in construction since 1976, so these signs stick out like a sore thumb when I’m examining a construction unit.