Bob Anderson's Thoughts - Pro
I have been a home inspector since 1996, an ASHI Member since 1998; state certified in 2003 and have inspected homes in three states.
Many people, especially home inspectors tend to forget why we require professionals to be licensed. It’s not about us; it’s about protecting the consumer.
Due to many factors, including the lure of apparent easy money to be made as a home inspector, a booming housing market and increased number of home inspector training schools, there has been a huge influx of new home inspectors and others wanting to enter the profession. Our industry has become like a small town in which the population has exploded due to the gold rush, but currently lacks law and order. It is well known that masses of people left to police themselves, will most assuredly dissolve into chaos.
The state of Virginia does have an inspection precedence that is nearly 100 years old. Everyone has participated in this model, and that is the motor vehicle inspection. My auto mechanic has to follow state standards of practice when he performs an inspection on my car, but what if there were no state automobile inspection standards? What if my mechanic’s company policy stated that brakes were not part of his inspections or what if he was simply busy and didn’t have time to check them? What if I was injured due to faulty brakes, then how would I have any recourse? In this hypothetical scenario, the state doesn’t require him to check the brakes. Sure, many mechanic trade organizations state that a member of their organization must check brakes, but he isn’t a member of any of those organizations either. He is the type of inspector who likes to make up his own rules, and besides, if he had to follow standards, it would slow him down from inspecting 50 cars a day to only 20 cars.
Bear in mind that I have inspected homes in three states, all of which had no state regulations at the time, so I will not mention from what state this example occurred. I know of a home inspector who is self regulated. His inspections are marked by minutes, not hours. I have heard complaints from the real estate community and home buying public alike that he has completed home inspections in under an hour, and in one case, 45-minutes on a 2,000+ square foot home. Any good inspector could tell you that this cannot be done. He has skipped going in crawl spaces, skipped opening electrical panel covers or going into attics. He tells people that inspectors should not walk on any roof because it will damage the shingles. People will argue that the real estate community or law suites will weed out inspectors like this. The truth is that this inspector thrives. He thrives for two reasons. Due to time constraints, many of us are only able to inspect two homes per day, whereas this inspector is able to complete three and four inspections per day. With that kind of revenue, you can afford an occasional law suite. Also, the real estate community loves the fact that they are only tied up for an hour or less on his inspections, whereas, they will be sitting in a home two to three hours with any other inspector. Statistics prove that the less time spent in a home, fewer defects are uncovered. This is also a great plus for many in the real estate community who do not want their contracts muddied by so called “nit picky inspectors.” As a result, he is one of the most popular inspectors in his market area.
If there are no mandatory standards or regulations, then how can I, as a homeowner, seek restitution in the event that a home inspector did not properly inspect my home, and caused me great financial loss, or worse. After all, what are we inspecting? My home is my investment, my life’s savings, and a place where I shelter my wife and children.
In Virginia, home inspectors do not have to enter crawl spaces, they do not have to remove electrical panel covers, and they do not have to inspect or report on the flue of a furnace. I have personally inspected a crawl space that was so full of mold and dry rot, that actual repair estimates were $30,000.00. I have seen furnace flue pipes rusted through and belching carbon monoxide into the home. I have seen fire hazards in electrical panels where breakers were grossly oversized (12 gauge on a 100 amp breaker). Collectively, we have thousands of stories to tell of disasters waiting to happen, many of which could only have been discovered by thorough standardized inspections, by inspectors who have chosen to self regulate. But remember, there are many in society who will not self regulate, who will not follow any rules other than those that will benefit themselves and are in their best interest. It’s simply human nature. Even with standards and regulations, there are those who will choose not to abide. At least the public will have recourse. At least there will be a benchmark from where we can base our case.
Bob Anderson
Inspector Homes, Inc.
http://www.2inspect.com/
Many people, especially home inspectors tend to forget why we require professionals to be licensed. It’s not about us; it’s about protecting the consumer.
Due to many factors, including the lure of apparent easy money to be made as a home inspector, a booming housing market and increased number of home inspector training schools, there has been a huge influx of new home inspectors and others wanting to enter the profession. Our industry has become like a small town in which the population has exploded due to the gold rush, but currently lacks law and order. It is well known that masses of people left to police themselves, will most assuredly dissolve into chaos.
The state of Virginia does have an inspection precedence that is nearly 100 years old. Everyone has participated in this model, and that is the motor vehicle inspection. My auto mechanic has to follow state standards of practice when he performs an inspection on my car, but what if there were no state automobile inspection standards? What if my mechanic’s company policy stated that brakes were not part of his inspections or what if he was simply busy and didn’t have time to check them? What if I was injured due to faulty brakes, then how would I have any recourse? In this hypothetical scenario, the state doesn’t require him to check the brakes. Sure, many mechanic trade organizations state that a member of their organization must check brakes, but he isn’t a member of any of those organizations either. He is the type of inspector who likes to make up his own rules, and besides, if he had to follow standards, it would slow him down from inspecting 50 cars a day to only 20 cars.
Bear in mind that I have inspected homes in three states, all of which had no state regulations at the time, so I will not mention from what state this example occurred. I know of a home inspector who is self regulated. His inspections are marked by minutes, not hours. I have heard complaints from the real estate community and home buying public alike that he has completed home inspections in under an hour, and in one case, 45-minutes on a 2,000+ square foot home. Any good inspector could tell you that this cannot be done. He has skipped going in crawl spaces, skipped opening electrical panel covers or going into attics. He tells people that inspectors should not walk on any roof because it will damage the shingles. People will argue that the real estate community or law suites will weed out inspectors like this. The truth is that this inspector thrives. He thrives for two reasons. Due to time constraints, many of us are only able to inspect two homes per day, whereas this inspector is able to complete three and four inspections per day. With that kind of revenue, you can afford an occasional law suite. Also, the real estate community loves the fact that they are only tied up for an hour or less on his inspections, whereas, they will be sitting in a home two to three hours with any other inspector. Statistics prove that the less time spent in a home, fewer defects are uncovered. This is also a great plus for many in the real estate community who do not want their contracts muddied by so called “nit picky inspectors.” As a result, he is one of the most popular inspectors in his market area.
If there are no mandatory standards or regulations, then how can I, as a homeowner, seek restitution in the event that a home inspector did not properly inspect my home, and caused me great financial loss, or worse. After all, what are we inspecting? My home is my investment, my life’s savings, and a place where I shelter my wife and children.
In Virginia, home inspectors do not have to enter crawl spaces, they do not have to remove electrical panel covers, and they do not have to inspect or report on the flue of a furnace. I have personally inspected a crawl space that was so full of mold and dry rot, that actual repair estimates were $30,000.00. I have seen furnace flue pipes rusted through and belching carbon monoxide into the home. I have seen fire hazards in electrical panels where breakers were grossly oversized (12 gauge on a 100 amp breaker). Collectively, we have thousands of stories to tell of disasters waiting to happen, many of which could only have been discovered by thorough standardized inspections, by inspectors who have chosen to self regulate. But remember, there are many in society who will not self regulate, who will not follow any rules other than those that will benefit themselves and are in their best interest. It’s simply human nature. Even with standards and regulations, there are those who will choose not to abide. At least the public will have recourse. At least there will be a benchmark from where we can base our case.
Bob Anderson
Inspector Homes, Inc.
http://www.2inspect.com/
posted by Hollis at 9:11 PM
3 Comments:
To prove my point about the "huge influx" of people entering our industry, I pulled out an old ASHI Reporter trade magazine. In February 1996, there was 46 people who joined ASHI as a candidate. In my August issue of the ASHI Reporter, there was 214 people who joined as candidates. We also realize that this only accounts for a fraction of the actual numbers, because many people joined organizations other than ASHI, or did not join any organization.
Bob Anderson
I failed to say that the August issue of the ASHI Reporter was the August 2006 issue. We are talking about a 10 year time span. In the month of Febuary 1996, 46 people joined ASHI as Candidates. In August of 2006, 214 people joined ASHI as Candidates. The numbers entering this profession today are huge compared to just 10 years ago. Home Inspector is not a "niche" profession anymore.
Bob Anderson
Bob, I agree with your post.
I have been the contact person for our ASHI chapter for several years. For the past two year, it has not been unusual to get several calls a month from people wanting to be a home inspector. Anyway .....I have kept in touch with all these contacts via email ....not until the last few weeks have I had any tell me that they were throwing in the towel. Three over the past month have said they were pursuing some other occupation. So maybe the slowed market will slow down that influx. John Cranor
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