How to start a home inspection business?

[Bill Morrison]

Thank you to everyone for their help. I appreciate the candid answers!

Can someone recommend which school they think would be best for someone like me with no experience in the trades? Obviously some kind of correspondence course probably wouldn't make sense. I need some kind of comprehensive, hands-on program.

Thanks,

Bill

[dharris]

Originally Posted by Bill Morrison

Thank you to everyone for their help. I appreciate the candid answers!

Can someone recommend which school they think would be best for someone like me with no experience in the trades? Obviously some kind of correspondence course probably wouldn't make sense. I need some kind of comprehensive, hands-on program.

Thanks,

Bill

Bill.
Check the BTR site for state approved schools.
www.btr.state.az.us

If you go the community college route, get a resume of instructors, there are some great instructors there as well.

The majority of hands on experience will come with your 30 training inspections, with another inspector.

[Charlie Q. Griswald, Jr]

Originally Posted by Bill Morrison

I really, truly am under the impression that I can attend training programs and learn what I need to know to do an effective job. Is it your position that you have to come from the trades to be a competent home inspector?

Your impression is correct, Bill. You are fortunate enough to work in a state that provides licensing and this means that anyone in your state who is willing to fill the squares can become a licensed home inspector.

I am a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors and I would encourage you to joing ASHI as well as NACHI, to allow yourself access to as much information that you can acquire while you are preparing yourself for business.

We have relaxed our requirements quite a bit, so don't be afraid to join with us as a novice. Use our name as well as the advice of our members to help you grow in the business.

Everybody starts somewhere.

[dharris]

I am a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors and I would encourage you to joing ASHI as well as NACHI, to allow yourself access to as much information that you can acquire while you are preparing yourself for business.

I'm starting to like this Charley guy,
1st he comes here and apologizes for me, then, after he gets on the nachi members side he encourages other inspectors, by using nachos BB, to join ASHI.
I have to admit he is a pretty slick dude


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[dharris]

I am a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors and I would encourage you to joing ASHI as well as NACHI, to allow yourself access to as much information that you can acquire while you are preparing yourself for business.

As an AZ inspector, Prior to spending $s to join either org, I recommend checking both orgs and meeting local inspectors here in AZ.
The AZ ASHI chapter has a minimum of 8 seminars a yr, some free, some for a fee.

Not sure what the local NACHI chapter has planned.
After speaking to Cheryl the local NACHI chapter rep. a couple weeks ago, I do believe she is considering an interesting seminar shortly.

[tdietrich1]

Arent the chapter meeting courses open to any org?

tom

[dharris]

Originally Posted by tdietrich1

Arent the chapter meeting courses open to any org?

tom

They sure are.
Due to the time and commitment it takes to put on a seminar, at present time,[no intention at all to discredit or bash the az nachi members,I know very well the amount of time and effert it takes] az ashi, mainly due to more established members that can take a few hours from inspecting to work on preparing a seminar, does have more seminars.

[Nick Gromicko]

Dan, I know the real identity of Charlie and he is a prominent ASHI member/leader but a good fella. Like you, he is free to post here.

[Nick Gromicko]

P.S. Although there is licensing in AZ, it is probably the worst licensing out of all 50 states. No required CE! What were they thinking?

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by gromicko

P.S. Although there is licensing in AZ, it is probably the worst licensing out of all 50 states. No required CE! What were they thinking?

Most ce is lame Nick

[dharris]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Dan, I know the real identity of Charlie and he is a prominent ASHI member/leader but a good fella. Like you, he is free to post here.

Welll n i c k, thats not saying much, all one has to do is read a few posts to see that some of your members need to protect you from making wrong decisions when it come to determining who your friends are,
heck he could be charley manson, if he convinced you that he could help you collect another mill, and conquer the HI profession, following your list of friends he would also be a good fellow

ASHI leader?? gosh with his inconsistencies in posts it's best for ASHI if he leaves, he sounds more like a disgruntled vendor, do you really want a friend that will stab you in the back if things do not go his way with your org.??
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[Charlie Q. Griswald, Jr]

Originally Posted by dharris

ASHI leader?? gosh with his inconsistencies in posts it's best for ASHI if he leaves, he sounds more like a disgruntled vendor, do you really want a friend that will stab you in the back if things do not go his way with your org.??
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This post illustrates my point as to my need to conceal my real identity from ASHI.

Saying good things about NACHI equates to a "stab in the back" to some ASHI folks. This is an unfortunate truth.

I hate to watch my association die and I blame animals like Mr. Harris for bringing us even closer to the inevitable brink. When I first became a member of ASHI, it meant something much more than what Mr. Harris conveys. I hope you all believe that.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by Charlie Q. Griswald, Jr

I hate to watch my association die

I don't.

Just do what the majority of us do. Put dan on "Ignore" and then enjoy watching ASHI die. It's great entertainment.

[dharris]

Originally Posted by Charlie Q. Griswald, Jr

This post illustrates my point as to my need to conceal my real identity from ASHI.

Saying good things about NACHI equates to a "stab in the back" to some ASHI folks. This is an unfortunate truth.

I hate to watch my association die and I blame animals like Mr. Harris for bringing us even closer to the inevitable brink. When I first became a member of ASHI, it meant something much more than what Mr. Harris conveys. I hope you all believe that.

Ahhh charley
If you really have 11 yrs in the profession, why would you need ashi or anybody else to help you succed, or be worried about realtors.

Last I heard, it doesn't matter who you know, it's what you know to be sucessful is this or any other profession.

The next question, if you really have that much exp. WHY would it take you any time at all to qualifiy for ALL items [ any experienced HI should have ]
on the long list the nacho membership requirements

[James H. Bushart]

I've observed this strange activity on the ASHI message board before.

Any member of ASHI who says something good about NACHI is immediately attacked and his credibility and skills as an inspector are challenged. It is amusing in a way, like watching a freak show, the way these guys interact with each other.

They will all gang up and tear into a member for supporting NACHI until some poor ASHI oaf comes along and mispells a word during the feeding frenzy. Then they turn on him.

But even Mr. Griswald, with 11 years in ASHI, can't feel the pain of this ASHI member who emailed this to me:

You recently asked how the name change inside ASHI affected the membership requirements this past year. For 30 years you could not ADVERTISE you were an ASHI member unless you had fufilled all membership requirements. When I joined 24 years ago that was up around 750 to 1,000 verified home inspections; a PEER review on-site with 3 Senior Inspectors from outside your Trade Area to insure you actually knew what you were talking about and could convey that information to your client; AND a very extensive series of tests on construction knowledge taking all day to complete if you tried to take them all in the same day.

When Realtors, lenders OR the general public used an ASHI member they were more assured of competency. The Realtors, lenders OR general public OFTEN insisted on using ONLY an ASHI member. Today we find MANY Realtors still telling their clients to ONLY use an ASHI member because they're the ONLY ones competent to .................. While that is nice for us ASHI members, its a straight out lie or deception.

Attached is ASHI's 2007 name policy change. They were losing membership to other inspector organizations and changed name classifications so ANY person that joins ASHI can call themselves an ASHI member as soon as the check OR credit card clears the bank.

You still can't use the logo until taking a test OR producing some inspections, but .......

Today NACHI (who ASHI inspectors love to kick) have to take an ONLINE construction test before they can even join NACHI; and NAHI members have to complete either 40 hours of classroom training in home inspection OR complete 20 fee paid inspections and have them reviewed by a Peer Review Panel BEFORE they can even get in the front door of NAHI. After getting in, Both of these groups then have more stringent requirements for advancing.

As the 1st ASHI inspector between St. Louis and Denver to reach FULL Membership over 20 years ago, I find this embarrassing but such is life.

It has to be painful to have almost 30 years invested in an organization and watch it degenerate into the dan harrises of ASHI...before it sputters and dies.