Another smaller association to merge with NACHI.

[Nick Gromicko]

An agreement between NACHI and ASPREI has resulted in a joint membership arrangement between the two associations. Please join me in welcoming all ASPREI members into NACHI.

[John McKenna]

Welcome

[wforsyth]

Welcome ASPREI/NACHI members!

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Originally Posted by gromicko

An agreement between NACHI and ASPREI has resulted in a joint membership arrangement between the two associations. Please join me in welcoming all ASPREI members into NACHI.

I hope that this issue was resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Nick Gromicko
NACHI
NACHI Member


User Name: gromicko
Location: Valley Forge, PA
Posts: 4,916

One of our guys got wacked $24K from ASPREI. Anyone heard of them?

One of our members said he paid ASPREI $24,000.00 and is not happy. Anyone had good or bad experiences with them? I never heard of them. I'm a life member of SPREI, but I never heard of ASPREI.
--
Nick Gromicko, CMI
Founder
World's biggest, best inspection association
"PlanetNACHI... resistance is futile"


http://www.nachi.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7366&highlight=ASPREI

Steve Jorgenson

Milestone Ltd. - DBA Peak to Val...
NACHI Member


User Name: sjorgenson
Location: Manhattan, MT
Posts: 10

Deceptive business practice

This is my first posting on this board. Nick has encouraged me to post here about an experience my business partner and I have had with an "inspection school" in Barre, Vermont. I first wrote to Nick on August 29, 2006 to seek guidance for my partner and myself as this was new ground to us. I had to wait until certain legalities were out of the way before I would consider posting.

My partner and I wanted to get into the home inspection business. On the internet we found a school in Vermont that sounded like what we were looking for. We did background on the school, talked with the marketing guy, the AG's office in VT, and decided it was the way for us to go. Long story short, we paid over $24K to get shafted. At least, that's the way we're left feeling.

We spent 10 days in Barre, Vermont with seven other people in the basement of a modular home learning how to be home inspectors at the hands of "America's #1 Home Inspector." During the entire ten days we never once touched a computer key. Instead, we were taught how to fill in a complex and confusing NCR form called the URIR which was developed by #1. We never went through a complete home inspection from start to finish during our entire stay.

On July 13th our "teacher" (#1) came to Montana to help us with our "Grand Opening." We sat in front of a group of realtors while he told them how highly trained we were and how we used state of the art technology as home inspectors.

I did my second inspection for one of those realtors and she told my partner that she couldn't use my report in the format it was in. She needed a PDF file to send to her out of state clients. Then we found out that real inspectors (our competitors) really do use state of the art technology and that state of the art technology means PDA's, notebooks, tablets, inspection software, continuous radon monitoring equipment, infrared cameras etc., not NCR paper and charcoal cannisters. We were writing our reports in Word! Apparently, "America's #1 Home Inspector" has lost touch with the home inspection industry and the current technology.

It has taken nearly three months to get out of our "Franchise" and it has cost us several thousand additional dollars to retool, rethink, and relearn what we should have known coming out of class. Especially a class that cost us $12K each. For that kind of money we should have left with a new PDA, radon monitor, and a software package and been knowlegable in the use of each.

In our opinion, we were taken. One of our classmates is suing for a return of his $24K. At least six of the nine feel it was a ripoff. We've not been able to speak with the remaining three, one of whom has had his phone disconnected.

I'm writing this to tell a part of our story and to encourage others to steer clear of home inspection courses in Barre, Vermont. The educational material is a joke in our opinion, i.e. the cd's we were sent as well as much of the printed material. We did 200 + hours of self-study prior to our arrival in Vermont. We feel were self-trained and give little if any credit to our "teacher" for what we know about this industry.

I believe there are many people like us who turn to the internet for information regarding the home inspection industry. We were led to join an organization called ASPREI (American Society of Professional Real Estate Inspectors). We found out, after seeing what NACHI was about, that ASPREI is like a frontier town on a movie lot, it's just a stand-up front being supported by 2x4's with no real substance behind it. There is no data base. After joining NACHI I find that a real school for home inspectors would have cost me $1,500 for 100 hours of instruction.

In closing, I'd like to figure out a way to intercept people who look to the internet for help and end up finding the type of "school" we found. Perhaps a website that lists the reputable franchises with an established track record. I'd like to share with them what has happened to us so they can know that there are other ways to get started. One man from Colorado called us after finding our name on the "school" website. I think he is still in possession of his $24K. At least I hope he is.

Open to comments, questions etc. but please keep the ridicule to a minimum, we've done enough of that to ourselves...........

Steve Jorgenson
Peak To Valley Home Inspections
Bozeman, Montana

8/30/06, 10:30 AM

[wforsyth]

Yeaaah....I wasn't gonna bring that up.....

[Joe Farsetta]

Nick,

In order for ASPREI to integrate, they must operate ethically, and provide the true value-add they purport to deliver.

Additionally, they need to substantially abide by the NACHI SOP, and mose certainly by its COE. COE does not make mention of performing work on properties previously inspected.

Additionally, ASPREI appears to b e tied or owned by a firm called Allstate Inspections and Environmental Assessment (?).

Their member list hasnt been updated, apparently, since 2003 (taken from their own web site).

Finally, here's a little ditty posted:

Using the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PROFFESISSIONAL REAL ESTATE INSPECTOR'S "CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL INSPECTOR" and "CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR" name and logo is limited exclusively to those persons holding a current CERTIFICATION. ASSOCIATE Members may use specially designed logos and text in advertising and promotional materials.



Where did this "merger" come from, why was it allowed, and what does NACHI gain?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by jfarsetta

Using the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PROFFESISSIONAL REAL ESTATE INSPECTOR'S "CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL INSPECTOR" and "CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR" name and logo is limited exclusively to those persons holding a current CERTIFICATION.

As joint members, would this not be all of us?

[Blaine Wiley]

If I'm not mistaken, ASPREI also holds in their standards that ownership of the inspection report belongs to the inspector, as it is his/her intellectual property.

How do we resolve this issue?

[Keith Swift, PhD.]

I'm reminded of the old axiom about the difficulty of riding two horses. Perhaps ASPREI members should consider renoucing their membership in ASPREI and joining the family of NACHI.

[James H. Bushart]

Does not a merger make us members of both associations? If so, this little bitty club just became tied (in membership) with the largest home inspection association in the world.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Originally Posted by jbushart

As joint members, would this not be all of us?

Congratulations Jim!

Due to the “Merger” You are now a CMI!

http://www.asprei.com/Ethics.htm
American Society of Professional Real Estate Inspectors Code of Ethics
The inspector shall make the client aware of potentially dangerous environmental conditions limited to and where applicable private wells, private septic systems, lead paint, radon and/or mold. This may be done by supplying the client publications, handouts or offering testing services.
Like the similar disciplines of engineering and architecture, the inspector owns the work product, the report.
In accepting employment as an inspector, each inspector shall protect and promote the interests of his client to the best of his/her ability and knowledge, recognizing that his client has placed his/her trust and confidence in the inspector shall always endeavor in the best interest of his/her client and his/her profession, to maintain and increase the level of knowledge regarding new developments in the field of inspections through mandatory continuing education.
Each inspector shall conduct his/her business in a manner which will assure his/her client of the inspector’s independence from outside influence and interest, which would compromise their ability to render a fair and impartial opinion, regarding any inspection performed.
The inspector shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one interested party for the same service on the same property without the consent of all interested parties.
The inspector shall not accept nor offer commissions or allowances, directly or indirectly, from other parties dealing with the client in connection with work which the inspector is responsible for.
The inspector shall promptly disclose to the client any interest in any other business which may effect the client, the quality, or the result of the inspection. The inspector will not knowingly use the inspection process to obtain work in a field not directly related to the inspection process.
Using the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PROFFESISSIONAL REAL ESTATE INSPECTOR'S "CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL INSPECTOR" and "CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR" name and logo is limited exclusively to those persons holding a current CERTIFICATION. ASSOCIATE Members may use specially designed logos and text in advertising and promotional materials.
(c)ASPREI

all rights reserved
Last revised Jan. 2001

[Keith Swift, PhD.]

I don't see "merger" mentioned anywhere. Am I missing something?

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Originally Posted by kswift

I don't see "merger" mentioned anywhere. Am I missing something?

1/5/07, 2:22 AM NACHI NACHI Member User Name: gromicko Location: Valley Forge, PA Posts: 4,916
Another smaller association to merge with NACHI.
An agreement between NACHI and ASPREI has resulted in a joint membership arrangement between the two associations.
Please join me in welcoming all ASPREI members into NACHI. --
Nick Gromicko, CMI
Founder
World's biggest, best inspection association
"PlanetNACHI... resistance is futile"

Keith,
It seems that you missed the "Tongue in Cheek" attitude of my post. I was just "messin" with my good friend Jim Bushart.

• On the "serious" side.....There is a question as to ASPRIE's usage of the CMI trademark name.

If Nick, or Mike Rowan own the rights to the "CMI trademark" then ASPRIE should be informed that they are in violation, and they should "cease and desist" in their usage of the CMI trademark name.

Of course this matter is entirely up to Nick and or Mike Rowan.

I wonder how the "Joint Membership arrangement" affects NACHI members?

• Is there any "benefit" to us? If so what?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by kswift

I don't see "merger" mentioned anywhere. Am I missing something?

The term posted is "joint membership"...whereby, the members of the two separate organizations have joined together. Accordingly, the smaller association is now able to boast 9,500 plus new members, effective today.

If we have simply assimilated their membership into ours, this would not be the case...but the term used, "joint membership", would lead me to believe that I now belong to both associations.

[bkelly1]

Nachi- Hey, you guys are basically not even present. Why don't you merge with nachi, and we will give all your members free one year memberships.

Asprei- Alright , we haven't done anything in years, and have no idea how many members we have...

Nachi-- We will make a press release now.

Done Deal, its really not that hard to understand ?