I thought this was really interesting. My wife was looking at inspectors websites today trying to figure out what they had in theirs, that I don’t have in mine, that would be placing them higher on the Google search list. She came across an inspectors website that had this posted. Just thought it was interesting.
HOME INSPECTORS ARE NOT LICENSED, REGULATED OR CERTIFIED IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. ANYONE CAN CLAIM TO BE A HOME INSPECTOR.
The states that require a Home Inspection license make their candidates take the NHIE “the national home inspector exam”. This is the test ASHI makes their candidates pass to gain certification. Only approximately 50 inspectors in Denver are ASHI certified. The other’s have padded their credentials with sound alike certifications like NACHI. An ASHI inspector in Colorado has basically voluntarily licensed themselves to the standards required in other states!
In a sense there is some truth to that because ASHI plays a big role in the testing and State SOP’S.
If you live in a Licensed State the claim not only has no validity but by being NACHI you can claim to exceed ASHI Inspectors by being doubly trained in that case.
It just sounds like a marketing technique. It will always be there. Competition makes the workplace interesting. All you can do is continue to learn, improve your career and do the best job you can everytime. I hear some of the stories from people who recived a home inspection in the local area and were not satisfied. So now, I can take that customer feedback and use it to my advantage.
Chuck - in 3 yeara of inspecting here in the Denver/Foothills area, I have been asked 2 times if I was ASHI - both times I explained the difference and why I picked NACHI - both times got the job. ASHI does not seem to have much of a “presence” here in CO.
I just thought that it was interesting that this guy was using this tactic to try and land inspections. He also has a similar statement on his website talking about brokers. It seems to me that this HI is simply marketing to the home buyer via his web site. I use my website mainly to qualify myself to my customers, not to upset everyone else. I wish him luck in his endeavors.
He also has this posted on the front of his website. Looks to me like he is opening himself up to trouble.
The most important reason to use
NO LIMIT OF LIABILITY CONTRACTS TO SIGN
That’s right, when you use ********* you WILL NOT have to sign away your rights!
What is a Limited Liability Contract?
A limited liability, or also called a hold harmless contract, is a legal device to protect the inspector from wrong doing. This is an unethical way to ‘hold harmless” the inspector from missing things he/she is supposed to find during their inspection. This is a legal protection from errors, omissions and damage. This is not some obtuse, obscure legal text book stuff. This is an agreement by you (the buyer) agreeing that if the inspector does a bad job there’s nothing you can do about it. I will never make you sign such an unethical contract. Lawyers, CPA’s and most professionals are not allowed to make their clients sign such agreements for it would obviously encourage malpractice and diminish the integrity of the profession. I can only assume inspectors that make their clients give up their legal rights are not professionals but bumbling amateurs: proving it with their contract that keeps them safe when THEY make a mistake on YOUR home inspection.
The best thing is to just settle with the Cohens quickly. Once they start doing depositions and discovery, it gets really difficult to buy out. If you keep an asset, they attach it, if you sell it, they cry fraudulent transfer. Each of those become legal cases in and of themselves. It never ends.
Reminder to non-members: Never violate the First Law of Physics of the inspection industry.
I"ve worked my butt off to get certified, not only through PHII but also thru INACHI. I’m not looking to do this as a hobby, I want to do this as my career and I want to give back to my area. I’m so tired of the slander BS. Nick, is there anything you can do about this?
