This is a problem

[William E. Billings]

I found a few interesting articles:
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...71/detail.html
http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/2006...ctorethics.htm

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by wbillings

I found a few interesting articles:
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...71/detail.html
http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/2006...ctorethics.htm

Great find yes it is a big problem . I have been removed from one office in my area and there is a strong whisper campain against me for being to honest and through . Fortunately I do get many referrals from past clients so am doing fine . I was told be another HI that he was told by an agent in the local office if he behaved himself he would not be removed .
Can you say intimidation .
I do believe it happens more then we know and it is hard to prove . What Inspector is going to back this up and risk being removed from an office ,Not Many
Roy Cooke ... Royshominspection.com

[William E. Billings]

I am in the process of a different type of advertisement. I am looking into having/setting up a table or booth at the Home and Garden Shows in the area and display a presentation to the general public. Hoping this will reach them, to where I can better explain what a REAL Home Inspector does. Samples of reports and pictures. I want to show the public that we ( NACHI ) are experts and professionals and do deserve our rates for inspections. I getting tired of hearing " Thats more then I was expecting to pay", and another inspector will do it for $ 200.00.
Last week I actually got a person calling me to tell me she was wrong. I gave her a price and she said too much, the realitor had an inspection to do it for her at a price. Guess what in the end he was $ 75.00 more for the exact same service, actually less than I was giving her in service.

www.billingshomeinspections

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by wbillings

I am in the process of a different type of advertisement. I am looking into having/setting up a table or booth at the Home and Garden Shows in the area and display a presentation to the general public. Hoping this will reach them, to where I can better explain what a REAL Home Inspector does. Samples of reports and pictures. I want to show the public that we ( NACHI ) are experts and professionals and do deserve our rates for inspections. I getting tired of hearing " Thats more then I was expecting to pay", and another inspector will do it for $ 200.00.
Last week I actually got a person calling me to tell me she was wrong. I gave her a price and she said too much, the realitor had an inspection to do it for her at a price. Guess what in the end he was $ 75.00 more for the exact same service, actually less than I was giving her in service.

www.billingshomeinspections

I looked around when I started and found out what prices where and set my price $25:00 more then the highest ,Have stayed $25::00 over the rest since work less get better homes and make more money then most $399:00 and I have in my area lots doing it for $200:00 . they do no more inspections then me do a lot of houses that might not be worth fixing and work harder.

Roy Cooke.......... Royshomeinspection.com

[William E. Billings]

Ray-

Man its too darn cold where you are I would charge more just to keep warm.

[John McKenna]

I always tell my clients that most Realtors don't like me and you
will not find me on their list. But... I do get calls from Realtors
when they want to buy a house for themselves. Most Clients tell
me that they are very glad to hear me say that.

97% of the Realtors are part-timers and not making much money.
They have to spend a portion of their desperate dollars and time
fishing for a Buyer. After going through several nibbles they
finally get a Buyer under contract and reel-in the catch close
to the boat. Then the Buyer says they want a home inspection
when their only a few inches from the boat. The desperate Realtor
knows the fish can be lost very easily at the home inspection.
The Realtors eyes are blinded by self-preservation and do
whatever it takes to stay alive at this point.

I have heard Brokers tell me that his Agents sit around the office
telling horror stories to each other about the SOB "deal killers"
that should be avoided at all cost. They become very jaded
and bitter because nothing will heal their wounds and they
must survive. They know there are many Inspectors out there
that will cooperate in order to be fed new referrals.

97% of the Home Inspectors in the market are at the point
of extinction at any given time. They too must survive in a
very cruel world. They have learned to find compromise and do
whatever it takes to work with the Realtor in order to get
that precious repeat business.

Even though it is illegal for Realtors to choose the Inspectors,
it happens directly or indirectly most of the time. As a result,
most law suites are filled against the Inspectors and Realtors
who sleep with each other.

The Seller must sell the house. Should the Seller hid or reveal
the problems? Survival and greed make it very hard to be honest.

The Buyer steps into the house buying system with the cards
stacked against them. I feel it is my job to warn the Client
about the market place and offer my services. I tell the
Buyer that if they want a cheap Inspector, then I can save
them the time of looking and offer them the phone numbers
of the cheapest Inspectors.

I let them know what's really going on and tell them that I
can help them if they will let me. I do not dance around the
bush. I understand that I only have a few minutes on the
phone to make them realize that I am their protector in a
very predatory system.

[Jason A. Sieg, CMI]

I love how Blanche Evans & Realty Times side stepped the whole issue.

Of course a magazine representing the real estate industry isn't going to say anything. Especially if it is going to criticize realtors! They might as well have not even printed the article. It was just a fluff article.

She made it sound to me that she had never heard of something like that happening. (I read between the lines.)

What is the Broker going to do? He earned 50% of the commisions!

What is the realtor association going to do? They are paid by the agents & broker to look out for their best interests when it comes to new laws.

What is your congressman going to do? If your not a large group, he/she will send you a form letter saying he/she feels bad for you and that he/she will look into it. (Not that he/she really will.)

What will Legal aid do? Well not much, unless you are too poor to have bought a house to begin with. They will listen to you and refer you to a lawyer that will charge you $250.00 an hour. (If you had that kind of money to spend you would have gone to a lawyer to begin with.)

What will the housing authority do? What do they do? Guarantee the lending of money to buy a house.

Realtors are mostly self governing and want to control everything involved with home buying. The best chance anyone has is to try to get the media involved! Public outrage is a strong way to make changes!

[Jason A. Sieg, CMI]

Am I wrong about what I have written?

[William E. Billings]

I do find that real estate agents ( buyers) will call me when they want a good inspection to wheel and deal with a selling agent.

[Dale Duffy]

Marketing to Mortgage Companies is a much lucrative than ever depending on realtors.

A few good loan officers will refer more business than any realtors I have ever found.

[James H. Bushart]

It's called a concierge service. Coldwell Banker says it's a convenience for its customers, saving them time. But some local home inspectors say it creates a conflict of interest for inspectors that could put homebuyers at risk.
VideoWatch Van Osdol's Report

Tom O'Connor, Malcolm Whipkey and John Vaccarello have more than a half-century of combined experience doing home inspections. Whipkey is president of the local chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors. O'Connor and Vaccarello are past presidents.
If you check Coldwell Banker's list of preferred home inspectors, the three men are nowhere to be found. Their association has ruled it's a conflict of interest for them to pay a fee of up to $500 that's required for them to be on the list, and they say homebuyers should question inspectors who pay that fee.

I hope that there are no NACHI members to be found, either. NACHI outlawed this before ASHI did. Looks like ASHI has chosen to use this COE revision as a marketing tool. We should do the same.