2nd Missouri Home Inspection Bill

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

There is a 2nd Home Inspection Bill Filed in Missouri this week.

Its almost a MIRROR of the Kansas Bill / HB-553

[Gary Farnsworth]

http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking...ro/HB0553I.htm

Link to the bill. The Kansas bill is so close to this one, even the numbers are the same, except for the one that says $500 for registration fee.

For us who live in Kansas, and work in Missouri, there are now thousands of dollars per year in fees, insurance requirements, educational requirements, radon, termite, etc.

Again, who in the heck writes and promotes this language? Mr. Nance should be investigated into how he got this wording, who wrote it, and why he is pushing it. It is just another crock to scam the home buyer, promote cheap basic reports, and put us veteran inspectors out of business.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

In Kansas City we GOT 1 real estate contract for BOTH sides of the state line (Missouri & Kansas); we GOT 1 real estate board; we got 1 set of rules that realtors follow.

In St. Louis they got Illinois contracts and boards & Missouri boards and contracts.

GET the picture on this 2nd Home Inspector Bill and WHO is pushing it.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Wow, that is a crappy bill!

[Gary Farnsworth]

There should be the NAR or some government entity that needs to investigate why these new laws are being pushed, voted, and implemented; and soon in Missouri. All agents want basic, soft reporting, cheap inspection prices, and are getting it done, for the benefit of themselves. The home buyer will be let out in the cold. Lawmakers do not see it this way. All they need to do is look at Kansas, their SOP's, and the agents who are controlling the board in Kansas.

Missouri home buyers will loose big time, just as in Kansas. The thing that really frustrates me is that home builders, contractors, and repair persons, such as Uncle Bob, can do home repairs and home checks for little or nothing, and not be licensed, insured, or have any codes, rules, or regulations to go by. Mr. Nance should be ashamed of himself.

[Billy Boerner]

How many times has a bill been filed and how many times has it failed?

[James E. Braun, CMI]

At least three times.
The Kansas bill failed a lot more than that before it was passed. Dan should have the exact numbers.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Billy - MAR pushed the 1st Missouri Bill in 2002. That was my first year to start treking to Jeff City roaming the halls and relating the story to any legislator that would listen about the realestators REAL reason to push licensing (not only here BUT NAR set up national legislative goals over 10 years ago to get home inspectors licensed everwhere in the USA).

In short similar to the Columbian Drug Cartel and the Mafia throwing money at willing hands and wanting legislators to establish legislature on how strict the police could be in drug busts.

Some legislators listened; some helped us fight it off (like Curt Doughrty) until they got slammed by an action of one of our groups; it also turned out as we roamed the halls we ran into legislators or lobbyists for other groups that were our friends OR had heard of us that we didn't even know we knew ... I ran into 2 representatives and 1 senator that knew of me because ones sister had used me for an inspection; ones dad had used me as an expert witness in a lawsuit against a roofer; and ones twin had attended my home inspection training.

As we roamed the halls we discovered a secretary for the House Speaker that had gone to college with my sister; etc, etc Amazing once you start cruising the halls.

Once that happens, you got people in your corner that will listen to you.

[Michael Larson]

Oh James, Paging James Bushart...

[James E. Braun, CMI]

My local Board of Realtors was bragging today in their newsletter about the Capital Conference they had with the Missouri legislatures, last week. #1 on their list of discussion topics was getting home inspectors licensed.

[Gary Farnsworth]

All to get basic, poor, limited SOP's written, all so newbie inspectors can legally write poor, limited reports, all to screw the home buyers, so the agents can make their commissions. Lawmakers are stupid, and only care about their own campaign funding.

It is the new American way. I cannot wait to retire to my van down by the river.

[James H. Bushart]

March 8, 2011
Your view: Establish building standard

By James H. Bushart Special to The Globe The Joplin Globe Tue Mar 08, 2011, 07:58 AM CST

CASSVILLE, MO. — Year after year, attempts are made by brave Missouri legislators to bring a statewide building standard to the floor of the House for vote — and every attempt fails. Perhaps this time we will see success.

On the surface, HB 122 seems to be little more than the usual attempt by the lobby for real estate salesmen to license home inspectors. This time, however, they are providing the perfect back door necessary to allow the establishment of a statewide building standard and state licensed inspectors who can report on violations of them.

Today, Missouri has no statewide building standards and it is up to individual counties and municipalities to create and enforce whatever standards (if any) they may decide to have. In the majority of counties and cities in Missouri, this results in there being no standard at all for builders or contractors to apply when doing their work.

Unlicensed and unskilled people are able to wire buildings and install dangerous fossil fuel burning devices inside of homes with no one to inspect their work when they are finished. By Missouri standards, a third-grade elementary school student can install a gas furnace in a motel room in most cities and counties without anyone following up to see that he did it in a safe manner.

Presently, inspectors have no license or authority to do much more than render a professional opinion on the condition of property that will vary from area to area depending upon what standards might exist and, in areas that have no standards, what standard the individual inspector might apply. HB 122 changes that.

It establishes an autonomous board of inspectors who will decide on a standard of practice that will be used by every inspector in the state to apply in their inspections of new and existing dwellings and commercial buildings. An examination designed to test an inspector’s knowledge of a building standard will be required before licensing and each licensed inspector will be accountable to apply this standard, statewide, in every inspection made.

While cutting the costs of operating government in Missouri is a priority in some minds, this additional expense will help to ensure that a statewide standard is applied that will preserve property values and possibly save lives. It is money that will be well spent.

I urge you to support HB 122 and help to establish a statewide building standard in Missouri.

James H. Bushart

Cassville

My response, which is applicable to both bills presently under consideration. I used a reference to "commercial buildings" as a possible future consideration so that business men can appreciate this new statewide building standard, as well.

[Gary Farnsworth]

IMO, home builders should keep records of all the people who are involved in driving every nail, placing every electrical wire and plumbing item in every home that they build. If we find a problem, then it would be traceable. Then, every individual contractor, plumber, electrician, drywall installer, framer, roofer, etc. would then be required to be licensed by the state, have insurance, and have educational requirements; not just the company they work for, but each individual.

Contractors who provide home building services, sub-contractors, helpers from ManPower, etc. should all also be licensed, have individual insurance and educational requirements.

To truly state what is and is not a defect, home inspectors not only need proper SOP's, but state wide building guidelines.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gfarnsworth

To truly state what is and is not a defect, home inspectors not only need proper SOP's, but state wide building guidelines.

This law provides for a statewide building guideline that will define, for official inspection purposes, what is acceptable and what is a "defect".

This standard will be a statewide building standard and it will be inspected and reported by state licensed inspectors.

The poor home owner will suffer since his builder and contractors were not applying any standard at the time the work was done....and he will be stuck with the "defect" lowering the value of his at the time he sells it after having previously paid someone to do it wrong....but at least the next home buyer will have a statewide standard to apply to help him lower the price or walk away from a "defective" house.

Good for the buyer....good for the inspector....bad for the seller and whoever he is paying a sales commission to. In my opinion, the home owner (and future home seller) should be pushing to have a similar statewide standard that is enforced BEFORE he sells his house...but until then, this is better than nothing at all.

[Terry Clayton]

Jim I will have to find the time to read the bill but in the mean time how will it effect all of the homes currently built that were built to the standards at the time the home was built, but under the new guide lines are considered defective homes and the poor homeowner who wants to sell the home and move into a retirement home or a better home. I certainly understand (and want) the need for a safe and well built home, I just see this as another nail in the coffin for many strapped home owners. I see it as the rich getting richer as the poor staying poor because they will not be able to afford to better there lives because of the mounting cost of trying to buy a home keeps getting farther and farther out of reach for so many of us. Codes are minimum standards and it is all many can afford now, at this in the economy I cringe every time I hear about all of the spending going on and wonder how my kids and there kids are going to sustain any kind of decent life style. Thanks for listening and for keeping us informed.