Local Realtors support FL legislation

[Andrew Cox]

I just received this email from the Osceola County Association of Realtors - they clearly support the HI legislation. As you can see, they feel strongly about this, since the governor has already vetoed another important bill:

Please Urge Governor Crist to Sign SB 2234 Into Law

The Governor recently received SB 2234 (by Stephen Wise, R- Jacksonville) regarding state regulation of home inspectors, and has until the end of this week (June 30) to act on it. Please forward the attached Call-to-Action to the Governor now. He has already vetoed a bill that instituted higher standards for nail technicians (under DBPR/cosmetologists), and we are concerned that he may also veto the home inspector bill. As always, if you have personal story that strengthens our case, please feel free to add it.

Thank you for your time and effort.

This is a direct quote from the Florida Assn of Realtors website. http://votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=...getID=17034561

[James H. Bushart]

Someone told your used house salesmen something to make them think that the Gov is considering a veto. This is looking very promising.

Keep them calls and emails flowing, guys.

Get your family and friends to call, too.

[Andrew Cox]

This is the form e-mail the Florida Association of Realtors is suggesting that every member send to the Governor. This is an outrage to the HI industry that the FAR would make these allegations!

On behalf of the Florida’s 150,000 REALTORS®, I urge you to sign Senate Bill 2234, by Senator Stephen Wise, into law.
With the exception of home inspectors, everyone involved in servicing a residential real estate transaction in Florida, today – from real estate licensees to appraisers, mortgage brokers, surveyors, title companies, attorneys, and even pest control operators – is regulated by either by the state or The Florida Bar.
For most persons, the purchase of a home is the single largest transaction of their lives, and it is hard to overstate the importance a home inspection plays in each transaction. While some transactions are “made” by the inspection, a great many are also lost, and in almost every case, a home inspection leads to further negotiations by the parties, where it’s not uncommon for thousands of dollars change hands as the result of a home inspector’s findings. In fact, most contracts for the sale and purchase of residential real property in Florida today anticipate this and are not “hard” until after a home inspection is performed. And sadly, I must report that every Realtor I know can recount numerous, and often times outrageous, stories regarding incompetent home inspectors.
With 150,000 members, it is sometimes difficult for an organization such as ours to achieve consensus on all issues. But Realtors are in complete agreement regarding home inspectors: it’s time to bring accountability to this industry. Poorly preformed inspections have serious financial consequences, by dooming perfectly viable transactions, or leaving defects undiscovered until after a transaction has closed and the previous owner cannot be located. This legislation doesn’t put a dime into my pocket, but a home inspector’s true “pocket book” impact on a real estate transaction can no longer be ignored.
Thank you for your consideration in this important matter for Florida’s consumers.

[James H. Bushart]

I think that the NAR is leading this effort among its local chapters in every unlicensed state. I know that we are battling them, heavily, in Missouri.

[Andrew Cox]

I'm not OK with the calls for licensure, but to say that "every Realtor I know can recount numerous, and often times outrageous, stories regarding incompetent home inspectors."
It's too bad that every Realtor is beyond reproach because their licensure requirements have ensured that!

[James H. Bushart]

"Realtor" is simply a name that they have trademarked for themselves so that they can be referred to as something other than what they are...salesmen.

In my state, they constitute the largest number of state licensed people with criminal records. I would not think it to be that much different in Florida.

Start throwing the dirt back on them and see if that shuts them up.

[Jay Schwartz]

Here is the cosmo vetoed bill http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session...df/s0920er.pdf

A licensed home inspector does not guarantee defects will not go undiscovered. Especially with no SOP to warrant what a HI is looking for.

I sat in the office of the Florida Association of Realtors in December 2006. I met with the leader of FAR, the Home Builders Association, and the Florida Real Estate Commission. They all told me this email would eventually come.

It is a shame that the original text that I modified in November 2006 and shared with these individuals in December is not the text in the Bill today.

They were perfectly happy with the Bill text. We would have had grandfathered everyone currently in business, and would have allowed the National HI Associations and HI Franchises complete autonomy of the Bill.

Keep the calls to the Governor coming in. If you do your part, you can't blame yourself.

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

Anyone know when the drop-dead date is?

[Andrew Cox]

June 30 - is someone getting desperate?

[Andrew Cox]

Jay -
I'm not surprised by the email, but by the text. I am PI$$ed at essentially being called incompetent - not just me, but every HI in Florida.

every member (150,000 members) I know can recount numerous, and often times outrageous, stories regarding incompetent home inspectors.

If 150K members know of numerous instances, the law of probability says that there is a story of incompetence of every HI in the state... or else, over 150,000 stories about one guy in Ocala...

[Andrew Cox]

And I'm glad they are so concerned about our bill after the nail technician bill was vetoed - they only thing worse than a bad HI is a nail tech who is incompetent...

[Jay Schwartz]

How many Realtors got a bad haircut or dye job?

[Blaine Wiley]

The Realtors sure look good in the business card pictures. I haven't figured out why some look soooooooo different in person....

[srivera]

I resent our industry being called incompetent.
How many times a year do HI get a call from realtors crying about how we blew their deals over petty items or asking us to turn a blind eye because they need the sale.
Here's an idea.
How about policing your industry first and fumigate those unethical use home sales people you call realtors that would sell thier own mother a piece of **** and leave our industry alone.

Warm wishes
Sam Rivera
Gulf Coast Home Inspections.

[Doug Edwards]

I sincerely hope the Realtors feel the same after they start receiving those reports with numerous statements declaring the systems in the home is at or near the end of the normal predicted service life. This is going to have a major impact on their sales; when the buyers start insisting on having updated systems before signing on the line. I fully intend to cover this nebulous area on every single item and every single home I inspect. If it even looks like it is in a degraded state I will making it abundantly clear it is time to budget for replacement. I do not intend to buy anyone an AC, furnace, plumbing systems, etc. and I can state loudly "its the LAW!" I gots to do it! I already do it when warranted but with housing sales already in a slump they are going to feel this. There are going to those times when its borderline and new inexperienced inspector is not going to put their necks on the line. We all know inspectors who have soft peddled reports for years. For this Realtor to say it doesn't put a dime in his pocket is disengenuous.