NAE, HIA and InterNACHI partner to help low-income buyers find the best inspectors.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://www.nachi.org/documents/NAE-H...artnership.pdf

[James H. Bushart]

Please describe the potential client who can afford to buy a house but cannot afford to pay my standard fee?

After you do this, help me to understand the benefit to me by providing the same service and extending the same degree of liability to someone who is unable or unwilling to pay for it.

Thanks.

[Nick Gromicko]

Low income people buy homes. But they disproportionately waive inspections (in part because of cost). We've found sponsors to pay (you) for these inspections.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Low income people buy homes. But they disproportionately waive inspections (in part because of cost). We've found sponsors to pay (you) for these inspections.

For my standard fee?

[Nick Gromicko]

Yes. I'm assuming you'll take their money?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Yes. I'm assuming you'll take their money?

Cool.

[Rick A. Harrington]

Nick,

Thanks for filling in James with the details and thanks for your help in getting us to the right people that helped get this started.


James,

I am the Executive Director of Home Inspection Assistance, Inc (HIA) and after a few years of hard work we are pleased to annouce that all the pieces are in place to get this rolling.

This all started when we had a number of requests for inspections after the fact in Central Ohio where the buyer had purchased homes for under 100k that had been "rehabbed". These buyers are getting down payment asisstance or just barely qualifying for loans and do not have the funds to put out for an inspection. During the inspections after the fact we were finding numerous blantant issues that the now owners could not afford to repair that would have been documented during an inspection.

With that in mind we have been over the years performing pro bono inspections in these cases until the HIA startup. (you have to give back).

The fees will be the normal fee for the areas that we provide service. With any luck it will be nationwide.

Thanks for your interest and patience in this endeavor to assist home buyers.

Rick Harrington
Executive Director
Home Inspection Assistance, Inc

Most of the Directors of HIA are members of NACHI.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by rharrington

The fees will be the normal fee for the areas that we provide service.

Thanks, Rick.

For clarification ... by the "normal fee for the area" are you saying that you will establish the fee or will the inspector?

For example, my fees are considerably higher than the handymen and part-timers in my area. If I participated in this program, would I be able to participate at my usual fee or for what is "normal" for my area considering their $195 home inspections? I have no need or interest in providing inspections at a reduced fee.

[Gary Farnsworth]

After the fact inspections?

These buyers should be getting inspections before closing. Seems to me banks are wanting to sell these "properties" AS IS, and are not letting these low-income buyers get inspections: IE short contingency periods. Most all properties are cheap for a reason; just like inspectors.

[Michael Courtemanche]

Will this be coming to Ontario, Canada soon?

[Robert Ernst]

In an area like Reno where apartments cost more per month than mortgages for houses in certain areas I can see more low income people buying.

[Russell J. Hensel]

I am in. Doesn't matter the price. The greatest thing about life is the ability to share what God has blessed me with.

Giving back is just part of any successful business. Count me in.

[Rick A. Harrington]

Originally Posted by rhensel

I am in. Doesn't matter the price. The greatest thing about life is the ability to share what God has blessed me with.

Giving back is just part of any successful business. Count me in.

Well said Russell !!!!

Glad this has generated so much interest in the inspectors. Our hope and goal is to educate the public about the need for inspections and their worth.

We hope this generates more inspections for everyone !!!!

James, come on ..... get on board here, the fees will be fair. We will be talking to the inspectors in the area to set the prices for the area before providing the funding. We do realize that fees vary from city to city, state to state.

We will not be outside of the USA and will grow as funding increases.


Let me take a minute and tell you a story about giving back. I too was very "selfish" and didn't have time for others interests a few years back. Some good friends showed me how it is supposed to work. He stated we were going to do some pro bono inspections for those less fortunate and I reluctantly agreed. At the end of the day, I realized that I had provided a service that they wouldn't have received and I met some people that I would not have met otherwise. Over the years, some of the people I've met have turned out to provide the payback 10 fold over what I gave and give out to others.

Thanks for all the interest and happy inspecting !!

Rick A Harrington

[Rick A. Harrington]

Originally Posted by gfarnsworth

After the fact inspections?

These buyers should be getting inspections before closing. Seems to me banks are wanting to sell these "properties" AS IS, and are not letting these low-income buyers get inspections: IE short contingency periods. Most all properties are cheap for a reason; just like inspectors.

Gary, These clients know that now, but when buying an inexpensive property from someone that has "rehabbed" we all know that some things get missed with the buyers rose colored glasses and seller assurances. It is up to all of us to be out there educating the public when and where we can about inspections and by all means doing what we can to let people know that AS IS still needs inspected to prevent the house "landmine" that can zap thier entire savings if they have one. I take every chance I can to speak to groups and offer any assistance I can.

Guys... I'm having a blast because I love what I do and what we can do to help our neighbors and friends.

Thanks,

Rick

[Nick Gromicko]

When Rick first brought this idea to me, I thought to myself: Well, here's a great project that will probably take a year before launch. It took almost three. Nice work Rick.