New Kansas Licensee's

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Several of us were talking over the weekend and just realized that the Kansas Licensing Bill has NOT generated a huge surplus of new inspectors out into the field. The KS Home Inspector Board kinda of lagged behind for approving Training Providers and we didn't have ANY approved educational Training providers until about late February or early March.

That meant that mostly everyone getting licensed through April qualified to be GRANDFATHERED. There are about 185 licensed inspectors in Kansas at this time. In looking at the state roster from May until now, we've had right at 17 -18 inspectors get a license in those 6.5 months. About 3 a month on average. AND of the 17-18 licensees that came on Board since May / Either 3 or 4 were GRANDFATHERED but just recently applied.

So it looks like if I'm seeing this correctly, that only 12-13 of the NEW home inspectors had to go through an educational training program.

There are 9 or 10 approved educational providers for Kansas. That is SLIM pickings for Educational Trainers at this point in time. AND if you were trying to cut down on NEW inspectors in Kansas you couldn't have done a better job if you had planned it this way.

[Gary Farnsworth]

I truly believe that the KAR got what they wanted all along. They, along with some other special interests, pushed these Kansas laws into play. Now, they are not using home inspectors. They are using appraisers, contractors, even other agents who are checking home areas for any prospective buyer. Insurance agents are checking vacant and foreclosed homes for defects, to see if they want, or can, insure the home. Engineers are checking foundations. All of these people are not required to be licensed, and are doing them for free, all to get the repairs, needed or not, and to see if the home is even insurable. All leave their business cards on the kitchen counter, and it will then help entice the prospective buyer into purchasing the home. Inspectors who are doing a few inspections are doing limited, basic reports, per SOP's and Kansas rules. Sure, you can go above them, but why would you want to? With these new laws, your job now is to make the agent happy, not the consumer.

Those of you that are considering becoming a home inspector better consider this, at least here in Kansas. Missouri laws are coming. Since I do inspections in both states, confusion will be the norm for the KCRAR agents in the future who do home sale transactions in both states.

Home inspectors are realizing what is actually going on in Kansas, and are getting out of this business. Look for that total amount of "licensed" home inspectors in Kansas to fall by half, if not more, and the educational providers to disappear. Agents will be using their buddy contractors, fellow agents, and others to do home checks for free. We cannot compete with free. Thanks to the KAR and the lawmakers of Kansas, the home buyers of Kansas are getting ripped-off.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

The sad part is, Kansas inspectors can put an end to this unfair law. That law would not be in place if it was in Missouri.