No question this was a one sided show. Really Surprised. You have hurt the home inspection industry across Canada and I think that is a shame. That Googol fellow & the other 4+1 inspectors really hurt your profession.
As a real estate agent, I try to encourage my clients to get a home inspection, and think every one buying a home should have one, no ifs ands or buts. Shop around get a good one, if your looking for cheap then that’s what you get. Looking for a fast inspection - 2 hrs, that’s what you get. To me, recommending a good inspector improves the chance for further good PR for the work I do. They mentioned licensing of home inspectors, totally the wrong move, it lowers the standards for the profession and lets substandard home inspectors into the field. What ever you do when you are buying a home, get a home inspection (not the cheap, uneducated ones). Agents always do!
Name withheld because of legal action
R P
OPPS! see how easily you can make a mistake.
Training/testing/licensing of mechanics, electricians, plumbers, etc and requiring doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, dentists to pass extensive training + testing along with monitored in-service work periods before being allowed to practice…do these practices lower the standards for those trades or professions?
The only way that licensing of HI’s would lower the standards of the profession would be to set the bar so low as to be laughable and just about anyone could pass muster…that would be silly! Have a look at Texas requirements as a good starting point. I would like to see even higher standards.
LOL.
Texas is actually a really good example for licensing…if you want to have real estate salesmen running your business. Texas inspectors operate under the direction of TREC…the Texas Real Estate Commission. Inspectors are allowed to form a committee to “advise” the real estate salesmen on how they should do their job, but the real estate salesmen tell the inspectors what they will and will not report on, what they will do to get their data, and how they will operate their businesses.
How many of you would like to have your least favorite agent deciding how you should write your report and whether or not you should be allowed to inspect? If you do, move to Texas.
You will, however, find that inspectors who started after this law went into effect actually like it. You will also find that those who were inspectors prior to the law have tried to use positions on the “advisory committee” to fight and amend it to favor the home inspector over the real estate salesmen…and have been severely frustrated by the attempt. They have discovered and have come to regret the fact learned in many other states…once you have given away the control over your business to someone else through legislation … you never get it back.
You might even like the person…or people…you are giving control over you business to. You might trust them and admire them. The problem is, you have no control over who will come to eventually replace them. And when their replacements begin to destroy you, your profession and your own personal business you have no say in the matter at all.
If I were in Canada … I would be laying my money down on an immediate or eventual “Mike Holmes”-type leadership once the government had control over my home inspection business. Some illiterate contractor with an earring and a sledge hammer, with no concept at all of what a home inspection entails, deciding how home inspectors will conduct their business.
Thanks for mentioning Texas.
Having seen some of the reports on inspections done by a NCA approve Inspectors .
I am not convinced these people are any more qualified then I or other NACHI Home Inspectors .
Looking at court cases and BBB reports does not show me that we need licensing .
Being on the DPPC of Oahi I know just a little more then most people do.
Seeing how the PHPIC DPPC operates
No F in way do I want to see this group controlling our industry.
We have courts to prosecute those who are doing bad inspections .
It is obvious the Canadian associations can not do it .
James:
You always have a reason not to license HI’s…you can’t think of anything else.
I was talking of the requirements of becoming licensed, not who runs the porgram. Nick has commented here after I mentioned Texas HI requirements that “yes, they are strict!!” or something to that effect!!
In our only regulated jurisdiction in Canada, the gov runs the program not the RE industry! 4 different certifying agencies are recognized in BC and reports have to meet the agencies’ SOP’s…quite an open system actually.
So you want anyone with a truck, flashlight and ladder be able to hang out a shingle and become an HI?
Should anyone that wants to be an electrician be able to do the same?
No where did I say any of the above .
being in this industry since the last century I do not see that it is broken . My feeling is it is not broke why fix it .
You complain about High taxes and now many the government to spend money foolishly
Please try and use some reasoning and stop being a mugwump .
** Give us some facts** ,not just your thoughts
There are facts like the study done about 10 years ago by the insurers but no one wants to give it credibility…who else would know better? And they only have some of the facts!!
You talk about a ten year old study .
I ask you for facts and get zip in return .
Typical evade give nothing but your thoughts .
Thanks you again prove nothing .
IRA NOTTONSON: The trust factor in businessIra Nottonson, For the Camera
Boulder Daily CameraPosted:03/28/2011 01:00:00 AM MDTHow can you determine if the advice that you’re getting is in the best interest of your business? How can you tell if it’s in the best interest of your personal goals?
**Trusting your advisers. **Getting advice from your professional advisers is always a good idea. How you put this advice into your business mix should be your next level of thinking.
You must remember that each adviser’s advice, however honest his or her intent, will always be skewed to some extent by his/her experiences with other businesses. In some cases, this will be helpful; in others, it may be inimical to the specifics of your business.
Be careful. Time and turmoil are often singular to a particular business or industry.
Trusting your partners. It is certainly true that, however objective we try to be, there will always be a "motive" attached to the advice a partner will give to his/her business associates.
The underlying motive, either intentionally or inadvertently, may create advice not in the best interest of the business. Always examine this advice with a critical eye to be sure that it is the best direction to take … for the long term as well as for the short term advantage of the company.
**Trusting your banker. **This is probably the easiest advice to analyze. However involved in your business your lender may be, don’t discount the fact that he/she is also “invested” in your business … in one way or another.
Whatever advice is given with the best of intentions, it will always be secondary to the best interests of the lender itself. Always take this advice with the appropriate grain of salt.
**Trusting your employees. **As with your partners, your employees will always give you their best take on what they think is most appropriate for the company. The problem is that employees, more often than not, are involved with a particular aspect of the business and not always aware of the effect any advice may have on other parts of the business.
This is not their fault; it is, however, a good reason for you to factor such advice into the entire fabric of the business. It is the “big picture” syndrome.
Be sure that a good idea for one part of the business does not negatively affect other collateral aspects of the business. It is the entire business that is your responsibility, not just a single department.
Trusting your own judgment. The ultimate decisions about your business are clearly yours. And you must be aware that even the most carefully analyzed judgment may be tainted by your own prejudices.
You must be careful, if not actually cautious, about decisions that will affect the long-term and short-term results. Although the decision is yours, this is the time when an objective perspective can be terribly helpful.
And remember, as always, advice is good from an objective third party, but should never take the place of careful analysis on your part.
Ira Nottonson is a lawyer, lecturer, author and consultant. His latest books are Forming a Partnership and Buying and Selling a Business. He can be reached at 303-447-9672 or by email at irabizlaw@aol.com.
Your tiny mind cannot comprehend how hard it is to get the facts in this secretive industry.
I’ve brought a few cases here that I have personal knowledge of…does no one else have this type of info?..if you did, would you be willing to mention it…no…keep it secret so they will not regulate us. The longer we keep it quiet, the more we can hide our heads in the sand and say there are no problems…well spoken, Roy!!
Did you have a peek at the 12 or so cases in Manitoba that fI found with only 5 minutes searching? If I had a full list of HI company names in Manitoba, I would probably find a few more!! Since these cases actually got into court, they would only be the tip of the iceberg!! What about the others that never got that far???
(“Your tiny mind cannot comprehend how hard it is to get the facts in this secretive industry.”) Thanks Brian .
You just can not have a comunication . Do as you please I will do my best to help all and ignore you and your silly remarks .
Roy
Roy:
I gave some info but obviously you decided not to go check it out!! Do you not want to?
You do not want the facts!! You simply seem to think that the BBB (a moneymaking franchised organization in the guise of a pseudo gov org to help the public) has all the complaints about HI’s. Actually not that many people go that way!!
Start doing some in depth research for yourself not simply skimming the surface!!
**“Your tiny mind cannot comprehend how hard it is to get the facts in this secretive industry.” **
And yet, even though you admit to having no proof, you continue to defame every inspector in Canada. Shame on you Brian. I won’t comment on your childish insult other than to say it defines the author.
So before you run your mouth again answer these questions;
HOW MANY INSPECTORS ARE THERE IN CANADA?
HOW MANY INSPECTIONS ARE COMPLETED IN CANADA / YEAR?
HOW MANY OF THESE INSPECTIONS LEAD TO MINOR / MAJOR CLIENT COMPLAINT?
Without answers to these basic questions you are just blowing smoke. It says more about you and your fellow travelers, that you are happy to condemn Canadian Inspectors as incompetent, cowboys and worse without proof than it does about the inspectors who you have assaulted with your erroneous claims.
So, no more fairy tales and things you read in a magazine please Brian. If you are going to attack us with your unsubstantiated claims please don’t blame us for demanding proof. Time to put up or . . . . . . . .
2) The weasel clause should be banned from HI contracts. Most courts jump over it…but the costs of getting it to court are prohibitive unless you have a large $200,000 claim like in BC. Small claims of $5, 10, 15,000 do not get to courts due to lawyers costs… the lawyers tell clients: “Don’t bother to sue” …so HI’s walk free.
Brian, Brian, Brian
You come here repeatedly, you have a great tendency to start name calling in an attempt to prove your theories.
However you continually spout off that inspectors use weasel clauses.
Fact - it is quite within an inspectors rights to present a contract outside of BC wherein the inspector uses exculpatory clauses which upon further investigation have withstood court scrutiny. These clauses as courts have opined are within the right of the contracting party, provide the limitations are brought to the knowledge of the party signing the contract prior to inspection.
The insurers want exculpatory clauses, lawyers recommend it.
Clients who feel they have been subject to poor inspections are free to sue in small claims or divisional court. The onus in law has always been on the plaintiff to substantiate the claim either in contract or negligence.
The plaintiff is also free to contract with another inspector if they do not like the terms under which inspections are conducted, this is why the courts are adamant that the contract be read prior to start of inspection!
It is rather strange that you continually attempt to paint a different picture to suit your theories which quite frankly don’t hold water.
If we listened to your simple dictates that inspectors are using weasel clauses, then the end result would be no need for contracts nor insurance.
Most likely the reason many cases as you claim do not go to court are most likely because the lawyer has been honest and astute enough to appreciate the findings of similar case law and advises clients as to their chances of launching and winning similar claims.
The facts simply do not purport your silly arguements.
Its very apparent you cannot support that which you show you actually have little understanding of.
Those are the facts whether they are palatable with you doesn’t matter in the scheme of things.
Is that a promise, Roy?? Can you keep it like the others?:mrgreen::eek::mrgreen:
Thanks George I now have a lot of very interesting Information on the Canadian Home Inspection industry,
I just received a package 2 days ago and it is right up to date .
I had a meeting set up to present what I have .
The power’s are exceptionaly interested " BUT" they asked me to sit on this for now as this election is taking a lot of their time .
Fortunatly I am Friends with both Parties .
I expect we will just have to sit tight for now .
Aw, Com’on, Roy, show us this definitive study of the Canadian HI industry that was drawn up in just 2 days!!
Gee Brian you are so silly you change my words you ask if I made a promise.
You do as you please and think you are the expert of all who try to give information .
I care less about you,you are a parasite who tries to show how smart you are .
You talk about those on there forums who chastise you well you reap what you sew .
you have zero idea of who I know and what information I have and expect me to share it with
you well you are wrong .
Do as you please I will carry one doing my best to help all home Inspectors .
This week end is a prime example .
For your information Ontario has an election on Oct 6th 20011 just over 6 months away.
Do you support a Party , Make donations go to meetings have a sign on your property,or do you just attack all parties like you do here and other forums .
What a horrible life you seem to lead .