Don't blame the wrong people

[Rudolf Reusse]

Don’t blame the wrong people for your problems:

Inflammatory postings must coincide with the phase of the moon - or how frustrated OAHI/CAHPI/PHPIO affiliated home inspectors become when the phone does not ring because of the increasing number of NACHI certified home inspectors competing in their neighbourhood.

To enter periodically into a shouting match with the profit-oriented promoter of the "World biggest & best Inspection Association" has not - nor will it ever resolve our dilemma. However - it is in my view long overdue to be realistic and to recognize why Nick has managed to become successful in Canada.

NACHI could never have become an issue this side of the border without the willingness of hundreds of Canadians to become NACHI certified home inspectors overnight for the bargain price of $200.00. Mr. Gromicko and his operation can certainly not be blamed for their choosing.

RUDOLF REUSSE - Home Inspector since 1976 - TORONTO

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Correction, $289.00 not $200.00


And you are blaming NACHI and NACHI members?

Rudolf,
Is your phone not ringing? Give me a call and I will set you up with a couple of inspections per week.
One condition, join NACHI first.

[George A. H. Luck]

Oh Mario! That's dirty. Really dirty !!

[Marcel Gratton]

Originally Posted by mkyriacou

Correction, $289.00 not $200.00


And you are blaming NACHI and NACHI members?

Rudolf,
Is your phone not ringing? Give me a call and I will set you up with a couple of inspections per week.
One condition, join NACHI first.

You're too good Mario!

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by Rudolf Reusse

Don’t blame the wrong people for your problems:

Inflammatory postings must coincide with the phase of the moon - or how frustrated OAHI/CAHPI/PHPIO affiliated home inspectors become when the phone does not ring because of the increasing number of NACHI certified home inspectors competing in their neighbourhood.

......because of the increasing number of INACHI certified (?????) inspectors dragging down the reputation of the HI industry in my neighbourhood*

To enter periodically into a shouting match with the profit-oriented promoter of the "World biggest & best Inspection Association" has not - nor will it ever resolve our dilemma. However - it is in my view long overdue to be realistic and to recognize why Nick has managed to become successful in Canada.

NACHI could never have become an issue this side of the border without the willingness of hundreds of Canadians to become NACHI certified home inspectors overnight for the bargain price of $200.00. Mr. Gromicko and his operation can certainly not be blamed for their choosing.

RUDOLF REUSSE - Home Inspector since 1976 - TORONTO

* in the last 1.5 years, I have been called to look at 3 homes recently inspected by newbie INACHI HI's. All had problems that should have been picked up by any decent inspector but they were not major costs of say $3-4,000 or larger......in the range of $1,200 to $2,500 but when you're a first time buyer having no experience with the HI industry, this stings!! BTW, I have heard of other HI's being called to INACHI inspected homes after the purchasers moved in!!

I told them that they would have to go to small claims court or call a lawyer.......but for these amounts, it would be better to swallow the costs but make sure you spread the word to all your younger friends/first time buyers. I have gotten at least 4-5 inspections or other consultations from these folks.

Referrals is where most of my business comes from......I don't solicit realtors nor have any promo materials in any real estate offices.

On a side note: Realtors should be banned from referring HI's.......They have a major conflict of interest, called the commission!!


TRUE STOREY.......about 2.5-3 years ago:

Got a call to inspect a bit of a run down duplex as an investment property (rental) for a young professional couple. After inspecting about 15 minutes, I asked the young gent about his background as he was quite conversant in housing terms. He was a recently certified residential appraiser...so that made sense. About 10 minutes later as I was proceeding to do a furnace efficiency test and explaining the parameters of the test, he confessed to me that he was a certified HI through NACHI!!!

He then said that in the first 1/2 hour of the inspection, he learned a hell of a lot that was not in his online NACHI training and was glad he did not attempt to inspect his own purchase!! I ended up inspecting 3 of the 5 duplexes in a row being sold by the same retiring RE investor.

[sgarland]

There are inspectors from every group that miss things. A friend of mine almost had his house burn down this Christmas (seriously!) that he had inspected by someone not from NACHI a few months ago but I'm not blaming their whole organization. The fact is it's the sum of all your knowledge and education and people skills that will come through in your reports. Even more importantly you have to actually give a damn about your client. I wish everyone would just let this stuff go and concentrate on being good at their own business and contributing to INACHI or whatever group they belong to in a positive way but that seems too difficult for some on these forums.

[George A. H. Luck]

I agree with you Steve. It doesn't matter what org. you belong to. Membership does not guarantee a quality inspection. I did a re-inspect last fall of a house that had been 'passed' the year before. Unfortunately, the inspector had overlooked the fact that the furnace exhaust pipe had rusted through. This inspector nearly killed a family of four as they all had complained of head aches, vomiting etc. The owner asked the inspector for a letter of apology and never got it.

The kicker was that she was a lawyer!!

The other kicker was that the inspector, as reported to me, was a big-wig in several other organizations. So membership is no guarantee.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by sgarland

There are inspectors from every group that miss things. A friend of mine almost had his house burn down this Christmas (seriously!) that he had inspected by someone not from NACHI a few months ago but I'm not blaming their whole organization. The fact is it's the sum of all your knowledge and education and people skills that will come through in your reports. Even more importantly you have to actually give a damn about your client. I wish everyone would just let this stuff go and concentrate on being good at their own business and contributing to INACHI or whatever group they belong to in a positive way but that seems too difficult for some on these forums.

Steve:

You have to realize that Nick runs the biggest diploma* mill going although he's constantly disparaging towards other orgs, claiming the same. Remember.......he's the ultimate spin doctor ........as the former INACHI member ("Captain NACHI" was his former moniker!!) and ESOP member has been saying on the recent hot topic thread. He sets himself and the association up for criticism by turning out barely trained "certified" HI newbies overnight (had that confirmed by 3 former NACHI members) and spinning info that the public sees (e.g. exam stats)while suppressing other info.

* from a post yesterday..................
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish
THE INACHI BROTHERHOOD MOTTO:

"Brothers helping brothers compete against brothers"

Response:
Try telling them that.


Sure, there are many good inspectors here but do you see some of the questions coming from the field? Here's a quote from one of the longer serving and popular HI's on these boards:

"There are some dangerous "One Hour Certified" inspectors here"

Even the CMI designation is questioned outside here. I was quite shocked by a subject brought to the boards by a CMI recently!

[Bob Elliott]

Sure, there are many good inspectors here but do you see some of the questions coming from the field? Here's a quote from one of the longer serving and popular HI's on these boards:

How can we see questions from newbies of other associations when they squeeze their pimples in the dark,unseen.

NACHI does not hide in the dark.

Where can I gain access to another associations MB and make up stories such as yours Brian.

Lets have some names to back up your claims.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by relliott

Sure, there are many good inspectors here but do you see some of the questions coming from the field? Here's a quote from one of the longer serving and popular HI's on these boards:

How can we see questions from newbies of other associations when they squeeze their pimples in the dark,unseen.

NACHI does not hide in the dark.

Where can I gain access to another associations MB and make up stories such as yours Brian.
Nothing made up in my "stories" , Bob. You wish!!! But.......the anecdotes are actual happenings!

Lets have some names to back up your claims.

I keep the names of others from emails out of the fray. I even go through the message to take out figures of speech, personal identifiers or other grammar items that would identify a person. Hell, I even did that for a statement by a famous person here and then he "outted*" himself and blamed me for making him do it!!!

* HHMMM???? Wonder if he had experience in "outting himself" previously.......he did it so quickly!!!

[cboyd]

Raymond and Brian, you make it sound like thi HI business is the only business in the world that has "newbies" I know backyard mechanics that I would trust to the end of the earth for honest repairs and others that I would not trust with a tricycle, does that make all backyard mechanics good or bad? Some that work at dealerships, same thing. The list is in every trade. I have been "certfied" at least 3 times in 4 years now by different "dipoloma mills" no one has ever asked to see a diploma or even cares what org. I belong to. Frankly I don't care either, I picked the one that offered me the most information so I could offer the best inspection I could. I have put 1,000's of hours into this business, way more than any apprenticship would require for any trade and be fully licenced as I am sure several other guys have. I guess my question is: in a perfect HI world what's the answer? PS I still consider myself a "newbie" as long s there is something to learn.

[hlowe]

Originally Posted by brian a. Macneish

* in the last 1.5 years, i have been called to look at 3 homes recently inspected by newbie inachi hi's. All had problems that should have been picked up by any decent inspector but they were not major costs of say $3-4,000 or larger......in the range of $1,200 to $2,500 but when you're a first time buyer having no experience with the hi industry, this stings!! Btw, i have heard of other hi's being called to inachi inspected homes after the purchasers moved in!!

I told them that they would have to go to small claims court or call a lawyer.......but for these amounts, it would be better to swallow the costs but make sure you spread the word to all your younger friends/first time buyers. I have gotten at least 4-5 inspections or other consultations from these folks.

referrals is where most of my business comes from......i don't solicit realtors nor have any promo materials in any real estate offices.

On a side note: Realtors should be banned from referring hi's.......they have a major conflict of interest, called the commission!!


True storey.......about 2.5-3 years ago:

Got a call to inspect a bit of a run down duplex as an investment property (rental) for a young professional couple. After inspecting about 15 minutes, i asked the young gent about his background as he was quite conversant in housing terms. He was a recently certified residential appraiser...so that made sense. About 10 minutes later as i was proceeding to do a furnace efficiency test and explaining the parameters of the test, he confessed to me that he was a certified hi through nachi!!!

he then said that in the first 1/2 hour of the inspection, he learned a hell of a lot that was not in his online nachi training and was glad he did not attempt to inspect his own purchase!! i ended up inspecting 3 of the 5 duplexes in a row being sold by the same retiring re investor.

Hey brian!

With all due respect; I always maintain that no amount of online, or classroom training can even come close to taking an active role in a few actual inspections. That is my unique selling point, when advertising classes for Sharondale Academy, in Toronto..........We offer a combination of classroom, online, and up to 50% of our course time, doing class inspections. Your ability to learn and retain knowledge increases exponentially when you can see, feel, touch,smell, and experience first-hand, the challenges presented in doing actual inspections!

[hlowe]

Originally Posted by sgarland

There are inspectors from every group that miss things. A friend of mine almost had his house burn down this Christmas (seriously!) that he had inspected by someone not from NACHI a few months ago but I'm not blaming their whole organization. The fact is it's the sum of all your knowledge and education and people skills that will come through in your reports. Even more importantly you have to actually give a damn about your client. I wish everyone would just let this stuff go and concentrate on being good at their own business and contributing to INACHI or whatever group they belong to in a positive way but that seems too difficult for some on these forums.

You're right Steve!............The organization doesn't make the inspector; rather the inspectors make the organization! Why the heck can't we unite for a common productive purpose, and really use these boards to train and encourage each other?