Home Inspection 101

[Claude Lawrenson]

Interesting article - what's your take?
http://www.homeinspections-usa.com/article/111

Or a take from AHIT - - Ontario specific
http://www.inspectfest.com/canada/news/HI_OntarioWhitePaper.pdf.

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

Good articles, for a few of us we are in the building the numbers so we are in a position to get accepted. Having taken the courses and extra training, waiting on specific courses to come available for our own betterment.
I at this point can't see someone jumping in the business without some formal training but guess it does happen. One problem I have noted is, as a new to the HI field and reading the BBs offered there is an incrediable amount of anomosity (sp) towards each other and those within each Org. This makes joining and working towards such Orgs difficult as we are trying to learn the history in the business and also advance ourselves, the fear of stepping on toes comes into play and then you could be blackballed (so to speak) from getting help or limited information from some of the great Inspectors within. I personally have recieved some awsome information and would like to continue to advance in this feild.
Tread lightly is something I have heard mentioned many times.
In the long run it boils down to where you want to be in the next three to five years. For me it will be with a Canadian orginization coupled with NACHI ( I joined NACHI first so I feel I have roots here) as I see it becoming the future be it licensing or legisation.
anyways my two cents worth
billy

[Claude Lawrenson]

William I do not believe in any one association. I belong to a number, and each offer a number of distinct advantages, and yes at times disadvantages. It's like shopping for groceries, or other products - often you cannot always find the best deals in just one store.

Personally, I would like to see the name calling and belittling stopped. It's a true sign that we still have a long way to go in being professional. More so when its aired piblicly it makes all home inspectors look "unprofessional".

I am not placing blame - because everyone to some degree is at fault. The unfortunate part is some people would rather play that card than to move on and look for the common sense and logic required to resolve those differences. As long as those differences and hate talk continues - than we are not likely to fix the problems.

Glad to see you add some fresh thoughts and keep an open mind to the discussions.

[dcook1]

Originally Posted by clawrenson

Personally, I would like to see the name calling and belittling stopped. It's a true sign that we still have a long way to go in being professional. More so when its aired piblicly it makes all home inspectors look "unprofessional".

As long as those differences and hate talk continues - than we are not likely to fix the problems.

Claude,
100%..... right on... Except it was written for Ontario??? from Wisconsin? Did we adopt Wisconsin? Just pulling your leg sir!
In reality though you are correct, I have seel some pretty bad accusations and name calling the completely removes the term "Professional" from our label. I would like to see some bury their differences (or at least ignore their personal differences) for the good of the profession.
Anyway the White Paper looks pretty good and points out some of the pitfalls of openning a Home Inspection business.
One thing that I feel should be stressed more, (and as Page 8 states, we are opinionated) is the background of the inspector. I saw one inspector tell the clients the deteriorating masonry chimney was affecting the fireplace
and was causing CO to back up into the house. When the realtor called a gas company to repair the fireplace, he advised as this was a direct vewnt fireplace and had never been connected to any masonry chimney.
This inspector states how he is such a professional as he is a member of OAHI. No other qualifications are forthcoming!

[rwand1]

In reality though you are correct, I have seel some pretty bad accusations and name calling the completely removes the term "Professional" from our label. I would like to see some bury their differences (or at least ignore their personal differences) for the good of the profession.

I will never bury my differences, so long as my rights are being abused. Please dont tell me and others that we should be professional when we have been professional all along, while others have managed to manipulate the system without accountability to stifle ones rights which are guaranteed via Pr 158 and the bylaws.

That is wrong and attempts to resolve it have gone no where because of the ignornace and abuse of power, yes so much for professionalism.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by rwand1

I will never bury my differences, so long as my rights are being abused. Please dont tell me and others that we should be professional when we have been professional all along, while others have managed to manipulate the system without accountability to stifle ones rights which are guaranteed via Pr 158 and the bylaws.

That is wrong and attempts to resolve it have gone no where because of the ignornace and abuse of power, yes so much for professionalism.

Raymond:

I have never met Claude or had even heard of him until recently on these boards. He seems a fair and even handed person who has taken on one of the 3 or 4 jobs-from-hell in the Canadian HI industry. As long as we fight each other across the country, the industy's image will suffer and realtors and our potential clients will distrust us.

Find some allies in OAHI/CAHPI like Claude; it'll take time to get things strightened out. That's why it's taken 25 years to even get to the beginning of a national standards process (still a long way to go......IMO, the industry is just beginning to mature).

Anyway, to quote a billboard I saw yesterday:
"An eye for an eye makes the world blind"

[rwand1]

Brian

You don't need allies who conspire and run with the enemy. These issues are bigger than Claude. You also do not know the politics within Ontario, nor documented abuses within OAHI.

Its easy to be complacent and politically correct. You'd be screaming to if your rights had been denied. No one ever got what they sought by backing down.

The problem is they don't like people who know their rights.