Is your Biz up or down for Aug. 2005 & 2006

[Charles R. N. Crooker]

Hi all, for all you that have been in buisness for a year or more, I was wondering if your biz is up or down from a year ago. And if so any thoughts as to why?

[Nick Gromicko]

EKG for NACHI: http://www.nachi.org/memberstats.htm

[rparker]

My buisness down a bit from this time last year all this week has been good with 6 so far and one I hope to hear about later to day.It seems to be slower than last year although when I look at my records from last year they are close to same.I guess it just feels slow
Rob

[rwand1]

Nick looks like there are more new members signing up then current members renewing. Hmmmm. Thats revealing.

[rwand1]

Nick how can you vote that your biz is up? Are you a home inspector actively inspecting or are your referring to Nachi?

[rwand1]

Charles,

This will explain why the pie is getting smaller. The newbies are the ones to suffer. I have to agree with Rudolf sentiments it was posted on the CANUCK list. Its very factual!

Having been in this game now for 30 years - I am certainly not in favour of any governmental interference how I can or should operate my business. But the writing seems to be on the wall that governmental regulation might eventually become the only solution to clean up the unsustainable mess in our Canadian Home Inspection Industry.

In spite of all the best efforts of a few dedicated colleagues - nothing of consequence has actually been materialized in decades. Here are some facts which support my critical opinion.

In Ontario - and in particular in Toronto - the number of home inspectors who are offering their services to the public has multiplied hundredfold in recent years. During the same period the number of "Registered Home Inspectors" has remained more or less stagnant because very few "Students" or "Applicants" ever manage to obtain their "RHI Designation" - or have realized in time - that the hard to come by designation is of little or no value to make a living in this competitive business. The designation is actually a disadvantage when one has to uphold standards which unaffiliated "fast buck & low fee" competitors have not to obey to.

I predict that Ontario will certainly follow if the Governments of the western provinces are successful in their attempts to regulate the home inspection industry. However - there is still a silver lining on the horizon - because if the individual Governments are requesting that home inspectors have to carry E&O insurance - they also have to provide an insurer willing to underwrite the risk for a nominal fee.

I can hardly wait for the long awaited announcement at the next National Home Inspectors’ Conference in Calgary - to learn about who in fact has passed the highly promoted "National Certification" touted to be a requisite to become eventually a governmental regulate home inspector. Lets hope - for the sake of home inspectors in the greater Toronto area - that it does not only include the entire staff of Carson, Dunlop & Associates.

RUDOLF REUSSE - Home Inspector since 1976- TORONTO

[Nick Gromicko]

Raymond, the EKG is for NACHI, not any one inspection association. See post #2. Actually there are almost as many new members joining NACHI as there are renewals. The problem with the EKG is that although we have a 99% renewal rate, the highest of any trade association in world history, about 1/3 of our members renew after their due date. The EKG only shows those who renewed on or before their renewal date, not slow to renew renewals. New members show on the day they join NACHI. NACHI's EKG shows that NACHI is still suffering from strong growth http://www.nachi.org/memberstats.htm

[Vern Mitchinson]

Business is way down for the year but August is one more then last year and have two tomorrow and one on Tue.
Business is down because the market is nuts. prices have gone way up I'm sure 50% above this month last year. July prices were 38% above same month last year. Why this month low volume reversed. Because of the news item "homeowners homeless" on TV Aug 1. I got 20 calls for mould inspections the next day. Did not know what the h**l was going on then heard about the news item. Almost all my inspection month have been the result of that story. Article previously posted. at http://www.canada.com/globaltv/edmon...9-fb82eddbcdb4
So will finish this month up from last year but the whole year to date is not good not good at all.