There is going to be a news story tomorrow night on I think channel 11 at 10 PM (Mon) on unlicensed home inspectors in Minnesota. Have no idea what it is going to be about, but bet it will not be good! Minnesota does not require us to be licensed so (duh) I guess they will be talking about all of us!!
Most of the time its pushed by Real;tors and their National goal of getting us licensed everwhere to help shift liability off themselves in case of litigation
Doesn’t the city of Minneapolis have a license for Home Inspector
They would be better off and have no liability if they would simply stay the FU…cK out of the whole Inspection process altogether. Just my 2 cents.
Jim
Agreed. Basic, minimum state laws allow for basic, minimum inspections. This allows RE’s, mortgage companies, office brokers, all involved in the RE process to sell sub-par properties to unsuspecting home buyers, get their commissions, and make more money.
RE’s love cheap, basic report writing rookie inspectors, because they are less likely to alarm home buyers. State laws will allow this: legally.
Any media outlet reporting any HI or RE story does this only for the best interest of their advertising-paying clients.
May is “sweeps month” where local stations try to boost their ratings to establish their annual advertising rates. This is the favorite month for scandals and “revealing” investigative reports and licensing advocates have always targeted this period to “expose” the dangers of unlicensed home inspectors.
Usually, with the cooperation of the local ASHI chapter, a news station will have a house “pre-inspected” and then call five or ten inspectors in to see if they can find the defects that their “expert” told them about. All of the misses become news and the illusion is painted in the minds of the public that a licensing process would prevent this while a few guys get some media exposure pretending to be professionals. It happens every year.
In June, they go back to reporting the weather and the local stabbings and flower shows.
No… Yes… No…
Home Inspection… NO!
“Truth-In-Sale” SCAM “Evaluation”… YES!!
**
Here is the video from last night.
http://www.kare11.com/video/2360562072001/1/Should-Minn-require-licenses-for-home-inspectors
I was horrified / her inspector didn’t protect her because he didn’t find rot, mold, etc inside wall cavities. Brick to siding flashing / in KC I see that once or twice a month.
The woman got $7,000 knocked off the price because of what her inspector found but no mention was made of what it cost her to fix.
I would sure like to know.
This was tried and FAILED in PA.
The Pennsylvania Legislature caved to Union Interests and FAILED to License any Building Contractor…
If the Contractors that Build the Homes are NOT Licensed…
Why should those Inspecting them be Licensed…
(A little late if Inspecting the cart behind the horse)
And the side Note to most Licensing Questions in PA…
If Home Inspectors in PA become Licensed…
Who is the Licensed Home Inspector suggested to defer to
Architects?
PE?
or
the Municipal and/or Unlicensed, Uninsured, Under insured, Unqualified Contractor that built the home and/or participated in the construction?
An Interesting Question that remains Unanswered in PA…
Minnesota does not have a statewide licensing system for home inspectors. Some consumers believe it’s overdue. </SPAN>
**Should Minnesota license home inspectors? **
http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2683758737001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured
When I was building in New Jersey there was no General Contractor’s License and most trade contractors wondered why. Around 2005 they started a Home Improvement License which was easy to get with 300k of GL insurance. Nothing needed to do commercial work. Most contractors I know or knew in NJ were pretty good. I come to Florida and they have very strict laws but its like the wild west…
Our state passed this bill this summer, there may not be funding in the budget to enforce or implement it. It was supposed to kick in 1/1/14…pushed by REA’s. They all knew about it and were asking me questions on it way before it was even passed (it failed every year until this year since 2001)
See post #5. It is amazing how laws get passed that lawmakers cannot pay for, or enforce. Without forced state building codes, how can you really state a defect is a defect? Amazing how contractors, trades people and home builders do not get licensed, but HI’s do.
I have talked to my local state senator, who also happens to be the deputy majority leader. I asled why GCs are not licensed by the state, but HIs are. BTW: In Illinois, the only trades licensed by the state are plumbers (through the dept of health) and roofers.
He said that the down state GCs could not afford the training or licensing requirements.
Gee, they don’t state licence carpenters, masons, GCs, electricians and HVAC licenses are obtainable from the municipalites for just paying $35 /year. (anyone can get one, who graduated high school).
BUT, they license HIs, and require us to pay more in license fees that they do physicians.
This is government. Go figure.
William, that is totally messed up…:shock:
Jim
That’s typical political BS. I know several GC’s down here that make good money.
Yeah, Chris. The Senator is Louis Lang, who is just a Madigan toady.
James, it’s not “messed up”, it’s Illinois.