I recently participated in the CMC Energy Home Tune-Up training class. While redoing my programs, forms, etc. I ran into a question on the TAC regulations. What I found out was very interesting and I would like to thank Devon Bijansky, TREC Legal, for clearing the air. She is always so helpful!!
I will sum it up here but also include her responses to my inquiries. In a nutshell, as she succinctly stated:
Devon Bijansky wrote:
In summary no matter what type of inspection or property condition consulting you are performing on a TREC controlled real estate transaction you must issue the TREC REI-7A-0 form. Here are the series of memo’s that occurred. Please do not deluge TREC with clarifications as it is very clear here and they are busy there.
Also keep into account this was with regards to the Home Tune-Up report that CMC Energy generates as a .pdf file to give to my clients. We all know that .pdf files are significantly different format from other editing programs. In general to add this to another electronic report (in the absence of a .pdf editor) it would have to be embedded or attached to the report. My software package is not capable of doing this nor is MS Word as far as I am aware.
My first inquiry and TREC response:
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From here I had a series of memos between myself, Kaplan and CMC Energy regarding this which generated a number of memo’s. I’ve left them out as they are not significant enough. There was one slight area of doubt and I generated the following memo to Devon Bijansky and her response is also here.
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Hopefully this helps keep some of us out of trouble and within the regulations. [/FONT]
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Thanks! I’ve tried that and unless I am doing it incorrectly it does not seem to work for me. If I try to drag and drop from Windows Exploder (oops I meant Explorer :mrgreen: ) or copy and paste from Explorer all it transfers is the first page of the report. Naturally if a try a cut and paste after opening the .pdf you lose the formatting.
Another issue that we face is the CMC report is already page numbered as is the TREC REI-7A-0 To prevent confusion to the client I really would prefer to remove the CMC page numbering if I dropped it inside the REI-7A-0 form.
If you are aware of a way to take a 20+ page .pdf file, complete with all the graphics, and easily add it to a Word Doc please let me know. It can come in very handy for other issues. Maybe I’m doing the Text Box incorrectly?
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Seems like it may be easier to explain the benefits of this service to the client at the time of the TREC regulated inspection and then use it as a reason to followup later with them. Most people are upsizing and are surprised about the size of their energy bills once they get in a house. You could follow up at 6 months about doing a energy inspection.
Granted you have to go back out, but depending on the closing rate for the service, you get to keep intouch with the client and book a seperate billable service. As it would not be “related to a sale” at that point, you don’t have to worry about the TREC regs and can just gie them the CMC report.
You can use a PDF print driver program like Win2PDF. Print the standard form to a pdf file and then print the CMC report to the same file name. It will offer the opportunity to append the second report to the first PDF leaving you with one file. At least that works for Win2PDF; I assume other PDF print drivers would offer the same option.
Thanks for the help guys! What I was mainly relaying here though was the required use of REI-7A-0 when you provide a service that you do not want to use the REI-7A-0 form for such as the Home Tune-Up scenario.
I will just be sending them as two separate reports as an attachment to email. That makes it considerably easier in the long run.
Kevin,
That is a very good approach to the program! That kills two birds with one stone. Who knows they may even have a maintenance inspection done at the same time?
Ron,
A very nice feature for only $35. It could come in very handy for other needs I have. I use PDF995 now only because its free. Unfortunately it does not have the merge feature.
The other reason is that most of the repairs or improvements related tot eh energy inspection would be considered upgrades. So they might just tend to muddy the waters of the negociations, as many buyers have trouble distinguishing upgrades from “in need of repair” items.
Manny, in addition to Ron’s suggestion of Win2pdf you can also go to www.pdf995.com and download the free “pdfedit995” utility which allows you to merge two or more pdf documents into one.
Good point! Also how would you like to answer the question as to why your full inspection report does not make bad light of the HVAC when the Tune-Up report recommends it be replaced. Just thought of that one.:roll: :roll:
Mike,
I’m going to check out the pay per version of PDF995. But I’m such a cheapskate and hate paying for it!
I know how you feel as I am just another Damn Yankee Transplant here myself! Us Yankees tend to upset the Southern apple cart (so to speak) with all of our clarification requests. :mrgreen:
It is a rather simple concept in such a complex world that it does at times appear confusing. Simply put if you are performing a whole property condition consultion on a home for sale then you must be licensed as an Inspector. If you are a contractor providing estimates and advice regarding a properties condition, regardless of whether it is for sale or not then you do not need to be licensed as an Inspector.
Here is an interesting part. If you are performing a property condition assessment of even one system of a home for sale then you must either be a licensed tradesman for that system, a licensed Inspector, a licensed building code official or a Professional Engineer.
Are you confused yet? Good, come on down and join us!
What??? and all this time I thought you were a born and bred Texan or at least an illegal immigrant or something. Hell, I’ve taken you into my confidence only to be repaid by this atrocious admission? I feel…violated. :twisted:
I do hope you can forgive me? I am trying to assimilate into the local culture. I even purposely built our home in a country town full of actual Texans!! It is getting hard to find an actual Texan in Texas these days! I have not quite gotten the drawl down pat yet though. But I do own a pickup truck, 50 guns and have four dogs. Can I score some points with that?
OK, I’ve had time to sleep on this and in my best southern hospitable manner I do accept your feeble attempt at assimilation. Now, just make the pilgrimage to Austin at least least once in your life and display the hook-em horns sign outside DKR-Memorial stadium, sing the Eyes of Texas, travel down to San Antonio and genuflect at the entrance to the Alamo and then finally go to the I-35 bridge over the Red River and moon Oklahoma and you will have atoned for your transgressions and will be then considered a normalized Texan.
Done that one!! But when my wife heard me sing it she threatened to divorce me if I quit my daytime job.
That was a pre-requisite in Basic Training and did that one.
I did that one too many years ago. Damn buckshot in the rear still hurts! Them Okie’s sure can aim a shotgun!!
Have not done that yet!! Got to get it done soon!! When I do can I stop by and buy my Buddy lunch?? Aww Shucks, I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside now!!!:mrgreen: :mrgreen:
But I do own a pickup truck, 50 guns and have four dogs. Can I score some points with that?