http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/jbushart1173198149
Nick,
This is exactly what I was talking about in your other post on licensing. It is a question of WHO is going to control licensing legislation, and WHO is going to control our industry once licensing is established. The NAR is a powerful lobby because they speak with one voice, and they have the money to make the best lobbying effort. In this state, realtors and agents, according to their own COE, are required to take a passive role in clients’ choices of inspectors, but in practice we all know this is a joke. They openly speak of who they “use” to do inspections “for” them, and to a certain degree “we” have to market to realtors. I choose to market strongly to those (rare) agents who truly have their clients’ interests at heart. The rest can call me or not…I won’t kiss their b**ts.
Here, REALTORS have two seats on the Home Inspectors Board. Talk about conflict of interest!!
Here, the administrator of the Board of Realtors is also the administrator of the Home Inspection Board. Inspectors’ main contact is a recently hired, barely knowledgeable, administrative assistant type.
I am a proponent of licensing, and of fairly strict requirements. I am NOT a proponent of having realtors, builders, and financial institutions controling us or our industry. I think we can agree on that point.
To my way of thinking, and I believe it to be possible, HI organizations need to get our acts together and present a united front, and hire our own army of lobbyists to combat bad legislation in the individual states.
As General Polk said to General Bragg at Perryville, “It seems we are too much divided.” There is nothing wrong with (or threatening to our organization ) communication between organizations to find out where our common ground is, establishing our own industry wide standards (which is basically already in place), and going forth to the legislators with one voice. I’m a history guy, Nick. The AFL/CIO, back in the days when they were fighting each other for influence, and when there was plenty of influence to fight over, finally realized that other forces were taking advantage of their infighting. That’s how it became the AFL/CIO, instead of just the AFL or the CIO. I am not suggesting a merger between NACHI and ASHI. I am suggesting that we have enough in common to set a standard, and the money to get professional lobbyists involved in the legislative process. Certain other organizations, especially those created by and for certain franchise organizations, are already weak, and need not be consulted.
Harping, complaining, and whining about licensing will do us no good. It’s coming everywhere, whether we like it or not. The only question remaining is, are WE going to exercise power and influence, or are we going to let the NAR do it for us?
Jimmy B.
P.S.—I like what Massachusetts did to take the realtors out of the referral game…but, does it have TEETH in it?
Watch and see what we do with it in Missouri. It is NOT inevitable.
Licensing solves nothing.
I wonder if the Joplin readers would be interested in other comments that the President of the Missouri Chapter of NACHI has mad about licensing in other States?
Pretty Cool the Joplin Independant has a “forum”, open to all. Maybe Washington Inspectors and those from other States where Bushart has been so involved, can spend as much time on the “Joplin” forum as James has honored us with in ours.
http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article3.php/jbushart1173198149
Since I am from Joplin, I certainly hope not.
Jimmy, Mass did NOT take REALTORs out of the referral game. Only listing agents. Buyers agents (who most buyers are represented by) are still very much permitted to give their clients their best advice (based on merit, not Scumbag NAHI preferred vendor schemes) on choosing a home inspector in Mass.
Seems like this is my day to misread things, Nick.
But you know those scumbag deals are made all the time. I have a love-hate relationship with realtors and agents. I love the ones I regularly deal with, because they are just as interested in protecting the consumer as I am, even if it means having their commission check delayed, or the deal falling through. I hate the ones who make the scumbag deals whether with franchises or not.
While you have me making retractions, Scott Patterson over in Tennessee, formerly of Mississippi, informs me that the two members I represented on an earlier post as realtors are actually an EX realtor-turned-inspector, and the other is an appraiser.
No more morning posts for me!
You still haven’t convinced me about licensing!
Nor have you.
I don’t think it would be getting much reading from the good people of Joplin. At least most of them are disinterested enough to not post any replies.
I think the “read” hits are mostly from us at the NACHI board.
Nice sentiment though.
…and was there a reason that http://www.stltoday.com/ would not publish this letter to the editor. Would seem like a better forum for getting the word out? But, hey I don’t live in Missouri so I don’t know what works there.
I like all the hits that Bushart’s article is getting, it may help to keep it up on the “Independent’s” board, until someone can post a reply containing one of Jame’s argument here on the message board.
His argument in the letter to the editor was directed at the public, he tried to scare them into believing that most Realtors and Home Inspectors are some how conspiring to screw the buyers, he fails to ment that not passing the Bill will let that evil practice continue.
Then there’s his argument here where he attempts to scare HI’s by telling them that once licensing occurs the these same Realtors will become so worried about being sued by Home Inspectors for showing favoritism, that they will begin giving their clients the complete list of State Licensed Home Inspectors, which because he believes that Realtor referrals are a “Conflict of Interest”, he should support. If he’s right, the Conflict would be done away with by licensing. “Someone” will probably ask about that in the Joplin paper.
Joplin is the right size to start a letter writing campaign, St. Louis is too big. Joplin is the biggest city around, it has a University, and the 'Independent" has some curious reporters who, when given links to things like the KIRO report and videos and information about HI negligence in other unregulated States, may just go out and look for the same problems in their own area. Stories about consumers getting screwed sell well, and Joplin is close enough to Kansas City, Springfield, and Rolla, for the Media there to pick up on the HI Bill, especially seeing as letters to the editor from Missouri residents may be sent there shortly after “someone” contacts the Independent.
By contacting the media in a mid sized city first, if you can get a story rolling, then when the Big City media gets a hold of it, they feel embarassed that they didn’t have the Story first, and will usually jump through their *** to make the Story Bigger.
If you want to see how it works look up Tim Eyman’s Iniative campaigns in Washington, this is even easier because it’s a Bill, not an initiative, no one needs to gather signatures, I don’t even know if Missouri has an Initiative law.
Draw back is Joplin is the absolute farthest you can get away from St. Louis and still be in the same State. Joplin is a rural area that, apparently, unlike the St. Louis & KC areas, have ethical realtors and home inspectors that are able to handle professional relationships, just like it should work.
Not according to Bushart, they’re all corrupt and are only referring inspections to those who won’t kill their deal, of course most of us know better, it does go on in certain cases and by certain Realtors, but file a complaint with the Broker or the Realestate Commission and watch how many brochures the offending realtor starts handing out.
Bushart should favor Licensing in Missouri, he says that once a State becomes Licensed the Realtors, afraid of being sued for favoritism, will start handing out complete lists of licensed inspectors, which would solve his problem of Conflict of INterest wouldn’t it.
Joplin is just right, Rolla would work to, or Springfield, Kansas City and St. Louis are to beg to start in, too hard to get them to pay any attention. Joplin is pretty far away, but they all read each others news, and if some enterprising reporter begins an investigation it wouldn’t be hard for the Issue or HI Regulation, or more specifically, HI negligence to become big news, for awhile.
I find it hard to believe that they are all that unethical in St Louis either. But Bushart is entitled to his opinion…but that doesn’t make it the truth.
While I have met a few unethical realtors, most I can characterize as honest people, many which are also hardworking.
And if receiving a referal from an agent was unethical…it seems it would be part of NACHI’s COE…
I found this post on another thread; Seemed more appropriate here;
http://www.nachi.org/forum/showpost.php?p=174644&postcount=271
"_____ is all about being in a non-licensed state, bordering a licensed state which has had, since the inception of the state HI law, only 2 HI related lawsuits (and only one HI lost).
He decries licensing, but fails to recognize that licensing helps to protect the HI, provided the HI takes the time to read and understand the law.
He also has mentioned that some HIs from his state, regularly, cross the border into Illinois and perform inspections (in violation of Illinois law!) and then claims that this is not wrong, un-ethical or illegal (which, I have on great authority, it is). Maybe a NACHI ethical violation (Inspectors will obey all state laws.).
I have also tried to call him (this board and e-mails are not the best media for serious communication), but he has repeatedly refused to call me back or even answer his phone when I call.
I would not take him too seriously.
Hope this helps;"
Here’s an information update for those who may be seeking some on what is happening in Missouri. (I will engage Cheech and Chong - aka Capaul and Miller later, when all activities have been carried to fruition. For now, we’ll accept their input as comic relief.)
The challenges to the bill and the dialogue with the legislature is not at all the anticipated “NACHI vs ASHI” urinating olympics…but a genuine challenge to the need for this legislation.
Everyone (at every level of involvement) who has actually read it agrees as to its lack of emphasis on home inspection and apparent intent of putting home inspectors under the control of residential real estate salesmen. No one (at every level of involvement) who has actually read the bill…favors it.
We have also learned that we have many Missouri brothers in the ASHI ranks who also oppose this bill and resent their chapter’s support of it. In fact, we learned that, with the exception of the small group who actually hope to be appointed to this board, the majority of remaining ASHI members think the bill is trash.
If you are an ASHI member and are presently involved in the process of burying this bill, I thank you…and if you would like to be, send me an email.
Much is happening and the momentum is definitely in our favor, at this point. Thank you, ASHI members, for joining in the fight.
Do you really feel that there oppinion on this matter is comic? If so why?
I think the point is that Jim is saying that he wonders how much the realtors will like it if they are prohibited from referring any inspector. This action would likely draw the protest of some realtors.
Jim believes that if there is enough momentum, that licensing is not inevitable. Where it may be, then throw a monkey wrench into the mix; especially one that actually may protect the buying public.
I also do not believe that Jim is saying that all realtors are sleazy. Certainly they are not.
Sure, there are sleazy realtors out there, but then again, there are some pretty sleazy inspectors, as well.
You are correct, Joe.
The issue concerning this legislation is directly related to the Missouri Association of Realtors’ illegitimate attempt to control home inspectors through legislation that they are sponsoring under the guise of “licensing”.
Indirectly, as the attention is shifted in that direction…and in order to fully challenge their interest in consumer protection…one is forced to ask the question: “If all home inspectors in the state are licensed in accordance to their proposed criteria, besides providing the buyer with a complete list of the state’s licensed inspectors, what legitimate reason could a salesman of residential buildings have for singling out one or two of them?”
Just wanted to make sure I could provide the same level of assistance that you so graciously bestowed upon us on the Washington legislation thread. 