TOPIC: Inspection Questions

If you guys have a question about something you find during an inspection and want the opinion of other inspectors, create a new thread in this board. Make sure to attach a photo as that will make it much easier! Click on Additional Options to see the box to attach photos.

Ya I have one,

Who on earth thinks being a home inspector is going to make you rich?
Maybe Nuts but not rich....

Yuk Yuk

The guys down here in Southern California that were doing 3 a day for the past few years. When I first started Home Inspector Pro a few years ago I met A LOT with several companies whose inspectors helped shape the initial version of Home Inspector Pro. Several of the guys had boats, electric cars, atc's, jetskis, and lived in a $700,000 house. Of course they were hurting for the last few months, but quite a few of them are back up to a 2 day now.

So Mike, when you taking me out on your boat?

This is to Patrick Bollinger.  You made what you think is a "yuk yuk" comment, but it might not be...

Patrick - In business development, there are lots of keys, all under the heading of organization and marketing.

Here is what you market:
1.  Yourself - consistent contact with clients - agents, brokers, loan officers - personal contact, monthly emails like newsletters, ads dropped off into agent's mailboxes, mailings.  The key word is consistent.  Personal grooming and how you dress should NOT be underrated.  How you speak generally and with clients is certainly NOT to be underrated.  If your vocabulary lacks, work on it.  If you use the words "like" or "um" or "you know" or "I mean" a lot, alter your phraseology. 
2.  Your company - diversify your services.  Make it known to your client agents or brokers everything you do and demonstrate that you do them well.  Home inspections offers a wide array of service possibilities.
3.  Your abilities - if you aren't learning and growing, you aren't learning and growing, and constantly falling behind those who are.  This should be obvious.  One of my favorite quotes, hanging in my office, is from Michelangelo, written when he was 87 (he died at 93), "I am still learning."  If you aren't familiar with his bio you should be.  And HE wanted to grow more.  The home inspection business is a GREAT way to develop abilities.  A general education is important too.  Education is useless if not shared.  If you don't know how to do something, find someone who is good at it, learn from them, and work at it. 
4.  Your product and presentation - my opinion is that only about 30% of the home inspection business is construction knowledge.  Another 30% would be your ability to communicate, educate and inform your clients during an inspection.  If you don't do that well, believe me, the agents will notice and it will get around their office tomorrow.  Another 30% would be the quality of your reporting - easy to understand yet comprehensive, complete yet not overwhelming - very, very important not only to the client but to YOU.  The last 10% would be people skills, which are hard to teach.
5.  Anything else that sets you aside from the pack.  A slight edge is everything.  Tiger Woods has an average score that is less than 1 stroke ahead of #50 on the PGA Tour.  Can you name #50?  You may not have ever heard of him.  ANYTHING slightly different about you can work to your favor and impress.

If you don't think marketing is important, there are 20 mountains in North America higher than Pike's Peak.  How many can you name?

As to organization, there are as many kinds of organizations as there are people.  You have to organize in a way that complements you and who you are.

I am very busy, 2 or 3 inspections every day, 6 days a week - in English and in Spanish.  I am booked days in advance, and my agent clients put extra time on their contracts to try to schedule me.  I get LOTS of referrals from people who know someone I did an inspection for.  No brag, just fact.  It has taken years to get there.  But I have been busy, even recently, where other inspectors (and realtors) in my area (Northern Virginia just outside DC) have gone way out of business.  Contrary to Dominic's Southern CA friends, I have no bling, preferring investments.  Bling you pay for, investments pay you.

If you desire to get rich, go get rich...  you may have to work for it however.

I love ya, my brutha...  keep on keeping on.  You can get there.

Ouch!
I don't think I want to work that hard anymore! 
I consider this my semi retirement.  You have to keep doing something  or you get too old, to fast!

Have to go cut a hundred acres of Hay,  lets see how many inspections I book from my tractor today! 

Hopefully five or six, and you can make some hay while you're making some hay!