Beware to all home buyers: an EASY Inspector is like The "EASY" GIRL in High School!

General Inspection Topics General Inspection Discussion
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**-X BEWARE: An “EASY” Home Inspector is like the EASY GIRL in High School **

**…they are both real busy and everyone knows the kind of work they do! **

**or in the case of your prospective home, lots and lots of Realtors know them and refer them plenty of work. :wink: **

Let’s face it; there are some so called “professionals” in the Real-Estate profession who are just interested in making a quick buck. Yes its true, in my opinion a significant number of realtors refer their hand picked “easy” home inspectors to inspect homes for their clients (the home buyer). Note: this is especially true with older homes as older homes usually = many more problems.

To all you EASY inspectors out there: read further, you know who you are .

Tell me, why would a home inspector who has such an important responsibility (to protect the life safety of their clients) stoop so low to as to become an “easy” inspector?

That’s simple, in my experience many agents will not continue to refer a “good” home inspector to their clients. (a “tough” home inspector translated in agent talk is a “Deal Breaker”.)

And to be able to feed his kids, the Home Inspector becomes somewhat “easy” over time. Yes that’s right people, just like the girl in high school.

How do I know this? I happen to be a “tough” home inspector (and that is why I’m ranting on NACHI right now, and not inspecting).

FYI: if needed you can always find an “easy” home inspector under a desk at the local real estate office.

And why then if the agent is supposed to look out for their clients, why are there agents who refer “easy” home inspectors to their unsuspecting clents?

Could it be to help their client find the TRUE condition of the home they are buying?

Heck no…silly!

For some agents, a good home inspection is the LAST thing they want for their clients. Why? Simply because a good home inspector may blow “Their” deal. They fear that the client may walk away from the home (and walk away from them as well).

People, BE SMART about YOUR MONEY and consider the human nature factor. If you decide to go with the home inspector your agent chooses for you, not only could you be paying for an easy Home Inspector for your biggest lifetime investment, but unfortunately you could be paying much more than you think for that home inspection. (because important and costly problems may not be found by that inspector)

Bottom line, why risk it? Choose your own inspector.

No matter how nice your agent seems to be, and no matter how good and cheap they say their inspector is, does really make sense to choose the home inspector your agent refers to you? Choose your own inspector.

(and mark my words; in some cases I’ve seen agents really push their client towards their guy and claim “their” home inspector is very “good and cheap”)

TO 95% of us who are HONEST INSPECTORS in this industry. You can feel free to use this in your marketing:
Our company is completely independent and unaffiliated with Realtors. If an Applied Home Inspector finds problems or defects with the property you are buying, we will report on the home’s problems with complete integrity. As a profession, we take great enjoyment in the fact that the Home Inspector is the one of the only professionals in a Real-estate transaction who can claim they are impartial.

We call it honestly and exactly as we see it, and when we do “call it”, you receive that recommendation in an easy to understand computer generated report. We realize that there are vast differences in construction practices in the building industry. Therefore, we always look at every home as unique structure, with possibly its own set of problems and concerns.

Our mission is to look out for the best interest of our clients by inspecting every home as if we are the ones buying the home. As you already know, a home purchase is the single biggest financial decision that a family will make. By giving you critical information about your new home, we can help you make a well informed decision and gain the peace of mind that will follow.

The statements above are the opinion(s) of one dam good inspector (and very humble to:) ). Opinions are funny things they are usually formed from experience (part subjectivity, part objective) And as a home inspector, my opinions about some realtors may be clouded with bitterness from the really dishonest **** I have seen in the past with this industry. And in no way should this message be construed as hard fact… People should consider the individual, human nature, consider the FREAKING large commission your agent is making for really being just a glorified taxi driver…
take advice/opinions from many other sources and in the end form their own opinion. Basically, for legal reasons I do not represent these statements as fact and you should form your own opinions about individual professionals in this industry… good thing we live in a free country where we can say what we want are speech is 100% protected! Like I said, this is just the opinion of one humble (and dam good) Home Inspector.
Be smart… choose your own inspector.:cool:

Applied Home Inpsections INC.
1-877-BE4- UBUY (234-8289)
www.appliedhomeinspections.com
**Grayslake, IL **
Serving all of Chicago land and all surrounding Suburban areas

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I know how you feel–it’s for one hard to be “humble” when one is so “dam good”.

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Amen brother.

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I loved the easy girl. I was going to marry them all.

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I loved the easy girl too.

Unfortunatly the easy home inspector is costing most of us good inspectors a lot of money with there dirt cheap rates and a strangle hold on most RE agents (Or do the agents have a strangle hold on them?)
Bottom line, the easy inspectors get around quite a bit! I hope they all get sued out of business.:twisted:

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I concur.

There’s one Inspector in my area, who my wife (Broker) uses all the time because he’s in and out of a three-family home in less than an hour. She has all her buyers call this particular Inspector because he’s cheap and she claims that he’s not a deal killer. I’m still trying to figure out how the hell he can complete a multi-family inspection in less than an hour and not be standing in front of a damn judge.

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It has been my observation that the “easy inspector” writes his report ( if he takes the time to write one at all) in words that provide so much wiggle room that you could sail ‘King Gerorge V’ through it ( Relax R.R. there hasn’t been an election. K.G.V was a Royal navy battle ship of some renoun) Their reports really don’t say anything so they can’t be sued or they obliquely mention nearly everything so they cannot be accused of missing anything. ( Damn! I am beginning to think that I should edit my reports.)

The “deal killer” on the other hand assigns the same importance to a cracked bathroom tile as he does to a rotted and collapsing roof. He often takes it upon himself to TELL the client not to buy the house instead of presenting the facts and letting the client make that decision. ( In the words of my Lawyer, a very nervous man who sleeps about three hours a night, “Never tell a client whether or not to buy a house. As soon as you do that you assume the responsibility for the outcome, happy or otherwise, of the whole transaction. BAD! BAD! BAD!” He often carries a rolled up newspaper . . .

You can still be a good inspector without being a “deal killer” or assuming the horizontal every time an agent walks past. It’s called perspective.

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**I concur. **

There’s one Inspector in my area, who my wife (Broker) uses all the time because he’s in and out of a three-family home in less than an hour. She has all her buyers call this particular Inspector because he’s cheap and she claims that he’s not a deal killer. I’m still trying to figure out how the hell he can complete a multi-family inspection in less than an hour and not be standing in front of a damn judge.

Post reply—

You make a great point with your concerns, I’ll guarantee some of these fly-by-nights I hear about all the time are probably hiding behind their agreement (limit of liability) and writing a lot of checks to their pissed off clients to get their $150.00 inspection fees back (that is $150.00 fee for a 100 year old 3-flat :smiley: ).

While the agent is celebrating and laughing all the way to the bank with their commision check that they worked “oh so hard” for.

And you know the bitch of it?.. When the buyer has a problem with the home and they call the agent… what dam phone number do you think they give up to the buyer faster than you can say “lawsuit”?.. the home inspector’s phone number, that’s who.

You see, nature has a way of balancing itself… naturally :wink: .

Everybody in this forum is smart enough to know the truth of what is happening in this industry. Weather we deny it or not, some agents are trying to influence our inspections, and we all know that can not be a good thing.

Also, as for agent’s loving quick inspectors, I don’t personally believe that you can work that fast and do a good job at the same time…(you can’t unless you have 3 inspectors on the job)
I’m sorry, I’m in my early 30’s and in somewhat good shape and my average inspection is 2.5 to 3 hours long. AND I BUST MY *** to do a good job and at the same time work efficiently (not quickly). No breaks, soaked with sweat, just busting my *** to do a good job for the client. During the inspection I see my client very happy that I’m performing quality work for them… and then I look at the agent who wants to stab me (in my writing hand) for doing a good job… Only in america.

And what is our prize for working hard, protecting our client (and probably saving a client’s life or two over the course of a year)
Our prize is being labeled a “Deal Killer” by a old woman who has been a overpaid brat her whole life (and who never had to develop her brain)

God, no wonder why home inspectors are so bitter when it comes to agents.

I swear, if I catch an agent calling me a “deal killer” to a client again, I just may snap and take that golden opportunity to call my lawyer happily sue their spoiled overpaid butt for “defamation of character” just to send a clear and hard message to all the overpaid spoiled brats out there.

Believe it or not I have 2 sisters who are agents and I think they truely empatize with the inherant *“catch 22” *that the home inspector deals with on a daily basis. **You are dammed if you do, and you are standing in front of a judge if you don’t. **

I know most home inspectors are good people who care about their clients. In my opinion, as for some agents out there… I would not be suprised if they would sell their own mothers if they could.

TRUST ME, SHOOT FIRST (with good reports) “and ASK QUESTIONS LATER”
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Many agents think that if they can find an inspector who will sign off on a dump they are free and clear. Maybe you should educate them to the fact that in this suit happy world their names will appear on the court papers just like yours. Lawyers naturally use the shotgun approach and name everyone involved in the sale including grandparents, children, pets and neighbours.

Maybe you should ( maybe we all should) start by sending around a news letter or flyer titled something like;

TOP TEN REASONS TO RECOMMEND THE "EASY INSPECTOR"

1 - I recommended an “easy” inspector and now have been included in the clients suit for negligence. It’s nice to be wanted.

2 - I really wanted to get rid of all my worldly posessions.

3 - I wanted to move out of my house anyway.

4 - The ‘easy inspector’ was a nice guy and now we can spend more time together on the welfare line.

5 - The “deal killer” was a nit picker who pretended to be fair and honest. Jerk!

6 - The “easy inspector” was fast so it didn’t interfere with my golf time.

7 - I didn’t want those golf clubs anyway. They couldn’t shoot straight.

8 - The “easy inspector” was always sending me little gifts like candy or inch tapes, or fruit.

9 - MMMMMMM candy, fruit . It’s hungry out here on the welfare line.

10 - " Easy inspector" recommended a really ‘reasonable’ lawyer.

Or something like that:shock:

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George,
I don’t know you from adam, but I have to tell you that your "TOP TEN REASONS TO RECOMMEND THE "EASY INSPECTOR" was the funniest post reply I have ever read. The post should immediatly be placed in the NACHI “Best Of” catagory.
Seriously, that was really good stuff. I’m going to print that for a good laugh with my HI buddies.

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I would never wish a lawsuit on anyone under any conditions in any business at any time, not even my worst enemy, and certainly not anyone who is doing business in the industry in which I have chosen to work.

I do, however, hope they come to their senses or otherwise leave the industry.

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Excellent post. However, let’s home that there are no more King Georges and that his lineage ceases to exist.

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I had a realtor tell me that the other day. “My other inspector only takes an hour”

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Gosh, we’re always talking about Realtor double-speak, but sometimes we pick and choose what we want to believe and what we think is double-speak. So don’t put too much stock into that statement.

Realtors sometimes say that for one of two reasons:

1 - It’s the listing agent talking and he’s upset because I’ve shown up to do one of his listings, and he hates the thoroughness of my reports, or
2 - It’s the buyer’s agent talking and he’s upset because his Clients chose me after searching around rather than just going with who the buyer’s agent recommended.

Realtors quite often talk about how I only take “an hour.” The follow-up sentence that they neglect to add (because it’s not relevant to the fact that someone saved them some time) is, “He brought two [or three, or four] employees.”

I also had a listing agent tell me that his home inspector took less than an hour.
“Really?” I asked. “Was it John Smith at AAA Home Inspections?”
“Yes, it was! How’d you know?”
“Because he’s the only one I respect who does inspections in less than an hour, and I sure was hoping that it was him so that you were getting a quality inspection.”

John Smith, by the way, is a one-man company, yet he does home inspections on 1,500 SF houses in less than an hour. And I like what John Smith does, and I would like to do what John Smith does. So. . . .

Question of the day:

What does John Smith do that I don’t do but would like to do?

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Own a margarita bar??:stuck_out_tongue:

www.dapkusinspections.com

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Hadn’t thought about that. But…
No.

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Russell,

Don’t want to start any trouble or anything but, what qualifies you to be a Master Marguerita Drinker, “MD”. Have you attended 1000 hours of continuing education in the field of Margueritas by an appropriate NACHI certified education provider, (Preferrably in New York?). Have you been supervised by another NACHI certified “MD” while drinking a minimum of 200 “Paid” margueritas?

I didn’t think so!

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Not so fast, grasshopper.

The Certified Master MD designation has absolutely nothing to do with NACHI. Perhaps it’s the only thing that Nick doesn’t own. :wink:

Certification is granted by the International Association of Margarita Afficionados (www.IAMA.com). They are located in Margaritaville, Texas, and can be contacted at info@IAMA.com or by phone at 1-800-IAM-IAMA (426-4262).

Certification requires a pilgrimage to Margaritaville, Texas, where one will be required to down five 20-oz margaritas in 20 minutes. Not hard for the experienced, but not necessarily easy either. And it certainly doesn’t really allow one to enjoy the margaritas, although the after-effects are quite nice. Ms Margarita and Dr Cuervo will attend to your needs while you’re in Margaritaville.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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Gets his clients to sign off on completely disclaiming @ 50% of the property’s systems and components?

:wink:

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Interesting answer but…
No.