I don’t know how people without any construction experience get up the nerve to go out on that first paid inspection. The training available these days is light years ahead of where it was when I first started out 21 years ago. I had a mentor of sorts but in retrospect he wasn’t all that great. Learning by experience was the only way back then, talk about on the job training… yeah you did the job and taught yourself. I was fortunate to have had roofing, framing, structural concrete experience and sold A/C and furnaces and had done structural pest control before comming into inspections. I was nervous enough way back when starting out even with that background. Todays training and web based fact advantages certainly help the newby out but I wonder how much of the training is retained for defect recognitition in the field. I know this, if it don’t look right to me, it’s probably wrong.
Lots of guys who call themselves carpenter who can’t lay out a set of stairs or how to figure out how to make a perfectly square corner on their batter boards using the 3, 4, 5 method. Tricks the old timers know and use every day. They can stick frame a roof and the angle cuts with fit like a glove. That is who I learned from. Lot of young guys can’t read a blueprint or fudge on the numbers and can’t figure out why the damn inch off back in the beginning of construction has chased them all the way through.
That is what our self-training was all about Brian, Defect Recognition.
What is a defect and what is just plain old Building Standards for the time frame of the building in question.?
There is a big difference that some of the new guys don’t see.
The age of the home is usually a clue.
Some would call out my wall in the garage as a defect because it does not have 1/2" drywall. And it won’t for some time still. I’ will wait when I sell it and educate the Home Inspector that will tell me that I need 1/2" drywall. :mrgreen:
I’m sorry fellas but having been a nail pounder isn’t enough.
I know a carpenter/home inspector. Trust me. He doesn’t know what he is doing on a home inspection.
He’s better off sticking to what he is good at.
Mike, I have had carpenters work for me that would not have made a glorified laborer pay scale.
I think those are the ones that went on to the inspection field after I fired them. :mrgreen:
I know what you mean.
Bob, I talk fast and have high energy. Maybe try some bran in the morning to get things moving. Then you might not be so sluggish. :mrgreen:
I think the whole post is more about marketing nachi stuff than younger inspectors anyway.
Ya Think…
I was addressing the surface question anyway.
Fact of the matter is that home Inspector is a trade in it’s own right.
Did Einstein ever travel in space?
How many great NFL Coaches never played the game.?
Does becoming an Architect require welding training ?
Fact of the matter is being a home inspector has no prerequisites other than a sharp eye,and Education enough to follow SOP and enough wits to know what you are looking at.
Having a construction background will help your confidence and get you in the game faster however ,just as former NFL players usually have more of a fast track to Coaching.
You can still do it as having a successful HI career combines the above with confidence,marketing , networking ,and the ability to speak to people in a manner that they trust you which also involves good written communication skills.
You can be weak in some of the areas and make it but if you have all of the above sky is the limit.
NACHI is the Educational and Marketing end of it.
NACHI also exists on more than dues and Markets to be profitable.
Nothing in life is free.
Selling tools and materials is profitable and NACHI would like to be your Sham Wow guy.
Nothing wrong with that since if you need a product you might as well support your association and buy from it.
Nick is Billy Mays and Ron popiel rolled in to one and selling Nachi Wow.
Pay attention to how Nachi is sold if you wish to learn something about selling yourself.
WOW!..kinda cool .
See what bran will do for ya!:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen: Well said.
F—You young whipper snapper.
Whyyyy III autaaaaa!
Can’t get up.:shock:
I agree with Bob. I would also like to add that some of the boost in recent sales and websites can be attributed to people reinventing their companies. That is what I have been doing. I think we have went through an “inspector bubble” over the last few months. I have purchased several used inspection tools on ebay. I also noticed that the number of licensed home inspectors in NC has dropped in the last 2 years. I am taking the current down time to buy tools, work on new web sites, marketing in general, and training. This past years economy has made me gracious that I am able to do this for a living. i don’t want to take it for granted and want to be the best I can be in my field. I know that can come across a tad corny, but this recession has fueled my desire to do better.
BIG influx in NORCAL…with the newbies…but gees take some time to educate your clients please…I can appreciate them being gung ho but…cmon. NO need to do 3 adays to pad your wallet if your gonna be gone next year.
It really comes down to the software, anyone can produce plausible reports today out of the box regardless on their skill or training.
I couldn’t disagree more Joe.
You still have to know what you are looking at and how to answer questions with some legitimacy.
The software may make the report look pretty but the content may not be worth much.
No bran just a yummy crystal will do the trick. lol:mrgreen:
**
This is THE truth. **
On the other side I see inspectors/builders, who always believe they have the answers and very well may have. It is the attitude that hurts them. These are the group that scares me the most. They are exactly right 98% of the time.
Kinda like Mike Holmes, Man that guys attitude drives me nuts!!
For a new guy, you caught on pretty fast.
Yet ,I bet you would love to spend a few days picking his brain.
Exactly. Then they think they know so much they immediately start doing on site reporting.