Nice one Russel I have someone doing that here also.
I do offer discounts to my clients if they are over 65 but never try the referral trick.
Well, I am just against 40 hours of material, a test and your an inspector. But, thats the way those who want more in the industry prefer it. So, it is what it is. But, I am not going to sit here and watch people defend it.
I have yet to see a person who can just perform a home inspection without proper, intensive training. I mean they do them and boy do they suck at it at first, but they learn as they go. But its those who use them in the beggining that really get shafted. I mean its thousands and thousands and even millions of dollars spent based on our job and we just let people kinda learn as they go.
It is what it is and so be it. But never fool yourself, schools and organizations want it EASY to get people into the profession, more money in their pocket.
I apologize for the cheap shot. I feel that after months and months of no sleep and dedication to this course as well as sacrificing work and time with my family that being stomped into the ground by fellow inspectors is a little hard to stomach. Perhaps it is my fault for not properly describing the program well enough in the website that may have some people a bit confused as to what the course really offers. So I will do my best to describe it here. And in all honesty, if anyone has critiques or constructive criticism I am very willing to hear you out as long as it is respectful.
Our course allows individuals who are interested in becoming a home inspector to recieve education that will allow them to understand the home and home systems involved in a proper inspection. They will learn about all systems, their functions, how they work with the other systems within the home and how to detect deficiencies using non evasive inspection techniques. The topics covered in the program are exactly the education requirements needed for InterNACHI membership. Once students have completed all of the course materials, a written exam which exceeds InterNACHI’s entrance exam requirements must be completed with a score of 80% or greater. After successful completion, students are required to complete 10 mock inspections (6 credit hrs each) and each report is sent to the instructor for marking and constructive critisism. If student cannot grasp the inspection and report writing portion, they will be required to complete more inspections. Once successful, students will have achieved the requirements for association membership. Once a member of InterNACHI, students can expand their knowledge through the wealth of online training provided as well as learn about the industry as a whole and keep up to date on what is happening the the industry.
Most people do not have 7-10 thousand dollars to do Correspondance. It teaches them about the home systems but not about the inspection process, small businesses, advertising and marketing. Our program does. We do not pass students because they have paid. Students fail unfortunately that is because they have not dedicated and applied themselves appropriately.
We would like to take students who want to learn. We have a big problem with fly by night inspectors charging $150 to look around for 45 minutes. We are proud to say that in the last month, we have had several of these individuals approach us about our program. To me that’s good news. We are constantly trying to improve on this program. Instead of shooting is down, please offer constructive advise. I promise you we will listen.
Thank you
Stephan
info@cachitraining.ca
Well to me, 40 hours is crazy short time to learn the business and its systems, sub systems, and damn near anything for that matter. But that is an entirely different issue.
One area that did strike me as odd, is that a person is doing 10 Mock inspections and sends the reports to a person to review. Besides proper English and it looking good, how in the world can you tell if the inspector missed stuff?
To me there is no way for a superior to evalaute a student from 100 miles away on something they never saw.
I can give any person a table stating the wire size for an electrical panel and after 10 minutes most can quickly regurgitate the information. But do they know what it means? Do they know how to apply it? Do they know in some cirumstances a 40 amp breaker CAN have #10 wire? Do they know that a 3 prong outlet tester can give false readings?
I can see where your passionate about your school. But it takes much more than passion, it takes time, mentorship, 100’s of educational hours on your own. I just feel sorry for the people that will buy a house and feel protected by a person who took 40 hours of class, a small test and sent in 10 reports on a house the grader never saw.
I am not trying to deflate your bubble by any means. It just there are a people who have alot riding on what we report and don’t report. You mention people not having $1000’s of dollars getting into this business.
You do realize this is a business, right? It will cost money to get started and the minute you get your diploma your phone will not ring off the hook.
Once again, it matters not. You will be a success, because it is a cheap and easy way to enter the profession I call home and love and cherish. Keep it cheap and not too hard and they will flock to you. Everyone likes the easy way out.
Good luck with your new school and please check your own website because it violates our code of ethics and as a perceived leader and educator in the profession it would reflect poorly as a Role Model.
By chance how many home have you inspected to now teach the newer people coming on board?
No mention of what the Insurance is going to cost. Anybody got a rough Idea what a NEWBIE will pay out of the box. Ist Year?
4 or 6 times what you have just indicated the cost will be.
Advertizing the business lets say $4000.00 per year.
Program to do the Inspections if you don’t want to use Paper and Pencil
Cheap end $2000.00, High end with Website $4000.00 pay as you go.
Don’t forget the Government taking their cut.
Good thing you are only charging $1000.00
Again, if anyone has respectful constructive critisism please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you for your responses. I will take everything from this thread into consideration. Although your prices for advertising seem quite high, I’m sure that in some areas this may be the case. Offering referral fees to past clients is no violation. It is an incentive for satisfied clients to be rewarded for referring business. It is very effective. I have never stated that starting your own business is cheap or free. Anyone with common sense can figure that out and we do teach that as well. Either way, good luck with your future endeavors gentleman. Thank you for the sound advise regarding the program.
Psssttt…you better reread the COE…I personally think your wrong. It says a $50 ferral fee to ANYONE who recommends your company. Not just past clients. See as a wanna be leader, you must lead by example and try not to side step the Code of Ethics, but instead abide by them and surpass them. You are now a role model for young and future inspectors. Having questionable items on your website and then trying to defend them is not very professional.
So your saying someone who has never seen the house is a good candidate to review the validity of the report?
Thats just crazy!
Stephan,
All the best in re-inventing the wheel! And at a much lower dominator if I may say…
By the way Recieve quality service on your website is misspelled.
Cheers,
Russell… are you bashing ASSHI’s certified full membership requirements again? LOL
Claude are you referring to the portion on Exemption?
Exemptions
9. (1) The following classes of programs are prescribed as programs that are not vocational programs for the purposes of the Act and the regulations:
- Programs that provide instruction for work in a religious vocation, whether or not the program is provided by a religious organization.
- Programs that are less than 40 hours in duration.
- Programs for which a fee of less than $1,000 is charged.
- Programs that are offered exclusively to persons under the age of 18 years.
- Programs to which an Act of the Legislature other than the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 or an Act of Canada applies, if that Act contains protections similar to those in the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 relating to program quality and to student interests. O. Reg. 415/06, s. 9 (1).
(2) Paragraph 2 of subsection (1) does not apply to a vocational program that falls within a class of vocational programs in respect of which the Superintendent has issued a directive under section 53 of the Act requiring that such vocational programs be longer than 40 hours in duration. O. Reg. 415/06, s. 9 (2).
(3) Subsection (1) applies to a program described in that subsection even though the program may otherwise meet the requirements of a vocational program as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Act. O. Reg. 415/06, s. 9 (3).
Well at least they did there research about the Law!
Thank you Claude.
We have been aware of the law and exemption for quite some time. We were given previous approval for 40hrs. Its incredible to imagine our feeble minds thought about that ahead of time. Yes us NEWBIES sure can pull out a hat trick. Fortunate for our dear naysayers, the ONLY inclass date has been cancelled because a few of our students have dropped the in class in favour of the at-home correspondance. They have been given a choice of discounted correspondance, full refund of their deposit, or have been directed to Inspect4u for their 1st class inspector training course. In a sense this is good news. Reflection of this is now posted on our website.
Thank you all for your sound advise, your superior intelligence and over-the-top professionalism. It feels great to be apart of an association where members can help eachother out. You guys are top shelf. Good luck in the future and I wish you all the best. I’ll be sure to promote your businesses in future passings as fondly as I’m sure you will promote mine.
Also Claude, I see your Home Inspector training school program at Inspection Support Services Inc. costs students $3955 without mocks or support/mentoring or any help with association membership. Having them come to InterNACHI would probably botch the few thousand dollars of continuing education you offer at their expense after your program.
Our course costs less, and provides more. I can see how we are viewed as the money-hungry monster. All of you take a good look at yourselves before you make a mockery of someone else. Point a finger, and you have several pointing back at you.
Thanks Nick for posting this to our members. I appreciate you wanting to help us out.
Kevin, Your website is awful. Please direct some of the million dollars a year you supposedly spend on advertising your business and direct it towards the one area that the public looks at the most. It’s 2012. Perhaps then you will spend more time in the sun making money on inspections instead of tanning under a desk lamp in your home office all day bullying people who work for a living. Well…off to work i go.
Russel, Nowhere on my website to i peddle to agents or anyone who can have any affect on the sale of the property. Please read full paragraphs and stop paraphrasing. By the way, your website is rediculous to navigate. You have so much junk stuffed into that thing there is no way a prospective customer is going to spend the required week to read it. There is also a lot of defensive writing, which is a turn off for most buyers. Especially when referring to other inspectors in your area. You sound desparate. Please refer to my comment to Kevin about advertising.
I guess you don’t have access to the internet everywhere if you think I only sit in my office.
Me a bully Stephan. LOL
I will admit I am on the InterNet more than I want to be but that is what happens after years and years of consulting.
As for my website this is intentional however I have been approached by many web designers and the price is bang on.
BTW it is not a good idea to insult the website designer on InterNachi since it is provided by them.
The CCHI final exams are proctored.
There are two exams and can be written on line or on paper
A proctor must be present. At the present time AlbertaNACHI has been charged with the responsibility by the Alberta Government to administer and police access to the final exams.