Rhonda Meyers, State of Washington home inspector licensing manager, announced on Wednesday that the Fundamentals of Home Inspection course offered by Bellingham Technical College has received conditional approval. That means this course will be accepted by, and will meet, the state’s requirements for 120 classroom hours of approved education. The course will, also, include a final (fourth) week which allows students to meet the field training requirements of the law. The first scheduled four week class will begin May 18, 2009. You can visit the BTC website for more information.
AND, why Bellingham,? The furtherst point from any major metropolitan area?
Why not Lake Washington TC. Bellevue Community college, seattle community college, and others, serving considerably more people?
On that basis, guess UW ought to close their Seattle campus and move to Bellingham??!!
Only the Olympia mind set, can this come about!!! Serve the people, NOT!!!
It’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…(and to discourage newbies from entering the field and competing against those who pushed for this bill)…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer… (because they were successfully challenged with their scam of requiring SPI licenses to become home inspectors and when people caught on to that scam, they needed something new to raise the expense of becoming a home inspector)…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…it’s only to protect the consumer…
Several years ago, ASHI made C&D’s home study course the OFFICIAL and approved ASHI home study course. ITA (later ITA Kaplan) was designated the OFFICIAL “Preferred Home Inspection Trainer OR ??” using their 2 week class. ASHI was to receive a gratuity back from each of them for each enrolee.
That helped a Non-Profit generate “Non-Dues” Income for the Association.
I remember vaguely that before this, the C&D home study course was about $1,500 (+/-). After becoming the OFFICIAL course for ASHI I heard the fee went up to about $2,400 (+/-).
The body of the text says fundamentals of home inspection. The title is shorter but it was spelled out in the text of the post. This course is in Bellingham because BTC filled out the paperwork and got the conditional approval to offer the course. BTC is in Bellingham so that is where the class will be offered.
Any school, state or private, may apply to the state for approval. The party has to meet the requirements of providing 120 hours of approved classrom education. So far, no private party or other school in the Seattle area has submitted a program for approval. That is the problem, you need someone in the Seattle area to put a course together. It is up to the educators, not Olympia, at this point.
If anyone reading this wants to put a course together, which could be done, all of the requirements for starting and getting approval of the course are posted at the DOL website.
When a REALTOR recommends a certain inspector in return for a “kickback” ASHI members get their panties all bunched up. Where is the outrage when ASHI does it to their own members?
An association is supposed to help its members by recommending the best education based on merit, not secret kickbacks.
I’m pleased that www.nachi.org/education.htm (the most approved, accredited inspection education provider in the world) buried them.
I am the cooordinator of the program. It is, of course, run through a community college/tech school. This class has been around about 15 years but we had to make a number of adjustments, a few more yet to make, to meet the guidelines set forth by the state.
You are so negative! Of course it’s only to protect the consumer. Every one pays the same for an inspection, thus protecting those who paid a high price from being embarassed when their neighbor “brags” about the “better deal” he got!
Somewhat like airline fares, when you pay full price, and then discover that the guy next to you got a half off fare because he took the time to “shop around”. Now, your self esteme is ruined, you feel like a fool, and your “feelings” are hurt. We can’t have that!! All should suffer equally by paying the same price.
So, YES, it is to protect the consumer, from his own stupidity and “level” the playing field for those providing the service. It’s a WIN,WIN!! The consumer is “protected” from being considered a sucker, and the inspector is protected from “unfair” competition!
Steve,
I dont know but are you sure there’s no conflick of interest youbeing on the inspection board and being coridinator of the only school getting approved to give this course at a Krazy price. maybe not. Sure does seem like a good way to wipe out a lot of inspectors…:roll: maybe i am wrong.
The law states that one board member must be someone working in the field of home inspector education. That is me this time around. I am adjunct faculty at BTC which is a community college. We do, maybe, two or three classes a year at this time. In real life I am a home inspector. As I work on class material, at home not being paid to do so, I can tell you that the money involved is not the incentive. I make way more as an inspector for sure. I am involved in the education because I got into it, part-time, about five years ago and I enjoy the process. It is still very part-time.
BTC is the only approved school because so far no other schools have put together courses or applied. Any school, or even a private party, who wants to put together a 120 hour course, may apply. And, if they get all materials in order to meet the education guidelines, they should be approved as well. BTC sure has no monopoly on it. We were just the first to get in an application since we had much of the course already designed based on it having been in existence for 15 years.
I am also an instructor in this course. If I had to depend on the small income I make from teaching in it, I would be starving. As Steve said, it is very part time. The four instructors are all working home inspectors who care very much about the quality of home inspection. Three are Internachi members and one is an Ashi member. I took this course myself a number of years ago, as did Steve and Charlie. We each have our areas of knowledge and expertise that we teach. It is a good mix and as good a course as can be found anywhere.