Just curious, do you find that most realtors in S Florida area savy enough to use a home with all the wind mitigation discounts as a selling point? IE, ask their client that is listing a home if the roof has been replaced recently, spot check receipts if readily available or ask their client if they had a recent wind mitigation report? Happy New Year! Sincerely, Jeff Scott
Great another competitor
What areas do you cover?
Most do not have to much of an idea about them or getting anything together.
I’ve even talked to new home builders about building them where they would get the best discounts and they are not even interested.
Imagine if 2 projects were right next to each other and one projects residents paid on average 500 or 100 less on insurance. I would think that would be a selling point.
Jeff, our Florida forum is here: http://www.nachi.org/forum/f73/
Hi Michael,
I am a new inspector just getting on the radar - shooting for mostly Martin, Palm Beach, and North Broward. I live in the PB Gardens area. I am planning on getting some wind mitigation and education material when I go to realtor offices. I am still doing this part time until the business grows, so I doubt I will be much competition yet ; )). Have you been staying busy?
Not since I broke my foot
The biz is a real b i t c h when it comes to competition.
Most folks tend to stay with who they started with.
When I started out I gave out a ton of cards with nice leaxan holders to every insurance agency I came across. I had great prices and it still hardly did anything. I do not think it was worth it financially. Back then and likely now there were a ton of kick backs, incentive’s, gift cards etc… that the inspectors were giving the agencies. Now Just about anyone in Florida can do them so the prices are really in the toilet. I missed the heyday. It seems most who are very successful go involved when the MSFH program was in effect and they made a ton back then. I think it was a guaranteed $150 per inspection.
As for competition I do not care. I ALWAYS help anyone who asks. I wish none of you were doing what I am doing but I cannot change that so I try for the karma effect
Feel free to contact me anytime with any questions you may have. I’ll help anytime I can and helped a great many around here. You just never hear about that
If wind mits sound great now you will definitely feel different come June and please be careful they are dangerous as hell even though no one wants to admit it. Problem is doing the asinine things that are now required while trying not to fall through the roof or back out the hatch unexpectedly etc… It is different from doing a normal inspection in an attic because then you are just observing and normally do the work when you exit the attic. There is much that must be done while in the attic in the heat while holding a camera in one hand holding on with the other and trying to get wide angle useless shots of trusses with marks that do not mean squat on them.
THanks Michael,
If I had to do it over, I would not have make the home inspection investment and just went for Handyman/Home Watch only. With the E&O insurance I will be thankful to recoup my original investment by June. Hope your foot heels quickly!
Yes, the photo shoots of the roof to wall connections are nuts - seems like many can’t be reached even with the camera on an extended light poll. I always asked for recepits of the roof - look for permit information on line and see what documentation the client can dig up. Wind mitigation is the best “in” for me I feel if I am to succeed in this business by they are a major headache. Especially if one has to low ball at $75 just to get the phone to ring. Ourside of your injury, are you pretty busy with 6-10 inspections a week or just pretty much hit or miss. I hear some inspectors getting 2-3 per week and others are busy (or claim to be) 5 days a week with $300 base inspections and a full $150 for a wind mitigation.
Sincerely,Jeff Scott
I see you are a boater…are you a fisherman? I will try an go out tomorrow, I havn’t had to sell my old mako yet but that may change in a few months.
This is always the ****ty time of the year and now I am not doing anything I stopped advertising. I used to fish a lot I had to sell my 2000 actioncraft flats boat because I could not afford to keep it up. The pontoon boat on the water in the back yard is not currently running but I cannot bear to sell it .
I think I still hold the world record for a Tiger Grouper I caught in 93 I think in bimini. Bottom fishing is my fav. I grew up in the swamp bass fishing. Now most of my free time is spent with my little one who as she says is 6 and 3/4 years old.