2021 has been my best year ever.
ABM
Always be marketing!
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It could be worse… we’re at .8 months in the Portland Metro area. It’s been this way for so long now it just feels like normal. I hate to say it but it probably won’t level out until there is some kind of crash - hopefully, smaller this time than in 08!
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I think the sweet spot is between 5-7 months of inventory, that would be considered a balanced market.
See
On the good side, Angi/Home Advisor has stopped calling 
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This is pretty misleading as pending sales drop every year at this time. The graph conveniently leaves out December which is the worst month during even the best of times. This graph follows the general trajectory I’ve seen for the last 22 years that I’ve got data for. Point being, don’t everyone start panicking. It’s winter. Unless you inspect snowplows it’s ALWAYS slower.
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My point to Nick exactly. It needs seasonal correction, or at least multiple years of data, to be useful. A scale would help also.
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I asked some multi-inspector owners in a FB group once about seasonality and it seemed that for most of us our busiest month was about 2-3X our slowest. That pretty much tracks with what that graph shows.
Of course, there are regional differences… and inspectors that try to convince everyone they’ve been booked out for 3 weeks for the last 47 years 
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I was slowest from 1 week before Christmas to the middle of January.
So, my bride and I would go to Florida to help her parents around their house and get away from the snow.
I would take any calls(maybe 2 to 5) but refer them to another inspector that I had confidence in.
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Email me at Stephan@NorthernInspections.ca or find me on Facebook. I found a way that has kept me not only in business during these rough times, but I often overbook. You have to adapt to the market and change the way you think about home inspections. I started adapting in 2017 and my business has doubled since then.
I get “complimented” all the time by Realtors that “have their clients best interest in mind”. 
Funny how the majority of Agents steer clear of Inspectors that do a thorough and fair inspection to pave the easy street to their commission.
Straight from the MD Realtors Code of Ethics: “When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote
the interests of their client.”
They literally try to justify advising clients to waive the Home Inspection as “in their best interest” to be “competitive”. Just wait for the lawsuits … they’re coming.
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I am with you Jason, March 2020, when the virus hit I thought I would have to close up shop, by the end of the year, I had almost doubled inspections and income from any other years as an inspector, then 2021 hit, it started out ok but summer came and business was very slow, agents were telling clients if you want the home, you better waive the inspection or your offer won’t even get the offer looked at. But when I talk to the agent they deny it. Hopefully next year will be better. To help with some income I got certified in sewer scope inspections, bought a expensive scope machine and hope this will help. Talked to a lot of plumbers and contractors in my area also, have picked up some, we will see what happens.
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I suspect that if I averaged sales per month over the 17 years I was in business it would correlate well with the NACHI PHSIC, as yearly sales for me always peaked in the spring. There could be at least a couple of reasons for this. My first thought is that it just might be a cyclical repeating long wave phenomena mirroring human behaviour. The second is that the PHSIC might be overweighed with NACHI members who operate in Florida and use the NACHI contract system thus revealing the data corollary
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These are the valleys I see in my business.
Slow downs during Christmas, end of summer as school starts, and a small dip over 4th of July. Spring Break, Labor Day and Thanksgiving vary…usually just small blips on the screen but I do not really notice because I take long weekends then as well.
We generally have mild weather year round.
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True to the market in the ATL area. My market is different to the extent we have a different buyer clientele. Second or retirement homes mainly, and it’s usually seasonally based when folks are visiting the area. Spring through fall is the “hot” market here. Things slow down in December and usually pick up in March and April. 2020 and 2021 were a little off beat in that we had those fleeing urban areas or buying “safe” places. It was pretty wild for a period.
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Though Home inspections slow somewhat in late November/December, I get busy with my “Snow Bird” inspections in Nov/December. I have built a nice clientele that goes to Florida for the winter and I do walk through inspections on their homes when they are away. I usually walk through their homes every 2-4 weeks just checking the HVAC, plumbing etc. depending on the what is agreed upon in the contract.
It’s one advantage of working in a northern climate!
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That’s a cool gig and likely smooths out the cash flow.
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We have those services here too. Never thought about added it in for my clients…until now. Just need to look into additional E&O/Liability… 
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Seems like a checklist/invoice combo would do the trick. You could set up the home for winter, do periodic checks and then prepare the home for their return. (just spit balling here).
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I have a checklist and also a selection for options as part of the contract.(one of my clients wants me to check the HVAC in his outbuilding that houses his classic cars).
If you offer this, be sure to have your contract reviewed by your attorney and insurance provider.
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