Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the given article regarding how to avoid lawsuits. This article is a great guide for me since I’m just starting out in this industry. As long as I’m professional in my work, apply my InterNACHI training and adhere to the Standards of Practice, I shouldn’t have to worry about being sued. However, this article does a great job laying out some options to avoid the damage I may take personally.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Often, the home inspector must hold ethical values over unfavorable opinions. One such scenario is when a Realtor would prefer the inspector to possibly omit or ignore obvious problems that the client may find to be beyond their ability to repair on their budget, thus breaking up a house sale. The inspector is surely concerned with maintaining their referral source but at the end of the day they have a fiduciary responsibility to uphold the clients interests above their own. In this scenario, the home inspector should obviously divulge all observed defects, however, they can communicate said defects in a way that keeps the clients perspective appropriate and realistic. This should be the goal of every inspection. Clients should be aware that any issue with a home can be fixed but they should have all the information possible so that they can make the appropriate choices for their financial situation.
Research & Writing Assignment:
“Easy Steps That Help Home Inspectors Avoid Lawsuits” was the article that I reviewed. It was a straight forward step by step article about internachi’s stance on protecting an inspector from lawsuits and liability. Mainly staying vigilant with education and industry standard practices were at the core of reducing liability for inspectors. Additional steps like having a complete legal agreement that provides the client with expectations of the services provided and not provided was a key factor as well. Additional services like internatchi’s “home buy back guarantee” added additional piece of mind to the home inspection process. A final note of particular importance is following the internachi Standards of practice or the standards of practice in your licensing jurisdiction to the letter will protect an inspector from incurring additional liability.
Research & Writing Assignment:
If a seller of a home asked me as the inspector to go easy on their home’s roof condition I would tactfully let them know that I by the standards of my profession, must honestly and accurately report the conditions of any and all components that I inspect that are within the scope of a common home inspection. I would also let them know that I would fairly and justly inspect their entire home in such a manner.
Research & Writing Assignment:
As a future professional home inspector the last thing I would want to do is jeopardize my business by making any false or presumptuous claims as an “expert”. My job for my clients is to present a accurate picture of their potential future home and present the information as an certified home inspector, not an structural engineer or other.
Research & Writing Assignment:
While on an inspection a buyer requests the home inspector to report the heating system in need of improvement. The buyer wanted to use the inspection report to request new equipment be installed before purchase of the property. As a Certified Professional Inspector, it is my duty to be truthful in all my inspections no matter any circumstance. In this situation I would explain to the customer that I will be reporting only truthful findings of the heating system; I am here to provide accurate and honest reports of my findings. Completing inspections with safety, honesty, and integrity are of the upmost importance to me!
Research & Writing Assignment:
The scenario for my essay will be that the real estate agent that has referred your company on a number of occasions has requested that the inspector give a “good” report on house as they really need the sale to go through.
The inspector could agree to go along with the agent’s request to ensure continued business. The inspector could shade how serious something was or even omit something that should be included in the report. This would be an ethics violation and against Internachi’s Code of Ethics.
The other way an inspector could handle this situation would be to remind the agent that the quality of your work and reputation are why they referred you in the past and that while you hope everything goes well for the agent, that you have an ethical and contractual obligation first and foremost to your client.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Realter tells me he really needs this one to close. The payment to the realter is not our concern. The inspector needs to report only the findings gathered during the inspection and relate those finding to the client without bias.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I chose to study was discussing recent drone laws and how they affect home inspectors who use them on the job. Drone popularity is set to increase in the coming years; the FAA is trying to stay ahead of the trend and regulate their use in airspace, particularly for commercial use. Using a drone to inspect a roof, hard-to-reach area, foliage and any aspect of the home inspection is considered commercial use, unless youre flying a drone for hobby or leisure you will have to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate and register your drone with the FAA. Until reading this article I had no idea such a certificate existed! I am planning to incorporate the use of drones in my inspections and I am very grateful I am able to learn more about this topic. It is not difficult to obtain the RPC or register your drone, do not try to operate unless you have the proper documentation and stay within the confines of the law.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Incorporating, LLC is for personal financial protection. Experience, system, research and continuing education and proper communication skills will protect the client from making decisions that are not in their best interest or at least making an educated decision on the purchase.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I read for my essay was titled, “Writing Report Narratives”, by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. The article details the (3) main functions of a report narrative: 1) Accurate condition identification which states that readers of different motivations or perspectives should come to the same conclusions from what is written. The narrative should accurately state the current condition of the system being inspected at that date and time. 2) The assessment of the condition’s severity which tells the inspector that just stating that a condition exists is not going far enough. It maybe that additional information may need to be added to ensure that the client understands that a problem is a serious matter and should be addressed. Failure to give a clear assessment of the conditions severity may lead a client to believe that the condition is not serious and therefore allow a condition to exist that if they had understood more would have had corrected. 3) Transferring Liability is one of the functions of proper narrative writing. The inspector is on the hook for what he doesn’t report, reports improperly, or as above does not report the severity of a condition. The article states that it is better to be clear in your use of language than try to impress someone with your vocabulary. The article relates that the more serious the potential danger the more important it becomes to ensure that your narrative is written such that anyone who reads it should understand the potential hazards.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Hypothetical situation. A real estate agent has contact with the home inspector. Following the home inspection, the agent tells the inspector that for a fee, the agent will send referrals to the inspector. While this would increase the inspector’s business, paying a referral to an agent with violate code of ethics, and should not be done.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the article, “If the Home Inspector Misses Something”. The article points-out the importance of having the client view and sign the contract, and list of what’s excluded in the inspection. It is important that the client knows what they are getting out of the inspection, and there are resources provided by InterNACHI to help with this. The inspector should evaluate concerns about misses, whether it truly was a miss, or if it is an opportunistic client looking for an “out”. After listening to the client and evaluating the concern, the inspector should remedy the situation as needed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
My sister is a real estate agent in town and is the listing agent for a property that my company is inspecting. To avoid the potential for a conflict of interest, I would disclose that we are related and not perform the home inspection. I would defer this inspection to a colleague or another inspection company.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I recently was asked to be a expert witness in a lawsuit .Homeowner verses buyer I prepared all of my photographs and notes from the home inspection I performed 3 months prior. During court proceedings I described some of the photographs taking and notes at time of inspection .the damage was clear in the photos and they settled the case
Research & Writing Assignment:
A real estate agent has asked me to ignore cracks found in the foundation fearing they are material defects. Clearly, I can not ignore the cracks observed in the foundation. Instead, I inspect and photograph the cracks and include them in my report. Recommend sealing the cracks and/or consulting a foundation expert or structural engineer.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When writing an inspection report, my findings should always be written in past tense. This is to protect me from any legal liability if a component fails in the future. As an inspector, I can only document what I observed at the time of the inspection, not what is happening at this moment or what may happen in the future. Only certain truths that will never change should be written in the present tense.
ready to get started cram time !!
Research & Writing Assignment:
“Why not pay to be on a broker’s list?” Because the InterNACHI COE states that as an InterNACHI inspector, we should not offer or accept commissions or compensation directly or indirectly… It is also a conflict of interest to offer to repair any defects identified during an inspection.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Hypothetical situation is a Real Estate agent asks an Inspector to overlook a dangerous deck. I would remind the agent that I am an independent person who is trying to provide my client an accurate understanding and fair assessment of what they may or may not be getting into if they purchase the property. I would tell the agent I cant in good conscience overlook any issues no matter ho it may impact the potential sale/client. Not to mention how unsafe it may be and could cause injury or worse if I let things “slide”. I would professionally make sure that the Agent knows how disappointed I am that they even asked me to do such a thing.