The conflict of interest I have chosen to wright about is that of dealing with real estate agents.
Since the bulk of our inspections are from the selling or buying of property. This is where many of us learn to deal with real estate agents, and or property managers. Since our reports can have a effect both positive and negative on the sale of the property, it is important to maintain our integrity. We must not sway our findings to suit the real estate agent. It is easy to get caught up in the money, using the gray area of marketing as subterfuge. When is it marketing and when is it not? This can be a difficult question, and one you should review and ask yourself often. Business Relationships evolve, and turn into friendships. An inspector must be true to their commitment, of Internachi code of ethics.
Home inspectors as Independent business operators.
This topic is crucial to understanding not only the business but you as a person. Most people have worked for a business, or corporation. The “job” gives employees the structure and guidance they need to succeed. The tools that they have spent a lifetime learning in their job will do them little good as entrepreneur.
Most entrepreneurs’ endeavors fail due to lack of capital. They are unable to sustain a steady revenue to cover their financial obligations, until their business gets off the ground. Another weak link in the success chain is Grandiose Expectations and poor self-discipline. They believe that their new company will “light the market on fire” and become filthy rich with little work. When this does not happen they often give up. The first two can be mitigated if you understand the pit falls. However I believe the last point of failure is the hardest to overcome. It deals with you as a person, your “People skills or soft skills” This is difficult because we as people do not want to see fault with in ourselves. Some of the failures are short tempered, have poor listening skills, quick to judge, or intolerant of opposing opinions. If you have these traits, be honest the only person you will be lying to is yourself, you must learn to change because if you don’t you are creating a recipe for disaster, for yourself and your business.
Here’s my new student essay.
As I pulled up to the house I was about to inspect, the buyers real estate agent met me in the driveway. He said another agent in his office had just listed this house the month prior, but everything went south after the inspection. Apparently there were a few “big” issues with the foundation and a few other things. He offered me some money if I would leave out or not make a “big deal” about the bigger issues. He then said he and the rest of his team would use me as their sole inspector, and would refer me to all his real estate friends. I told him that’s not how I run my business. I’m here to give my client the as much information, good or bad, so they can make the most informed decision on weather or not to buy the home. He didn’t like my answer, so I told him “good luck, and have a nice day”.
Well, the “Gromicko on Home Inspector Websites” was very informative. I appreciate the tips on what pictures to include on my business homepage to capture a prospective clients attention that sells them on the service Ramped Inspections provides. My webpage is off to a good start but still has A LONG way to go to meet Gomicko standards. I need to add the Interactive and $10,000 Honor Seal logos asap.
A potential conflict of interest situation would be for example the seller tries to pay me so that I dont disclose some or all faults on the proper to the potential buyer. If I agree to that I will be contavening the code of ethics practice…
For the Code of Ethics essay: At the end of a home inspection the clients ask me what my background is & I mention that I am a licensed electrician. The clients then ask me if I can come back after they have purchased the property, to rectify all the electrical deficiencies noted in my inspection report. I inform the clients that I am not permitted to perform, any repairs or associated services to the property with in twelve months of the date of the inspection. To do so would a potential conflict of interest & would be against my home inspection associations (InterNachi) code of ethics.
Code of ethics article essay on ceiling fans: Ceiling fans are a great inexpensive way to help cool or heat a room. They don’t actually cool the air like an air conditioner, only give the illusion of cooling by moving the air around the room. Because of this, it doesn’t do any good to leave it on if there isn’t anyone in the room, just a waste of electricity.
Research exercise - Clothes dryer exhausts: A clothes dryer produces approximately a gallon of water per full load of laundry. If the clothes dryer vents to back to the interior of the property. e.g, attic, crawlspace etc…., then this moisture has a potential to cause moisture related damage, microbial growth/mold to the interior of the property. [FONT="]A clothes dryer must vent directly to the exterior of a property.
[/FONT]The dryer vent material can also be a fire hazard if it is made of a material that is not approved by a national standards authority. If the dryer duct material is suspected of being of a material that is not approved for this use, then this should be highlighted in the report as needing to be replaced with a approved duct material, by a professional contractor.
Paperless Drywall
This article discussed the recent developed of a paperless drywall that was designed to assist with the prevention of mold. It stated that with traditional drywall the paper that lined the outside of the gypsum, when it became damp or wet, could allow for the growth of mold. With paperless drywall, a gypsum core is still used but now fiberglass takes place of the original paper covering. Some pros for paperless drywall are that is offers greater protection from the growth of mold, it is more resistant to moisture, not mold proof. The surface strength is greater than traditional drywall. Also, it offers special advantages in high-moisture areas. On the other hand, paperless drywall is more expensive, availability to acquire may be a concern for certain areas, and, a major topic of concern, paperless drywall is more difficult to install and finish than standard drywall.
I am writing a sample Letter.
I had just completed my Home inspection and was taking a few more notes and waiting for the home owner to arrive. Upon meeting with the home owner and presenting my observations regarding the inspection, The Home owner asked if I would be able to make a few repairs within the electrical panel that I had observed. The Electrical panel had Multiple #14 CU conductors landed on (1) 15 amp Breaker. The home owner offered to pay me Cash for this repair as it was important that they sell the house and wanted me to remove the verbiage within the Report after I would make the said repair. I advised the Home owner that I would Not be able to make the repair or alter the report as this would be a violation of the InterNACHI code of ethics with I strictly follow and that my report will be submitted with all of my observations as I had recorded them within my report.
Essay:
An example of an ethics violation regarding report writing, documenting deficiencies and bidding for the work. As defined in nearly every code of conduct across the industry is that it is not ethical to perform work on a structure that an inspector has inspected. Regardless of the fact the work may not be directly addressed as a deficiency in an original report, there is a clear regulation that no work should be performed by the inspector for a minimum of 12 months. There is no exception listed in the written code. It would appear to be unethical or potentially open the inspector up for accusation for an inspector to be performing work at a structure that he inspected. The inspector could be accused of leaving deficiencies off of the report for the sake of getting the job for “home improvements” or repairs within the 12 month period.
While researching the InterNACHI Library of images I found one that was an interest to me. I have been an Electrician for over 25 years now and have always been concerned with safe work practices, I am currently OSH 30 certified and have held positions in several companies as the Head safety officer. One image that I observed was the one labelled “Electrical Service Inspection”. The opening of an electrical panel while not wearing safety glasses is something of a concern. All too often have I seen electricians open panel (which is a requirement within the trade), and the simple task of putting on safety glasses is something that most electricians fail to do. This is a step that can make you as a Home Inspector more safe and possible save you from an unforeseen incident. Electrical panels have been touched by multiple individuals, some skilled and some not. Opening an Electrical Panel Dead Front without wearing proper eye protection is asking for a mishap.
Essay 2:
In the article “Do You Have a Fear of Hiring?” it covers some of the high level concerns of hiring inspectors at the early stages of growth. This article is blunt about overcoming unfounded fear about trusting employees to do a good job and empowering them with the appropriate tools. The article is a good motivational tool for someone considering hiring more help.
I am writing a sample letter for the Code of Ethics course.
Upon completing an inspection and filling out my paperwork the realtor had come to ask my findings whilst doing so. I informed her that there was an issue with an overloaded breaker and a copper to galvanized pipe connection going bad. She asked me if she could possibly just pay me a little on top of the normal rate for repair, I could make that money under the table she said and then I’d just need to rewrite my assessment without my previous findings. I thanked her but promptly notified her of the INTERNACHI CODES OF ETHICS and that in doing so would be a clear violation of this code.
Again for my course. I chose to research garage inspections. I was interested in the snow load aspect as well as truss spacing. Is there a way we can tell if it’s not something obvious, such as too small of hangars or bad spacing in the trusses that it’s built to snow load requirements? Or is that a best judgement thing? TIA
By reading and looking at the diagrams illustrating what is expected to be the right way chimneys and gas-venting is expected to be installed to pass building codes.
This gives me as an inspector the knowledge to understand what to look for when coming across this when inspecting homes.
These diagrams will help me when I am out in the field inspecting homes when I come across chimneys and and vents.
My topic is Inspecting the same house within a short time period.
The conflict would arise if you found something on your second inspection that you missed on your first.
You would have to decide whether to report this new finding and risk a problem with the seller, or not report the finding and risk problems with buyer latter on,
In this scenario the right thing to do is report the new finding to the buyer.
Even better is not doing the same house a second time,
I live in Utah along the Wasatch fault line. Most of Utahs population is centered around this fault line.Seismologists have been predicting a large scale earthquake here in the next 50 years.Most of Utahs buildings and homes pre 1960 are structural brick.In Utah there has been an incredible effort to bring buildings up to seismic standards as well as the standards of new homes.However there has been very little awareness for existing residential consumers .My opinion is this has been a grossly neglected item of concern when it comes to Utahs housing market consumers.I plan on doing my part in educating my clients on this topic.But wasn’t sure if i would always be able to tell structural brick verses brick veneer.I was able to study up a bit in the Internachi library and now feel confidant with my identification of structural brick.
Essay for code of ethics
Upon completion of inspection on built in 1957, it was found that the block foundation was caving. The realtor asked me to reword the report to state that only minor repairs were needed, so as not to have the agreement fall apart. Changing the report from fact to what is asked by the realtor would be a violation of Code of Ethics.
I live in a high wind area of North Dakota and when inspecting the roof i noticed the the shingles were nailed on with 4 nails instead of 6 and showed signs of lifting, which in time could cause extensive roof damage. Noted on inspection report.