Home Inspector goes to Tallahassee to discuss Wind Mit Concerns

Russell,

Funny I was just wondering where you have been yesterday or the day before. Hope all is well.

It will never happen because the folks that wrote the form will not provide the answers or help in any way. Instead of the OIR regulating the insurance companies the insurance companies tell the OIR what they want done.

The last change took two years and was an improvement over the previous version. Another change would take as long and require new inspections. If we can improve the program and create more inspections , that is progress. All interested parties will have the opportunity to provide input.

First of all, I have never heard where they were going to take HI’s off this form, Robert Sheppard is only a HI in the State of Florida, why would he take that away from him.

Second of all, I have been in the insurance industry for 8 years and I dont claim to know everything, but I have a lot of knowledge when it comes to underwriting.

Insurance underwriters do not want a full 10 page form loaded with wording and pictures, the OIR consist of underwriters and senior underwriters who work with claims adjusters and develop this form to give credits for further strengthening the home. Underwriters want the information where it is clearly easy to read, understand and move on. This form is written in plain langauge to where the agent can plug in what “we” inspectors report on the from, send it over to the UW’s and they verify that the information matches and moves on to the next one.

They don’t want engineer drawings or valuations done when they would make no sense to them. HI’s are required to take at least 2 hours of hurricane mitigation every year which this class that InterNACHI provides is approved by the DPBR. If such class was not helpful, which was helpful to me “how would it be approved”?

Theoretically, this form is down to the point which is what the UW’s want, trust me.

As far as 4-point go, if they were preform to the States SOP, 98% of your clients would not be able to get insurance. Most UW’s scan our 4-point forms, any issues they most of the time they do not give insurance and require to fix it prior to binding the policy. Most UW’s want to know what year the 4 components were updated, what is the condition of the components, how much life expectancy is left. and what materials are used. That is it, most of them don’t want a 40 page report as you know that is why clients try to send in our home inspection reports and they kick it.

UW’s are in control of the OIR and insurance in the State of Florida. I am not bashing the people who are trying to make it better. We are licensed individuals trusted by the State of Florida to complete these inspections.

The only thing that would make it better is that there was somebody double checking work such as people committing fraud on purpose should be punishable, or somebody made a human error. When inspectors complete work for a underwriting company as I do myself, my work is then checked by the companies QC which looks over the report to make sure things weren’t done by error. May that is what is needed in the OIR, which would cut down on the fraud and human errors.

I am done ranting on here tonight, I am sure somebody on here would want to judge or question my theory, but hey I am stating the facts from which I learned along my years in the underwriting and inspection field.

Robert does not do wind mits.

I say BS

He is a cancer to the profession. This was taken from HIS SITE

Question: Should I hire a Contractor instead of a Home Inspector?

Answer: Yes and no, but for different reasons. If you can find a Home Inspector who is also a licensed Contractor, such as a GC, this would be better. The reason is they are actually required to perform to the minimum building codes, they cannot drop below it. Legally, any Home Inspector with a Contractor’s license will be held accountable to the highest level of licensure. But it’s important to note that this does not ensure a quality Home Inspector, it just means they will legally be held liable to that license in their performance of the inspection. The only guarantee from hiring a Home Inspector who is also a GC is that if you pursue them legally, they will be held accountable for having knowledge of the building code. That’s it.

How does this help “Home Inspectors”? Please let me know.

Do you guys not understand. INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE NOT GOVERNMENT COMPANIES?

These are private companies that do have rules to follow in the end. What goes into a 4 point? That should be up to the insurance company and not me. I personally don’t do State Farm Inspections. They suck and are way too detailed for what charge to do them.

I hate these inspections, they are the ones we get the most call backs about. I just do them only on the jobs we are on. We do not do them as stand alone inspections, same with the 4 points.

As a business owner I decide what I do and don’t do. Don’t like 4 points? Don’t do them! Don’t like the wind mit form? Don’t do them.

Lets keep the government out of our lives as much as possible and not have them “determine another freaking thing!” For Pete’s sake! No one makes you do them.

Code inspections are the dumbest thing I ever heard. I have a 1923 home, the electrical has been upgraded in one area in 1956 another area in 1994 and another in 2014.

One AC installed in 1994 and another in 2006. So now what do I tell them? One has to be strapped down and one doesn’t?

The roof was put on in 1999 and had an addition put on in 2012. What code do I follow on the roof? 1/2 and 1/2?

The dumbest idea ever! One thing you will get nailed on is inconsistency in reporting. If you mention code in one portion and not another, you better be ready for the backlash.

I wonder if he does static pressures on the AC’s? Does he check the flow rate of the exhaust vents? What about the lumens of the lights?

See what I mean? DUMB DUMB DUMB…

Agreed…very valid points:D

Also, this ridiculous idea that stand alone insurance inspections should be performed under the HI SOP will never happen. You don’t have to be a home inspector to do one.

Also, this ridiculous idea that stand alone insurance inspections should be performed under the HI SOP will never happen. You don’t have to be a home inspector to do one.

Actually the home inspector would be the last and least qualified to complete this form. According to the Citizen form, a GC, residential or building contractor. building code official, architect, engineer, or a building code official authorized by the state to verify code compliance are the listed professionas that can fill out a 4 point. Trade specific licnensed professionals can also sign off on their portion of the form.

Then what standards should be used? If no standards, and I am referring to 4-points, then I guess we can just all start doing drive bys…

Russell Hensel writes:

John Shishilla writes:

So what’s your point!

Painting the entire industry with one brushstroke probably wasn’t his best move…

Russell Hensel writes:
Quote:He is a cancer to the profession.
John Shishilla writes:
Quote:Robert does not do wind mits.

If he is such a cancer then why did INACHI approach him at the conference in Safety Harbor and ask him to be in the wind mitigation presentation that was going to be produced. He was told he was your first choice.

What conference in Safety Harbor?

Ask John S. He was there and he is the one that asked Rob about bring in the video

FABI meeting

Why is somebody so concerned with it if they don’t even do them? He claims they are not correct and nobody is doing them right and in effect no home is worthy of any discounts.
If they did do away with the Wind Mitigation many people will pay higher premiums.
Once a douchebag always a douchebag

Now that is funny, you should stick to facts. He was not a first choice. Nachi did not approach him, I did. He was asked because he consistently complains that the quality of education is poor. I gave him a chance to step up and make it better, he denied that request. I really wanted to use his expertise on shutters because lets face it that is what he is an expert in. I have asked him several times why he will not write a wind mit class and he tells me it would take too long. None of this is surprising, because he has said many times that he does not think Home Inspectors are qualified to do wind mitigation and yet he will not help.

I helped write one of the longest and most comprehensive classes out there. It may not be perfect, but it is much more than he has done as far as I know. You can argue all day about wind mits but most of the instructors agree on most of the points. We agree because we talk to each other and consider each others points of view.

He was given a chance to lead by example, instead he continues to belittle and berate home inspectors. Now he wants to lead without listening to anyone.

He wrote in his bio:
“FABI needs a strong and committed leader, a person who sets the example and forges new paths. FABI also needs a leader with drive and ambition, one who doesn’t need others to tell him what the issues at hand are. I have proven myself ready and able to meet this challenge. My hope is that the membership will see my…passion and drive for the profession, my commitment to get accurate information so the membership can be the best educated and most knowledgeable…”

It doesn’t look like that is true. What he has proven is he is not a helper, but a quitter. He is now running for President of the board he quit.

I think Russ was right. Going to Tallahassee on his own was really a bad move for all inspectors, before doing anything there should be a consensus. It looks like he couldn’t have his way, so he took his ball and went to Tallahassee without anyone, seems a bit childish and extremely unprofessional to me.

If anyone wants to see his presentation I have it.

John, do you not represtent INACHI, becauase if not, that is surely the impression you have when you asked him. I was there and I know what was said. I am not giong to argue with you about it. He denied your request because if he was gong to make a video it was going to be for his own association, not another one, and certainly not one that tries to rip him apart every time he say something. What I do think is funny is how a lot of you made fun of him for cutting and pasting the answers and recently I have seen a lot of that on the board.

And you are right, he does not think home inspectors are qualified to complete wind mits. But his goal is not to take you off the form, it is to jhave you educates to do them properly. And no, his is not going to write you a class for free.

I like the little pat on the back you gave yourself.

By the way, up until recently he was all ears. He happens to have a differnt theroy on things and no one wants to listen to him. While he was giving answers, no one wanted to hear or discuss them. You guys are all set in your ways. I give him credit for doing something about it. Its no different than when Inspection Depot became a WCE. Everyone bashed the crap out of him. I commended him for having the forsight to go after such a contract. I really think everyone was just jealous.

He did not quit from the board. He resigned. And for reasons for which you will never understand because you dont know the whole story. Dont know what you have heard but I am sure most of it was wrong. And no, i am not going to tell you because it is confidential.

Going to Tallahassee might just be the best thing for the home inspection industry. Time will tell. He has more backing than you think. And please expain to me why he should want the backing of an assocaition that he does not belong to. And before you ask why he participated on your message board, it was because he thought he was helping. He never started the name calling. That came from members of your association. He just decided to fight back, which everyone took offense to.

Writing what you just wrote, without having all of the facts, is what I would call childish and unprofessional. But so be it. We can just fill the sandbox up with more sand and you guys can continue to kick it at one another.