Hi everyone, I’m interested in changing career path to home inspections but I’m not certain which route to take. I’m residing in Ontario Canada, and with all my searching it’s taking me to Carson & Dunlop for their $5000 courses which lands me a certificate I believe.
Today just stumbled here on interNACHI and it’s a fraction of the price like $499 for the year which is affordable. Now my question is to be a licensed home inspector, do I need to take Carson & Dunlop courses? Or can I just sign up as a member on here and take the courses offered? Can anyone guide me? Thanks for the help.
InterNACHI offers a well rounded education in home inspecting along with certificates. Then or along the way of your learning here, you would have to pass any licensing requirements of your state or province to practice.
Hi Alex, I too am a student. I am a contractor by trade and actually completed the Carson Dunlop training program and received their certificate back in ‘21 during the pandemic. Long story short, I was looking for continued education and support in addition to becoming certified and Internachi has definitely all of that with the added bonus of marketing, peer support and various other programs which made it the most attractive choice for me.
Not to rain on your parade but this is probably the worst time in the last 20+ years to get into this biz. High interest rates and low inventory = a very minimal number of buyers and transactions. Schools make money churning out HIs and always paint a rosy picture. If you proceed, have VERY real expectations and plenty of money to live off of.
I disagree. Now may not be the best time to expect to go out and be able to support yourself as a first year HI, but, looking back, I started prepping my company in 2008 during the bursted housing bubble with the intent of having everything i.e. website ranking on Google, report software modified, name registered with the state etc. ready for when the market switched back. The mid 2000s just like the early 2020s have thinned out the amount of HIs that flooded the system, it may not be obvious now but will be once the market switches back, as it always does.
Don’t quit your 9-5 yet but get your ducks in a row now while the market is slow.
This business has gone from a lifestyle of steak to ramen noodles in the past couple of years. Those that were smart and ate & spent somewhere in between will make it until things correct. If you are just starting out, you better have enough savings or a steady job to support your family, until the correction.
It’s really just a question of how long everyone’s family is willing to eat ramen noodles until then.
Many well advised post here regarding getting ALL your ‘ducks in a row’ prior to jumping in for a full swim. I jumped in 5 years ago when I was 59. I did so knowing it was only going to be full/part time supplemental income until I started drawing retirement benefits, but I also started it because I love the aspect of helping clients and the never ending learning about the industry.
This year has been extremely slow regarding inspections, but I expected that. I’ve been involved in different ways in the real estate industry since the mid '80’s so I’ve have ridden the “roller coaster” a few times.
Keep your chin up and still explore your HI interest.
Who has the money for that kind of fancy recipe?!?!
All jokes aside, beef flavored ramen is delicious every once in a while. Because of the whole low-carb diet thing, it’s been close to two years since I have had any.
I just got back last week after spending 55 days in Chicago of a FEMA deployment. Around a month into it, I was so sick of eating out every meal that I had the worst hankering for beef ramen noodles. Which is strange, as my whole low-carb diet goes out the window during the deployment and I ate at some great restaurants each day. The food & incidental per-diem for Chicago is $79.00 a day. This seems incredibly excessive, and I freaked out the couple of days that I spent close to $40.00.
Thank everyone for your input and helpfulness…Im going to get the certificate through here (nachi), c&d is ridiculously overpriced. I do agree this year the real estate market is bad for everyone, and hopefully things will improve for us all. Cheers
To become a licensed home inspector in Ontario, Canada, you don’t necessarily need to take courses from Carson & Dunlop. You can opt for the more affordable option of joining interNACHI and taking their courses for $499 per year.
Licensing requirements can vary by jurisdiction, so it’s crucial to check with the relevant local authorities to ensure that interNACHI’s courses fulfill the licensing criteria in Ontario. By confirming this information, you can make an informed decision on whether to pursue interNACHI’s courses for a more cost-effective path to becoming a licensed home inspector.
