Has anyone here taken the Kaplan online courses for home inspections? If so, what was your experience like? Do they provide good training? Thanks for any info you can pass onto me.
Dave, the Kaplan school provides great education for home inspectors, but with a price.
Kaplan schools or ITA are 100% ASHI and are very political and one sided, so if you sign up, enjoy and learn, when they come knocking be prepared.
I went to the ITA school in Las Vegas. They mentioned the various organizations maybe once. When I specifically asked one of the instructors about NACHI, his comment was that it was started by a former ASHI member who was disgruntled at the way things were heading and he felt that ASHI was a better organization. That was all that was ever mentioned by any of 4 instructors. Never received any information from them on ASHI.
I liked the school but would only consider the hands on classroom and not an internet class. It doesn’t matter how many pictures or videos you take and at how many different angles, it isn’t the same as being able to pick something up, open something up and actually handle it.
Sort of like Playboy magazine. Pictures can be great, but there is nothing like the real thing. :mrgreen:
ITA was once very anti-NACHI as the company was formed by ex ASHI Presidents. After Kaplan bought them out, they became 100% NACHI friendly.
They provide all the forms for our mock inspections at no charge: http://www.nachi.org/parallel.htm
They invite us to all their conventions and we attend: www.nachi.org/vegas2007.htm This despite us clearly being ASHI’s biggest competitor and this despite ITA selling stuff that we give away to our members for free.
Ex ASHI President and ITA President Michael Casey is a good friend of mine and an InterNACHI member. I consider Kaplan President Josh Levinson to be my friend too. And who doesn’t love Jessica Barnes?
ITA is a fine school.
I could see the NACHI friendly aspect when browsing ITA want ads on their site.I went through the ITA training with course material (books & videos/ in home study) with online quizzes and a final Exam online a few yrs. back.The course is packed with alot of info.(videos of taped classes & on site inspection)Hands on! They show you how & what to inspect& don’t go easy on you by any means.Great learning.
The Dallas Kaplan/ITA school hosts the local NACHI chapter meetings. That seems NACHI friendly to me.
ITA happens to sponsor, along with Brink’s, all of the NACHI North Texas monthly meetings. By this I mean they provide the facilities we meet in and all food/refreshment for an average crowd of 20-100 or more inspectors, guests and family members.
I don’t see that as 100% anything except NACHI.
All of my initial training was taken through what became or was bought by ITA. I have never been hounded or really approached for that matter into becoming a member of any association unless I was at their association meeting being sponsored in a facility owned by ITA.
I attended the two week ITA course in Denver. It was very well tought and the hands on was excellent.