Mike Holmes is an Idiot....

Local Inspection Issues Canadian Home Inspectors
242

What do you call an RE agent that just tries to overtalk and explain away every problem that is mentioned by Inspectors or perspective buyers? What is your definition? To me, that is a lying *%$%&# RE agent, period. It seems all RE agents are interested in are the sale with the commission.

How about having the integrity to tell a seller: “Hey, your house is in bad shape, any good inspector is going to tell perspective buyers that. It should be demolished and the lot sold. It is not worth what you want, and I am not going to fluff the sale.”

“I doubt it will sell, and definately not at your asking price. If I sell it, then I will tell the buyer EVERYTHING that I know is wrong, I will recommend the any interested person get a home inspection, and make sure they know the truth. Do you still want me as the agent?”

I bet you would never do it as long as you live because your commission is out the door.

I already bought a house, and a lot of cars and trucks for my business’s and guess what - all were FSBO. That’s right, no liars involved.

The problem is, people who do not know the difference BELIEVE that the RE agents are everybody’s friend, and that they are ethical, honest, reliable and blah, blah, blah, blah. They only find out that it is not true AFTER they are so invested they can NOT get out from under the situation or fix the problems.

And that IS the problems with poor inspectors and RE agents. It’s the fallout from them that taints the entire market. The honest inspectors and RE agents are not the problem. So, you are either part of the solution or part of the problem. There is no in between. Just like the guy that drove the car is still guilty of robbery, even though he didn’t go inside or use the gun…

243

The bad RE agents in the the industry are the reason for the shadow, like I have said since my first post.

And you still have not posted one reply that was actually and answer to my questions. You are still beating the RE agent drum. You seem to think (or at least that is what you post) that there are no bad RE agents, just bad inspectors.

Well, I am sorry dude, but in 35 years of working on peoples homes I have seen and met alot of RE agents. And I have found the “scumbags” out number the good by 2 to 1. Until recently, alot of the inspectors I have met tried to be honest and the RE agents just fast talked over the inspectors as to not discourage the buyers.

What do you call an RE agent that is not truthful and is only interested in the commission?

In case you didn’t notice, I posted here on this board because I wanted answers from inspectors. I did not ask for any RE agent input.

Why don’t you do a national survey of home buyers in the past year, and ask them all the exact same questions and see what the answers are. If you want to see how much of the public thinks RE agents are scum. Good way to find out. I bet the top 2 business’ with overall bad reputations are car dealers and RE Agents. It’s is not just me that doesn’t trust them.

244

Bob — like you, I have run across many real estate salesmen and saleswomen who expect the home inspection to be an extension of their sales presentation and will only refer inspectors who share that sentiment. They put the sale first and the welfare of their client second.

I have also found a large number of home inspectors who will do it on their own and call it “marketing” as they attempt to garner future referrals from a happy sales agent - without any prompting from the agent. They will buy a variety of gimmicks and add-ons of questionable value that they can provide to their clients that are designed to impress real estate salesmen for possible future referrals, whether they referred them to the client or not.

Buying a used house is no different than buying a used car when it comes to the need to have it checked out by an inspector or mechanic that you know and trust.

Used car salesmen would be wasting their time inviting you to use one of their mechanics to give you an opinion about the quality of the car, wouldn’t they? Yet, those who sell used houses get by with it on a regular basis and it is neither good for the client or the inspector, IMO.

Still, the home owner needs to be able to recognize whether or not the inspector is objective as well as competent no matter who referred him. For this, they must rely upon their own due diligence.

I think that when the majority of the consumers of real estate can be educated in this regard, most of the problems such as those being “discovered” by reality television hosts will be minimized. They need to be able to recognize certain relationships and conflicts of interest to avoid … and to know if the inspector that they are paying is using his report to inform them about their home or, instead, as a marketing tool. There are many signs they can be looking for along the way.

245

Get this real estate professionals reading this thread.

The great Thornberry, a washed up used house salesmen thinks it perfectly OK to call people he has never met and never done business, morons, fools and and much more.

Would you buy his gimmicks that appear to offer something for near nothing just so he can acquire contacts to sell alarm systems to so he can make his car payment?

I wouldn’t.

He’s acts like a 2 year old that doesn’t get his way. Use your imagination.

I know good real estate agents that actually care about their clients. I prefer to work with them when the opportunity arises.

246

Is that not kettle calling the pot black lololol:roll:

247

Really, you want to appear dumb in public too?

This whole mess started because P. Nathan Thornberry started calling professional home inspectors who declined to use his gimmicks various names and other tactics for simply using good business sense and not to get involved with him.

Pay attention.

248

Jim,

You got my point exactly. I never said all RE agents or Inspectors are bad. My original question was more of a “why does this happen” than anything else.

I just can not imagine any inspector or RE agent actually wanting to be as dishonest as some are, but then again honesty doesn’t seem to mean as much as money. Using a soft report as a marketing tool just screams “money money money” doesn’t it?

“a variety of gimmicks and add-ons of questionable value” - I have sure seen a bunch of them advertised on here in a signature.

Even though I am not a member, or an inspector, most of you guys have posted honest answers and shared ideas, even though you were under no obligation to do so. For that, I thank you.

Sometimes I think RE agents and HI’s could benefit greatly from actually spending some time and listening to good contractors that actually have to deal with home issues. I know the 3 inspectors I dealt with in the last year would probably have a hard time putting screws in a 2x4, let alone dealing with a code enforcement officers, getting permits, electrical inspectors, etc.

249

Wayne you need to pay attention.
:mrgreen::wink:

250

So do you Marcel:shock:

The personal grudge matches get very old including yours.:frowning:

251

So wake up then Micheal and smell the roses

252

I don’t know about grudges, but the feeling seems to be mutual amongst the membership from what I can read. :slight_smile:

253

Bob,
Are you actually a real person, or just a “painter”?

Or, are you one of Busharts latest “plants”?

254

Yes.

I agree that very few salesmen or inspectors start out with the intention of being dishonest.

When more than half of your home inspections this year are dependent upon how many real estate agents send clients your way, Bob, it is hard not to think about that … and also how to pay your bills … while you are looking for the “right” words to describe a major defect in a home you have inspected - and that might scare the buyer away that the agent just referred to you.

As you can see, not all home inspectors and vendors appreciate this being discussed in the open forum.

255

I am real and have no quarrel with anyone. I got tired of the drumming from one poster, but I guess he doesn’t like my opinion.

I just had 2 very dis-heartening experience with 3 different inspectors in 6 months, and the most polished liar I have every met for a RE agent.

256

Yes, paying the bills and making a living is a good thing, as well as taking care of your family, etc.

But, if home inspections doesn’t pay the bills on it’s own (and I do not see how it could in a down market and in rural areas), then maybe it should be a sideline to another job that does pay bills. Then the home inspections can be honest, and they can be a ‘gravy’ for the meat and potatoes job.

I am a mechanic as well as a contractor. When the snow is up to your &*%, you are not working construction (if you have a brain). So, I opened a small engine shop and fixed snowmobiles during the winter. Then the small contracting interior jobs I have during the winter are the ‘gravy’ for the repair biz.

When summer comes it reverses. The engine repair (lawnmowers and such) becomes the ‘gravy’ for the contracting.

Keep my eggs in different baskets, so to speak.

257

Well you can imagine whatever you like.

258

I remember that video and lodged a complaint with the CBC’s Ombudsman! I’m still waiting for a reply!!!

Again, Mike is an actor and not an inspector.

He markets his brand and has a huge following in Canada and the U.S.

And Mike is laughing twice: at us and all the way to the bank!

G

259

If you are indeed real and these experiences are real. I apologize.

There have been a bunch of posts recently railing against estimates, Realtors, or used house salesman, and other things which generally revert to, do a SoP only inspection.

If you were at the inspection and saw things and the inspector told you anything except, yes, that is what it is and it will be in the report, I would have terminated the inspection and demanded my money back.

When I first started doing inspections in the 80s, there was a lot of “back-scratching” between Realtors and inspection companies. It was the main reason I started my own company in 1994. It is also why after the first year, I was never dependent on Realtors for business and never bothered to market to them. I still don’t.

Sorry you had bad experiences, but I can say with a fair amount of certainty, that your scenario isn’t the norm.