An interesting article, but the comparison between inspectors, appraisers, and RE agents is comparing apples to oranges.
Inspectors are more of a target, plain and simple. Just the nature of the beast.
More proof…in the never ending procession of facts that continue to conclude, over and over…that…licensing solves nothing.
I agree but a broker would be next in line.
Yep! I know what you are saying.
I keep telling people that the sky is falling but nobody will listen.
.062 complaints per inspector.
I would be interested in seeing the total number of complaints compared to the total number of inspections, and the comparison with the total complaints / appraisals, and complaints / home transactions.
I wonder if that’s even available.
Hmm, reading the pdf from Mass, the opening thread statement appears to be a sales pitch for services.
Interesting that there has been an 11.39% drop in inspectors licenses, down to 534 in 07 from 604 in 06.
1764 total disciplinary actions for all licenses of that 6 were levied against home inspectors for a total of 9000.00 or 1500.00 each. A total of 33 complaints received in 07 with 44 resolved (carry over) No listed description of how the complaints were resolved. It appears that 1500.00 fines are the norm for HI’s in Mass that get slapped. Funny thing though, hair salons fines equal 102K and physchologists 43K ( #1&2) closely followed by cosmotologists and wow only one fine against RE’s for 1K :roll:
I’m betting the 08 numbers will be quite different.
hi Andrew, yes it’s doable as the information is out there, here’s a quick look at it.
2007 SFH sales = 41,000 (MAR) if 50% inspected = 20,500 inspections
2007 Condo sales = 19,000 (MAR) if 30% inspected = 5,700 inspections
Total inspections = 26,200 inspections (Very conserative #)
Inspection complaints = 33 (Massgov 2007)
Complaints per inspection = 1 in 800 :shock: = 0.125%
Real estate brokers in the same 2007 period recieved 290 complaints over circa 60,000 sales or 1 per 200 transactions = 0.48%
That basically means that the brokers have at least 4 times the complaints per trans action that inspectors have.
Regards
Gerry
Probably not all complaints get as far as the regulatory agency and as such make their figures questionable/inaccurate. How many inspector’s gave back the inspection fee based on a complaint or paid even more to the client so a complaint would not be filed. The # of complaints to the board are only the unresolved ones!! Could there have been litigation through lawyers/mediators that are not counted in the above numbers. Must all complaints be resolved through the regulating agency or can they be taken to the courts?
In other threads on complaints, some like to use BBB complaints as representative of the industry, but by quickly checking the jurisdictions courts records, more ended up in small claims courts.
IMO, we presently have no accurate way to to determine the total # of complaints and payouts by HI’s.
I agree Brian, but we can use some comparative statistics to show general trends, I have looked at several states figures over the years, and inspectors actually appear to have a very low complaint rate.
As to unresolved complaints being the only ones the boards deal with, some how I doubt it, if I were a lawyer filing suit against an inspector I would recommend to my client that they also file a complaint with the board to support their argument.
Regards
Gerry
It would be interesting to see what would happen to complaint levels if regulators banned “waiver” causes? I abhor them as being TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL!!! I do not use one and have paid out very little (under $1,500 with $600 still in dispute with a lawyer!!) over the years.
I took a year of statistics in college and did a report on a book called Lying with Statistics. The gist of the book was that you could twist the numbers and make something that was minor into something that appears major. When you have a small group of individuals (home inspectors) and are comparing it against a large group (realtors) things like complaints can appear statistically large. If they compared the HI complaints against the number of transactions in Mass. I suspect the percentage would be out to 3 or 4 places. The fines against Realtors is suspect. I have a hard time believing the state isn’t fining Realtors unless it is letting the state association manage it, then it wouldn’t be reported.
The media and doomsayers are doing this with real estate numbers currently. Bad news sells papers.
Jeff
I understand it’s also effictive at getting hits on chat boards. :twisted:
And on TV as I’m watching now.
Another vendor selling himself with his version of the statistical analysis.
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Gerry, I thought that spin might go the other way - and as someone pointed out, most REALTOR claims are handled by their local, state or national associations, and very few go through the licensing agency, unless the Real Estate agent is not a REALTOR… a member of the Realtors’ Association. Around here, probably 95% of real estate agents are members of the local association, so their disputes are handled locally. Those are only passed on to tallahassee if a resolution cannot be reached or if the act is so heinous they can’t handle it.
Therefore, their complaints would not be visible in a study like that quoted.
We certanly have a much lower rate of complaints than when I started 11 years ago . In those days I heard it every day. I wonder how Florida stacks up ? I have been called everything from too thourough to picky and everything in between .
Dennis Fackler