Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I can’t for the life of me see how if I represent the buyer at the north end of town, and inspect a house for a buyer I’m not representing at the south end of town, that there is a conflict of interest in either transaction.
I have no financial interest except the inspection in the south house, and no financial interest in the inspection at the north house.
Perceived conflict, maybe. But we are perceived as having a conflict anytime a Realtor refers a client to us anyway. As long as we are truthful and up front about what we are doing, I can't see any conflict. It all comes down to ethics. If you do each job honestly and properly, representing each client in their best interest, there is nothing wrong.
There was one good question which I will turn around though. How would a good Realtor have time to inspect a house?
I'm going to go get my Realtor's license. 
Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
No Chad. By that train of thought I would have to be unethical and slam the house I was inspecting, then advise my buyer that the house I inspected was a good house, and the house I had shown him, written a contract and negotiated on was not as good a house as the one I just wrote a report on saying it was bad.
If we want to be unethical, there are many ways.
Try again, without someone being unethical in either transaction.
Originally Posted By: rray This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Chad, read Blaine’s post again.
The person in Blaine's post is a Realtor for the north end and a home inspector for the south end. Your post is presuming that both transactions are by the Realtor, and they are not.
Can one create a conflict of interest if one wants to? Oh, sure. But that can be done in virtually every industry that exists. All we have to do is look at Enron, Worldcom, and Martha Stewart for some recent examples.
Originally Posted By: Guest This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
It’s not unethical to be both a Realtor and a home inspector, Blaine and I know you would never even imagine using the two professions to enhance each other by telling a home inspection client that their prospective purchase was dog and you just happened to have a house that’d be perfect for them listed.
I’m saying that the potential for a conflict of interest is created by wearing both hats and I’d be willing to bet that either a client or a competitor will someday use it against your reputation.
Either profession can certainly be a full time job, so why try to do both.
I know you’re ethical and fair and honest, Blaine, but I stand by the conviction that it is indeed a conflict of interest and can’t help the image of the profession.
Originally Posted By: rray This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Not only is either profession a full-time job, but I would much rather be aa average Realtor with an average Realtor’s income than the best home inspector with the best home inspector’s income. Having done both, but in different states, the Realtor has it easy. Even if the home inspector kills the deal, the buyers still need a new home, just not the one that the home inspector killed on the first go-round.
As far as conflict of interest in being both just because one is both, I just don't see it that way.
Originally Posted By: dbowers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I’ve found the postings very interesting about this subject. I’ve tried to explain simply the reality of what the COE is/was but some of you are reading the COE instead of listening to what really was. Now to reality - -
Thats what they said - here was what was done!
I've been a member of ASHI 20 years this month; I've been on their National BOD 3 times in 15 years; served as A Chapter President of 2 different ASHI Chapters; been on the BOD of three different ASHI Chapters in this time; and served on almost every committe they ever had - membership, education, legislation, chapter relations, etc.
If you had applied for membership in ASHI and wrote a letter telling them you had a real estate license that you used for appraisals; used to buy and sell land, personal or investment property for yourself; used to manage real estate that you owned; or that you sold COMMERCIAL PROPERTY but wanted to do single family home inspections - nobody would have ever stopped you from joining ASHI.
Is this clear enough for all of you to understand. The COE said one thing but they have NEVER literally or blindly followed those rules depending on what you were doing as an active real estate agent.
By the way something I think you'll get a kick out of is that I've just met 2 lenders in my area that are starting to do the SPECIAL PACKAGE. The buyer puts down the escrow deposit and the lender sets up ALL ancillary services (appraisal, termite inspection, home inspection, radon test, etc).
After the escrow deposit, the buyer takes no more money out of pocket till closing. The lender is hiring, training their own people to do this.