Student Discussion: InterNACHI® Code of Ethics Course

Inspection Education Topics Student Discussions
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Research & Writing Essay Instructions

  1. Choose one library article from our online Library of Inspection Articles that is related to Legal and Risk Management topics.  You'll study the information in the article, and then you'll write a short essay upon that information.  For example, you may read this article about avoiding lawsuits and write about how a home inspector should never refer to themselves as "experts."  You could also download this free "Sleep Well" book and write about what happens when a home inspector does damage to a house (pages 28-29), or about asset protection for inspectors (pages 6-8). 
  2. In the box below titled “Your Essay," write an essay that describes what you’ve learned from reading the article. 


Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently comment upon the chosen article that is related to legal and risk management. 

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box that is titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, it will be posted to the InterNACHI® Inspection Forum. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay.  

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. 

To keep your business running smoothly and avoid legal issues, it's important to take a few essential steps after starting a corporation or limited liability company (LLC).Referencing the article from InterNACHI legal team- "I formed a corporation or limited liability company. Now what?"

Step one-get an Employer Identification Number (EIN): This is like a social security number for your business, and it’s necessary for most types of businesses, including individual LLCs.

Step two-Open a Business Bank Account: Having a separate bank account just for your business helps keep things organized and makes financial tracking easier.

Step three-Keep Personal and Business Finances Separate: Make sure you use your business account solely for business expenses and your personal account for personal expenses. Mixing the two can lead to complications.

Step four-File Annual Reports and Taxes: Just like individuals, businesses have to file annual reports and tax returns. Make sure to complete these on time to avoid penalties.

Step five-Title Business Property in the Company’s Name: If you own property for your business, it should be in your business’s name, and you may need to file property tax returns for it.

Step six-Prepare Meeting Minutes: If you have shareholders or directors, it’s important to keep a record of what happens in meetings. For LLCs, this means documenting annual meetings.

Step 7-Have Written Agreements: If there are multiple owners in your business, create written agreements that outline how the business will operate.

Step eight-Maintain Licenses and Insurance: Keep all necessary licenses and insurance policies under your business’s name to ensure you’re protected.

Step nine-Clearly Show Your Business’s Identity: Make sure to identify your business type on all materials so customers and clients can easily understand what you are.

Step ten-Sign Documents as a Business Representative**: When signing legal documents, always do so as a representative of your business rather than as an individual.

By following these simple steps, you can protect both your business and personal assets, helping to avoid potential legal complications down the road.

122

Dion here I’m currently working through the Code of Ethics Course hope everyone has a great day.

123

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Research & Writing Essay Instructions

  1. Choose one library article from our online Library of Inspection Articles that is related to Legal and Risk Management topics.  You'll study the information in the article, and then you'll write a short essay upon that information.  For example, you may read this article about avoiding lawsuits and write about how a home inspector should never refer to themselves as "experts."  You could also download this free "Sleep Well" book and write about what happens when a home inspector does damage to a house (pages 28 and 29) or about asset protection for inspectors (pages 6-8). 
  2. In the box below titled “Your Essay," write an essay that describes what you’ve learned from reading the article. 


Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently comment upon the chosen article that is related to legal and risk management. 

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection--researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box that is titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, it will be posted to the InterNACHI Inspection Forum. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay.  

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. 

In the article, easy steps to avoid avoiding lawsuits. I learned a few important points to avoid lawsuits. In particular staying abreast of home inspection education and being knowledgeable will decrease your chances of being sued. Referring to yourself as an expert home inspector is not a good idea also and will help reduce lawsuits. Also using caution signs with your ladder, crawlspace, openings or anything that can potentially injured a real estate agent or most importantly your client can save you from having a lawsuit lodged against you. As some inspectors have been sued for not having proper signage around those items and having a client fall And hurt themselves. Knowing our profession by knowing what we do and what we don’t do can definitely help us avoid frivolous lawsuits.
124

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Research & Writing Essay Instructions

  1. Choose one library article from our online Library of Inspection Articles that is related to Legal and Risk Management topics.  You'll study the information in the article, and then you'll write a short essay upon that information.  For example, you may read this article about avoiding lawsuits and write about how a home inspector should never refer to themselves as "experts."  You could also download this free "Sleep Well" book and write about what happens when a home inspector does damage to a house (pages 28-29), or about asset protection for inspectors (pages 6-8). 
  2. In the box below titled “Your Essay," write an essay that describes what you’ve learned from reading the article. 


Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently comment upon the chosen article that is related to legal and risk management. 

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box that is titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, it will be posted to the InterNACHI® Inspection Forum. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay.  

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. 

When doing business as a corporation or LLC it offers limited liability, which aims to protects personal assets. However, this protection only applies if clients know they are dealing with a company, not an individual. That’s why it’s important for home inspectors to include “Inc.” or “LLC” on all business materials. They must also sign legal documents properly, using titles like “President” or “Manager.” This helps clearly separate the business from the person and reduces legal risks in the inspection industry.
125

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To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

During my career in the building and inspection field, I have witnessed many situations where ethics and integrity must come first. One situation that stands out involved a real estate agent requesting that I “downplay” a significant moisture issue found in a home’s crawlspace. The agent explained that they were concerned that a full disclosure would cause the buyer to back out of the sale.

As an InterNACHI® Certified Professional Inspector, my duty is to act in the best interests of the client — the homebuyer — and to provide a truthful and accurate report of my observations. It is never acceptable to withhold or alter information, regardless of external pressures.

In this situation, I calmly explained to the agent that I could not ethically or legally change my report. I documented the moisture intrusion with photos and thorough notes, included it in the inspection report, and advised the buyer to consult with a qualified contractor for further evaluation and possible repairs.

By maintaining professional integrity and adhering to the InterNACHI® Code of Ethics, I helped ensure that the client had the information needed to make an informed decision. Protecting the interests of the client — even when it is uncomfortable — is always the right choice.

126

This is very good information. Thank you for sharing.

127

A member just sent in a great essay response! Check it out:

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To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

While giving a home inspection for a seller, the seller of the home may offer extra cash to ignore some material defects in his/her home they know exist. Rather than accepting their cash offer, I will simply describe to them the contract in which we both signed for me to do the inspection. In the contract it clearly states that the inspector (myself) will abide by all local and federal regulations when conducting my home inspection. I would honestly state all issues in my report that I find in and around the house during my inspection.
128

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View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

As a home inspecor you will be involved in many ethical situations. How you chose to deal with them may affect future and present clients. Let's look at a hypothetical situation to see why your choices are so important. As a home inspector you may deal with many different people. Let's say a relator is trying to sell a house to a client who has made a comment that they won't by a house that requires to much work, So the relator ask you to go easy on the inspection and in return they will send more clients.This would be unethical since the home buyer hired you to preform a fair home inspection so they can make a informed decision when buying. If you chose to go easy the relator will probly continue to ask for uneithical favors that will eventually catch up to you and give you bad reviews that could cost you your license or clients down the road. On the other hand if ou chose not to go easy on the report and make a honest report the client who hired you can make a informed decision. Weather that is buying and fixing issues that you reported on, or passing on the property and looking at another. You represented your client that hired you to the best of your ablity. Doing the ethical thing as a home inspector will always be the right decision and long term keep your license safe and your mind at ease.
129

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View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

The client is an out-of-state investor who is working with a local real estate group. The client is interested in purchasing 30 houses and is relying on the agent to identify houses and a home inspector. The targeted housing is small, urban, low cost with minimal upgrades. The inspector briefly talked with the client, whom is difficult to reach due to his schedule; the inspector’s communication is mostly with the agent.

The client expects the following:
a. agent to line up two to three inspections weekly
b. condensed, big picture report focusing on major issues; the client doesn’t want a 50 plus page report filled with minutia information.
c. will not be in attendance and therefore expects an unvarnished, truthful assessment of the condition of the house. He does not want to own a money pit.

For the inspector, this opportunity checks many boxes. Consistent work for many weeks. Concise reports on targeted well-maintained smaller homes, thereby likely reducing the time commitment for an inspection and producing a report. Most importantly, the client expects a truthful, thorough inspection. Since there is no guarantee that the client will continiue to use the inspector, making a good impression durign the first inspection is a prioirty.

The agent informs the inspector about the first inspection and explains that she is working on two more inspections for the same week. The inspector emails the client with the contract 24 hours prior to the inspection. The inspector told the client on the phone that client needs to sign and return the contract. The inspector explained that the State of Ohio requires that the inspection agreement must be in place before the inspection can be performed. Furthermore, the inspector is aware that his E&0 insurance may not cover any portion of the inspection performed before the contract was signed.

At the inspection, the agent arrives noticeably irritated as she talks on the phone trying to finalize inspections for later in the week. A half hour passes before she gets off the phone. She is annoyed when the inspector tells her that he has not started because the client didn’t respond with a signed contract. The agent tries to reach the client. She finally reaches the client’s brother whom is a business partner of the client. The brother gives his consent and insists on this inspection moving forward. Does inspector proceed or risk losing this great opportunity by canceling?

There may be risk involved in dealing with someone other than the client. Is this really the brother and is he a business partner. He could be estranged and a competitor. The real estate agent provided this information about the brother. Furthermore, since the contract was not signed, the original client may not have standing as the client. I would move forward. The main ethical issue however is the client not reviewing the terms and conditions of the inspection, and a signed contract is verification of the review. It’s also the law in the State of Ohio. I would email the contract to the brother and verbally inform him on speaker with agent present and listening that he must carefully review the contract and return it signed. Once received, I would begin the inspection.

1 Like
130

I am starting on the code of ethics part and interested to learn what things you can say, inform or do for either the seller or buyers while doing a home inspection! This stuff always intrigues me!

131

A member just sent in a great essay response! Check it out:

View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

During a recent inspection, the seller of the home was present. The seller was adamant that the attic did not need to be checked because insulation was recently installed and there was nothing to worry about. As a duty to the client, if access can be gained to the attic it should be checked regardless of what the seller states. Upon checking the attic, mold was found to be present. By making the ethical decision to check the attic anyway, the client was saved from an unwelcoming surprise.
132

A member just sent in a great essay response! Check it out:

View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

Many home inspections often involve multiple individuals in the transaction because there are several parties involved in a real estate transaction. The sellers may have interest in being present for the inspection to direct and possibly even lead an inspection toward their favor by showcasing the positive aspects room to room. The buyer who is ultimately the party of most importance in the inspection, and the individual who hires the inspector should have comfort to receive a full non influenced report which reflects the honest and truthful discoveries without influence by the seller, agent, or any other individual.
133

A member just sent in a great essay response! Check it out:

View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

As a Home Inspector, a situation could be where the seller of a home asked me not to mention a visible crack in the foundation. Cracks could be a sign of structural issues or water intrusion.

I could leave the crack out of my report to please the seller and avoid conflict, or I could document it truthfully and advise further evaluation by a structural engineer. The right choice is to report the crack exactly as I observed it, including photos and a recommendation for professional evaluation.

My duty is to the truth and to the safety of my clients. Leaving out that crack could have caused serious harm and would go against the Standards of Practice.

134

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Research & Writing Essay Instructions

  1. Choose one library article from our online Library of Inspection Articles that is related to Legal and Risk Management topics.  You'll study the information in the article, and then you'll write a short essay upon that information.  For example, you may read this article about avoiding lawsuits and write about how a home inspector should never refer to themselves as "experts."  You could also download this free "Sleep Well" book and write about what happens when a home inspector does damage to a house (pages 28-29), or about asset protection for inspectors (pages 6-8). 
  2. In the box below titled “Your Essay," write an essay that describes what you’ve learned from reading the article. 


Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently comment upon the chosen article that is related to legal and risk management. 

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box that is titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, it will be posted to the InterNACHI® Inspection Forum. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay.  

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. 

After reading “Can a Real Estate Agent Sign the Home Inspection Agreement on Behalf of the Client?”. I learned how important it is for home inspectors to protect themselves legally by using a written inspection agreement. Clients should sign the agreement before the inspection begins to avoid misunderstandings and ensures we are protected if any legal issues come up.

If the client can’t be present, the realtor may need to sign for them. It is best for the us to confirm that the agent has permission from the client and ask them to write “Authorized Agent” under their signature. We should also try to get a copy of the written agreement between the client and the agent or confirm directly from the client via phone or email.

135

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View Question

To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

Ethical dilemma may arise during a home inspection when a real estate agent pressures the inspector to minimize the report’s findings to help close the sale. I have several friends in the business in the DFW market and have been warned of some real estate agents that have pressured Home inspectors in the area to “tone it down” or leave a finding out altogether to avoid scaring off the buyer.

The ethical path is clear: always report findings truthfully and completely. It is the inspector’s duty to protect the interests of the client—typically the buyer by providing accurate information.

136

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Research & Writing Essay Instructions

  1. Choose one library article from our online Library of Inspection Articles that is related to Legal and Risk Management topics.  You'll study the information in the article, and then you'll write a short essay upon that information.  For example, you may read this article about avoiding lawsuits and write about how a home inspector should never refer to themselves as "experts."  You could also download this free "Sleep Well" book and write about what happens when a home inspector does damage to a house (pages 28-29), or about asset protection for inspectors (pages 6-8). 
  2. In the box below titled “Your Essay," write an essay that describes what you’ve learned from reading the article. 


Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently comment upon the chosen article that is related to legal and risk management. 

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box that is titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, it will be posted to the InterNACHI® Inspection Forum. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay.  

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. 

I recently read the InterNACHI article titled “The Dangers of Yourself an Expert”. The Article provided insight into how home inspectors can protect themselves legally by not calling themselves an “Expert” and can actually increase liability in the event of a lawsuit.

Even if you have years of experience, it is safer to refer to yourself as a “professional home inspector” or “certified inspector.” This protects you by keeping expectations realistic and within the scope of the standards of practice.

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Diving into Code of Ethics right now!

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To successfully complete this course, you must write two essays. 

This course page contains instructions for the first essay. This assignment may take a few hours to complete.

The second essay is described on the next course page.  



 In relation to this research and writing assignment: 

Reflect upon a situation where a home inspector would be involved in an ethical situation in which there is a choice to be made between two options to resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Then, write an essay on that situation.

For example, the house seller requests that the home inspector “go easy” on the roof’s condition. How would an InterNACHI® Certified Home Inspector handle that situation? One option would be to change your opinion; the other would be to write your observations in your report truthfully and accurately.  

For this assignment, please write a short essay on a hypothetical situation that relates to the topic of this course. You may create your own situation, or refer to something that you've experienced in the past related to an ethical decision. This writing assignment has much to do with what a home inspector may experience during a home inspection. 

Your essay must meet the following criteria: 

  • It must be written in English. 
  • It must be at least 80 words in length. 
  • It must be written at a minimum 4th-grade level.  
  • It must sufficiently relate to the topics of this course.

This research and writing essay assignment is very similar to what a home inspector does during a home inspection –performing an inspection, researching, studying, making observations, evaluating, writing notes, formulating opinions, making decisions under pressure, making decisions about what is right and what is wrong, handling the actions of other people, and communicating observations in written form. 

You will submit your essay in the box titled “Your Essay.” Once you submit your essay, staff will review and mark it.   

Please continue with the course after submitting your essay. If the essay does not meet the criteria, you'll be notified by email to rewrite the essay. 

A seller has asked the home inspector to overlook the garage because the sensor on the garage is not working properly and the chain has a material defect. According the code of ethics, inspectors should report any material defect and anything else that may need correction. This isn't just for the integrity of the inspector but also beneficial for the seller and/or buyer of the property. This is asking for an inspector to be bad at their job, which should never be a risk an inspector should take. All anyone has is their integrity and their word. It's best to be honest and thorough and let the seller and buyer know that you will do your job to the best of your abilities and look for defects in the property to get a good evaluation for both seller and buyer.