Using the Past Tense In Home Inspection Reports

Should you use the past tense in your reports for your narratives? Listen in and find out why the past tense is a real “present” for home inspectors (see what I did there?) https://inspectortoolbelt.com/using-past-tense-in-home-inspection-reports/

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Great info !!

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is there a transcript? it’s only great info if you can access it.

There sure is! If you click on the link above and scroll down, the transcript is available. Hope you enjoy it!

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Very helpful. I’ve thought about this and have mostly tried to do this, but this helps clarify it for me. Thanks, Ian!

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Were you afraid to click on the link? There is not only a transcript but a written summary and chapter markers in the video.

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great stuff!
pretty sure your the best home inspection podcast now that 1 other company changed hands and stopped doing podcasts.

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Thanks guys! @pgiannino @dmattoon @bcawhern1

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no, i clicked it and scrolled a little ways but stopped.

that was pretty cool. i had this same thing with my reports when i first started. never did get a good enough answer but did it anyway. now i do. loved that i could read it too. i do have a comment about it though. way too many commas. now i have a lot of catch up reading to do.

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@irobertson does great podcasts. He did one with Nick G. a while back that was fun to listen to. It was after the whole RH/Spectora Narrative Gate fiasco.

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I was taught that way and always do. Great information.

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Thanks @ruecker and @acunningham2 !

Great article, thanks Ian.

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Interesting counterpoint from the past. With onsite reporting in nearly real-time, it could be a valid point.

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The article was great when I read it several minutes ago.

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Good video Ian!

Thanks for sharing.

I’ve always been a proponent of writing in past tense and keeping it simple.

Although I have found that many times when I’m dictating into my software onsite, I do it in present tense, then catch it later when I’m back at the office putting the final touches on reports.

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Thanks! @sfetty

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@bcawhern1 That is the common counterpoint to it, with some legitimate reasoning. The attorneys that helped me develop that point, as well as InterNACHI and their attorneys, all pointed to the past tense. There are legitimate points to what is said in that post you linked to here though - so something definitely worth considering

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@kleonard Thanks! Yeah, I still catch myself doing it sometimes too

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