Who else's business is slow?

It is about the same here in NE Ohio, but I am trying to cut back anyhow. I am getting picky on the ones I do now. I want to keep it at 1-3 per week now until my license expires in 2025.
I have been doing Value Engineering as a consultant for a Aerospace company since 2021.
Pays better and I don’t leave my office!

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Congrats, Joseph! Thanks for the insight.

What the hell fun is that? I spent years getting my ass OUT of the office!

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Interesting Joe, I used to be in Aerospace myself but moreso in the mechanical and inspection areas.

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I see that you joined InterNACHI at the end of last year. If you are a relatively new inspector expect it to be slow for you. It will be slow for anyone jumping into the inspection business regardless of the state of real estate market activity. I’ll say what others routinely say on this forum, if you’re a newbie you NEED to have a part time job in place while you’re working on building your business.

The second thing that I’ll say is the building your business is WORK. It takes lots of time and effort. I’m in my third year, and getting very close to where my business can support my family without my part time job. So, expect it to take time, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t expect realtors and the general public come to you just because you have website.

Speaking of website, I agree with the other posts. Don’t expect just because you have a website/social media that your business will be successful. Your website logo and name needs to tell a story about You. What does a miner with a pickax have to do with you? Honestly, that was my first thought when I saw your website. What does a miner with a pickax have to do with home inspection? Your website needs to tell a story about you. The reality is we have about 30 seconds (maybe even less) to make a first impression when we come in contact with new people whether it’s website, phone or in person.

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@ ctorres15 Maybe watching some of these may help you.

Watch! “Leveraging Your Google Business Profile to Attract Leads” Webinar with Natalie Kiefer - General Inspection Topics / Home Inspection Webinars - InterNACHI®️ Forum

Watch! “Home Inspection Overview & Business Tips for New Inspectors” Webinar with InterNACHI’s Ben Gromicko 2/06/23 - General Inspection Topics / Home Inspection Webinars - InterNACHI®️ Forum

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Are there any ancillary services you can add? Realtors in my area love only having to deal with one inspector. When I started all the Realtors loved their cheap unqualified guy (inspectors didn’t have to be licensed when I started). I added pest inspections (required state licensing) and my business probably doubled. I later added sewer scopes which a lot really liked and again boosted my bookings. Every area is different, but it may be worth looking into this as well.

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So I work in one of the largest metro markets in the country and yes it’s slower than it has been over the past few years. 2020 and 2021 were anomalies and huge upswings in the number of inspections/income. Not normal years for sure.

What I am seeing here is this: December was dead but January was great, February is off to a good start too. An early spring market looks like it’s coming as more inventory enters the market. I have been steady busy but I know others who are not at all. This year will definitely thin the herd of inspectors. There are just plain too many, and I know several guys that have quit already. This is not a market that can support all of these inspectors, even in a major metro market.

But there is great news for those of us who will survive this market: Prices for inspections are way up here. Most of the base home inspection prices here are now $600-750 for any home. I’m doing a small townhome this morning for $600. It’s only 1600 SF. I have raised prices. Not a single person has complained about it. Good news for all of us. A nationwide increase is warranted. You guys have been doing these too cheap for too long.

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Happy wife, happy life! Looks great Daniel!

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Here in Northeast Ohio, we have had a huge influx of new inspectors over the past few years. I agree that this slowdown will cause a lot of HI to leave the business.

I read an article mentioning how many Realtors left the business, I don’t remember the number, but it was pretty significant.

Ohio’s licenses last for three years so it may be a couple of years before it is known how many left because of this slowdown.

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Your website exists, but there is nothing on it to capture a visitor’s attention. There’s nothing about you on the main page. Put a picture of yourself on the main page along with your contact information and your credentials. You need to give people reasons to want to know more about you. Your website is so generic that no one is going to remember you.

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That’s one of the many reasons I opposed licensing in Ohio for 20 years. Every state that has adopted licensing has experienced the same thing.

The majority of people who become home inspectors in states that license inspectors have no business calling themselves home inspectors. Licensing is ruining the profession by making it so easy to be a home inspector that anyone can be a licensed inspector.

I moved my business from Ohio to Michigan 10 years ago, but I still do some residential work in Ohio. I have the Ohio license, but I turn down most home inspections in Ohio.

In Michigan, inspectors are not a fungible commodity like they are in Ohio. We have to compete on the basis of knowledge, skill, and experience in Michigan. Consequently, we don’t have many inspectors in Michigan who were flipping burgers two or three weeks ago and are now are suddenly home inspectors. That’s what you are dealing with in Ohio.

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I don’t know about that George. I’ve met some pretty dumb inspectors lately. I’m not sure how they stay out of court.

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They don’t. That’s why insurance companies are dropping their Home Inspection line of coverage altogether. I got dropped by two insurance companies in the last three years because they said they’re no longer offering insurance coverage for inspectors.

It’s true that there are some really bad inspectors here in Michigan and in other states where there is no licensing, but things are worse in states that license home inspectors.

ASHI and the states have dragged home inspection as an occupation into the mud. The effects of licensing spill over to other states. There are enough states now that put home inspectors on a level similar to bar tenders (or, mixologists as they like to call themselves) and real estate agents that they have, in effect, defined what a home inspector is.

Anyone with a pulse who can stay awake for 120 hours (give or take a few hours) can be a home inspector. Most of the schools will tell you that most don’t last two years. The problem is that there is a never ending stream of incompetents getting into the business just long enough to do a little damage and go on to bartending school, real estate school, or some other low skilled occupation.

The incompetent inspectors give the entire occupation a bad name. I’ve heard more complaints about home inspectors during the last five years than in all the 20 years before.

The last batch of business cards I had printed have “Construction consultant” as my primary service. Home inspection follows construction consultant. My next batch of cards will not have home inspection listed. If I am asked, I say that I am a GC who also does home inspections.

I’ve been doing inspections for almost 31 years, 23 of which has included residential in addition to commercial. I branched out into doing home inspections because it was a respectable way to earn a living in 1999. Every home inspector I met had a lot of knowledge back then. It as fun going to conferences and local meetings because I always learned something from the guys who had been at it for a long time. Things are very different today.

If anyone want s to see just how bad things have become, all they need to do is spend an hour reading posts in Facebook home inspector groups. Much of the stuff in the Facebook groups is truly cringeworthy!

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It isn’t just licensing that causes those issues, George, it’s associations (such as this one) offering all kinds of perks/swag, free this, free that, and “cool logos” that drives all the used-to-be-a-burger-flipper types to this industry.

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Follow the $…

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Home Sales Rebound as Lower Mortgage Rates Draw Buyers (nar.realtor)

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You are right. I wish I could disagree with you, but I can’t. None of the trade associations have done anything but pander to their audience. That audience is mainly the new people coming into the trade, and most of those new people think that home inspection is going to be an easy way to make fast money. Home inspection has become little more than a money machine for the associations. The associations will tell the new guys what they want to hear instead of telling them what they need to hear as long as the money continues to pour in.

I blame ASHI for having done the most grievous harm, but InterNACHI is doing nothing to make things better. That’s sad because InterNACHI could be a powerful positive influence if those in charge had a desire to be a positive influence.

I think the actual schools are the main ones at fault but. Ashi/InterNACHI, etc. are at least educating people once they’ve made the decision to join the profession. The schools for many careers routinely over-promise and throw around income figures of top-level people that they know some joker off the street will never come close to. Hell, I remember a few years ago they were even running radio ads in my area to become a home inspector and make six figures in your first year.

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