New Member here

[Joe Suelter]

Hello all!

My name is Joe Suelter. I am a recent AHIT graduate, awaiting my State License examination. I currently live on a little over 2 acres just north of Peoria, Illinois with my wife and 4 year old daughter. I currently am employed by Comcast Cable (don't hold that against me), I have been working for them for just over 10 years.

I got interested in the Home Inspection business as a hobby, although I would like to turn the business into a full time career. There are several part time home inspectors in the area, and through talking with several friends in the real estate market, don't speak too highly of many of them. I am looking forward to taking a little piece of their pie!

I am excited to be here, and look forward to absorbing some of the wealth of information that is on this website!

[Billy Stephens]

Welcome to the fray Joe.

Join in when you can.
.

[Joe Suelter]

Welcome to the fray Joe.

Join in when you can.
.

Thanks! It is good to be here.

[Ken McConnell]

Welcome Joe:

Wish you the best in the home inspection profession. Would recommend not giving up your job with comcast just yet. We all sure hope things will turn around in the home inspection business but I would say its going to awhile. Now maybe a good time to get to know your area and make contacts with realtors, lenders and insurance companys on providing your services.

Wish you well
Ken McConnell
Quality Home & Building Inspection Consultants

[JB Thompson]

Welcome Joe,

I agree. Don't give up your day job. I've have not given up my main source of income and couldn't b/c the HI business isn't able to provide me a full time income. I've been doing it for over 4 yrs and have top placement on the search engines.

I guess if I pandered to agents it could be a full time income. Every inspector in my area has another job too.

I stay busy enough for me and I'm ok with that.

Good luck in your ventures.

Bruce

[Joe Suelter]

Thanks for the input guys.

My goal is to get the business up early 2011, work through the spring and summer on my off days, and see where that leads to. Truthfully, I have a loving and successful wife (registered nurse) that makes very good money. We have figured out the numbers and only need a few inspections each week to balance out the income. That way, I can be home early afternoons when my daughter starts school. That is very important to us.

I have a couple close friends in the real estate profession that sell an average of 4-7 inspections per month each, and they would be more than happy to refer business my direction. One owns the company, the other is an agent for one of the larger companies here in town, so I am excited about those opportunities.

Currently, I am working on studying for the Illinois State Exam, as well as practicing inspections on as many houses as I can get in.

[JB Thompson]

Thanks for the input guys.

My goal is to get the business up early 2011, work through the spring and summer on my off days, and see where that leads to. Truthfully, I have a loving and successful wife (registered nurse) that makes very good money. We have figured out the numbers and only need a few inspections each week to balance out the income. That way, I can be home early afternoons when my daughter starts school. That is very important to us.

I have a couple close friends in the real estate profession that sell an average of 4-7 inspections per month each, and they would be more than happy to refer business my direction. One owns the company, the other is an agent for one of the larger companies here in town, so I am excited about those opportunities.

Currently, I am working on studying for the Illinois State Exam, as well as practicing inspections on as many houses as I can get in.

IMHO, be careful with referring agents. I know they're your friends. Also in my opinion, we should all be independent. You will realize this when your friend refers an inspection and the house has some issues that may cause the clients to want to run. The friend REALLY needs the income and it will put you in between a rock and a hard place. You have to remember the buyer is YOUR client and you should have their best interests in mind. You are the only one who doesn't have a financial interest in the home if it sells or not. Your friend, or any Realtor, is legally obligated to the seller (unless they are specifically a "buyer's" agent - and then there is still the commission thing).

Please trust me on this. :)

Bruce

[Ted Menelly]

Hmmm

Is about all I have to say

Welcome

[Thomas Jones]

Hi Joe, I also just graduated from AHIT and am looking forward to starting my business. I agree with the other posters here in that dont quit the day job. 10 years is a lot of investment just to quickly give it up. I will be retiring soon (age 50) so Ill have my pension to provide for during the lean times of my second career. Here in Montana one doesn't need a license to get going, so starting the business will be easier. I too have a lot of friends that are real-estate agents, but Ive already decided that I wont solicit them. If they call me, thats a different story (we should be independent). What I have been doing is attending open houses telling the agents up-front of who I am, that Im training in the inspection business, and just want to look at structural aspects of the home. I also get their business card, and say a big THANK YOU when I leave.

I just joined this forum today and there is a wealth of info. Thank you veterans!

Tom
fellow newbie

[JB Thompson]

You don't have to join this group to remain independent; however, I like what Dennis stands for. I've been a member for 4 yrs. I don't solicit Realtors at all. I'm not rude to them. If I'm somewhere and they ask me for a card, fine. But I don't do presentations or pass out cards at open houses. Not being judgmental, just stating what I do.

Brian, I guess this is OK to post this link. Let me know if it's not.

Independent Home Inspectors of North America (http://www.independentinspectors.org/)

[Marc M]

Hey...Isnt that where Richard Prior lived/born? Did you know him? ;)

[Don Hester]

Howdy Joe,

Welcome. I am a newbie in a sense also.

I know we all want to be independent of Real Estate agents but when you are starting a biz you need all the work you can get. I go out and do the tour, meeting every agent I can. I have found some very good agents who want to know everything and will refer me along with other inspectors and let the client choose. Some will refer me exclusively because they want their clients to have my massive report (that what a few agents have called it).

And with some agents its been one and done, thats okay too.

If your honest, your honest and you hope to find other honest people. There are honest agents out there and you will never find them unless you look.

I try not to view the agents as the enemy (it is hard at times not to). But that is the same in every biz there is.

In the end be honest to the home and to yourself and everything else will be okay.

I am doing better than many said I would do, so that is good, especially in this market. I sure would like to be busier. But I find when I am not doing the inspection there is so much other stuff to do.
Learning, working on my report writer, marketing and reading forums such as this.

Plus I have a network of other inspectors that I keep in good touch with and we share experiences with each other. Learning through other eyes.

I wish I could say I was as good as some here but I am years away from that.

Good luck!