Home inspection school - Inspection Certification Associiates [Archive] - InspectionNews

Thomas Johnson

09-25-2013, 06:01 PM

I looked into Inspection Certification Associates ICA briefly and the address 417 E. Illinois Rt. 173, Antioch, IL is actually a UPS Store along the border with Wisconsin. Looks like a scam to me. No record of them with Illinois as a licensed business either, but an Internet search (Bizpedia) shows Inspection Certification Associates LLC registered in Wisconsin to Jeremy Robert Meadows, 29153 White Oak Lane, Waterford, WI 53185. It looks like he's reselling another school's training to make a fast buck.

UPDATE:
The address on the Inspection Certification Associates website has now been changed to 332 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 1032-C286, which belongs to The Mail Center of Chicago, Inc., a re-mailing service popular with telemarketers who want to hide their offices, not the school's physical location which could be in another state. The mail center advertises, "Have a confidential Chicago mailing address for pennies a day!" If it's a legitimate school, it will have a real office somewhere, otherwise how would you ever get your money back or file a complaint? There is no protection period.

Contact Us | Home Inspection Training & Certification Online (http://icaschool.com/contact-us/)
Inspection Certification Associates
332 S. Michigan Ave
Suite 1032-C286
Chicago IL 60604-4434

The Mail Center of Chicago, Inc.
332 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago IL 60604
(312) 922-1788
https://www.mailcenterofchicago.com

Hello to all HI's I'm just writing to ask if any one here has ever heard of "Inspection Certification Associates". If anyone has and could tell me what they know about this HI school I would appreciate it, thank you for your time and input.

Rick

Louie Donovan

04-17-2014, 09:55 AM

Interesting school, what are the courses they are offering, how many years are they in the industry? There are numerous sites that can offer teaching and info about home inspection and ACs. Air Conditioning Repair San Fernando (http://www.economyplusair.com)

Steve Preins

07-14-2014, 09:21 AM

Hello to all HI's I'm just writing to ask if any one here has ever heard of "Inspection Certification Associates". If anyone has and could tell me what they know about this HI school I would appreciate it, thank you for your time and input.

Rick

I am the course author of the training program offered by Inspection Certification Associates, and I can assure everyone that it is a state-of-the-art inspection education program, completely up-to-date for 2014. My track record speaks for itself, as I have provided education sessions at many, many national, regional and local inspection events. Some of the comments in this thread puzzle me, as I am clearly listed as the Director of Education on the home page, with a link directly to my bio. The company is located in Chicago, as am I. The ICA program has a lower price point than other schools with similar curricula simply because we have decided to make the education available to the many folks who may have experienced financial setbacks over the last few years and cannot come up with the hefty fees some schools are asking for. I am responding to this thread because several folks have recently contacted me to sort out the facts, and anyone else with questions on the program may feel free to do the same (or you can simply google up "Steve Preins" and see for yourself).

Thanks
Steve Preins

Rick Ramirez

07-15-2014, 08:22 AM

I am the course author of the training program offered by Inspection Certification Associates, and I can assure everyone that it is a state-of-the-art inspection education program, completely up-to-date for 2014. My track record speaks for itself, as I have provided education sessions at many, many national, regional and local inspection events. Some of the comments in this thread puzzle me, as I am clearly listed as the Director of Education on the home page, with a link directly to my bio. The company is located in Chicago, as am I. The ICA program has a lower price point than other schools with similar curricula simply because we have decided to make the education available to the many folks who may have experienced financial setbacks over the last few years and cannot come up with the hefty fees some schools are asking for. I am responding to this thread because several folks have recently contacted me to sort out the facts, and anyone else with questions on the program may feel free to do the same (or you can simply google up "Steve Preins" and see for yourself).

Thanks
Steve Preins

Steve thank you for your reply good info you posted even thou it's only about two years after my original posting of question. Better late than never I suppose.

Thanks again

Rick

Steve Preins

07-15-2014, 08:45 PM

Steve thank you for your reply good info you posted even thou it's only about two years after my original posting of question. Better late than never I suppose.

Thanks again

Rick

Well, Rick, I am seldom on this board, and this thread only came to my attention recently. My point was, if anyone has questions about our program, they should ask us directly, and not well-intentioned folks on this board who do not know of the program.

Steve Preins

Rick Ramirez

07-16-2014, 06:43 AM

Well, Rick, I am seldom on this board, and this thread only came to my attention recently. My point was, if anyone has questions about our program, they should ask us directly, and not well-intentioned folks on this board who do not know of the program.

Steve Preins

Steve thank you for the reply. But my post was to get an unbiased views of the school. To which I was unable to find any that have ever attended the school. And yes I did do the obvious and called the school and got school information. But as I mentioned the posting was to get unbiased views. I'm sure your ok with one doing their research?

Rick

Kyle Montgomery

09-11-2014, 11:40 AM

All they are going to give you is class formatted books to read, while this can give you a good deal of learning it is not the same as any sort of hands on instructor lead education would be, but instructor lead education is going to cost alot more. If you just want page click through reading education I suggest joining InterNACHI they are a full inspector association that includes alot of help building and marketing your business including hundreds of web courses that will be just as good if not better than the school your looking at.

Garry Sorrells

09-11-2014, 03:49 PM

Which may not be saying much.

Raymond Wand

09-12-2014, 03:44 AM

Just whats needed another home inspection school watering down the gene pool.

Marc M

09-14-2014, 09:50 PM

Just whats needed another home inspection school watering down the gene pool.

Here Here brother...

Jerry Peck

09-15-2014, 08:15 AM

Brian needs to provide CEUs for the information on this board - if a new inspector reads all of the posts made over the preceding 10 years (which goes back to the old board), then that new inspector gets a certificate which is worth as much as the other paper certificates from the other schools ... except that the knowledge gained reading this board combines all types of knowledge about all types of things from all different locations around the country ... that should put that inspector head and shoulders above the certificate holders from the other schools.

Brian could, I'm sure, create a tracking app which would document and track that each of the previous posts has been read (which is not a guaranty that the information was retained), the app would let the inspector know how many posts have been read and how many more are left to read.

:)

Raymond Wand

09-15-2014, 09:19 AM

I echo Jerry's views. There is a wealth of real time info here on this forum from a diversity of inspectors and geographically.

And as far as I am concerned all associations should permit active participants to gain CEU's per their participation. Five CEU's per year would be suitable in my view.

Jerry Peck

09-15-2014, 09:37 AM

I added bold and underlining to the key word:

And as far as I am concerned all associations should permit active participants to gain CEU's per their participation. Five CEU's per year would be suitable in my view.

Inspectors who are already members of an association, not just new inspectors coming into the business would be required to *participate* in the discussions and information.

New inspectors can learn so much by just reading all the information, and reading that information will, I am sure, lead to participation on the part of new inspectors as the information would raise questions for them to ask ... and raise information that they know which we do not know, they could post that information so we could learn from them.

Think of the information which could be found here, and shared here, if every inspector *participated* - WOW! Now, that would be cool! :cool:

And all *participants* would be winners ... :first:

Eric Barker

09-17-2014, 01:25 PM

I do not know of Inspection Certification Associates but I do know Steve Preins and have known him for several years. He puts on some of the best CE classes that we have in our area and if I were to fault his programs it'd be that not enough inspectors attend them.

- - - Updated - - -

I do not know of Inspection Certification Associates but I do know Steve Preins and have known him for several years. He puts on some of the best CE classes that we have in our area and if I were to fault his programs it'd be that not enough inspectors attend them.

Thomas Johnson

01-03-2015, 10:01 PM

Steve,
Where in Chicago is this school located and who is the owner? The address on the ICA website has been changed to 332 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 1032-C286, but belongs to The Mail Center of Chicago, Inc., a re-mailing service popular with telemarketers, not the school's real location. It surprises me that you are responding in this forum rather than the business owner who is the responsible party. No one questions your credentials, but if people are contacting you personally to sort things out for a business that you do not own then there is a problem. You should not be puzzled that people have a right to a fair and unbiased review of a school and know truthfully where it is located and who collects the tuition. There is no one reading this forum who would disagree that potential students have a right to know the school's real address and owner if you are going to vouch for them.

I am the course author of the training program offered by Inspection Certification Associates, and I can assure everyone that it is a state-of-the-art inspection education program, completely up-to-date for 2014. My track record speaks for itself, as I have provided education sessions at many, many national, regional and local inspection events. Some of the comments in this thread puzzle me, as I am clearly listed as the Director of Education on the home page, with a link directly to my bio. The company is located in Chicago, as am I. The ICA program has a lower price point than other schools with similar curricula simply because we have decided to make the education available to the many folks who may have experienced financial setbacks over the last few years and cannot come up with the hefty fees some schools are asking for. I am responding to this thread because several folks have recently contacted me to sort out the facts, and anyone else with questions on the program may feel free to do the same (or you can simply google up "Steve Preins" and see for yourself).

Thanks
Steve Preins

Bruce Ramsey

01-04-2015, 10:48 AM

- if a new inspector reads all of the posts made over the preceding 10 years (which goes back to the old board), then that new inspector gets a certificate which is worth as much as the other paper certificates from the other schools ... except that the knowledge gained reading this board combines all types of knowledge about all types of things from all different locations around the country ... that should put that inspector head and shoulders above the certificate holders from the other schools.
:)

Feb will be ten years in the business for me. The first years were lean and I spent a lot of time reading this and other forums. I did read every reply to every post on this forum. I was able to view photos of problems and read the discussion about potential causes, possible solutions, as well as the various code citations regarding the condition often years before I ever saw the condition myself. I know from attending HI association meetings that I was more knowledgeable than many of those attending. It has served me well all these years.

BridgeMan

01-06-2015, 09:33 PM

I do not know of Inspection Certification Associates but I do know Steve Preins and have known him for several years. He puts on some of the best CE classes that we have in our area and if I were to fault his programs it'd be that not enough inspectors attend them.

Since you've known Steve Preins for some time, any guesses as to how many actual home inspections/reports he's performed during those years?

Dan Cullen

08-08-2015, 11:03 AM

I don't know why anyone would pay for pre-licensing classes in Illinois now that InterNachi has their entire state compliant curriculum online for absolutely no charge. Someone who is interested in getting their IL HI license can get all the course work for free in the comfort of their own home and then they can hook up with a practicing/active IL HI and get their field work done and signed off on.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know why anyone would pay for pre-licensing classes in Illinois now that InterNachi has their entire state compliant curriculum online for absolutely no charge. Someone who is interested in getting their IL HI license can get all the course work for free in the comfort of their own home and then they can hook up with a practicing/active IL HI and get their field work done and signed off on.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know why anyone would pay for pre-licensing classes in Illinois now that InterNachi has their entire state compliant curriculum online for absolutely no charge. Someone who is interested in getting their IL HI license can get all the course work for free in the comfort of their own home and then they can hook up with a practicing/active IL HI and get their field work done and signed off on.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know why anyone would pay for pre-licensing classes in Illinois now that InterNachi has their entire state compliant curriculum online for absolutely no charge. Someone who is interested in getting their IL HI license can get all the course work for free in the comfort of their own home and then they can hook up with a practicing/active IL HI and get their field work done and signed off on.

Greg Speed

04-29-2017, 01:30 PM

Steve thank you for your reply good info you posted even thou it's only about two years after my original posting of question. Better late than never I suppose.

Thanks again

Rick

The reason I took the trouble to register for this forum and reply to this thread, is that when you do a search for Inspection Certification Associates reviews, TODAY, April 29th, 2017, there is a very obviously uninformed comment, offered as an answer to your question about wanting an informed opinion of Inspection Certification Associates and their online course offering. When I say uninformed, I simply mean a comment by someone that shouldn't have offered any comments on this organization, or it's course offerings, simply because they did not participate in the course they were advising against. I'm not talking about your comment, Rick, about Steve Prein's post being "better late than never", but in this case, a post by another member, Eric Barker.
I am only replying to this old thread because it still, today, gets a very prominant hit from Google users, searching on reviews for ICA.

See the comment below that I was originally referencing:

"Eric Barker Re: Home inspection school - Inspection Certification Associiates I looked at their website and saw nothing that impressed me. The chances that they can provide quality education for their fee is virtually nil".

I too was interested in their course, because it was less expensive than most other offerings I had looked at and having been unemployed for going on six months, at that time, cost was a very definite consideration.

I did purchase their course and complete it. I have been extremely satisfied, more so, than I originally thought I would be.
Their course includes a free one year membership with ASHI, A very informative bonus module on using drones in home inspections, (something that I have been very interested in and am currenty using for roof inspections and real estate aerial photography),
a link to a study guide that has over 700 NHIE examiniation questions authored by the same organization that developed the NHIE exam and 2 optional Marketing modules containing about 8 hours of marketing instruction, that I have since determined to be very spot on and valuable to my business.

I only have a couple of years of background in construction, having worked as a framing carpenter, way back in 2000-02.

The most honest and impressive endorsement I can give Inspection Certification Associates for their online course offerings, is that I passed the NHIE exam by a comfortable margin, the first time I took it. I'm not saying that that makes me smart, or by any means an expert in home inspection, because I am most certainly not. I am a beginning "newbie" to the home inspection profession. But, and I only learned this after passing the exam, that only 30% of first time NHIE exam takers, even pass the exam on the first try. So for someone with somewhat limited, trade experience from several decades ago, I am extremely pleased with the course offering I took from Inspection Certification Associates. I found it to be a very informative and comprehensive program, that definitely allowed me to acomplish my objective of passsing the NHIE exam.

While I was completing my 30 hours of field training and participating in the 10 required live home inspections, with a Louisiana State approved Home Inspector/Home Inspector instructor that Louisiana requires for licensing, with two other field trainee's that did NOT attend ICA's online course, I felt that I was at least as well prepared and knowlegable as they were and both of them had considerably more and recent, trade experience than I did. Our field instructor was a long time home inspector and prior board member of the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors. He said after working with me on the required in-field training, that the online course that I had taken before coming to him, had prepared me well for the in-field training.
The fact that I was able to pass the NHIE exam as well, is further proof, at least to me, that the course was exactly what I needed, at a price that also worked very well for me given the circumstances that I was in at time, being then unemployed for about 6 months.

Rick, I realize that as old as this post is, my reply does nothing for you. Sorry about that....;) Hopefully though, the next time someone does a search from Google about reviews for ICA and gets a hit on Eric Barker's "review", mabe they will read a little further and get a much more accurate "review" of Inspection Certifiction Associates' course, by someone that actually went through their course.
Eric, I have no doubt you are very knowlegable and experienced and I mean no disrespect to you or to questiuon anything about your experience or abilities. I just wish that since you hadn't actually take the course that I did take, that you wouldn't have given them such a negative "review", with no real first-hand experience of their offering. That's all.

Sincerely,
Greg Speed

Lisa Endza

05-01-2017, 09:53 AM

I don't know if their material is out of date, but their website certainly is. They still have NAHI logos on it. NAHI is out of business.

And I'm not finding any governmental approvals for them.

Here are InterNACHI's: InterNACHI's inspection courses and exams are the most recognized, approved and accredited in the inspection industry. - InterNACHI (http://www.nachi.org/approved)

The InterNACHI Home Inspector School – Classroom training from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (http://www.nachi.org/school) provides real hands-on training with the House of Horrors. Chairs and PowerPoint presentations aren't the way to train for the inspection industry.

Jerry Peck

05-01-2017, 10:27 AM

Anyone else catch the contradiction Lisa made?

:bounce:

:welcome:

:brick:

Shhh ....
:pound:

Lisa Endza

05-01-2017, 10:43 AM

No, enlighten us.

Robert Sheppard

05-01-2017, 12:31 PM

No, enlighten us.

LMFAO!

That was good......I caught it Jerry.

Lisa Endza

05-01-2017, 01:43 PM

Please enlighten us all.

Jerry Peck

05-01-2017, 04:00 PM

Please enlighten us all.

All in due time, Lisa/Nick/whoever you really are ... first checking to see how many other see it when they read what you wrote ... really is quite hilarious ... and even more hilarious that you don't see it - especially being in charge of communication, et al, and all the claims made in the past.

I don't know if their material is out of date, but their website certainly is. They still have NAHI logos on it. NAHI is out of business.

And I'm not finding any governmental approvals for them.

Lisa Endza

05-01-2017, 07:16 PM

I don't see it. Are you going to explain or are you full of crap again?

Jerry Peck

05-01-2017, 07:29 PM

I don't see it. Are you going to explain or are you full of crap again?

Patience is a virtue ...

Not being able to read what one writes is not a virtue ...

All of your blustering posts about so little of nothing - with so many posts about so little of nothing ... your mind must be going in circles trying to figure it out, yet it is so simple.

Your lack of patience explains, to a small extent, why there are so many posts about so little of nothing from you.

Show us at least one virtue ... that of patience.

To any and all others - how many have seen it? Don't say what it is, just a 'Got it.' will do. Cool, huh? :cool:

Lisa Endza

05-01-2017, 07:36 PM

You sound like a little boy I knew in 2nd grade who always claimed he knew some secret that he could never reveal. He was a sissy too.

Jerry Peck

05-02-2017, 05:58 AM

You sound like a little boy I knew in 2nd grade who always claimed he knew some secret that he could never reveal. He was a sissy too.

That is the most professional response you have made yet on any subject ... and the most revealing too as it confirms what many have thought of you and your posts.

Jerry Peck

05-03-2017, 04:34 PM

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/associations-ethics-standards-licensing-legislation-home-inspectors-and-commercial-inspectors/47713-update-ashi-defense-court-post271933.html#post271933

Lisa proclaimed:

Nick Gromicko is now the Executive Director of NAHI

Now Lisa has proclaimed:

NAHI is out of business.

Robert Sheppard

05-03-2017, 04:41 PM

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/associations-ethics-standards-licensing-legislation-home-inspectors-and-commercial-inspectors/47713-update-ashi-defense-court-post271933.html#post271933

Lisa proclaimed:

Now Lisa has proclaimed:

Wait......I thought Nick was suing NAHI?

LOL....

Roy White

07-18-2019, 09:27 AM

I'm Looking at AHIT (America Home Inspector Training) AHIT.com Has anyone else used them, I have read some really great reviews for them!

Lisa Endza

07-18-2019, 10:42 PM

Wait......I thought Nick was suing NAHI?

LOL....

www.nachi.org/nahi

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know why anyone would pay for pre-licensing classes in Illinois now that InterNachi has their entire state compliant curriculum online for absolutely no charge. Someone who is interested in getting their IL HI license can get all the course work for free in the comfort of their own home

And InterNACHI is the ONLY home inspection school that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education to provide actual college-level accredited courses: https://www.nachi.org/accredited-home-inspection-school.htm

Pierre Coulombe

07-19-2019, 08:07 PM

I'm Looking at AHIT (America Home Inspector Training) AHIT.com Has anyone else used them, I have read some really great reviews for them!

Roy,
I took the AHIT course in 2011, completed the course in the recommended time and passed the NHIE on the first try with no problem. I believe that my limited experience as a tradesman helped me with the exam because I had no preconceived notions about construction. I have a successful business today and work towards getting at least 50 CEC per year to stay ahead of the curve. I recommend AHIT and, if you have the time and funding, try to get to Mike Casey's annual conference for inspectors at the end of September in Vegas.
Best wishes....

Lisa Endza

07-25-2019, 06:25 PM

I don't recommend that you attend an un-accredited school. Attend an accredited inspection school: https://www.nachi.org/accredited-home-inspection-school.htm

Jerry Peck

07-25-2019, 07:32 PM

I don't recommend that you attend an un-accredited school. Attend an accredited inspection school:

There a lot of 'accredited' schools out there for lots of things, but unless you are looking for 'credits' which can be earned or possibly transferred, "education" is what they should be looking for ... not 'accredited' ... they will be taking the knowledge learned with them, not some sort of accreditation.

Besides, falsely accredited schools exist and take advantage of unsuspecting persons - as pointed out in some of the links on accreditation you have provided. We thank you for pointing those links out to us, we have been forewarned.

So, my opinion is that they should go where they feel they will get the education they seek, some of which have been mentioned below by those who went to those classes.

As always ... just my opinion ... and thank you for those links.

Roy White

07-26-2019, 07:54 AM

Roy,
I took the AHIT course in 2011, completed the course in the recommended time and passed the NHIE on the first try with no problem. I believe that my limited experience as a tradesman helped me with the exam because I had no preconceived notions about construction. I have a successful business today and work towards getting at least 50 CEC per year to stay ahead of the curve. I recommend AHIT and, if you have the time and funding, try to get to Mike Casey's annual conference for inspectors at the end of September in Vegas.
Best wishes....

Thank you for the information, I appreciate the help.

Marc M

07-27-2019, 08:03 PM

Ted I agree, but the guy is in Calif. no Lic required. 6 days of training and field experience from experienced educators and inspectors, beats taking an online quiz and instantly calling and marketing himself as a "certified inspector"
California home inspection is a complete and utter JOKE. Its these guys that the realtors gravitate towards be they don't know crap and therefore can't find crap. NACHI is just a machine capitalizing on the illegitimate.

Aint no week-long class in the world that is going to help you understand and memorize enough building code to keep you from getting you a$$ sued off. That comes from working in the trades or shadowing a real inspector for what.....a few years?
And let's face it. Those of us who have been doing this long enough know that it really is a "code" inspection. No matter what or how this business is packaged and sold by NACHI or others to the "lets get rich crowd"...or the "all I need is like 300 realtors referring me and Im set for life" inspectors.
That is until you blow a deal or get sued or both.

Lisa Endza

07-29-2019, 07:58 AM

There a lot of 'accredited' schools out there for lots of things, but unless you are looking for 'credits' which can be earned or possibly transferred, "education" is what they should be looking for ... not 'accredited' ... they will be taking the knowledge learned with them, not some sort of accreditation.

Besides, falsely accredited schools exist and take advantage of unsuspecting persons - as pointed out in some of the links on accreditation you have provided. We thank you for pointing those links out to us, we have been forewarned.

So, my opinion is that they should go where they feel they will get the education they seek, some of which have been mentioned below by those who went to those classes.

As always ... just my opinion ... and thank you for those links.

Excellent post.

Read #3: http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/Education_Degree_Scams_Recognize.php

Jerry Peck

07-29-2019, 08:12 AM

Read #3: http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/Education_Degree_Scams_Recognize.php

3. Does the website have a .edu suffix?
All real schools have a domain that ends in .edu. A few scam schools managed to sneak in, but aside from a couple of community colleges that are still in the application process, if the school does not have a .edu extension, forget it.

And the last sentence is incorrect if one is looking for knowledge and don't need/want to transfer "credits" ... and I doubt home inspectors "need/want to transfer credits" ... therefore a .edu does not matter ... and then there are those few scam schools which have managed to "sneak in".

Lisa Endza

07-29-2019, 09:09 AM

The few schools that were awarded a .edu domain extension without being accredited by the federal government got them many, many years ago before the .edu extensions were regulated. Since then, they are almost all gone. Nowadays, it's protected and only for Universities and InterNACHI.

www.internachi.EDU (http://www.internachi.EDU)

As for your belief that inspectors don't have a need to transfer credits, that's only true up until InterNACHI begins awarding actual college degrees in home inspection. The good news is that the InterNACHI courses you take today and have taken in the past, all count toward that.

Lisa Endza

07-29-2019, 09:23 AM

And let's face it. Those of us who have been doing this long enough know that it really is a "code" inspection. A roof that was installed perfectly to code 30 years ago is still going to have issues. Everything in this world, even systems and components installed to code, eventually wear out.

In a related side note: Do you know who the largest provider of ICC-approved courses is? Yep, InterNACHI.

Jerry Peck

07-29-2019, 11:36 AM

As for your belief that inspectors don't have a need to transfer credits, that's only true up until InterNACHI begins awarding actual college degrees in home inspection.

It will still be true at that time.

Home inspectors are not required to have a degree for doing home inspections, and therefore no credits need to be transferred toward anything. If home inspectors want to have, or have, other degrees, it does not need to be transferable to whatever "home inspection degree" someone may conjure up.

A made up degree in home inspections, made up by anyone, is not necessary, nor likely even helpful, to home inspectors. There are some colleges/junior colleges which have/have had/may still have courses for home inspectors to help teach them the basics of home inspections, and by the way, some, if not all, of those colleges/junior colleges had/have .edu extensions as I recall.

That is not a "new thing", been going on for years.

As always, the above is only my opinion, but may not be 'only my opinion' as it is likely the opinion of many others.

Lisa Endza

07-29-2019, 03:58 PM

There are some colleges/junior colleges which have/have had/may still have courses for home inspectors to help teach them the basics of home inspections, and by the way, some, if not all, of those colleges/junior colleges had/have .edu extensions as I recall.But only InterNACHI's inspection courses are accredited. Holding an inspection class at a university venue doesn't accredit the class. Every one of InterNACHI zillion courses is accredited: https://www.nachi.org/accredited-home-inspection-school.htm

On a side note: We had a member get accepted to the Engineering School at CU. It's a very difficult school to get in. Guess what? They accepted transfer of the InterNACHI courses he completed. Why? Because InterNACHI has been awarded the same accreditation that Harvard and Yale have.

InterNACHI.... taking the inspection industry to an entirely new level.

Jerry Peck

07-29-2019, 05:11 PM

But only InterNACHI's inspection courses are accredited.

And that does not mean diddly squat for a home inspector who is seeking knowledge and does not care about accreditation or .edu domain name extensions.

As you have repeatedly pointed out with your links (much appreciated, thank you) - item 3 points out that not all .edu domain names are 'real', fakes and frauds have snuck in under the guise of actually being something real, when in fact they are not. Again, thank you for pointing that out ... everyone should, by now, be aware that .edu indicates that the place needs scrutiny, it might just be real ... but it might just be out to take a person's money.

On a side note: We had a member get accepted to the Engineering School at CU. It's a very difficult school to get in.

Gosh, I know some home inspectors who have also been accepted to engineering schools, who have also done their engineering internships, and have become engineers (and still do home inspections). I also know some engineers who were engineers before doing home inspections, then added home inspections to their business offerings.

It is not credits from a .edu which gets someone accepted to engineering schools, it is that individual which allows them to be accepted into engineering.

Enough of your self-promoting the .edu, even though you have made everyone aware than non-legitimate business can get the .edu domain extension - for that we thank you.

But for your self-promoting ... I'm through with it as I feel like I am talking to a brick wall with ,edu painted on it ... there may be some vibrations getting through it, but it is not really being absorbed into the depths of the brick over the ages ... maybe some mortar has become loose and has fallen out and needs re-pointing to make it look good again.

Lisa Endza

07-29-2019, 06:44 PM

As you have repeatedly pointed out with your links (much appreciated, thank you) - item 3 points out that not all .edu domain names are 'real', fakes and frauds have snuck in under the guise of actually being something real, when in fact they are not. Again, thank you for pointing that out ... everyone should, by now, be aware that .edu indicates that the place needs scrutiny, it might just be real ... but it might just be out to take a person's money.

Correct. But since there is only ONE home inspection school that is accredited, ONLY ONE in the entire industry, worldwide.... it's an easy thing to check. There is ONLY ONE home inspection school with a .edu domain extension and it is accredited and its accreditation can be verified.

Sorry for being so repetitive, I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall.

It is not credits from a .edu which gets someone accepted to engineering schools, it is that individual which allows them to be accepted into engineering.Correct. As I said, our COURSES that he took were accepted because they were InterNACHI courses.

Here is my un-redacted post that you cut short when you quoted me. Read last sentence slowly. Maybe read it twice?:

On a side note: We had a member get accepted to the Engineering School at CU. It's a very difficult school to get in. Guess what? They accepted transfer of the InterNACHI courses he completed.

You were an inspector, no? You either missed that (I can't imagine how) or you intentionally redacted it. Which one was it? Sloppiness or sleaziness?

ROBERT YOUNG

07-30-2019, 03:16 AM

Tread started in, 11-20-2012. I wonder if the OP, Rick Ramirez, ever got a straight answer from a/the simple question he asked, 'could tell me what they know about this HI school' I would appreciate it, he could live with. ...:confused: Hm.

Looks like some great partners are willing to put their brand behind ICA. InterNACHI, ASHI, OREP.

If your still there Rick, BBB File Opened a file (https://www.bbb.org/us/il/chicago/profile/college-and-university/inspection-certification-associates-0654-88538152) on Inspection Certification Associiates 6/27/2012.

Hope that helped, Rick Ramirez.
Best regards.
Robert Young (CMI):peep:

Jerry Peck

07-30-2019, 05:34 AM

You either missed that (I can't imagine how) or you intentionally redacted it. Which one was it? Sloppiness or sleaziness?

NEITHER - INTENTIONALLY DELETED THE NON-APPLICABLE FOR EASIER READING BY OTHERS.

Just like we all typically do when replying to something - instead of forcing others to read through 'War and Peace' just to get to one or two lines.

Are you saying that you consider others when you are typing what you post?

If not, are you showing your "Sloppiness or sleaziness?"

Garry Sorrells

07-31-2019, 07:53 AM

A " .edu" means absolutely nothing. Anyone can create a " .edu ". But for some it is about marketing at any cost to shade a truth.

Jerry Peck

07-31-2019, 08:10 AM

A " .edu" means absolutely nothing. Anyone can create a " .edu ". But for some it is about marketing at any cost to shade a truth.

Garry,

Are you indicating that we are being given misleading information ... oh my, we're not in Kansas anymore ...

https://youtu.be/uPnfuczOWb8

Added with edit before what's her name could reply about it:

I went to get a .edu domain name to see what it said:

https://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/edu-domain-name.jsp

Register a .edu Domain NameRegistration of a .edu domain is limited to accredited degree-granting institutions of higher learning. The registration and administration of .edu domains is managed by EduCause.

To register a .edu domain name, please visit EduCause.

However, the last part of what you said is not affected by the above statement. :thumb:

Jerry Peck

07-31-2019, 12:43 PM

Nonetheless (all the below having been said), for a home inspector to get education that he/she may be seeking ... a .edu domain name extension is meaningless compared to what the home inspector wants ... education for what they are seeking to learn.

As I have previously stated, and was confirmed by others, the home inspector does not need to be concerned about the place for their education having a .edu domain name extension ... unless they are seeking to transfer credits for some reason, and then they would need to find a place which recognizes that .edu credit source as a worth source of real education and that they will recognize those .edu credits.

At the same time, it has been pointed out via a link, on numerous occasions, that some unworthy .edu extensions have been given, thus, in that sense, unless and until one does their research and verifies the .edu extension source is legitimate ... as Garry said "A " .edu" means absolutely nothing."

Verify the .edu source ... don't like it or think it is shifty and not upstanding ... don't go there, go where one can get the education they want and need ... WITHOUT REGARD for whether or not it has a .edu domain name extension.

And if someplace really hypes up the .edu extension as the only way to tell 'the good' from 'the bad' or 'the ugly' ... think of it as a used car sales place ... can you trust what they are yelling at you, or do you continue down the street to the real source which is not screaming ... .edu ... .edu ... .edu ... at you.

Just my opinion, and choice is yours (whomever is seeking home inspector education).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pks7q2qyM-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoN5cCs0l2M

Marc M

08-04-2019, 08:48 PM

A roof that was installed perfectly to code 30 years ago is still going to have issues. Everything in this world, even systems and components installed to code, eventually wear out.

In a related side note: Do you know who the largest provider of ICC-approved courses is? Yep, InterNACHI.
Whatever makes you feel legitimate.... don't really care.

BTW... I've inspected behind some of "your best".... tripping over my jaw dragging on the floor the whole time.

ROBERT YOUNG

08-05-2019, 04:14 AM

Whatever makes you feel legitimate.... don't really care.

BTW... I've inspected behind some of "your best".... tripping over my jaw dragging on the floor the whole time.
Morning, Marc. Hope to find you well and in good spirits today. You do realize, this is an old thread. 11-20-2012

Personally, speaking from experience, typically/usually when I listen to someone put down another inspector, an association, their spokes person/s or their member's, its usually because they have nothing of substantial value to add to the conversation. :confused:

As well, I did not realize Lisa has inspectors working for her. Hm?
Lisa, you own an inspection firm or an association? Last I heard you worked at InterNACHI help contribute to the overall conversation and did one heck of a job doing that. Hm?

Jerry Peck

08-05-2019, 05:52 AM

Morning, Marc. Hope to find you well and in good spirits today. You do realize, this is an old thread. 11-20-2012

Personally, speaking from experience, typically/usually when I listen to someone put down another inspector, an association, their spokes person/s or their member's, its usually because they have nothing of substantial value to add to the conversation. :confused:

As well, I did not realize Lisa has inspectors working for her. Hm?
Lisa, you own an inspection firm or an association? Last I heard you worked at InterNACHI help contribute to the overall conversation and did one heck of a job doing that. Hm?

Going against what I prefer to do - I quoted your entire post (for some reason you sometimes remove your posts after negative comments).

Did you realize that you did what you chided Marc for doing?

Did you realize that this thread has been restarted a few times?

Did you realize that Marc was not the person who restarted It this time?

Did you realize that you offered nothing to the discussion? Kinda like this post of mine ... but I am offering in a positive way in an effort to help reduce the type of posts you made.

Garry Sorrells

08-05-2019, 03:06 PM

Back looking for that dead horse to beat again.

ROBERT YOUNG

08-10-2019, 04:57 AM

Back looking for that dead horse to beat again.
Appears so.

Robert Sheppard

08-10-2019, 06:10 AM

You guys are awesome.....

ROBERT YOUNG

08-10-2019, 07:08 AM

Marc M

08-10-2019, 08:49 AM

Morning, Jerry and respected members. Hope to find everyone well and in good spirits.Marc, I apologize if my reply appeared to be a berate, castigate, chew out, dress down, flay, harangue, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rail (at or against), rate, scold, score, upbraid at you. You are one fine fellow. It is an honor to know you. Truly.My position was an overall assessment of individuals, Personally, speaking from experience, typically/usually when I listen to someone put down another inspector, an association, their spokes person/s or their member's, its usually because they have nothing of substantial value to add to the conversation. We are measured by our peers. We are all the same.I remember putting my foot in my mouth conversing with a recognized level 3 thermographer, as I preformed verbal gymnastics contorting something I could not explain at that moment. I back peddled excusing myself. He turned to me and respectfully explained, Robert, "We are all on the same level." Then I understood. We are all cogs in a wheel. Better to sit back and watch. We are measured by our peers. We are all the same.Best regards.Robert Young
Its cool brother. Look, Im not here to criticize legitimate inspectors or legitimate organizations for trying to earn a buck by doing right by the client. Thats the key here. The client always comes first.

Heres the way I see it happening here in my Los Angeles area. First of all, these organizations market themselves as a quick way to get educated in home inspection... 1 week. Boom, you are off and running as a "certified" home inspector in the charge of protecting clients, their money, their family and investment. Tell me...in what manner is that true protection. Especially when their whole existence is to market around relators who are by the way, totally inept piles of crap. But thats another thread.

So these organizations pump out newbie inspectors who perform inspections twice as fast as you for half, and find nothing significant because lets face it... how much can you cover in a week long class?

NACHI and these other organizations are machines. Thats all. I don't care about their "contribution" to this business because if they really cared who left their facility, the make training 1 year long before being certified. And hard classes like ICC cert classes or Contractor B classes.

This whole inspector-in-a-box with only 1 week of "certified" training has no business in this industry.These newbie inspector guys around me suck. I don't care that we all share the same title. They do nothing to help the public. Protect the people they serve.

There are some true professionals in this forum which demand respect and rightly so because they've paid their dues for years in the trenches. These guys know more in their pinky than any one of these schools can teach in a month.

I would never have evolved as an inspector if not for some these guys in here. They taught me dig deep and research research research.... And, that protecting the client is more important than filling my garage with crap.

These newbies who are slamming 2-3 jobs in a day to a joke. And these organizations are marketing this industry, your industry as a get-rich-quick biz.
So yea, I've never believed in these organizations. They're are collectively a joke. Bringing legitimacy to the illegitimate I say.

Pumping out inspectors for their benefit. Its bringing down this entire industry I think. Probably even yours too. Shrinking your wages because when the client is calling around, your years of experience looks NO DIFFERENT on a Yelp page or web page than theirs does. They are $295 you are $450.

Hmmm, you might get 1 out of 5. Its these guys who are setting the new low. The new standard for what an inspector is. At least out here in LA.

All the OG inspectors are doing now, is Getting realtors pissed off because all of a sudden we're taking too long, charging much more than anyone else and calling out too many issues. We're a dying breed especially here in Los Angeles.

This process is perpetuated by this newbie Joe-blow inspector who got trained in a week and can inspect an old piece of crap 3000 sq foot home with a crawl and a pool in 45 minutes and deliver the report in 10 minutes with NOTHING substantial because they wouldn't recognize anything substantial if it bit them in the ass...because they didn't have time to cover that in their week long class.

Oh, and if the client had a claim? They hide behind their SOPs, or rely heavily on that phrase... "seek further evaluation by a professional" with what seems to be EVERY ISSUE THEY FIND. Thats a joke too. Again, another thread.

Here, realtors don't want our type of service any longer. They want fast, cheap and don't find a damn thing... If you can fill this demand, you can make tons of cash but you have to be willing to sell out... sell your morals and ethics in the process and hope to God you don't get sued.

And, realtors run this industry here. Flat out.I have over 150+ 5 star Yelp reviews and 26 google and others. But that matters not because the realtors get to the client first.

Personally, Im in a place as John Goodman so elegantly put it in the movie the Gambler... "a place of EFF-you". Meaning I call my own shots and my income or life is not reliant upon which realtor loves or hates Marc Mazza Today. So long as these organizations keep on legitimizing the illegitimate, this process will never change. Here in LA.

ROBERT YOUNG

08-11-2019, 04:19 AM

Good morning Marc and esteemed members. Hope everyone is well and in good spirits this fine morning.

Home inspection school - Inspection Certification Associates is the title of the old 2012 thread. From my point of view, point of view being the operative, Lisa has done a terrific job explaining InterNACHI's point of view.

As for Home inspection schools. 'Caveat emptor' comes to mind for consumers seeking such education as well as 'Caveat emptor' comes to mind for consumers purchasing real estate.
That becomes the bottom line.

I thought I read a post that said something to the effect that someone had been behind The Best and The Best made Omissions/Errors. But it appears that post was removed.

From my point if view, we are Judged by our peers.

So, 'Caveat emptor' as a consumer.
Looking for a home inspector as a consumer? Look for partners willing to put their name behind that brand.

Hope that helps.
Best regards.
Robert Young (CPI)(CMI):peep:
Robert Young's Montreal Home Inspection Services Inc.

tkaiser1

08-11-2019, 10:26 AM

Marc,
Bravo! :clap2::clap2: This is an eloquently stated case for those of us who have anything resembling ethics.

Tim

Its cool brother. Look, Im not here to criticize legitimate inspectors or legitimate organizations for trying to earn a buck by doing right by the client. Thats the key here. the client always comes first.Heres the way I see it happening here in my Los Angeles area.First of all, these organizations market themselves as a quick way to get educated in home inspection... 1 week. Boom, you are off and running as a "certified" home inspector in the charge of protecting clients, their money, their family and investment. Tell me...in what manner is that true protection. Especially when their whole existence is to market around relators who are by the way, totally inept piles of crap. But thats another thread.So these organizations pump out newbie inspectors who perform inspections twice as fast as you for half, and find nothing significant because lets face it... how much can you cover in a week long class?NACHI and these other organizations are machines. Thats all. I don't care about their "contribution" to this business because if they really cared who left their facility, the make training 1 year long before being certified. And hard classes like ICC cert classes or Contractor B classes.This whole inspector-in-a-box with only 1 week of "certified" training has no business in this industry.These newbie inspector guys around me suck. I don't care that we all share the same title. They do nothing to help the public. Protect the people they serve.There are some true professionals in this forum which demand respect and rightly so because they've paid their dues for years in the trenches. These guys know more in their pinky than any one of these schools can teach in a month. I would never have evolved as an inspector if not for some these guys in here. They taught me dig deep and research research research.... And, that protecting the client is more important than filling my garage with crap. These newbies who are slamming 2-3 jobs in a day to a joke. And these organizations are marketing this industry, your industry as a get-rich-quick biz.So yea, I've never believed in these organizations. They're are collectively a joke. Bringing legitimacy to the illegitimate I say. Pumping out inspectors for their benefit. Its bringing down this entire industry I think. Probably even yours too. Shrinking your wages because when the client is calling around, your years of experience looks NO DIFFERENT on a Yelp page or web page than theirs does. They are $295 you are $450. Hmmm, you might get 1 out of 5. Its these guys who are setting the new low. The new standard for what an inspector is. At least out here in LA.All the OG inspectors are doing now, is Getting realtors pissed off because all of a sudden we're taking too long, charging much more than anyone else and calling out too many issues. We're a dying breed especially here in Los Angeles. This process is perpetuated by this newbie Joe-blow inspector who got trained in a week and can inspect an old piece of crap 3000 sq foot home with a crawl and a pool in 45 minutes and deliver the report in 10 minutes with NOTHING substantial because they wouldn't recognize anything substantial if it bit them in the ass...because they didn't have time to cover that in their week long class. Oh, and if the client had a claim? They hide behind their SOPs, or rely heavily on that phrase... "seek further evaluation by a professional" with what seems to be EVERY ISSUE THEY FIND. Thats a joke too. Again, another thread.Here, realtors don't want our type of service any longer. They want fast, cheap and don't find a damn thing... If you can fill this demand, you can make tons of cash but you have to be willing to sell out... sell your morals and ethics in the process and hope to God you don't get sued.And, realtors run this industry here. Flat out.I have over 150+ 5 star Yelp reviews and 26 google and others. But that matters not because the realtors get to the client first. Personally, Im in a place as John Goodman so elegantly put it in the movie the Gambler... "a place of EFF-you". Meaning I call my own shots and my income or life is not reliant upon which realtor loves or hates Marc Mazza Today. So long as these organizations keep on legitimizing the illegitimate, this process will never change. Here in LA.

Marc M

08-11-2019, 06:58 PM

Marc,
Bravo! :clap2::clap2: This is an eloquently stated case for those of us who have anything resembling ethics.

Tim

you bet brother...keep up the good fight.

Jerry Peck

08-11-2019, 07:38 PM

Hello to all HI's I'm just writing to ask if any one here has ever heard of "Inspection Certification Associates".

Rick,

I see a big red flag.

It may or may not be "intentional", but when it is in the name ... it is likely "intentional" ...

"blah Certification blah"

Anyone saying that they will certify you for home inspections, or give a certification in home inspections, is suspect to greater scrutiny in my opinion.

Now, if it was a university offered 4 year course ... I would still be suspect of it.

A state or other licensing body gives certifications for test they give, otherwise getting a license does not mean certified, just licensed.

Doctors? They go to school for years and years ... and STILL have to pass the Medical Board exam.

Lawyers? They go to school for year ... and STILL have to pass the Bar exam.

ICC plans examiners and inspectors must pass the ICC tests to get their ICC "certification".

In Florida, contractors must pass their (trade) Contractor's exam to get their Florida Certified (trade) license. Example, I had to take a 2-day General Contractor test, after passing it, I became a "Certified General Contractor" and then I applied for and got a "Certified General Contractor" license.

Go to a week long, or even a month long, school or course and get "certified"? Really?

Think about that ... would YOU as a home buyer want to hire a home inspector who is given some sort of "certification" or is "certified" after taking a short course?

Instead, think in terms of what you can learn and how much education you can take away from the school or course ... forget any "certification" label you may be handed.

I was on UL Standards Technical Panel 67 for a number of years and what I got when I left it after I retired was a nice "certificate" thanking me for my years on the panel ... but no "certification" (and no "certification" was wanted ... I helped with education and I received education from it).

Look for as much education as you can get, and don't think that a week, a month, even a year, make one a home inspector - those first years are just the 'learning years', but with more education available today than there was 30 years ago, your "education" will (if you seek it) come faster than what it took us old timers to acquire it as not much education was available back then - we basically had to 'figure it out' while doing it.

Robert Sheppard

08-17-2019, 01:24 PM

Best advice I can give any budding Home Inspector is DO NOT acquire your education from a home inspection association. I've been on the Board of a major home inspection association, it's about titles and pats on the back....nothing more. Most of the clowns on a association Board know less than you think, why do you think they don't like questions or being challenged during presentations?

Question a speaker during a home inspection presentation and you'll be shown the door....

Want to be a respected and well paid Home Inspector? One who charges 3k per inspection? I performed maybe 2 to 3 home inspections per week, sometimes only one. A typical 3,000sf home was around 4.5k...you do the math. The market is out there, home inspection associations have sought to dumb-down the industry to the point that inspectors think 150 bucks is all they are worth....and to a realtor, they are.

Attain you ICC certifications in all categories, become a residential combination inspector. Submit for your Building Inspectors license and perform inspections under that license with only one restriction, don't call your self a "home inspector".

Go out and perform a thorough and detailed home inspection report, no less than 50 to 60 pages of nothing but deficiencies. You'll be banned from every realtor office within a 50 mile radius, they'll have your name on the wall in their office as "do not call". And when they're clients see it, guess who they'll call? Trust me, this has happended.

Ask yourself this....perform 20 inspections a week for 150 bucks each, or 1 to 2 for 3-4k each?

Roy Lewis

08-17-2019, 03:28 PM

A typical 3,000sf home was around 4.5k...

You must be dreaming.

Robert Sheppard

08-18-2019, 11:15 AM

A typical 3,000sf home was around 4.5k...

You must be dreaming.

ALL....DAY....LONG!

Just not the way you do business. That's why it costs $526.73 a ticket to watch Lebron play while little league is free.

Jerry Peck

08-18-2019, 01:54 PM

A typical 3,000sf home was around 4.5k...

You must be dreaming.

Roy,

Sounds like you are the one dreaming, or maybe it is a nightmare?

I, and a few other inspectors in the area that I was in, did inspections like Robert is talking about, and those were the SMALL houses we did.

It depends on your market, sure, but anyone still doing $250 or less inspections is doing so because they don't yet grasp what the actual value of a GOOD home inspection is to their clients, and because the inspector hasn't grasped the actual value of a GOOD home inspection, they haven't been able to educate their clients on the exceptional value that paying a decent amount for a GOOD home inspection is to the buyers interest - it is like money in the bank for the client.

Doing 3 or more inspections per day (you will notice that I am not calling those inspections "home" inspections, just "inspections") does not allow the inspector time to do a good home inspection.

Doing 2 per day is even asking a lot.

Better off doing one per day and a day on the report (two days per inspection) allows the home inspector to actually do a good job of inspecting and issue a thorough report.

I, and a few others, used to done 1 or 2 inspections per week (2 days on the inspection, 2 days on the report) if the houses were not large ("larger" homes for us were 7,500 sf and up). Granted, not everyone lives where there is a market like that, but ...

One 2,500 sf home per day gives the inspector time to actually think and consider what they are documenting ... yes ... documenting - the report is documenting what the inspector observed and relating that to their client so they can understand what it means.

How much do you typically need to make 'per week'/'per day'? Use that to calculate how many inspections you need to do at what price to make it work for you.

$1,000 per day = $5,000 per week = $250,000 per year (allowing for 2 weeks vacation per year) ... I know, I know, the market does not allow 'business hours' (the same number of inspections every week of the year), so you make adjustments for what you typically have over a year in your area and work with those numbers and times - you may find that you can actually take a lot more "time off" and still make a decent living.

Robert Sheppard

08-18-2019, 02:18 PM

Roy,

Sounds like you are the one dreaming, or maybe it is a nightmare?

I, and a few other inspectors in the area that I was in, did inspections like Robert is talking about, and those were the SMALL houses we did.

It depends on your market, sure, but anyone still doing $250 or less inspections is doing so because they don't yet grasp what the actual value of a GOOD home inspection is to their clients, and because the inspector hasn't grasped the actual value of a GOOD home inspection, they haven't been able to educate their clients on the exceptional value that paying a decent amount for a GOOD home inspection is to the buyers interest - it is like money in the bank for the client.

Doing 3 or more inspections per day (you will notice that I am not calling those inspections "home" inspections, just "inspections") does not allow the inspector time to do a good home inspection.

Doing 2 per day is even asking a lot.

Better off doing one per day and a day on the report (two days per inspection) allows the home inspector to actually do a good job of inspecting and issue a thorough report.

I, and a few others, used to done 1 or 2 inspections per week (2 days on the inspection, 2 days on the report) if the houses were not large ("larger" homes for us were 7,500 sf and up). Granted, not everyone lives where there is a market like that, but ...

One 2,500 sf home per day gives the inspector time to actually think and consider what they are documenting ... yes ... documenting - the report is documenting what the inspector observed and relating that to their client so they can understand what it means.

How much do you typically need to make 'per week'/'per day'? Use that to calculate how many inspections you need to do at what price to make it work for you.

$1,000 per day = $5,000 per week = $250,000 per year (allowing for 2 weeks vacation per year) ... I know, I know, the market does not allow 'business hours' (the same number of inspections every week of the year), so you make adjustments for what you typically have over a year in your area and work with those numbers and times - you may find that you can actually take a lot more "time off" and still make a decent living.

What Jerry said...

I'll add....if I told you to give me 4k and I'll give you back 30k, would you take that deal? Honestly, when my clients negotiate a home purchase using my report...what do you think the seller is thinking? "Man, wish I would have used that guy". ALL DAY LONG!

It's difficult to apply an "average" savings as it varies depending on the size of the home and it's condition, but it was essentially routine for my clients to negotiate 20 to 30k off their contract with a report that incorporated code citations that are difficult for realtors to refute.

That's why realtors LOVE home inspectors who don't reference or know the building codes.....LOVE EM"!

And what do home inspection associations tell you about quoting code? Gee, wonder why? Because it would separate the big boys from the newbs, can't have that.

Ask yourself Roy, if you doubled your prices and lost half of your business...would you care? What about tripling your prices and losing 75% of your business...would you care? What if you only performed 1-2 home inspections a week, yet were demanding 3k an inspections...would you care?

More importantly, before you poo-poo the idea....have you honestly tried?

Roy Lewis

08-19-2019, 01:45 AM

You both are full of crap! :)

Sounds like you are the one dreaming, or maybe it is a nightmare?
Your snide remarks will get you nowhere with me I WILL retaliate back..So be kind or don't say jack sh*t ok?

I've been doing this over 40 years and a Florida licensed residential contractor for about 20. And to say you charge 4k for a 2000 sf home is just flippin untrue.
And as you have noted Robert I have been told I have saved the client many thousands of dollars.
I've always only did 2 maybe 3 inspections a week. Not counting commercial that would take me depending on the size and complexity of the structure 4-5 days and the same amount of time to do the report.
After doing this for so many years I can do a 2500 sf home in about 2 hrs and the report in about the same.
It's all nearly repetitious after all these years .
Fact : I've done very many thousands of inspections. To many to count at this time. And have never had one single complaint.
I'm retired and I'll be 67 January and do a few a month now for fun money.

Roy,

Sounds like you are the one dreaming, or maybe it is a nightmare?

I, and a few other inspectors in the area that I was in, did inspections like Robert is talking about, and those were the SMALL houses we did.

It depends on your market, sure, but anyone still doing $250 or less inspections is doing so because they don't yet grasp what the actual value of a GOOD home inspection is to their clients, and because the inspector hasn't grasped the actual value of a GOOD home inspection, they haven't been able to educate their clients on the exceptional value that paying a decent amount for a GOOD home inspection is to the buyers interest - it is like money in the bank for the client.

Doing 3 or more inspections per day (you will notice that I am not calling those inspections "home" inspections, just "inspections") does not allow the inspector time to do a good home inspection.

Doing 2 per day is even asking a lot.

Better off doing one per day and a day on the report (two days per inspection) allows the home inspector to actually do a good job of inspecting and issue a thorough report.

I, and a few others, used to done 1 or 2 inspections per week (2 days on the inspection, 2 days on the report) if the houses were not large ("larger" homes for us were 7,500 sf and up). Granted, not everyone lives where there is a market like that, but ...

One 2,500 sf home per day gives the inspector time to actually think and consider what they are documenting ... yes ... documenting - the report is documenting what the inspector observed and relating that to their client so they can understand what it means.

How much do you typically need to make 'per week'/'per day'? Use that to calculate how many inspections you need to do at what price to make it work for you.

$1,000 per day = $5,000 per week = $250,000 per year (allowing for 2 weeks vacation per year) ... I know, I know, the market does not allow 'business hours' (the same number of inspections every week of the year), so you make adjustments for what you typically have over a year in your area and work with those numbers and times - you may find that you can actually take a lot more "time off" and still make a decent living.

Jerry Peck

08-19-2019, 05:50 AM

You both are full of crap! :)

Your snide remarks will get you nowhere with me I WILL retaliate back..So be kind or don't say jack sh*t ok?

The remarks of a true professional.

I've been doing this over 40 years and a Florida licensed residential contractor for about 20.

And?

I've been a Florida licensed general contractor and code inspector for longer than that.

The rest of your post isn't worth replying to.

I stated that not everyone lives where there is a market like that (I retired from HI 13 years ago when I moved away from that market - I didn't want to spend the time trying to start a new business in a market that didn't exist where I moved to, there are a few very high end large homes here, as there are in many areas, but not enough to build an HI like I had before business around.

So I went into code inspections as I was Florida licensed for that to (in addition to my GC licence).

T'was no Florida HI license until a few years after I retired from HI.

Roy Lewis

08-19-2019, 05:55 AM

I've been a Florida licensed general contractor and code inspector for longer than that.
Then why does your site state..."
Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989)

I'm done! You are too much of a know it all to even get into this with you.

The remarks of a true professional.

And?

I've been a Florida licensed general contractor and code inspector for longer than that.

The rest of your post isn't worth replying to.

I stated that not everyone lives where there is a market like that (I retired from HI 13 years ago when I moved away from that market - I didn't want to spend the time trying to start a new business in a market that didn't exist where I moved to, there are a few very high end large homes here, as there are in many areas, but not enough to build an HI like I had before business around.

So I went into code inspections as I was Florida licensed for that to (in addition to my GC licence).

T'was no Florida HI license until a few years after I retired from HI.

Jerry Peck

08-19-2019, 06:50 AM

I've been ... a Florida licensed residential contractor for about 20.

Then why does your site state..."
Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989)

Ummm ... unless there is something that I'm missing in your version of "math" ... 25 years is more than 20 years ... please feel free to correct me if I am doing "Old math" wrong.

Roy Lewis

08-19-2019, 07:01 AM

I was referring to my 40+ years inspecting.
Lets stop this and move on OK?

Jerry Peck

08-19-2019, 09:52 AM

I was referring to my 40+ years inspecting.
Lets stop this and move on OK?

I was letting "I've been doing this over 40 years" slide to give you a way out.

You said you are 65, that you've been "doing this" (I presumed "this" meant "home inspections" as that what is being discussed here, and which you have now confirmed was "inspecting", which I presume means "home inspecting") ... that mean you started doing home inspections before you were even 25? (That "old math" thing that crops up now and then.)

Here is some more "old math":

2019 - 40+ years = before 1979

You started doing "home inspections" before 1979? Wow!

But tell me ...

What experience did you have to know what you were doing when you started doing "home inspections" ... at the age of 20? ("Over 40 years" could well mean that you've been doing "home inspections" for '45 years.)

Or maybe we should " ... stop this and move on OK?"? ... before it gets too complicated to use math to figure out? :confused: :flypig:

Jerry Peck

08-19-2019, 10:45 AM

I've been ... a Florida licensed residential contractor for about 20.

EDITED: Removed Roy's city and state per his request, even though he shows it himself. This is what it would look like if Roy had his information marked as "Private" on the DBPR portal.

From the Florida DBPR site: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/LicenseDetail.asp?SID=&id=04996AB0F6D61B51902C74BBDEF1CCA5

Licensee Information

Name:
LEWIS, ROY EUGENE JR (Primary Name)

ROY LEWIS LLC (DBA Name)

Main Address:
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX

County:
XXXXXX

License Information

License Type:
Certified Residential Contractor

Rank:
Cert Residental

License Number:
CRC1328001

Status:
Current,Active

Licensure Date:
06/13/2005

Expires:
08/31/2020

Licensure Date: 06/13/2005

Using "old math":
2019
-2005
14 years

I guess 14 years is close enough to be "about 20" for you?

Me, when I round off, I round 14 off this way: to 10s 14=10; to 5s 14=15 ... not sure how you got "20"?

Robert Sheppard

08-19-2019, 03:04 PM

40 years of experience....only gets $350 an inspection.....the same as any other new inspector.

Jerry Peck

08-19-2019, 03:19 PM

40 years of experience....only gets $350 an inspection.....the same as any other new inspector.

Be nice, Robert ... I'm sure that after 40 years he knows what he is worth in his market: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/high-springs-fl/

Type your city name and state in place of the "high-springs-fl", single name cities would be like this "atlanta-ga" to compare where you live.

Roy Lewis

08-20-2019, 05:22 AM

40 years of experience....only gets $350 an inspection.....the same as any other new inspector.

You don't know anything about me Sh*t for brains..

Roy Lewis

08-20-2019, 06:03 AM

So! Jerry !
I told you I'll be 67 January.
I was 26 when I was doing property evaluations for a few engineering firms.
However, I told you I was done, but you decided to post what I think is no one else's business to know.
I don't care if it is public information. I don't believe you have a right to post anything about me.

You posted my home address.. Don't you think that is inappropriate?
( WHISPERING PINE TRAIL ) does that ring a bell?

If you don't delete that post ASAP I will spend the rest of my life digging up garbage about you, your family and all your business ties... And I'm sure you all have a few skeletons in the closet somewhere. And I still may do it because you went and pissed me off and I don't play well with others. Consider this a vendetta.
This isn't a threat because you drew first blood.
You don't know me and what I'm capable of. You should be concerned. Yep!
If that post isn't deleted immediately Hell will be coming your way. I promise.
I'm sure I can dig up some sort of dirt about you..
Big mouth mother Fu**er
Get it bigshot?

Your info .. 17 years not 25... So much for your rounding off.

Certified General Contractor

Rank:
Cert General

License Number:
CGC1504241

Status:
Current,Active

Licensure Date:
05/08/2002

Expires:
08/31/2020

Roy Lewis

08-20-2019, 06:37 AM

And if you need further character reference on me please contact Scott "Spiderman" Mulholland at
UC Building Consultants. He know me by my nickname Sonny Lewis.
https://www.usbuildingconsultants.com/

Jerry Peck

08-20-2019, 07:14 AM

I don't care if it is public information.
.
.
You posted my home address.. Don't you think that is inappropriate?
( WHISPERING PINE TRAIL ) does that ring a bell?

If you don't delete that post ASAP I will spend the rest of my life digging up garbage about you, your family and all your business ties... And I'm sure you all have a few skeletons in the closet somewhere. And I still may do it because you went and pissed me off and I don't play well with others. Consider this a vendetta.
This isn't a threat because you drew first blood.
You don't know me and what I'm capable of. You should be concerned. Yep!
If that post isn't deleted immediately Hell will be coming your way. I promise.
I'm sure I can dig up some sort of dirt about you..
Big mouth mother Fu**er
Get it bigshot?

Roy,

I posted your Florida license public information, you are correct that it included your street address.

I was looking at the licensing years information, not your street address.

I went back and deleted the street address.

Thank you for:
- letting me know that it contained your street address (which I removed)
- for letting us see your real personality (which no one can remove - would be like trying to "un-see" something you saw, or trying to "un-ring" a bell)

Roy Lewis

08-20-2019, 07:30 AM

Roy,

Thank you for:
- for letting us see your real personality (which no one can remove - would be like trying to "un-see" something you saw, or trying to "un-ring" a bell)

You got it...And remember it.
I don't take crap from nobody especially from the likes of you.
I want the entire post removed...
You still left the link to the DBPR.
I addition you haven't been a GC for 25 years.. Now have you ? Only 17..Huh?
You better change it on all your sites.
" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

Licensure Date:
05/08/2002

Jerry Peck

08-20-2019, 08:53 AM

You got it...And remember it.
I don't take crap from nobody especially from the likes of you.

Oh, ALL of us will remember what you are like, you can be assured that you have likely dropped yourself several notches in anyone thinking of what you represent.

I want the entire post removed...
You still left the link to the DBPR.

That's a public link that anyone and everyone researching a Florida licensed person uses to verify a person is, in fact, Florida licensed.

I addition you haven't been a GC for 25 years.. Now have you ? Only 17..Huh?
You better change it on all your sites.
" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

Licensure Date:
05/08/2002

Roy, I suggest that you read what you are quoting:

" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

What does that say to YOU? I know what it says, but apparently YOU do not.

Here, I will even highlight it for YOU:

" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

Being as you are (supposedly anyway as you are a Florida Residential Contractor) knowledgeable in Florida contractor licensing, you ARE (I would hope) aware that there are THREE levels of Division One Contractors in Florida (Division One being the overall contractors, with Division Two being the subcontractor trade licenses) ... you are aware of that, right?

Florida has these three levels of Division One contractors: (in order of importance from unlimited to very restricted)
- Certified GENERAL Contractor - Unlimited (allowed to build/construct anything)
- Certified BUILDING Contractor - (basically restricted any building three stories and less)
- Certified RESIDENTIAL Contractor - Limited to 1 & 2 Family Dwellings, three stories and less

The saying for the difference between a GENERAL and a BUILDING contractor (here in Florida) is that a BUILDING contractor can build a 3 story building across Florida to overlook the ocean on the east end of the building and overlook the Gulf on the west end, but ... is not allowed to put that 4th story utility room on top of it ... the GENERAL contractor can put that 4th story utility room on top of the other 3 stories. :biggrin:

Of course, there is also the fact that the GENERAL contractor is UNLIMITED in what they are allowed to construct, but the above saying as a nice ring to it. :cool:

So, going back to your question about this:
" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

What was it you were asking? Oh, right ... my BUILDING contractor license year:

License Information

License Type:
Certified Building Contractor

Rank:
Cert Building

License Number:
CBC047612

Status:
Current,Inactive

Licensure Date:
07/29/1989

Expires:
08/31/2020

Now, using "old math"
2019
-1989
30 years

After which I figured I might as well get my GC license instead of just a BC license, so I did.

The reason I got my GC license? I was inspecting a lot of new construction, and even though I had my BC license, and my BN (Florida building code inspection license):

License Information

License Type:
Standard Inspector

Rank:
Inspector

License Number:
BN3269

Status:
Current,Active

Licensure Date:
06/22/1998

Expires:
11/30/2019

I was getting resistance from contractors that 'what did I know,*THEY* were a GC and I wasn't' ... my response was 'So ... *I* am a licensed building inspector and *I* am licensed to INSPECT what you CONSTRUCT' (I was so licensed) ... but they continued to argue that they were a GC.

I got tired of them saying that, so I got my GC, and when they said 'what did I know, *THEY* were a GC', I would reply "So am *I* ... however *I* am also licensed to INSPECT what you CONSTRUCT' ... end of discussion with that contractor.

Now, you are an RC (actually, a CRC - Certified Residential Contractor, which is limited to 1 & 2 Family Dwellings, 3 stories or less), and have been for 14 years, correct? Anything I need to correct in that statement?

Roy Lewis

08-20-2019, 09:41 AM

You just love to hear yourself talk..Narcissist !

Jerry Peck

08-20-2019, 10:14 AM

Roy (and others),

Any constructive suggestions on how I should re-word this so it is clear and not misunderstood (as it is by at least some one, maybe some others too):

" Over 25 years as an active state licensed General / Building Contractor (since 1989) "

I have been a Florida licensed Building Contractor since 1989; a Florida licensed General Contractor since 2002; I kept my BC license "active" until about 6 years ago when I took it "inactive" (renewals are in 2-year cycles), with my GC license still "active".

I will likely be taking my GC license "inactive" next year when it is time to renew. "Active" or "inactive" is still considered being licensed as long as one keeps renewing their license. One can take an "inactive" license "active" at any time without having to do much (but I don't plan on taking it "active" again - "active" allows me to pull permits under the license, and I haven't pulled permits or done work under it for many years as I have been inspecting instead of constructing).

Should I reword the above to something like this for easier reading?

"Over 30 years as a state licensed contractor: General Contractor since 2002/Building Contractor since 1989" After this year it will be "over" 30 years.

I try to keep it as short as possible on my website, but longer is okay if need be.

I didn't put in a number of years for being certified to do code inspections as Florida did not have any licensing for a long time, so I (and others) had our SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International) certifications in the different categories, some having only Building, others having more than one (I had Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical -Residential and Electrical-Commercial ... the only one divided into Residential and Commercial at the time was Electrical).

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida started working toward a single statewide building code and toward licensing of code inspectors. Florida began licensing code inspectors around 1995-96 as I recall, and not doing code inspections, I didn't need or get a code inspector's license at first. Then I thought that, instead of just stating that I was "certified" to do code inspections, I would be able to say that I was "licensed" to do code inspections, so I got my code inspection licenses in 1998.

Within a few years after that, being able to state that I was "licensed" to do code inspections pushed aside contractors who were telling others who were "certified" 'you may be certified, but you are not licensed' ... again, to end those discussions with contractors with them not being able to complain that I was not as licensed as they were, I then had more licenses than they had.

And, after I moved and retired from HI in 2006, those code inspection licenses were good to have as it allowed me to work for AHJ and engineering firms doing code inspections.

I have been telling all home inspectors this for about 30 years, here in Florida and anywhere else who listen: get ICC certified (used to be 'get SBCCI certified' for the southeast, now ICC is the starting point for almost every location).

But I digress ... :focus: ...

- - - Updated - - -

You just love to hear yourself talk..Narcissist !

Quite to the contrary, I don't mind explaining things to people who apparently don't understand things and need those things explained to them.

REMEMBER ... YOU ARE THE ONE ... who began questioning what was being said.

I am just trying to explain it in everyday terms so it is easy to understand.

And asking if there is a better way to state it to make it easier to understand.

Jerry Peck

08-20-2019, 04:19 PM

However, I want my ..what I consider personal information delete that you posted..
And I want it deleted today...
That is easy for you to do..So! Why not just do it? Please!
Please Sir!

I already did delete "personal information" (your street address).

What it still shows is:
- your name (which you show here on this board)
- your city (which you show here on this board)
- your state (which you show here on this board)
- then it shows your license number, type, and date

Surely you are not embarrassed about that public information (that's not private information, ask DBPR ... DBPR may remove that information if when became unlicensed (maybe not, as Florida licenses are state information, and they may consider that the public has a right to know when someone does not renew a license).

You are aware, at least I presume that you are or should be, that the DBPR portal has a setting for keeping personal information private.

Ummm ... does that mean YOU decided NOT to keep your personal information private by electing to NOT elect that setting/choice?

Login, find that setting, reset it to what you want - if you have an issue not finding that setting, there is a 'contact us' link in the portal you can use to contact DBPR for help in finding that setting.

Robert Sheppard

08-20-2019, 04:22 PM

I already did.

You are aware, at least I presume that you are or should be, that the DBPR portal has a setting for keeping personal information private.

Ummm ... does that mean YOU decided not to keep your personal information private by electing to not elect that setting/choice?

Login, find that setting, reset it to what you want - if you have an issue not finding that setting, there is a 'contact us' link in the portal you can use to contact DBPR for help in finding that setting.

LOL....

Jerry Peck

08-21-2019, 06:52 PM

Login, find that setting, reset it to what you want - if you have an issue not finding that setting, there is a 'contact us' link in the portal you can use to contact DBPR for help in finding that setting.

Roy,

For courtesy's sake, I went back and made that information look like what I think it would look IF YOU HAD SET your information to "Private" ... but ...

It is UP TO YOU to take care of it on the DBPR portal - have you done that yet?

That was three (3) days ago, so you've had time if you were concerned about that information ... provided you can login - I just checked and it still shows your information - do you need help in logging onto the DBPR portal?

While we may disagree on things ... and while your response was quite off the charts and very unprofessional ... if you need help logging onto the DBPR portal, I may be able to help (although there isn't a lot I can do as it is your account (provided you set an account up) and your login information and password you would have set up (which I have no idea of and don't want to know), but I may be able to offer basic help for the DBPR site if you need it - but the best people to help is to contact DBPR if you have problems logging on.

You can contact DBPR using this form: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/contactus/ (but I wouldn't count on that for urgency).

Or you can call them: Customer Contact Center: 850.487.1395 (from the bottom of the DBPR page).