re; number of H.I. that bit the dust

[daniel nantell]

Wondering how many New Home Inspectors have bit the dust this year, the pie in the sky about 3 home inspections per day at $300 , that we received in our training , just some how has not materialized, I hope the Instructors have modified it to 2 inspection per day equals $600 eazy money.

[Jim Luttrall]

Wondering how many New Home Inspectors have bit the dust this year, the pie in the sky about 3 home inspections per day at $300 , that we received in our training , just some how has not materialized, I hope the Instructors have modified it to 2 inspection per day equals $600 eazy money.

If it was easy to make that kind of money, then why are the qualified, professional, inspectors teaching instead of inspecting?
It is too bad that more schools that advertise crap don't get sued out of business.

[Ted Menelly]

I have been to a couple different home inspector courses over time. Had to do an accepted school when I came to Texas. Yes it is all blown all to hell about the riches to be made. The school is telling everyone about that 2 a day at 400 per and everyone is sitting there wide eyed. A Couple of the schools I spoke up and voiced my opinion about the facts (no, not me) Of course they were trying to defend it and even had some real wide eyes even defending them and stating the "known facts" and they had their business plan all in place for their success.

I have potential new inspectors call me all the time. I also have new inspectors out of school calling me asking if I was hiring. They tell me of the schools and the glory speeches and then are asking me what it was really like. I say "Don't ask me unless you really want to know"

Yes I love my job but I know exactly where you are coming from.

I do no quite understand where you are coming from with this statement.

"I hope the Instructors have modified it to 2 inspection per day equals $600 eazy money." It almost sounds like you are doing 2 a day and are making 600 a day, or is that just sarcasm????

None of the money is easy money.

[Nick Ostrowski]

And of that $600, how much of that goes to taxes, insurance, operating expenses, etc? You can almost cut that figure in half.

[Scott Patterson]

A good figure is about 90% of those who enter into the home inspection profession will not be around to see their second year. Then about 50% of those that made it will not be around for their third year.

So if we started in year 1 with 100 home inspectors in year three we will be down to around 5 that are still in business. Out of those 5, I would say that we might have 3 that will make it to their fifth year. After five years you have pretty much made it.

[Deleted Account]

Out of those 5, I would say that we might have 3 that will make it to their fifth year. After five years you have pretty much made it.



That is one way of looking at it, but the reality is that after five years most all of us become unfit to work for anyone else, unfortunately, was pretty much the case for me on day one. :)

[Rick Hurst]

You can't take those comments from the real estate schools litterally.

I was told to expect 2 HI's per day at 300. per inspection too. Ever since then it has been 4-5 a day.

Having to have an armored truck come by to pick up all the money. :D

Seriously as Scott said, most will not make it. Everyone wants to be their own boss, but don't listen to what he says.

rick

[Matt Fellman]

A good figure is about 90% of those who enter into the home inspection profession will not be around to see their second year. Then about 50% of those that made it will not be around for their third year.

So if we started in year 1 with 100 home inspectors in year three we will be down to around 5 that are still in business. Out of those 5, I would say that we might have 3 that will make it to their fifth year. After five years you have pretty much made it.


I like these statistics.... however, I think things got messed up over the last 5 years during the boom. Around here pretty much any yahoo with a truck and a dog could get 3 inspections a day for a couple years. I think when the dust settles and this whole housing crisis is over the statistics will track as Scott says... just with some funny ups and downs along the way.

[daniel nantell]

The home Inspection Courses need to have a couple of hours on physcology , you run into all kinds of people, like the lady ask me to flood the window wells the other day to see if the drains were working, I told her I didnt think the home owner would appreciate that, especially if it leaked into the basement, by the way she was not a blonde, just a attorneys wife????????zzzzzzzzzzz

[Ted Menelly]

The home Inspection Courses need to have a couple of hours on physcology , you run into all kinds of people, like the lady ask me to flood the window wells the other day to see if the drains were working, I told her I didnt think the home owner would appreciate that, especially if it leaked into the basement, by the way she was not a blonde, just a attorneys wife????????zzzzzzzzzzz


You have to watch out for the attorney's wife. They actually think they are smarter lawyers than their husbands and will probably tell you so.

[Kevin Luce]

Wondering how many New Home Inspectors have bit the dust this year, the pie in the sky about 3 home inspections per day at $300 , that we received in our training , just some how has not materialized, I hope the Instructors have modified it to 2 inspection per day equals $600 eazy money.

I know a few older home inspectors (5+ years) that have closed up shop or doing a few home inspections per month while working in some other trade.

I have talked to a few new home inspectors (at our monthly meetings) that have not opened up shop yet. They have a full time job and plan on doing home inspections on the side. At least until he gets one law suite and they will be gone.

When it comes to them advertising about how much money a home inspector can make, it sounds like more of the norm. This reminds me of when we bought the Toyota Prius. They informed us at the time that the car can get 60 MPH. Can more than a small fraction of people get 60 MPH? I don't think so. How many years did we have to deal with this mis-representation.

This also makes me think of the credit card commercial where they swipe a credit card and move on. How many times can we just swipe and go like in the commercial.

Just like waiting for the doctor hours after the appointment you set up, you may not like it but that's the way it is for now.

[imported_John Smith]

I dont think my body would hold out for 2 a day (especially in the summer). 1 a day usually whips me pretty good.

[Ted Menelly]

I dont think my body would hold out for 2 a day (especially in the summer). 1 a day usually whips me pretty good.


Yeah, I have to admit. If I do two a day for the week I am fairly whooped myself. I love it when I hear that we home inspectors can make our own hours. That is pretty funny. Oh, and the part about 2 a day and be home late afternoon and you are done for the day.

I'll take 2 a day when ever possible. You may not have them later.

[Joseph P. Hagarty]

If it was easy to make that kind of money, then why are the qualified, professional, inspectors teaching instead of inspecting?
It is too bad that more schools that advertise crap don't get sued out of business.

Because those that can not do the job....... Teach.

[Jack Feldmann]

Ever since I started in 1989 I have set up to do 2/day. There were many times I have done 3 and once in a blue moon 4/day. The higher numbers per day usually were small condos and close together, and also meant I was working well past my normal end of business. Obviously, I didn't always have the business coming in to do 2 or more per day.

Since moving to Knoxville in 94 I schedule jobs at 9am and 1:30pm and I'm usually done by 5pm. When I have a larger house, I may push the afternoon job back a little, or just do the one for the day.

This works for me, and it must be a pretty good system, because I have very few problem calls. In fact I don't get a lot of question calls about the report. When I make my follow-up calls to the clients, the most common thing I hear is "NO, I didn't have any questions, the report was very clear - Thanks again for the great job".

We all need to do what is comfortable for us, be it one/day, or 2, 3 4, 5/day. IF all of my jobs were in the condos that are near the University, I could probably do 4 - 5/day very easy. If the houses I inspect were all over 6,000 SF, then it would be very difficult to do 2/day.

Mileage DOES vary.

[Kevin Luce]

Reminds me when we bought the Toyota Prius for my wife. They advertised that it got 60 MPH. She averages 45 to 50 MPH.

What these classes are doing is nothing unusual from what we see a lot in advertising.

Do they use the word "potential" in with the sentence? Then they would not be deceiving.

[John Arnold]

...They advertised that it got 60 MPH. She averages 45 to 50 MPH...

You mean MPG, I know. A friend of ours was also disappointed with his Prius gas mileage.

[Kevin Luce]

You mean MPG, I know.

Oops.

I have a F150 that gets around 14 MPG. Can you imagine them being off by at least 10 MPG.

The most I could average in her car is 55 MPG but I pissed a lot of people off by the way I had to drive.