Thread: Congrats Again to All Texas Home Inspectors

TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission) newletter came out and not (1) complaint or disciplinary action taken against any of the Home Inspectors.

Looks like everyone is doing a great job. Congrats!

Can't say that for the other bunch they manage though.

Rick H.

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Originally Posted by Rick Hurst

TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission) newletter came out and not (1) complaint or disciplinary action taken against any of the Home Inspectors.

Looks like everyone is doing a great job. Congrats!

Or ... ... no one is working much ...

Jerry, are you talking about the Texas Real Estate Commission or the home inspectors.

Isn't this the year that the E&O requirement was to be repealed? Strange - I haven't heard anything about it? Anyone know???

Complaints, complaints, complaints. That is all I ever hear all over the country about home inspectors. How God awful they are and how often they have complaints about them and the law suits happening everyday.

I guess if that is happening (cause I never see it around here) it must be happening in the other 49 states.

I think this whole "you must protect yourself" "you must have E&O" "You are going to get sued" is way out of hand.

Anyway, ditto what Rick said. At least Texas has it in pretty good control.

AS far as not working much there are still a serious amount of home inspections done daily throughout the State times a few hundred days a year makes it a serious plus on the record for Texas home inspectors.

Now the realtors are still being bad boys and girls.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Complaints, complaints, complaints. That is all I ever hear all over the country about home inspectors. How God awful they are and how often they have complaints about them and the law suits happening everyday.

I guess if that is happening (cause I never see it around here) it must be happening in the other 49 states.

I think this whole "you must protect yourself" "you must have E&O" "You are going to get sued" is way out of hand.

Anyway, ditto what Rick said. At least Texas has it in pretty good control.

AS far as not working much there are still a serious amount of home inspections done daily throughout the State times a few hundred days a year makes it a serious plus on the record for Texas home inspectors.

Now the realtors are still being bad boys and girls.

Nah, they are apparently still screwing up! Monday, I'm driving 200 miles to look at a home and attempt to defend what a home inspector apparently did not find during an inspection.

Don't forget that those state reports usually reflect what happened 120+ days/years ago. Investigations take a long, long time.

Obviously, Rick, you have no idea how TREC conducts an investigation when they recieve a complaint about an HI. Their "investigator" calls the HI first, takes a statement over the phone and then calls the complaining person and takes another statement. He draws his conclusion from two phone calls and sends in his report. There is no second inspection, photos, etc. Just one guy's opinion based on two conversations - like armchair quarterbacking. We're going through one right now and the investigator can't pour piss out of a boot even with the instructions printed on the sole. Bad thing is - that there's no E&O insurance.

You are correct. I've never had a complaint.

I've never sit through an investigation. What was your complaint about?

My comment was based on the TREC newsletter, where evidently any investigations they might have done did not warranty any penalties.

rick

Rick,
If it was something minor, there would be no complaint but the joists under the living room are wet rotted. Some have sheared and were supported by two CMU and a couple of 2x4 blocks. When the previous owner upgraded the electric all of the NM was left lying on the ground. None of the beam posts were secured to the beams. Someone used a 25' run of 8" duct for a 12' run and left the excess to form a pee trap. The best one was a flex HVAC duct supported to a gas pipe by using duct tape. The gas pipe itself was supported by telephone wire. The joists on the back deck (connected to the house) are set at 36" on center. Everything is a little complicated since the grade is 8" above the concrete stem wall which means all of the joists are in contact with the ground, and that's for openers.

Robert,

I apologize, but I first thought you were a HI.

Now I realize your a homeowner that had these issues with the HI that inspected your home.

My question to you now is on his report did he state that he actually entered the crawlspace area at all?

Was it obstructed or possibly not accessible to him? If he said he entered the crawlspace, you most definately have reason to be upset. I noticed on some of the pictures, 2002 or 03? Is this correct?

Let me know more,

Rick

Rick,
This home is not mine but I inspected years ago as a consulting engineer and became involved in this one through a veteran's advocacy group in Dallas. The HI did, in fact, enter the crawlspace and even gave his opinion as to "the foundation doing what it was designed for." He mentioned only that one piece of duct was missing insulation but nothing else. There was no debris to prevent visual inspection. The time stamp on camera is out of whack when the photos were taken.

The biggest problem is that the HI carried no liability insurance at the time of inspection in August 08, so the most the new owner can collect is from the recovery fund. Right now we have about $32K in repairs and that doesn't include the termite problems the pest inspector (his buddy) missed.

I'll keep you informed when I or the owner hears anything.

Originally Posted by Robert Olson

Rick,
This home is not mine but I inspected years ago as a consulting engineer and became involved in this one through a veteran's advocacy group in Dallas. The HI did, in fact, enter the crawlspace and even gave his opinion as to "the foundation doing what it was designed for." He mentioned only that one piece of duct was missing insulation but nothing else. There was no debris to prevent visual inspection. The time stamp on camera is out of whack when the photos were taken.

The biggest problem is that the HI carried no liability insurance at the time of inspection in August 08, so the most the new owner can collect is from the recovery fund. Right now we have about $32K in repairs and that doesn't include the termite problems the pest inspector (his buddy) missed.

I'll keep you informed when I or the owner hears anything.

Robert: This is just another prime example of the "roboinspectors" that TREC pumps through its pay for play system. While it may certainly be true that the inspector in question was uninsured, his lack of insurance was not the problem. His lack of skill is the culprit. The same lack of a working knowledge of the profession that is allowed to receive a license from the State of Texas.

So then, it is not the insurance that is the culprit. The insurance is a magnet for lawsuits for competent inspectors. The only real insurance needed to safeguard Texas home buyers is raising the bar at the entry level of the profession - and beyond.

Originally Posted by Robert Olson

The time stamp on camera is out of whack when the photos were taken.

That may be, but when you date and time stamp a photo incorrectly, it is worse than not having that photo as that date and time stamp state it was taken at a different date and time than it was, something which you cannot defend against.

I did not date and time stamp photos for that reason.

and that doesn't include the termite problems the pest inspector (his buddy) missed.

Just one more example of how ones "buddies" can really screw your life up. Make all business relationships business. It may be with "your buddy", but make it a business relationship for business.