Thread: Hello from Texas

Hello everyone,

I started Armacost Home Inspections 7 months ago and still trying to work the realtor angle for now. I found this site while looking for new marketing ideas. I do have a website that is getting better seo with link exchanges (| Armacost Home Inspections). Looking forward to learning from this forum. Thank You.

Robert Armacost

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Welcome Robert... Good to have you around...

So how can one break out of a TEXAS Pirson

Best

Ron

The lethal injection capital of the U.S seems to frown on that
sort of thing.

A waste of good needles... rope can be recycled.

I agree, money needs to go to help law abiding, good citizens.
who buy and sell homes that needs inspecting.

Robert,

one advantage you can offer is having "referring agents" coverage on your E&O insurance. This is a good selling point. If there is a claim, the realtor will be covered also.


Larry 903 391 8250

Thanks Larry,
I didn't no there was such a coverage.
Is the extra cost worth it?

I currently have a meeting with BNI (Business Network International) on the 27th, I am curious if anyone who is affiliated,(or was) has any insight
as what to expect from this organization.

It all depends on the group and your commitment to it. I visited a few, but could not justify the time, energy, and money required. I have since joined a more informal group loosely based on the BNI, Le Tip concept and it works for me. I likely have 1 or 2 per month directly linked to the group with another 1 or 2 indirect from the group. Our group only meets twice per month and charges no fees.

re
Thanks Larry,
I didn't no there was such a coverage.
Is the extra cost worth it?

Robert there is no extra cost.

larry 903 391 8250

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

It all depends on the group and your commitment to it. I visited a few, but could not justify the time, energy, and money required. I have since joined a more informal group loosely based on the BNI, Le Tip concept and it works for me. I likely have 1 or 2 per month directly linked to the group with another 1 or 2 indirect from the group. Our group only meets twice per month and charges no fees.

Don't suppose there's a website I can visit, like to see if that group is
in my neck of the woods, Conroe or the Woodlands area.

Our group is a one off of our own design. We do have a web site that several folks have found and visited us at a meeting, so try to do a search like "networking group Conroe" etc.
BNI has a site that you can go to and find groups in your area.
I was invited to my group after meeting several of the group at the Chamber of Commerce. I have met several business associates at the local CoC, so that may be an option just to get out and make some contacts.
Good Luck.

Welcome I hope you learn alot from these guys.. They are a tough bunch...

BTW, that jail picture has to go on the website..

Originally Posted by Richard Flores

Welcome I hope you learn alot from these guys.. They are a tough bunch...

BTW, that jail picture has to go on the website..

Thanks Richard

I believe I will learn a lot from the technical issues as long
as I skip over the personal ones.

Robert, I noticed that you have the ASHI sop referenced on your web site. Are you a member? How about the TREC sop?

Originally Posted by Richard Stanley

Robert, I noticed that you have the ASHI sop referenced on your web site. Are you a member? How about the TREC sop?

Hello Richard,
Thanks for visiting the sight. I am currently an ASHI associate(new there to). I think when prospective clients see the ASHI sop, which are more stringent than TREC they associate a higher standard. Put simply I think more people know about ASHI than TREC.
That of course is just the way I view it. Actually landed an inspection from client searching for an inspector from the ASHI website.

Originally Posted by robertarmacost

I think when prospective clients see the ASHI sop, which are more stringent than TREC they associate a higher standard. Put simply I think more people know about ASHI than TREC. That of course is just the way I view it.

Robert - Many of us are members of various HI organizations. I am also a Certified ASHI member, but first and foremost ... in the State of Texas I'm a TREC licensed inspector.

You are "required" to have your TREC License # on ANY and ALL of your advertising about being an inspector. If you don't you are subject for violation of your TREC license rules/regulations and can incur a fine and/or revocation of your license.

TREC does not care about ASHI or any other organization. Your prime focus is to the grantor of your license and everything else comes in "second fiddle".

Your first focus for the inspection had best be the TREC SOP ... like it or not that is what you have agreed to with your license from TREC. The ASHI SOP (again) is second fiddle.

Your clients had best be concerned that you are licensed and thus carry the appropriate insurance, etc., etc., etc.. Not that many clients even understand all the rules/regulations that we are under in Texas ... or other inspectors in other "licensing states".

I also get many HIs from the link at ASHI National as do most of the ASHI certified inspectors. Don't cut your licensing agency short ... you "could" end up paying for it in a very negative way.

Thanks Nolan,

You will find my TREC # at the bottom of my website and in all my promotional tools I also recieve inspections from the ASHI website. I understand your loyalty to TREC all I am saying is that from a marketing stand point, using ASHI or NACHI sop on your site will be more inviting for someone moving to Texas from say California who may have no knowledge of TREC but has used ASHI or NACHI in the past which is how I got this last inspection.
You will also find on my site Armacost Home Inspections a link to TREC's consumer complaint page.

Sorry Nolan, nothing wrong in the way I conduct my business when it comes to TREC
I am not taking anything away from TREC's sop if anything I've added to it with a higher standard.

Welcome Robert:

You have found the right place here for info and help. Great bunch of guys and gals here that can give you and answer on about anything well I guess I should say everything.
Hope your start up there is Texas goes well for, some are experiencing slow times but hang in there, its a great profession.

Ken McConnell
Quality Home & Building Inspection Consultants

Originally Posted by robertarmacost

I understand your loyalty to TREC

Robert,

It's not my "loyalty" to TREC and I'm not a "member" of TREC. They simply hold the rights to grant me a license as a Professional Inspector. They also control all the rules with the SOP and many other state rules that we have to operate under.

TREC is not a 'club'. They are a licensing agency and a governing body.

... and ... I don't always agree with what they do or say, but I do strive to follow their rules to try and keep out of their cross-hairs so I don't receive any demand letters.

Hey Nolan,

I understand what your saying, I'm currently re-evaluating this. It may not make much since posting one sop and using another. I'm going to do some digging and make changes (or not) depending on my findings.

Originally Posted by robertarmacost

Hey Nolan,

I understand what your saying, I'm currently re-evaluating this. It may not make much since posting one sop and using another. I'm going to do some digging and make changes (or not) depending on my findings.

Why post anything about your SOP? Just say that you inspect to the State requirements.

Folks could care less as to what SOP you are inspecting under. Keep in mind that SOP's are the minimal requirement and bragging that you are doing the minimal is not bragging about very much.

Many of us work under state specific standards, I think 31 states have their own SoP's.

Robert,
Just in case you haven't been in "ashi" very long, Scott is one of the ashi guru officers, or something like that. In any event, he pretty much shoots straight.

Originally Posted by Richard Stanley

Robert,
Just in case you haven't been in "ashi" very long, Scott is one of the ashi guru officers, or something like that. In any event, he pretty much shoots straight.

No, just a common ASHI member.

I have been a committee chair of a few committees over the years but I have not served on any national committee for a few years.

I have placed all of my volunteer service time into the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI) and the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE). After my move to TN, I could not do both and build my business back up in a depressed economy when folks are no longer buying homes.

Thanks for the complement.....

Originally Posted by robertarmacost

Thanks Nolan,

You will find my TREC # at the bottom of my website and in all my promotional tools I also recieve inspections from the ASHI website. I understand your loyalty to TREC all I am saying is that from a marketing stand point, using ASHI or NACHI sop on your site will be more inviting for someone moving to Texas from say California who may have no knowledge of TREC but has used ASHI or NACHI in the past which is how I got this last inspection.
You will also find on my site Armacost Home Inspections a link to TREC's consumer complaint page.

Sorry Nolan, nothing wrong in the way I conduct my business when it comes to TREC
I am not taking anything away from TREC's sop if anything I've added to it with a higher standard.

In countless inspections in three states )thousands) I could probably count the clients or callers for inspections on one hand that asked me what home inspector association I belonged to or even asked about associations at all. Or my license or license number.

As far as adding a higher standard to the TX SOPs ????? Not sure what you mean other than furthering you education. SOPs pretty much cover everything you are going to inspect anyway. All this talk of exceeding SOPs does not go anywhere. You can only look at so much in a home during a home inspection. If you look at a roof you are looking at a roof. If you are checking for foundation concerns you are checking for foundation concerns.

Some get way to hung up on SOPs and affiliations it starts to actually mean something more to them that it actually amounts to.

An inspection is an inspection. Either you are inspecting the home and its systems or you are not. Going beyond SOPs ???? What are you doing...buying your clients lunch Don't take anything I say personally. I am pretty much just a pain in the backside and like to express my opinion. My opinion is that associations are good for one thing. Interaction with fellow inspectors, maybe some less expensive CEUs and maybe a referral from time to time.

You may have gotten your last inspection from your affiliation and I know many that say they get inspections from there association affiliations.