Jerry McCarthy Passes

[Brian Hannigan]

I am sad to have to share this tragic news that a long time friend of mine Jerry McCarthy has passed away.

I have known Jerry for almost 20 years and he was a great contributor to InspectionNews and to the profession. I know many of you have benefited from his wisdom on this board.

This is the email I just received.

With a very heavy heart we are announcing the passing of Jerry McCarthy this morning after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Jerry was a giant in the inspecting profession and his wisdom and willingness to teach and share his knowledge will be missed by all.

His wife Beverly asked that no flowers be sent. If you wish, you may make a donation in his name to the American Cancer Society
or any hospice organization.

Jerry's remains will be cremated followed by a private memorial.

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[Dan Harris]

I am sad to have to share this tragic news that a long time friend of mine Jerry McCarthy has passed away.

I have known Jerry for almost 20 years and he was a great contributor to InspectionNews and to the profession. I know many of you have benefited from his wisdom on this board.

This is the email I just received.

With a very heavy heart we are announcing the passing of Jerry McCarthy this morning after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Jerry was a giant in the inspecting profession and his wisdom and willingness to teach and share his knowledge will be missed by all.

His wife Beverly asked that no flowers be sent. If you wish, you may make a donation in his name to the American Cancer Society
or any hospice organization.

Jerry's remains will be cremated followed by a private memorial.

Oh my gosh. Rest in peace Jerry I sure learned a lot from your posts.

[Rick Cantrell]

He will be missed.

[Raymond Wand]

Although I only knew Jerry as a poster, he was always the consummate gentleman.

Sorry to hear of his passing, my condolences to his friends and family.

[Jerry Peck]

Jerry Mc, i.e. West Coast Jerry to many of us, will truly be missed by all who knew him and all who have heard of him in this inspection business.

I only met Jerry one time while on a trip in California when I stopped in San Francisco and had lunch with Jerry and Gunnar. I will have that memory forever.

My condolences to his family.

[CHARLIE VAN FLEET]

WEST COAST JERRY

you were a great contributor here--RIP AND GOD BLESS YOUR FAMILY

CVF

[Steven Turetsky]

Rest in Peace, Jerry.

You are missed already.

[Benjamin Thompson]

I only met Jerry one time while on a trip in California when I stopped in San Francisco and had lunch with Jerry and Gunnar. I will have that memory forever.

My condolences to his family.

Wow! The 2 Jerries and Gunnar. I would have liked to be a fly on that wall, especially when it came time to split the check.
If you can read this, We will all miss you Jerry.

[Matt Fellman]

Wow..... so sorry to hear of this news. As many others I only know of Jerry as a poster on the board but could feel his kind hearted way and obvious knowledge reach out past simple words typed on an internet forum.

I can only hope during the course of my career to gather a small fraction of the knowlege Jerry holds and be so respected by those around him.

God Bless Jerry and his family.

[James McKinley]

Got the news earlier today from CREIA. May he rest in peace. Jerry your contributions to this industry will not be forgotten. You have encouraged young inspectors like me to learn more and be better.

[John Dirks Jr]

R.I.P Jerry. Your contributions were a gift to us all.

My prayers go out to Jerry, family and friends.

[Jim Robinson]

Sorry to hear that news. He was a true professional.

[Eric Barker]

Thanks for posting that Brian. This is sad information indeed.

[Scott Patterson]

Thank you for posting this. With the passing of Jerry we are now less one of the great minds in the inspection profession.

My prayers and thoughts are with his family.

Brian, I wish we could have a memorial section on IN that we could list all of our inspector friends who are no longer with us. This has been a tough year I can think of 3 who are no longer with us, just this year alone.

[John Kogel]

RIP, West Coast Jerry.
Your contributions live on here in the archives.

[Gregory Booth]

..........R.I.P., Jerry. A great mind and always a gentleman.......Greg

[Hank Spinnler]

Who raised the bar as high as anyone in the inspection industry?

Answer: Jerry McCarthy

Everyone should re-read his article in "Working RE" magazine this past May.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Brian,

Thank you for posting this. As JP already stated, We all met at John's Grill in San Francisco a few years ago. Afterward, I kept in touch with Jerry Mc and he eventually moved-up to my area. We would get together for coffee or lunch periodically, until he became too ill. I visited him a few times at home, the last was a couple of weeks ago. We would discuss the state of home inspections, realtors, dealing with problems and just family in general. While I learned from Jerry Mc, I also gained a friend. As with many of us, I am richer for the experience.

Yes, as Hank said, Jerry did a lot to raise the home inspection bar. But one thing that many people don't know is that he was married for 61 years to his best friend. He told me repeatedly that he considered himself to be a very lucky man. My heart goes out to Beverly.

[Nick Ostrowski]

Rest in peace Jerry.

[Rick Vernon]

Goodbye West Coast Jerry, RIP.
Your wit and wisdom will be missed.
Condolances to your best friend Beverly.

[Vern Heiler]

Enjoy the truly perfect home, you deserve it. Thanks for the wisdom you left for us to try to emulate. We will all miss you.

[Aaron Miller]

When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the paths of men.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) U.S. poet.

Godspeed.

[Jack Feldmann]

So sad to hear the news. I exchanged e-mails with Jerry for years, but never had the pleasure of meeting face to face. A true professional!

[wayne soper]

I will miss you Jerry!

[Raymond Wand]

Was looking for something else in my files and found this and it was written by Jerry.

Taken from the Spring/Summer 2001 Communicator.

Home Inspectors
Competence Equals Confidence
By Jerry McCarthy

Someone once said: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Well I say that the perception of your competence is in the eyes and ears of your clients. To them, your confidence equals your competence and without it, the show is over before it starts.

The homebuyer's initial perception of their home inspector usually sets the tone for the ensuing performance. Studies have shown that when evaluating someone put in a position of trust, it takes less than two minutes for people to reach an opinion. It follows that your client's perception of your knowledge, honesty and ability is tantamount to success or failure in our industry.

These questions run through the minds of most homebuyers when first meeting their inspector: "Can we trust this person?" "Does he/she know what they are talking about?" "Will they be thorough?" Never lose sight of the fact that most homebuyers are sinking their life savings into their purchase. You're there to help them make that decision.

Perception can occur almost instantaneously in that personal judgments are often based on the condition of the inspector's vehicle, their personal appearance, how they're dressed, the assortment of tools they carry, their attitude and most importantly, their communication skills. It doesn't matter how experienced or knowledgeable you may be in construction technology or building codes because without excellent communication skills you're in the wrong profession.

Are you on time for you appointment? I was taught early on that if you don't arrive at least 10 minutes early, you are late. I have found this to be generally true for many old timers who tell me they are always early to their inspections. This allows them time to check the lay of the land, get set up, alert the property owners (to contain their pets) and perhaps even complete a roof and chimney inspection before the arrival of their clients.

It's important that you put the homeowner at ease and always treat them with respect, even if they have the manners of goats. If they question you about any of your findings, assure them that their agent will share a copy of your report with them and that if they have any questions they may call you. Believe me, if the deal goes south and you're placed among the ranks of the "deal killers," they'll call you.

How many times have you heard the expression, "Please pardon my messy house?" We don't care about the mess but we do need to get into the napping baby's room and the owner's friendly pit bull does need to be properly secured.

Trust does not come easily and is very fragile in nature. Telling jokes, complaining about local traffic, sharing your political views, becoming overly familiar and certainly announcing that you just came from the "house from hell" are not wise choices. Credibility must be carefully nurtured and is fragile at best. If you don't know the answer to a question admit it but counter with, "I will find out and let you know." Then follow through! Pay absolute attention to your client's questions and concerns. Keep focused on the job at hand. If your clients don't follow you every step of the way and elect to start smelling the roses while you're explaining several defects in the electrical service panel, be patient.

If the seller decides to join your little group and keeps chattering about what a great house he/she is selling, stop and explain to them that you prefer to be alone with your clients because you need their complete attention. I say, "I can't focus on performing a really thorough inspection with distractions and you certainly wouldn't want me to miss anything, would you?" This generally does the trick and if not, I go to plan B. "This inspection is a contractual arrangement between me and my clients and the sharing of information is privileged." Or, in other words, get lost!

When I find my clients are somewhat inattentive, I tell them, "Look, I'll proceed with my inspection but every now and then we need to have a short private meeting so I can bring you up to speed on what I have found." At the end of each meeting I say, "What I just told you will be in my written report, so when you read it you'll be familiar with it."

I always encourage my clients to ask questions and try to make them feel part of the inspection process. I always ask if they have any young children, not to be nosey, but to see if I have to emphasize hazards that particularly apply to small children.

Of course no inspection goes on very long before the question arises, "How much will that cost to fix or replace?" The best answer is, "I don't know." Anyone who quotes prices, even just a "ballpark," is asking for real trouble. If you tell them a new roof should cost about $5,000, you might get the follow up call saying the roof is going to cost double that figure and when are you sending your check for the balance?

Remember, the only valid estimate comes in written form and is called a "bid," which is submitted by a qualified person who is going to perform the work.
(Qualified in inspection industry lingo means state licensed.)

At the conclusion of your inspection a short summary is called for. This should always be arranged off site, such as across the street or near your truck, if the property owners are present. This conference should only include your clients and their legal representative, the agent. If it's a dual agent, so be it.

The very last thing you want to do is share your findings in front of the homeowners who have long labored under the illusion that their home is perfect. When I first got into this profession I had an older agent who invariably would announce, "Jerry, when you're finished I want you to come into the living room and tell everybody what's wrong with this house." Ya Dorothy, right!

The very last impression you want to leave your client with is that you're more than willing to explain anything they don't understand in your written report or anything that you may have failed to address. Getting a call from a client after the close of escrow sure beats getting one from their attorney.

Don't accept refreshments and don't sit down; you're not exactly a welcome guest. Keep everything on a totally professional level because that is what you should be perceived to be, a professional to all parties involved in the transfer of property. They are not your friends nor do they want to be. You are a facilitator of information; much of it may be negative. Maintain a professional attitude at all times. Never become unnerved and blow a positive perception it took you over two hours to establish.

A final word about perception that has become very true in our current society, "perception does becomes reality."

This story is reprinted from the March/April 2001 issue of The Inspector, published by the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA). For information, call: (800) 848-7342.

Jerry McCarthy has 50 years of experience in the construction industry including property inspection, consultation, arbitration and legal expert witness testimony. He can be reached at jdmconsultant@earthlink.net.

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[brian schmitt]

bummer Enjoyed all his contributions, teachings and challenges. He will be missed.

[Rick Hartmann]

I wonder if Jerry is done telling God what is wrong with the pearly gates yet?

RIP Jerry

[Stephen G]

It's a sad time for his family and our industry...my respects to his family.

It's okay Jerry, we will take it from here....

[Chris Weekly]

I too will miss the wisdom and wit of Jerry McCarthy. I am so sorry to learn of his passing. He was a giant in the inspection industry and was a teacher to many of us.
I had the pleasure to meet him and learn from him while attending a number of inspection conferences here on the west coast. He had a no nonsense approach, but a wonderful underlying wit.....and he knew his stuff. You are missed Jerry, and my condolences to your family.
Chris Weekly