Finding a professional home inspector doesn't have to be reminiscent of a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game. I think you should interview a home inspector just as you would your pool contractor or your doctor or your employee. It doesn't need to be a multi-deposition process but think about this, only about half of the states in the nation require licensing of home inspectors. Since this is a relatively small cost start up business, there tends to be a lot of "HGTV Cowboys" in un-regulated states. Since I have the soapbox here, I would also add that's not necessarily a bad thing either. Think about it. Ever heard of a quack doctor or fool contractor? There are heavily regulated professions with not only licensing but high dollar insurances and that doesn't keep out 100% of the bad guys now does it. I also think that a poor law would do more harm than no law at all. I really don't want to be lumped in with a bunch of also rans that obtained a "Professional State License" that was easy to pass and easy to maintain. Think also about this. Ever see a "WDO" report? The Wood Destroying Organism inspection reports in Florida all look the same with the same questions. I, on the other hand, have the opportunity to be as creative as I want to be. You can tell by my writing style. I guess I could go on all day but my point is that you really need to be careful whom you choose to perform your home inspection because you will find persons on many different levels of competence, with varying experience, different price ranges and dissimilar tool boxes.
Obvious and basic questions I would ask are

1. What is his/her background and experience? Just because someone has seen every This Old House episode doesn't make him/her a good inspector, but it might help.

2. What certifications do they hold? One trade association offers a certification for $35, be careful. The use of the words like "Certified" and "Master" have been a little used and abused. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is the oldest and most respected association with the highest standards in the inspection industry, nation wide. The Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI) is similar but state based. A Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics and continuing education requirements are also required.

3. What trade associations do they belong to? See #2

4. What kind of tools do they have? A good inspector will have lots-o-tools. A friend of mine looking to enter the field went on a ride along with another more experienced inspector. He had already purchased several tools and was proud to take them with him on this ride along. The more experienced guy unrolled a dish towel with 3 screw drivers. That was the extent of his tools. When a professional inspector documents amperage draw on a motor, air conditioner or furnace, it's a fact. When a professional detects 37.1% moisture content in a wall, it's not a guess. We use all top of the line inspection tools including FLIR high resolution infrared cameras.

5. What type of report format do they use? If you are out of the area and the inspector uses multi-part carbonless forms that can't be emailed or faxed, there may be an issue. If they hand write reports, there may be an issue.

6. When will you receive the report? If your closing is quick, you may not be able to wait a day or two or three. We produce computer generated reports on site with digital and infrared images in the report.

7. How long have they been in business and how many inspections have they performed? Experience is priceless. Just like a seasoned real estate agent who has bought/sold hundreds of houses might be better equipped to handle your sale, an ASHI/FABI member has performed a minimum of 250 inspections per ASHI/FABI Standards.

Do I really need an inspection? Even if you plan on doing some major rehab on a house and don't think you really need the inspection, you just might be right. Where am I going with this? Even the most experienced buyers and investors pay for an inspection. With a professional report in hand and lots of nasty pictures, the smart investor uses it to re-negotiate. Ask me about the "$100,000 club" !

Should a professional inspector offer a written guarantee on the inspection?

Every good and moral professional inspector will stand behind what he or she says and reports, however%u2026it's not really possible to guarantee the entire inspection. The reason being is that conditions change constantly and components age. For instance, here in Florida, we can experience weeks without rain followed by daily rain. When things are dry, the windows and doors may perform well. When things are wet, the doors may swell and stick. Appliances that worked while the inspector was present may blow a valve, a spring, an element. Make sense now? How 'bout the discoveries when furniture and stored items are removed, hmmmmm. Everything will break at some point and until Jesus comes back, we can't see the future. Inspection reports document the condition and operation of things today. The inspection report provides the buyer (or seller) information upon which they can now make an educated decision on whether a house fits their needs and goals. To expect an inspector to warrant all items, visible or not, for an infinite amount of money, for 1 day or 1 year is impractical and impossible. Now this is not to say that there are not guarantees, "Contraire Monfraire." These guarantees are called insurance policies and home warranties. They are specific programs designed to cover the roofs that leak and the appliances that break. If your budget does not allow for repairs or your situation does not allow for down time, these are the vehicle for you.

May I or my representatives attend the inspection?

Some inspectors may wish to be left alone and that's ok. It does make it easier to concentrate. I personally recommend that everybody/anybody attend and accompany my inspections. The inspector is human and can overlook things, so the more eyes the better! If the home inspector and termite inspector are two different people, the client now has two trained people in the attic. I also think that multiple attendees provides an opportunity for me to show off all my tools and skills. This is one-on-one marketing, a 100% target market, real Networking 101! It's also a super prime chance to gain new realtors. So I say bring the whole darned family, throw a party (I prefer Moscato or Chenin Blanc)!

Investors routinely leave money on the table when buying and negotiating real estate deals. Take away the paperwork, the process and the marketing. Let’s talk about the sticks and the bricks. As a professional home and building inspector and a self proclaimed connoisseur of defective stuff, I coach investors every day how to instantly recognize negotiation opportunities that no one else sees, make more money, limit loss and manage risk on every deal they do AND do it consistently!

Anyone can recognize that a house needs a new toilet or new cabinets but almost always miss negotiation opportunities like USTs, grey flex, aluminum wiring, FPE or poly! If you don’t know what these things are, that’s ok but just imagine how much you may be leaving on the table. You don’t need to be an electrician or a plumber or anything else, simply just recognize and use these negotiation opportunities to make thousands more on every real estate deal you do!

Short sales is one of the primary tools used by real estate investors today. Bank mitigators don’t generally roll over and accept your offer because you’re so nice so you must be able to justify your low offer. There are multiple ways of doing this but one simple and easy way is to shed light on defective building products, safety hazards and old construction practices. Many products are also like Kryptonite to insurance companies. The same applies to BPOs (Brokers Price Opinions). These guys are bankers and brokers, not builders. You are the entrepreneur, think like one.

Deals can be made, broken or guided in the direction you want them to. Yep broken. Sometimes you just want out of a deal. Puttin’ sunshine on defective products that pose a safety or liability hazard to you as an investor or landlord may get you (and your money) out of a deal so you can move on to the next. Now that’s a sweet little weasel clause you never thought of isn’t it!
Discovering how to instantly recognize and negotiate with products such as...

Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok electrical panels
Grey flex ductwork
Polybutylene plumbing
Aluminum wiring
Copper plumbing
Zinsco electrical panels
Underground fuel tanks
Knob & tube wiring

can net you or cost you thousands, tens of thousands or even more! Everyone has seen the movie “The Money Pit” where the buyers bought a house with rose colored glasses and it was literally falling down around them! Don’t get burned because you weren’t informed. Attending class after class and reading book after book will obviously take a lot of time, money and effort. Hiring a professional inspector is one means of discovery. There is also a product out there made just for real estate entrepreneurs. It takes the mystery away and provides a consistency in your investing career.

Professional investors systemize and maximize every deal they do. Their businesses are fashioned after a model of a business that works. That’s a huge reason why they are so successful. Most new investors don’t have a model of a successful business rather a model of the work itself. I have been a professional inspector for 10+ years and had the best year in company history in one of the “worst” real estate markets of our lifetime in 2008. In other words, I practice this stuff everyday and it works. You really owe it to yourself and your company to learn simple techniques like negotiating with defective building products. Care to know how? Check out www.buyaware.net.

I often get asked how someone can find a reliable and professional inspector. The answer is pretty simple. Interview them like you would any other professional. How long have they been in business? How many home performance evaluations have they performed? What credentials do they have? What kind of tools do they have? What type of report do they produce and when will you get it? Heck, ask them why you should choose them over anyone else.

Be careful. Please. I've written a simple and easy to read report that outlines what you ask and what you should expect from a professional home inspector and placed it on my web site as a free download. Check it out, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. www.inspectagator.com.

If we all stick together, nobody gets burned!