Business Dos & Don’ts In an online chat room recently, a struggling new inspector asked advice from the seasoned pros: “What are the three best and worst things you did to get your business started?” Here’s how a few answered. Best Went to ASHI/CREIA chapter meetings. It’s a great way to meet other inspectors and…
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Diagnosing Structural Problems Serious structural problems in houses are not very common but when they occur they are never cheap to fix. Some can’t be fixed at all. This report won’t turn you into an expert but it does provide some of the common indicators. Uneven Floors Uneven floors are typical, particularly in older homes....…
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Risk Management Loss Prevention Checklist The following steps have proven effective at avoiding complaints and lowering the liability of home inspectors. Two points emerge: First, according to risk management experts, loss prevention is as much about communication as it is about understanding the systems of a building. They stress that expert knowledge is vital but…
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10 Step Business Tune Up By Doug Smith, IFAS Use this ten step program to reach your business and personal potential. It isn’t about finding new clients as much as is about fine-tuning your current business to maximize your potential and be all you can be. Do a reverse business plan. Knowing what you know...…
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Expert Witness Testimony: Advice from the Bench State court Judge Caroline Baker has heard just about every type of civil case from contract disputes to medical malpractice. What impresses her most about the multitudes of expert witnesses that pass through her courtroom? Experts who make themselves available to testify at trial. The judge says live…
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Risk Management Strategies for Avoiding Complaints By Alan Carson Good home inspectors don’t get complaints. We thought we might catch your attention with that opening sentence! Actually, we believe that all home inspectors get complaints eventually. Why? There are several reasons but part of the answer may lie in our definition of a home inspection,...…
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Editor’s Note: Even in these go-go times it pays to keep on eye on the bottom line. Noted author and long-time appraiser Lloyd Manning takes it down a notch to revisit some business basics. Spring Cleaning: A Business Refresher Lloyd R. Manning To run a successful appraisal or home inspection practice you must do several...…
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Starting the New Year Fresh By David Roche, CRI Winter is here and with it the prospect of having more time on your hands as your inspection business slows down. It is a time of the year when you start thinking about watching TV, renting videos, eating big dinners and going to bed early with...…
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Meet a Mold Inspector Even in one of the driest spots on earth—the Las Vegas desert, there is plenty of work for mold inspector Vladimir Primaky. “It may be dry outside but inside there are plenty of opportunities for moisture intrusion that can cause mold to grow, such as roof leaks, leaky pipes, improperly adjusted...…
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Phone Etiquette: Are You Irritating Your Clients? By Mark Fitzgerald Does this sound familiar? It happened to me at least four times this week: people who are very well intentioned managed to irritate the heck out of me. I know they didn’t mean to…but they did. There are occasions when you will leave your phone…
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