Home Inspectors: Inspecting Your E&O Insurance by David Brauner, Senior Broker, OREP Here’s a riddle that more and more inspectors are solving easily: how do you obtain errors and omissions insurance (E&O) and General Liability Insurance from an “A” Rated, Admitted carrier including an Additional Insured Endorsement for Agents and other Referring Parties, Termite and…
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Inspectors: Golden Rules for Avoiding Liability By David Brauner, Editor Seasoned home inspectors say the golden rules for avoiding liability are simple- write what you see, say what you write and don’t sugarcoat anything! More specifically, report what you see and also what you don’t see- and why you couldn’t see it. They also suggest…
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Inspecting Wet Basements by Alan Carson, Carson-Dunlop The problem is all-too-familiar to many homeowners. It is said that more than 98 percent of all houses have had or will have basement leakage at some point. Identifying the Problem The presence of efflorescence, a whitish mineral deposit on the interior of foundation walls, indicates moisture penetration....…
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Home Inspectors: Key to Limiting Liability By Ross Herlands, ESQ Probably the single most important thing a home inspector can do to protect him or herself in the event of a lawsuit is to obtain a signed pre-inspection agreement prior to the inspection. Furthermore, one of the key provisions in such a contract is a…
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Editor’s Note: The following is a (brief) excerpt from the story Successful Report Writing by expert Alan Carson. (Find answers to these questions and others: What are you trying to accomplish with the report?; What do clients want?; Format: electronic or paper?; Should you purchase vs. create your reports?; How to build a knowledge base?;…
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Whether you are installing a new roof material or simply evaluating a roof’s current condition, paying close attention to attic ventilation is critical for several reasons.
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Growing Web Business: Converting Visitors to Customers by Nick Gromicko A home inspector’s website should have only one goal; to convert visitors to customers. Here’s how it’s done. A home inspector’s website is not a newspaper, television, magazine or building. Unlike most websites it should not serve multiple purposes. Don’t give your visitor any freedom to find anything but...…
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The presence of mold is a contentious issue for building owners, builders, insurance companies, real estate agents and others. Mold addendums to sales contracts are now offered by many real estate boards for use by their members in sales transactions. As a professional appraiser or inspector you need to understand mold and all its…
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Speaking Like a Pro By Mike Casey Professional phrases for common situations: Newbie: “This is stupid,” or “Geez, will you look at this!” Pro: “For increased safety, we recommend…” Or “For optimum performance we recommend…” Newbie: Instead of the “Code Word” say: Pro: “Not serviceable, nonstandard, substandard, unconventional, inadequate, temporary.” Newbie: “It’s old.” Pro: “The…
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The home inspection business is different than any other business because you typically don’t meet your client until after he/she hires you. This means that growing your business is almost all marketing and very little sales. A key part of successful marketing is your home inspection brochure. Since your client won’t get to meet you…
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