Gene Walshaw
HITA Certified Master Home Inspector
TN State License #101
FROM MANSIONS ………………… TO LOG HOMES
WE ARE YOUR HOME INSPECTION EXPERTS!
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Gene Walshaw HITA Certified Master Home Inspector TN State License #101 |
FROM MANSIONS ………………… TO LOG HOMES WE ARE YOUR HOME INSPECTION EXPERTS! |
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We are proudly accepted as a professional member of the.......
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WHAT MAKES A GOOD HOME INSPECTOR?
How do you choose a good home inspector? You have
thousands of dollars invested in your home that will ride on the quality of your
home inspection. The following suggestions are a must
do during your search:
DO ask for the inspector’s Tennessee Home Inspector
license number!
This is very important protection! After July 1, 2006 all home inspectors in Tennessee must have a current license issued by the Tennessee Home Inspector Licensing Program. NO EXCEPTIONS! State regulations require every inspector to carry a wallet sized card from the State of Tennessee showing proof of licensure. A few home inspectors in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area are still operating without a license! Some Real Estate Agents may not have checked the inspectors they recommend for current proof of their license. You can search for licensed home inspectors at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website www.tennessee.gov/commerce/boards/hic/index.html and click on “Lookup a License” in the upper left corner of the website.
DO ask your prospective home inspector the following
questions about his
qualifications. A capable home inspection company will not be offended:
1) What is your background in the residential construction
industry?
At least 5 years building or remodeling homes as a General
Contractor, Project
Manager, or licensed Remodeling Contractor is a good minimum.
On-the-job
experience is the best initial training a home inspector can
have for his occupation.
2) Have you passed the “National Home Inspector
Examination”?
This is a national examination required in Tennessee
for Home Inspectors
starting their business after July 1, 2003. It is also required by most
legitimate Professional Home Inspector Associations.
Your inspector should be proud to show you a copy of his examination certificate.
3) Are you a certified member
of a strict Professional Association?
This is important because many Professional Home Inspection
Associations
require the home inspector to pass the National Home Inspector’s
Examination, adhere to a written Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
and requires 16 or more hours of continuing education per year from
all its members. In Tennessee the top Associations making these requirements
are: Home Inspectors of Tennessee Association (HITA), American Society
of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and National Association of Home Inspectors
(NAHI). Being accepted as a professional Member of the Better Business
Bureau gives you assurance the inspection company will settle complaints
amicably and you can also
check its past business history.
4) How many home inspections have you done in your career?
Performing at least several hundred home inspections gives an
inspector the
experience needed in catching the
important details that a novice inspector can
miss. Inspection experience is also is a tremendous advantage
in writing clear,
easily understood reports.
DO ask, “What kind of inspection report do you provide”?
An inspection report is your permanent record of what the home inspector finds
during the inspection. It should have Detailed Sections for all the major
systems and
components in your home as well as a Summary of the important issues discovered
during the inspection. Providing a nationally recognized report form with photos
of
actual defects found are a bonus. Most importantly the report should include a
list of
the inspection company’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (i.e. Protocol
and Procedures). A Code of Ethics provides you with confidence that your home
inspector’s loyalty is to you. Written Protocols
and Procedures guarantees you in
writing which items your home inspection will and will not inspected.
DO YOU HAVE REFERRALS OR WRITTEN TESTIMONIALS?
A written list of at least four or five names of clients the company performed
inspections for within the last two years are usually sufficient. If the
inspector seems aggravated by this request, beware. A good
home inspector is proud of his work.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK! ASK QUESTIONS! A GOOD HOME INSPECTOR WILL APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN!
