ASHI Reporter by ASHI

8.15

ASHI

REPORTER

Mem Renew bership al Info on pa rmation ge 32

Inspection News & Views from the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc.

Discover San Diego â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Enjoy it all!

Air-Transported Moisture: A Stealthy Enemy

Mold: Another 800-Pound Gorilla

Marketing With Discounts and Coupons: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly WATER QUALITY TESTING

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Tri-State ASHI Grows Membership Through Education

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Dangerous drug residue left behind from illegal Meth Labs

7 Discover San Diego — Enjoy it all!

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

You Must Ask for a Home Inspection A home inspection will only occur if you arrange for one. FHA does not perform a home inspection. Decide early. You may be able to make your contract contingent on the results of the inspection.

August 2015

Appraisals are Different from Home Inspections An appraisal is different from a home inspection and does not replace a home inspection. Appraisals estimate the value of the property for lenders. An appraisal is required to ensure the property is marketable. Home inspections evaluate the condition of the home for buyers.

Vol. 32, #8

FHA Does Not Guarantee the Value or Condition of your Potential New Home If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, and FHA cannot buy the home back from you. Ask a qualified home inspector to inspect your potential new home and give you the information you need to make a wise decision.

Radon Gas Testing and other safety/health issues

It is your responsibility to be an informed buyer. You have the right to carefully examine your potential new home with a qualified home inspector. To find a qualified home inspector ask for references from friends, realtors, local licensing authorities and organizations that qualify and test home inspectors. HUD-92564-CN (6/14)

CAUTION

Michele George, Director of Education & Events

8 “How my ASHI Experience Became my American Experience”

On the Road with Kenny Hart

An Interview with Kenny Hart by Carol Dikelsky

Water Quality Testing: What Home Inspectors Should Know

Ben Fontan, PRO-LAB®

Air-Transported Moisture: A Stealthy Enemy Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop

18 19

Mold: Another 800-Pound Gorilla Larry Wasson

Marketing With Discounts and Coupons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop

Tri-State ASHI Grows Membership Through Education Gerry Gavin, Tri-State ASHI Education Chair

Departments 14

Being Frank

From ASHI’s Executive Director

Herspective From the Women of ASHI Lisa Yetter, Yetter Inspection Services

Insider Tips for Smart Inspectors Tom Feiza, Mr. Fix-It, Inc.

ASHI Community

New Inspector Status, Chapters, Education

Your ASHI

Membership News & More

Postcards From the Field It’s Wacky Out There

The ASHI School

Advancing Your Career With the ASHI School Program

On My Mind

Alden Gibson, ASHI President

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A home inspection gives the buyer more detailed information about the overall condition of the home prior to purchase. In a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to: Evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems; Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced; and Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure, and finishes.

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Get a Home Inspection Why a Buyer Needs a Home Inspection

Be an Informed Buyer

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Ask your home inspector about additional health and safety tests that may be relevant for your home.

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OMB Approval No: 25020538 (exp. 04/30/2018)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General of the United States have recommended that all houses should be tested for radon. For more information on radon testing, call the toll-free National Radon Information Line at 1-800-SOS-Radon or 1-800-767-7236.

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3August 2015

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ASHI National Officers and Board of Directors A SH I M I S S I O N S TATEM ENT To set and promote standards for property inspections and to provide the educational programs needed to achieve excellence in the profession and to meet the needs of our members.

Officers Alden Gibson, President Breslau, ON, 519-648-3963 alden@inspectgib.com Randy Sipe, President-Elect Spring Hill, KS, 913-856-4515 randy@familyhomeinspections.com Howard Pegelow, Vice President Milwaukee, WI, 414-545-4186 hpegelow@yahoo.com

Directors Lisa Alajajian 2013-2015 Milford, MA, 508-634-2010 homequest1@comcast.net James Allen 2013-2015 Overland Park, KS, 913-894-5893 james@sweethomeinspections.com Bruce Barker 2015-2017 Cary, NC, 919-322-4491 bruce@dreamhomeconsultants.com Ken Harrington 2015-2017 Delaware, OH, 614-507-1061 inspectorken@rrohio.com C. Blaine Illingworth III 2015-2017 Harleysville, PA, 610-565-4181 housemechanic@hotmail.com Keven Kossler 2015-2017 Huntersville, NC, 704-875-3200 Team@CastleCheck.com Bruce Labell 2015-2017 Scottsdale, AZ, 602-765-2140 inspect@cox.net

Tim Buell, Treasurer Marysville, OH, 614-746-7485 tim.buell@gmail.com Larry Cerro, Secretary Tallahassee, FL, 850-222-4404 larrycerro@comcast.net Bill Loden, Immediate Past-President Madison, AL, 256-464-7060 insight@knology.net Scott Patterson 2013-2015 Spring Hill, TN, 615-302-1113 scott@traceinspections.com Robert Peterson 2013-2015 Carmel, IN, 317-581-0074 inspectorbobp@sbcglobal.net Tony Smith 2015-2017 Cedar Rapids, IA, 319-533-4565 inspecthathouse@netscape.net Mike Wagner 2014-2016 Westfield, IN, 317-867-7688 mwagner@ralis.com Robert Walstead 2013-2015 Colorado Springs, CO 719-495-2652 rwalstead@aol.com Kevin Westendorf 2014-2016 Mt. Pleasant, SC, 843-881-7842 kevinw@lowcountryhome inspection.com

Donald Lovering 2015-2016 Auburndale, MA, 617-698-3903 lovering@earthlink.net

American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. 932 Lee Street, Suite 101 Des Plaines, IL 60016

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

Frank Lesh, Executive Director, 847-954-3182, frankl@ashi.org Bonnie Bruno, Executive Assistant, 847-954-3177 bonnieb@ashi.org Education, CE Approval, Smart Track, InspectionWorld

Michele George, Director of Education & Events, 847-954-3188 micheleg@ashi.org Membership, Chapter Relations, Booth Rental, Product Orders

847-299-2505 (fax) Reporter only E-mail: frankl@ashi.org Advertising: Dave Kogan Phone: 847-954-3187, E-mail: davek@ashi.org

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Phrases & Comments book* with the purchase of 3D Inspection System Premier edition software OFFER CODE ASHIPC Contact us 800-745-6126

Russell Daniels, Assistant Executive Director, Director Membership and Chapter Relations, 847-954-3185, russelld@ashi.org

Janet George, Membership Services Supervisor, 847-954-3180 janetg@ashi.org Jen Gallegos, Membership Administrator, 847-954-3175 jeng@ashi.org

Calling all U.S. Veterans ! Use your qualified G.I. benefits at our Illinois Location. The ASHI School has been approved by the Illinois State Approving Agency for the enrollment of qualified veterans to receive G.I. Bill Educational Benefits.

Mark Lester, Membership Services Coordinator, 847-954-3176 markl@ashi.org

www.3dinspection.com *Book value of $95. Contains over 6000 comments from full time ASHI certified inspectors. Offer available while supplies last.

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Toni Fanizza, Bookkeeper, 847-954-3190, tonif@ashi.org Beverly Canham, Financial Assistant, 847-954-3184 beverlyc@ashi.org Website, Information Systems, Database

Mike Rostescu, Director IT & Internet Communications 847-954-3189, miker@ashi.org Publications, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations

Dave Kogan, Manager of Marketing & Business Development 847-954-3187, davek@ashi.org Arlene Zapata, Graphic Design Manager, 847-954-3186 arlenez@ashi.org The ASHI School

847-954-3186 Reporter calls only

ASHI REPORTER – ISSN 1076-1942 – the official publication of the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. (ASHI), 932 Lee St., Suite 101, Des Plaines IL 60016, is published monthly. Annual subscriptions: $44.95 to non-members. Periodical postage paid at Des Plaines, IL 60016 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ASHI Reporter, 932 Lee Street, Suite 101, Des Plaines, IL 60016-6546. Copyright© 2015, ASHI. None of the content of this publication may be reproduced, in any manner, without the prior written consent of the publisher. Inclusion of or specific mention of any proprietary product within does not imply endorsement of, nor does exclusion of any proprietary product imply non-endorsement, by the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. Opinions or statements of authors and advertisers are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents or editors. See above for information pertaining to submission of articles, advertising and related materials.

Main Phone: 847-759-2820, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Mon. - Fri., CST Executive Director

Speaker, Council of Representatives: Mark Londner 2014-2016 James Funkhouser 2015-2016 Purcellville, VA, 540-668-6339 Manassas Park, VA, 703-791-2360 mark@LBIhome.com jfunkhousr@aol.com

Publisher: Frank Lesh Editor: Carol Dikelsky Art Director: Arlene Zapata, Jr. Designer: Juraj Ilavsky

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5August 2015

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OMB Approval No: 25020538 (exp. 04/30/2018)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

For Your Protection:

Get a Home Inspection Why a Buyer Needs a Home Inspection A home inspection gives the buyer more detailed information about the overall condition of the home prior to purchase. In a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth, unbiased look at your potential new home to: Evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems; Identify items that need to be repaired or replaced; and Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure, and finishes.

You Must Ask for a Home Inspection

From ASHI’s Executive Director

A home inspection will only occur if you arrange for one. FHA does not perform a home inspection. Decide early. You may be able to make your contract contingent on the results of the inspection.

If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, and FHA cannot buy the home back from you. Ask a qualified home inspector to inspect your potential new home and give you the information you need to make a wise decision.

Radon Gas Testing and other safety/health issues The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General of the United States have recommended that all houses should be tested for radon. For more information on radon testing, call the toll-free National Radon Information Line at 1-800-SOS-Radon or 1-800-767-7236. Ask your home inspector about additional health and safety tests that may be relevant for your home.

Be an Informed Buyer

ow about the new Reporter format? It’s been five years since we redesigned it, so Arlene Zapata, ASHI’s graphic design manager, suggested we give it a makeover. The icons for the department sections and the color scheme are more pleasing, all while retaining the easyto-use format. It takes a lot of time and effort to put our flagship periodical together every month, and Arlene does it with aplomb. InspectionWorld® San Diego is in the final planning stages, so get your bags ready to join us in sunny Southern California. Michele George is putting together a lot of information in the next few editions of the Reporter, so be sure to read her articles that start running in this issue. Fun fact: She’s doing her best to find a dunk tank on site. Apparently, some idiot volunteered to be the first “victim.” Of course, Michele and other staff members will be forbidden from participating. The proceeds will go to a charity

or other worthy cause — not to the executive director’s benevolence fund. In case you haven’t heard, you are now able to pay your ASHI dues in monthly installments. This option should make it easier to budget the cost. Of course, you may continue to pay your dues annually if you choose, but this just gives you another option. For more details, see Your ASHI section on page 32 in this issue of the Reporter. Back on “The Hill” Trying to fly out of Chicago during severe thunderstorms can be bad, but when there are tornado warnings near the airports, it’s best to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible. I did make it out of Midway Airport okay, and my trip to Washington, D.C., was well worth it. On Tuesday morning, I met with staff from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

HUD-92564-CN (6/14)

CAUTION

Development (HUD) to discuss “For Your Protection, Get a Home Inspection.” You may know that, several years ago, ASHI got approval for this letter to be included with mortgagee’s loan documents. Regulations require that it be renewed and approved every three years. Because of the efforts of ASHI and our lobbyist Randy Pence, we are set until 2018! If you haven’t seen the document, go to http://portal.hud.gov/ hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=92564-cn. pdf.

This is the only document (see above) presented to clients that has a red highlighted border with “CAUTION” around it! A remarkable effort by ASHI to get HUD to adopt this information for homebuyers! H

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2015 Conference September 9 - 13

www.sehomeinspectorconference.com 6

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

By Michele George, Director of Eduction & Events

Don’t Miss the Ninth Annual Southeastern Home Inspectors Conference

Sponsored by

Discover San Diego — Enjoy it all!

Gwinnett Convention Center Duluth, GA (Just north of Atlanta)

here’s more to San Diego than palm trees, sunshine, beaches and beautiful sunsets. You can discover San Diego by light rail, trolley or boat and discover all that “America’s Finest City” offers.

spots. It costs only $5 per day to travel the rails. Stops include Old Town, Little Italy, Gaslamp Quarter and Seaport Village. www.urbanrail.net/am/sdie/ san-diego.htm

ASHI’s 40th anniversary celebration 3. R ide the Old Town Trolley — kicks off at the Annual Meeting Lunget around the town cheon on Sunday, January 24, at 12:30 Take a day tour to see the best of San pm. You’ll want to attend this special Diego’s sights as well as visit Coronado event, so plan to come in on Saturday, Island. You can avoid costly parking and take in some sights and benefit from city driving. Hop on and off the trolley lower airfare with Saturday travel. and explore on your own at any time. Frequent pickups at all 11 stops help you InspectionWorld’s planned events and avoid walking long distances. Friendly education will continue through Wednesday. conductors narrate the drive with a On Thursday, January 28, take in a guided fascinating and fun mix of trivia and tour of the Quake Shake Table at the humorous stories. Stops are conveniently University of California, San Diego, and located close to all popular attractions, then take in the town. shops and restaurants. Visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Balboa Park, San Diego is one town where you definitely USS Midway Museum, Seaport Village can have your seafood and eat your taco, and Coronado Island. Beach tours are too. You’ll get your money’s worth and have available daily. Pickups and returns are a great time seeing the sights. Here are five at the hotel. Tickets can be purchased in ways to get the most from your visit: advance at the Town and Country Resort Hotel. www.trolleytours.com/san-diego/ 1. E xplore the Town and Country Resort — the place to re-energize 4. D o some cruisin’ on the bay — The Town and Country Resort property a view from the bridge and back is lovely and spacious. You’ll find opportuThe best way for you to get an idea of nities for relaxation at the pool and how important the waterfront is to San comfortable locations to meet up with Diego is to travel by boat on San Diego friends for food and fun. Be sure to Bay. Cruise past huge Navy ships, along visit the resort’s concierge desk in the the downtown skyline and under the hotel lobby to seek tourism advice sweeping San Diego-Coronado Bay and brochures. And there is a spa for Bridge. Don’t miss spotting the Star anyone who’s in need of pampering. of India tall ship and the USS Midway www.towncountry.com Museum. One-hour or two-hour cruises are offered. www.hornblower.com/port/ 2. Travel on the light rail — category/sd+tours quick, clean and simple The resort is located at the Fashion Valley 5. C heck out San Diego’s eats and streets Transit Center stop on San Diego’s light — fine dining in the Finest City rail transportation Green Line. The light The light rail trolley transportation rail travels anywhere in and around the provides the ability to quickly travel to city to all tourist sites and interesting several locations where you will find fine

restaurants and shops to enjoy. You might like to try San Diego’s unofficial delicacy, the Fish Taco — deep-fried, battered fish, wrapped in a corn tortilla with cabbage and sauce. • Little Italy: “Cool neighborhood” offers several wonderful restaurants from which to choose in a busy environment. • Seaport Village: Great city and harbor views are plentiful. Stroll through the shop area and along the water’s edge. Dine at restaurants offering wide menus including seafood, fish, burgers and pizza. • Gaslamp Quarter: Enjoy restored architecture as well as many fine restaurants and pubs. • Old Town: Tour the historic buildings, visit many shops and enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine. Known as America’s Finest City, San Diego definitely lives up to its nickname — it’s an interesting and fun place to visit. Plan on spending extra days to discover what San Diego has to offer. H

PHOTOS COURTSEY SANDIEGO.ORG

Check This Out!

FHA Does Not Guarantee the Value or Condition of your Potential New Home

7August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

How my ASHI Experience Became my American Experience

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“How my ASHI Experience Became my American Experience”

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On the Road with Kenny Hart An interview with Kenny Hart by Carol Dikelsky

Last month we featured an article titled “Your Top 10 HVAC Questions Answered,” written by Kenny Hart, also known as The Plumbing and HVAC Guy. You might recall that Kenny lives in Virginia and has been an ASHI member since 1999. He’s worked in the plumbing and HVAC field for more than 41 years. And if you don’t live in or even near Virginia, you still might recognize Kenny. He regularly presents training sessions about plumbing and HVAC issues to home inspectors around the United States and Canada. Since his first presentation at the ASHI Great Plains Chapter in 2002, he’s presented information at more than 75 national, regional and state home inspection events. Among these, more than a dozen have been at InspectionWorld® conferences, and at least 50 have had an ASHI connection. Kenny’s connections with ASHI began to extend beyond the basics of membership when he served on the technical committee and when he started contributing to the ASHI Reporter in 1999. He credits the Reporter’s now-retired editor Sandy Bourseau with motivating him to write technical articles about plumbing and HVAC topics. Kenny said, “Sandy encouraged me to write, and she showed me how a guy who graduated from the local Vo-Tech (as op-

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

posed to the renowned Virginia Tech) could get published.” Authoring articles for the Reporter became a stepping stone for Kenny to be invited to serve as a contributing author on technical articles and columns that have appeared in Popular Mechanics. Kenny also has written for Journal of Light Construction, Backflow Prevention and Plumbing Standards, Hampton Roads Realtor, Residential Resource (published by the National Association of Residential Property Managers) and NAHI Forum (published by the National Association of Home Inspectors). Some of the articles he wrote for the Reporter have been reprinted in Canadian Home Inspector. Having the opportunity to provide his expert opinions in these publications helped Kenny build his credibility and boosted his confidence to explore new avenues for his business. Ultimately, trying new things led Kenny to become a trainer for home inspectors who are seeking guidance about plumbing and HVAC issues. Kenny credits his association with ASHI and his collegial friendships with Alan Carson and Michael Casey, both Past-Presidents of ASHI, as inspiring him to contribute to the home inspection community. Kenny added, “Jack Moriarty, an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI) and owner of Homebuyers Inspections, which is a multi-inspector firm in Virginia Beach, gave me my first

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opportunity to get in the field and work as a home inspector. Jack taught me a lot about the business of home inspection and about home inspectors.” When I first talked with Kenny, he had just returned from presenting a full-day session at ASHI’s St. Louis chapter conference. Two weeks earlier he was in Chattanooga, TN, and before that, he was at InspectionWorld® in Philadelphia. Around 2007, he began traveling with his daughter Kristen Hart, whom he describes as his “copilot.” Besides sometimes working the booth when she and Kenny arrive on site, Kristen uses their travels to make videos and blog about accessibility issues in public accommodations. Kristen was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, but Kenny says those challenges never slow her down. As do many people with paraplegia at the L1 level, Kristen is able to drive with hand controls. However, Kenny points out that “perhaps not so common among people with the same disability, Kristen sometimes travels some pretty long distances, alone and whenever she wants to go. Her Facebook page is Living Able, and you can link to her YouTube channel through it.” Turns out Kenny and Kristen have traveled across the country by truck twice since 2010. They’ve trekked to events in Seattle, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Chicago, to name a few.

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Kristen at the InspectionWorld® booth in Nashville

Sometimes, they strategically plan their route and schedule so that Kenny can present multiple sessions of plumbing and HVAC training during the same trip. Kenny said, “On a recent return trip from a training session in Frankfort, KY, I was able to swing through Columbus, OH, and speak at the Ohio Chapter of ASHI. Not too long before that, I worked at a local event with Gary Smith, ACI, of the Professional Home Inspectors Group in Mississippi on my return trip from an event held in Little Rock, AR. You can probably tell that I don’t mind being on the road and when I schedule trips in this way, I can pass on some of the savings on travel expenses to the event planners.” Just like others who work in the presentation business, many of Kenny’s speaking engagements start with booking a flight and a hotel. But breaking out of that pattern now and then is something Kenny enjoys. He said, “My very first presentation started with a road trip from Virginia Beach to Kansas City. I made the trip with my father who, like myself, loved to travel. Along the way, we decided to visit the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum and we even caught a Kansas City Royals baseball game. My dad passed away a few years after that trip, so I look back at the time I spent traveling with him to and from Kansas City very fondly.” Just like the diversions he enjoyed with his dad, Kenny and Kristen make the same kind of impromptu stops while they’re on the road. They’ve visited Mount St. Helens, driven along the Oregon coast and toured the Florida shoreline. They’ve seen the Meteor Crater in Arizona, spent time on 10

“How my ASHI Experience Became my American Experience”

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

the Las Vegas strip and stopped by Antique Archeology Nashville (one of the stores where the American Pickers from the History Channel sell their collectibles). Kenny also has stopped by Antique Archeology in LeClaire, IA. They also have visited Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the house where Jesse James was killed in Missouri and the place in Montana where Custer made his last stand.

The Meteor Crater, Arizona

Approaching Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Kenny crossed the Mississippi River from seven different states in less than one year’s time.

Kenny said, “Recently while crossing a bridge and heading out of Memphis, TN, I realized that I had crossed over the Mississippi River from seven different states in less than one year’s time. Together, Kristen and I have driven over most of the country’s great mountain ranges, the Great

Plains and the Mojave Desert. We’ve visited the Great Lakes and got a look at the Great Salt Lake, too. I’ve traveled to 47 states and, with very few exceptions, I was heading to or from an ASHI event when I visited them.”

(

It occurred to Kenny that these American experiences have been made possible because of that special connection to ASHI. Kenny continued, “We’ve seen a lot of this country, and some of the places are breathtaking. I love hearing the accents and enjoy learning about local customs and traditions. But my favorite things on the road have been the unexpected moments you have with people. Once in a hotel lobby, I watched a mother talk to her children in French, while Dad spoke to the kids in English. The kids replied to their parents in the language directed at them. I was fascinated by that family.” “Also, Kristen and I still laugh about a waiter in Pigeon Forge, TN, who was flirting with her when suddenly he realized that it was her dad sitting at the table. The look on his face and the mangled words that came out of his mouth still destroy us whenever we remember it.” At many of his training seminars, Kenny’s animated slideshows and anecdotal stories about life as a plumber and HVAC technician help home inspectors learn what they need to know about HVAC during an inspection. One of his recent strategies has

been to bring along visual aids. The project he calls “The HVAC Roadshow” got started in late 2012 when he purchased some new HVAC equipment. By 2013, he was loading up a trailer with air conditioning and heat pump units, furnaces, water heaters and other mechanical equipment and bringing it along as he traveled to events all over the United States. The names of the companies that sponsored this endeavor — by supplying HVAC equipment and subsidizing the trailer to transport the equipment — are included on each piece, and these logos give the trailer its signature look.

“How my ASHI Experience Became my American Experience”

HVAC Roadshow equipment displayed on the floor on another screen. “Hauling the trailer to events is a lot more work than just showing up and connecting my laptop to a projector. Parking can be an issue. Not just finding a space, but in some places you might have to watch out for graffiti artists and so you park the trailer where it can be seen at all times. I chain the wheels each night, and I keep a check on the load several times a day. But I’ve always found that once I get to the event, plenty of inspectors are willing to help load and unload the equipment. That’s a big help.” “Although I acquired the equipment specifically for The HVAC Roadshow, I’ve enjoyed the added benefit that, when I’m not hauling the equipment from state to state, I’m able to use it when I teach classes in my Virginia Beach classroom. I recently used the equipment during a shoot for some training videos, and I’m using some pieces in my online training sessions.”

The HVAC Roadshow trailer in Virginia Beach.

Kenny said, “Like most speakers in this business, I had been making presentations by lecturing on various plumbing and HVAC topics as I clicked through a slideshow. Over the years, I’ve done a lot to jazz up my slides, including adding animations, sound effects and video clips. But after I had been doing it for about 10 years, I felt that if I wanted to keep inspectors coming to the events (not to mention if I wanted to keep getting invited to speak at events), I needed to try something different. My thought was, if home inspectors could see new HVAC equipment up close — not only during sessions, but also during the breaks — they could learn a lot more about these things than they could by just looking at slides. With the help of Mike Casey and a lot of sponsors, I was able to make it happen.” At a recent ASHI event in St. Louis, for example, attendees could view Kenny’s program notes on one screen and see the

Kenny hears many of the same questions at his training sessions. Because his presentations draw up to 100 people and because he has returned to many of the same chapters and locations over the past several years, he sometimes asks himself, “Why do inspectors keep asking me the same questions about the same HVAC issues? Am I not teaching this very well?” But the answer occurred to him once he began asking the people in the room about their experience in the profession. He explained, “I realized that there is constant growth and change in the home inspection business. New home inspectors attend each training session. And everyone who is new to home inspection seems to have a common set of questions.” He listed and answered those questions in Part 1 of this article, published in the July 2015 issue of the Reporter.

led me to a career in home inspection. But I’ve enjoyed nothing more than talking to home inspectors about the plumbing and mechanical systems in homes. It’s allowed me to travel throughout the United States and Canada, and I’m grateful for this opportunity. Joining ASHI took me in a direction that I never anticipated. My ‘ASHI Experience’ has become my ‘American Experience.’ I’d like to thank all the people who have supported me over the years, but especially the friends, attendees and sponsors of ‘The HVAC Roadshow.’” You can reach Kenny Hart at theplumbing andhvacguy@gmail.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/plumbingandhvacguy.

Thank You to the Sponsors of the HVAC Roadshow • A lan Carson, Carson Dunlop and Horizon Home Inspection Report Writing Software • Michael Casey, Michael Casey and Associates • Terry Howell, Radalink™ • Diana “Dee” Goldstein, GEM Marketing • Hollis Brown, Yadzooks • Aaron Menlove, InspectorPro Insurance Program • Russell Buchanan, HomeGauge Inspector Software • Nathan Thornberry, RecallChek© • Kevin O’Malley, Home Owners Network

It’s easy to see that Kenny truly enjoys his work. He said, “Over the years, I’ve worked in new construction and service plumbing. I’ve installed and repaired furnaces, boilers, heat pumps and their distribution systems. In the early 1990s, I sold real estate, which 11August 2015

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Water Quality Testing: What Home Inspectors Should Know

Water Quality Testing: What Home Inspectors Should Know By Ben Fontan, PRO-LAB®

oday more than ever, people are concerned about what they put into their bodies. Purchasing healthy and organic products to eat is becoming more and more prevalent throughout our society. The water that we drink is at least as important as the food we eat. Many companies’ advertising strategies emphasize that their products contain “clean water.” However, many consumers are skeptical of such claims and come to their own conclusions after doing their own research. In addition, frequent reports in the media describing the dangers of polluted or toxic water working its way into our neighborhoods and communities have caused people to want to know exactly what makes up the water they consume on a daily basis and whether the water in their homes is safe to drink and use. With this heightened awareness of potentially overstated marketing claims, coupled with the very real risks of consuming unsafe water, people increasingly request confirmation and details concerning the quality of the water in their current or prospective homes. As a result, water quality testing is in high demand. Some companies offer consumers “free water testing”; however, these companies may simply be offering consumers the opportunity to purchase their water delivery services or purification systems. It is important for consumers to understand what is involved in water quality testing, and home inspectors can help provide that 12

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

understanding by becoming familiar with the following points: Both city water and well water should be tested. Knowing your own community or home’s situation and level of risk is key. For example, wells can contain bacteria and pesticides and they can be a host for other contaminants. Know what you’re looking for (for example, bacteria, lead, pesticides). Because home inspectors offer a full range of services, assessing each customers’ needs and concerns about their specific water quality situation is extremely important. When choosing a water testing service, look for a lab with proper state and federal accreditations. As the nation’s leading environmental testing laboratory, PRO-LAB can assist you with all of your testing needs. It’s important to note that PRO-LAB is the largest supporter of the home inspection industry and understands that turnaround times are critical to completing real estate transactions. Water testing is mandatory for some loans, including FHA and VA loans. The following guidelines were set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a December 2005 letter titled “US HUD FHA Mortgagee Letter 2005-ML-48”:

“Well (individual water system): test or inspection required if mandated by state or local jurisdiction; if there is knowledge that

well water may be contaminated; when the water supply relies upon a water purification system due to presence of contaminants; or when there is evidence of: • corrosion of pipes (plumbing) • a reas of intensive agriculture within ¼ mile • c oal mining or gas drilling operations within ¼ mile • d ump, junkyard, landfill, factory, gas station, or dry cleaning operation within ¼ mile • u nusually objectionable taste, smell or appearance of well water

(superceding the guidance in Mortgagee Letter 95-34 that requires well water testing in the absence of local or state regulations).” (Note: The entire letter can be found at http://inspectapedia.com/water/FHA_ HUD_Mortgagee_Water_Test_Letter. php.) Use proper materials to conduct a water quality test. You should never use an empty plastic water bottle to collect a sample. Upon request, PRO-LAB can provide sterile water bottles with proper preservatives and will send them to you in a styrofoam cooler equipped with freezer packs. Check with your lab for proper packaging guidelines and turnaround times for results. A home inspector should look for a lab that understands what a home inspector does. Finding the right lab will make it easier for you to receive a report with results that are clear to the inspector as well as the client. PRO-LAB has been in the inspection industry since 1998 and provides the most comprehensive reports in the industry. With growing awareness among consumers of the importance of testing the quality of the water in and around their homes, it is important for home inspectors to be aware of how to address these concerns and know how to access testing and results related to water quality. H Ben Fontan is Vice President of Operations, PRO-LAB, Weston, FL. Contact Ben at 800-427-0550, ext. 268, or e-mail Ben@reliablelab.com. ASHI Ad.indd 6

13August 2015

3/25/15 10:33 AM

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Air-Transported Moisture: A Stealthy Enemy

Lisa Yetter

Air-Transported Moisture: A Stealthy Enemy

Yetter Inspection Services, North Hollywood, CA 818-419-9238, 818-353-7664 • yetterinspectionservices@gmail.com

( “Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.” This saying is one of my favorites, maybe because for the past 29 years, I’ve been a home inspector — in a field of several men — serving clients throughout the Los Angeles area. Recently at a California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) conference, I noticed two or three other women who attended were inspectors — not wives or assistants — which is encouraging. Home inspection can be a strange business for women to be in. Over the years, I’ve trained women and hoped they would become colleagues, but none I’ve worked with have stayed with home inspection. I think it’s because many women just don’t have the right skill set or background. For me, having solid communication skills as well as collecting a broad working knowledge base and hands-on experiences have been keys to my success. I’ve found that I draw on this foundation to speak intelligently about systems found in homes, explain codes, and tell people the results of an inspection.

was an architecture major in college and worked as a draftswoman when I finished school. I found out quickly that I disliked working on the boards and doing all those drawings. But because I had also learned about structural, electrical and HVAC systems, I found that I had a lot of general knowledge about buildings and homes. And since I wasn’t satisfied working on the draft boards, I started using my free time to work for others on their remodeling projects. Eventually, I worked for construction companies as the building manager or the project lead. It was my job to make sure others were doing their jobs and staying on track and on time. I learned so much by watching the contractors install equipment and build homes, including how to start and finish projects. That type of job was a great training ground for becoming a home inspector. And when the person I worked for suddenly closed his business, I took the opportunity to work with an established team of home inspectors. I was the only woman on the team. At that time, many people in California were suspicious of home inspectors. The realtors and sellers seemed to think, ”How dare you inspect this house?” They thought the purpose of the inspector was to ruin the sale. But now, about 30 years later, it’s so different. Buyers feel more empowered and sellers are more vulnerable.

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

hile working with the team of home inspectors, I noticed that, when given a choice of three inspectors, realtors often would ask for me. I think that’s because they saw that it’s not my style to be alarming, but it is my style to be honest. I state the facts. If there are weak points about the house, I will explain them to you. So in 1992, after seven years working with the team, I decided to establish my own business. My clients know that I’ll get homeowners involved in the inspection. I think it is a great opportunity for people to find out about their house. I tell people, “This is your housing seminar.” I explain how things work, show them where to find things and estimate how old the systems are. I have clients walk with me through the entire inspection so that they can get to know the house. I joke that I will give them a quiz later and if I actually did this, my standard question would be “Do you remember how big your electric service is and how old your A/C system is?” Pointing out these things during the home inspection allows people to have useful information if things go bad later. I’ve had a great run as a home inspector and I’m still getting new clients. Young people who are buying houses now use Yelp. In fact, 90% of my business comes from people who read Yelp reviews. I get very few clients from realtors anymore — people just find out about me on Yelp or see my website on the Internet. Home inspection is the perfect business for me. Women make good communicators, and as I get older, I want to communicate my knowledge to help others learn from what I already know. At least from my perspective, things have worked out for me kind of like that saying … “Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.” H

Lisa’s Stories from the Field … • A two-year-old watched me climb under a house to inspect a foundation. Then the toddler closed and locked the door behind me and ran off. • I was inspecting a vacant house and locked myself in a closet with no way to get out and no cell phone to use. I’ll never test a door that way again. • I’ve been known to start an inspection at the right address but on the wrong street. • Once I started an inspection at the right address on the right street, but I pulled into the wrong driveway. The housekeeper invited me in and let me use the bathroom before I realized I was in the wrong house. • When I was inspecting a roof on a windy day, my ladder blew away, leaving me with no way to get off the roof. • I was under a house when an earthquake occurred — luckily, the realtor dove in under the house to pull me out.

By Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop www.carsondunlop.com

ost home inspectors would agree that water is the No. 1 enemy of homes. We usually think of roof and plumbing leaks, surface water leaking through foundations and other similar examples. These situations are called bulk moisture, which is the most visible way that moisture moves through buildings. The following list covers all four ways that moisture moves through buildings: • bulk moisture — leaks (description and examples listed above) • capillary action — wicking or rising dampness • vapor diffusion — water vapor that moves from high-to-low pressure areas without air movement • air-transported moisture — water vapor carried by the air

Bulk moisture is the most visible and significant source of water damage in houses. Air-transported moisture is second. Vapor diffusion and capillary action are relatively minor issues. In this article, we will examine air-transported moisture. In a nutshell, warm, moist air that leaks into walls condenses as it cools, trapping water in the wall, which leads to mold and rot. It’s important for home inspectors to understand what’s happening so they know what to look for during inspections. This article will focus on heating climates. The same principles apply to cooling climates, although the issues are slightly different.

How does moisture get into the air? Air is able to hold moisture as a vapor. Moisture in the air comes from the following:

• humidifiers, which people often set improperly, causing too much moisture to be added to the air in cold weather • people washing their faces and hands and brushing their teeth • showers and baths • cooking and washing dishes • washing clothes • washing floors, walls and furniture • watering plants • people breathing and perspiring • damp soil in subgrade spaces (crawl spaces) • firewood (one cord can release one gallon of water per day as it dries) • pets A family of four can generate 10 to 12 gallons of water a week by just going about their normal household activities. Humidifiers can add considerably more water to the air. Unprotected soil in a crawl space can contribute 10 gallons a day! How much water can air hold? The amount of water in the air is described as either absolute humidity or relative humidity. Absolute humidity. Absolute humidity is the actual amount of moisture in the air. This can be measured in grains (0.002285 ounces) of moisture per pound of dry air. For example, 70°F-saturated air contains 108 grains of moisture per pound of dry air. The term “saturated” refers to the amount

of moisture that air can hold without forming condensation. If more moisture is added or the temperature drops, we will get rain or condensation. Saturation levels change. Air can hold more moisture at higher temperatures. A pound of 70°F air can hold 108 grains of moisture. The same air at 40°F can hold only 36 grains. As air warms up, it can hold more moisture. As air cools down, it’s able to hold less moisture. Condensation forms when air is cooled. Relative humidity. Relative humidity (RH) is the amount of moisture in the air relative to how much moisture the air could hold if saturated. Air at 40°F can hold 36 grains of moisture per pound of dry air. That air is at 100% relative humidity. If the air is warmed to 70°F, it still has 36 grains of moisture, but its relative humidity drops to 33% because 70°F air can hold 108 grains of moisture (36/108 = 33%). The dew point is the temperature for air of a given relative humidity below which condensation occurs. Here’s where it gets interesting! Air at 70°F can hold twice as much moisture as air at 50°F. If we cool a sample of air at 70°F with 50% relative humidity to 50°F, the relative humidity rises to 100%. If the temperature falls to 49°F, we get condensation. And that can be a problem ... To summarize, cold air can hold very little moisture. Warm air can hold a lot of moisture. Cooling the air causes condensation. The more moisture it has, the less it has to cool to condense. 15August 2015

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Air-Transported Moisture: A Stealthy Enemy

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How much humidity? People are comfortable with humidity in the range of 30% to 50% RH. When it’s freezing outside, it is best for buildings to have <15% RH to avoid condensation, mold and rot. People usually get their way. What does it all mean? The air in a home at 70°F and 40% RH will be saturated if it cools to 45°F. Condensation will form in the winter when warm, moist house air leaks into cold wall or roof spaces. The outside wall temperature will be close to the outdoor temperature. As air leaks through the wall or roof, it will cool and the water vapor will condense inside the wall or roof assembly. This can lead to water damage, mold and rot inside the wall assembly. This can go unnoticed for some time until considerable damage occurs. The water damage, mold and rot inside of this exterior wall assembly was a result of the extreme moisture from an indoor pool that was not managed properly. This structure had to be torn down.

How do we prevent condensation? We can reduce the indoor humidity, but generally, people are not comfortable with that. We try to stop the air leaking into wall assemblies with drywall, polyethylene air and vapor barriers, building wrap, and foam insulation, among other materials, but perfection is hard to achieve. Air barriers that are 99% effective are not effective at all, in the same way that a balloon with a tiny hole in it won’t hold air. Another strategy is to let the air escape quickly outdoors before it can condense. Attic ventilation is a good example. Breathable exterior siding (wood, vinyl and aluminum siding) is more forgiving than barrier systems like stucco and exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFS). It’s risky to rely on this approach, although it was very effective in older homes with air-leaky, poorly insulated walls. The walls were warmer and the air escaped more easily than in today’s tight, energy-efficient construction. What do we watch for? Damage in walls can be difficult to identify until the damage becomes extensive. Moisture runs down, collecting on sill plates inside the wall. There may be visible evidence of water at baseboards and quarter rounds. Moisture meters and infrared cameras can help identify concealed water problems. Problems are typically worse on upper floors owing to stack effect. Warm air rises and exerts more pressure on upper walls, resulting in air moving into wall assemblies.

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

Staining on siding indicates severe condensation. Photo courtesy of Roger Hankey.

Although there could be many variables in play, condensation on windows is an indicator of possible problems and should be a clue for a home inspector to look further. .

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Find details at www.OREP.org Water damage and rot on the interior sill of this window is a result of condensation, which commonly occurs with single-pane or poorly insulated glazing combined with high interior humidity levels.

Conclusion This article reviewed air-transported moisture that can cause wall damage in cold climates. The ASHI@HOME training program provides a more comprehensive explanation of the building science, as well as home inspection strategies. Thanks to Roger Hankey for his significant contributions to this article. H

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17August 2015

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4/10/15 3:36 PM

Marketing with Discounts and Coupons: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Mold: Another 800-Pound Gorilla

2. Is it mold or a mold-like substance? Actually, there are very few mold-like substances; in most instances, if it looks like mold, it is mold. The most common uncertainty arises when mold is growing on or is mixed in dirt, deposits or other matter. Although many mold colonies are obvious, some are not easily recognized (for example, people often think that all that powdery or fluffy-looking stuff is just dust).

Our ever-changing troop of gorillas has included lead, Stablok breakers, UFFI, polybutylene and orangeburg pipes, electromagnetic fields, EIFS, radon, aluminum wiring, FRT sheathing, pinhole leaks, fire sprinkler systems, asbestos, pressuretreated lumber, Chinese drywall and CSST.

3. When there is uncertainty, have the substance tested. Lab results will confirm whether samples contain mold (for example, molds listed with numerical spore counts are the molds present in the sample). The magnitude of spore counts has little meaning. Even samples taken nearby will have different spore counts and low spore counts do not mean low risk. If the report says mold is present, remove or remediate it as soon as possible.

Mold: Another 800-Pound Gorilla By Larry Wasson very few years, more of these daunting beasts come along and change the way we inspect houses. They seem to arise out of nowhere, demanding that home inspectors successfully evaluate and report on them despite clouds of misinformation, confusion and controversy.

Two recent game changers are mold and moldconducive conditions. When these upsetting giants are in the house, your customer can easily be distracted by confusing misinformation and meaningless comments such as “That’s just mildew” or “It’s not toxic black mold” or “It’s just a mold-like substance.” Over the years, I have created a strategy to deal with each new 800-pound gorilla as it arrives. The results are information sheets that are updated as the facts change (for example, it took over 10 years for the true facts about polybutylene to be uncovered). These info sheets can and do help my customers make better decisions. An info sheet about mold would include these 10 points: 1. Careful visual inspection is the primary and the best method for finding mold, mold-conducive conditions or both. You can always consult a professional mold inspector. Not knowing what mold looks like and not knowing where and how to look for mold are the reasons why people not present during an inspection fail to see the mold that is reported. Even large amounts of mold can be “invisible” in normal room settings. The same mold quickly becomes “visible” to all people present with the effective use of proper inspection procedures.

Continue learning at the click of a button! FREE ASHI Member access to past IW sessions. 18

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

4 . Mildews pose the same environmental and health risks as do molds, and environmental and health documents seldom differentiate between the two. Many varieties of Aspergillus mold are actually mildew and Aureobasidium, a common bathroom mold, is a mildew that causes skin irritation and asthmatic symptoms. So, whether it is mold or mildew, be sure to remove or remediate it as soon as possible. 5 . Toxic black mold is a very misleading term. There are toxic molds such as Penicillium that are not black, and there are black molds like Aureobasidium that are not toxic but are unhealthy. Of course, there are lots of unhealthy molds that are neither black nor toxic. All of these examples explain why all mold should removed or remediated as soon as possible. 6 . Air sampling is not a reliable method for determining whether mold is present. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide on mold, moisture and your home does not recommend or even mention air sampling; instead, the guide recommends careful visual inspection for mold. Air sampling is best used after all visible mold has been removed or

remediated. Getting favorable air sample test results does not mean that there is no mold, and it does not mean that there is no risk. Using short-term air samples as a preliminary or primary method of checking for mold is as useless as trying to determine the risk of radon by using grab samples. In both instances, it is a gross misuse of short-term air sampling. 7. If mold is present, it should be removed or remediated. Although it is common to find some minor indoor mold, active indoor mold growth is not common and is an unnecessary health risk. Whenever possible, mold should be removed; for example, using bleach to kill mold is not very effective, and dead mold will continue to release unhealthy spores. The reality is that even small amounts of mold can quickly become little spore pumps that seed unhealthy mold growth. 8. If mold-conducive conditions such as water intrusion, excess moisture or humidity are present, they should be eliminated or remediated as soon as possible. EPA guidelines state that “indoor mold growth can and should be prevented.” Prevention means eliminating or remediating mold-conducive conditions. Two common methods of remediating moisture are bathroom exhaust fans with timer switches, and dehumidifiers installed in basements and crawl spaces. Correcting more complex conditions requires a commitment of time and effort, and remedies can be somewhat expensive. 9. Follow EPA guidelines (www.epa.gov/mold/ moldguide.html, and www.epa.gov/mold/ mold_remediation.html). You could also consult a licensed, qualified remediator of mold and mold-conducive conditions, an industrial hygienist or both. 10. Guard against and monitor for moldconducive conditions. For example, install inexpensive humidity sensors with alarms and probes or inexpensive hygrometer systems with wireless sensors in attics, crawl spaces, basements, mechanical rooms, laundry rooms and other moisture-prone spaces. H

1. Go to www.ASHI.org 2. Under Education & Training 3. Click on:

ASHI ONLINE LEARNING CENTER

Marketing With Discounts and Coupons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop www.carsondunlop.com

Discounting must be a good idea — so many businesses do it! Does it work for home inspectors? Let’s take a look. The Theory The goal of all marketing is to get people to change their behavior, to use your service. People resist change. Coupons and discounts help overcome that resistance. They help create a pattern of repetitive buying. Although by using coupons or discounts you will lose money on the first sale, there is the hope that you will recover it in subsequent sales. Consider the life value of the customer — how often does a typical client or real estate agent refer you and how often do they recommend your services? Coupons and discounts also can affect decisions on one-time purchases such as cars, appliances and electronics. People choose based on price in situations for which they perceive services to be equivalent, especially for commodities like gas, milk and mortgages. In general, people make choices on differentiated products based on their perceived value. For example, many people perceive that Apple’s electronic products are better than others in this category and in turn, the prices of Apple products generally are more expensive than the prices of their competitors. Generally, we don’t recommend competing on price, but rather on value.

Marketing Goals The goal of any marketing activity is to solve a problem or satisfy a need. Home buyers’ and sellers’ goals are pretty clear. Real estate agents’ goals are to sell homes and build their business through a good referral network. Because home inspection is now a part of real estate transactions, good agents identify inspectors who help them build their business by providing their clients with great value. As home inspectors, we ask real estate agents to take a risk when we request that they include us in their referrals. Established agents typically know and recommend certain inspectors. Why would they change? They may be unhappy with an inspector. Or they may be happy with an inspector, but he or she may not always be available. In our experience, offering a home inspection at a lower price does not change the behavior of a real estate agent if he or she is happy with your service. Instead, you might focus on agents who do not seem to be completely satisfied with their home inspector options. Do Coupons and Discounts Work for Home Inspectors? It depends. ... There are pros and cons. Pros • You may build new relationships and get new business.

• Providing coupons or discounts may differentiate you and provide branding for your business.

• Offering coupons or discounts may help strengthen relationships with real estate agents and promote retention. • This strategy can be seen as giving a “thank you” to clients and real estate agents, which can promote retention.

Cons • There is a cost to you because of the reduced income you will receive for discounting your services.

• Design, production and distribution of coupons and promotional materials can be costly.

• You are competing on price. Coupons and discounts are not unique selling propositions (USPs), so your competitors can copy your idea quickly.

• Providing coupons or discounts can diminish your reputation. Some say that professional consulting services should not be discounted. For example, lawyers and accountants do not typically discount their fees or offer coupons. Consider these questions: Does it diminish the perceived value of the service? Does it make home inspection look more like a commodity? We can see both sides. • Offering coupons or discounts to only some real estate agents may cause you problems with others.

19August 2015

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Marketing With Discounts and Coupons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

$25

Your Next Carson Dunlop Home Inspection

• Providing coupons or discounts may be perceived as an inducement and could be considered a questionable way to do business with regard to ethical practices. Possibilities As an example, we reward the agents who regularly refer us to their clients with $25 coupons that they can pass along to their clients. In this way, our promotion makes the agent look good and is one more reason for the agent to recommend you. Some offer the coupons to clients in the hopes they will pass them along to their friends. This helps build referrals. Social media makes this relatively easy. Thank clients for referrals Some home inspectors offer coupons or gifts as a thank you to clients who refer them to others. Examples include Starbucks gift cards, movie tickets, lottery tickets and fuel cards. There’s some tracking needed, but this can be a good way to stay in touch with clients. Coupons for services offered by others Many businesses would like to connect with new homeowners and are willing to offer a coupon or discount to your clients. For example, we work with a junk removal company that gives us $50 discount cards that we can pass along to every client. The card is co-branded with our company name and theirs. If you think about it, you could probably identify 50 other services that might be willing to partner with you in this way. This can be a win-win-win! The ultimate discount The ultimate discount is a free inspection. Would you ever offer a free inspection? We believe it can make sense. A real estate agent is taking a risk anytime they refer a new home inspection company. A free inspection for their client can reduce the risk enough to convince the agent to give you an opportunity to create a strong impression. We suggest doing this with top-producing agents who need to arrange lots of home inspections. Your investment should have a chance of a good return. 20

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

In exchange for the free inspection, you should ask the agent for their feedback and, ideally, their commitment to include your name and information when they give their clients a list of home inspectors. Either way, you will learn something. Remember, trust and respect are earned, not given or bought. When a real estate agent asks you for a discount, you may want to offer a free inspection for their client. This may be an especially good idea if they have used you as an inspector a number of times. One approach is to offer a 10% discount, but we recommend offering it in this way — every 10th inspection is free. This ensures that they will keep using you to get the reward.

9000

Redeem ab Inspection le from Carson Du nlop cove presente services only. Th is coupon ring the GTA an d upon arr d surroun ival to the mu time use ding on Home Ins st be mentioned and must ly, cannot be co pector in at the tim area for Home mbined be prese order to e of book with any nte redeem. rights. Lim other off This coup ing and it one co d onsite to Carso ers , is on is one upon pe r inspecti n Dunlop personn not redeemable anyone an on. This card is tra el. Management for cash, d the sa reserves me terms nsferable all an an This card expires on d conditions apply d can be used by . 12/31/15 .

A sample coupon offered by Carson Dunlop.

Be sure to number the coupons so you can track their use and effectiveness. Consider including an expiration date.

You might use a free ancillary inspection if you are trying to introduce a new service or type of inspection. This includes pre-listing (sellers) inspections or termite, radon, mold, swimming pool and spa inspections. Offering these added services free as a way to introduce them may get you more home inspections and can help create awareness of your new and, ideally, unique offerings.

Introduce coupons as a short-term campaign rather than a long-term commitment. Announcing an end date at the beginning of the campaign allows you to wind it down if it does not generate results. On the other hand, it’s easy to extend a successful program.

Measurement Coupons or discounts are just a price reduction if they don’t grow your business. You need to track your results so that you can know if any marketing, including coupons and discounts, is working. You should number your coupons and keep track of redemptions. You also need to track the behavior of clients and agents. Are you getting more referrals since you introduced the coupons? If not, change the strategy.

Coupons and discounts are not for everyone, but they have worked for us in some situations. We hope these ideas are useful for marketing your home inspection business. H

Coupon Tips Use a high-quality coupon that looks and feels as substantial as a credit card. These are not expensive when purchased in volume and their appearance will avoid the risk of having others try to duplicate your paper coupons.

Summary

Thanks to Roger Hankey and Kevin O’Hornett for their insightful contributions to this article.

21August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

TRI-State ASHI Grows Membership Through Education

Tri-State ASHI Grows Membership Through Education By Gerry Gavin, Tri-State ASHI Education Chair

t Tri-State ASHI, we’ve always known that education is the key to success. When I first started in the home inspection business, my first outreach was to Tri-State ASHI. I still remember the excitement of attending a seminar of entrepreneurs who were practicing or learning the home inspection profession. That was 1986 — it seems like just yesterday and forever ago at the same time. At that time, Tri-State ASHI could attract hundreds of people who were eager for every morsel of education available. I’ve been fortunate to maintain an ongoing relationship with Tri-State ASHI, which I consider to be one of the most knowledgeable groups of professionals I have encountered. At any given meeting, I can see people, including several ASHI Past-Presidents and charter members, who collectively represent hundreds of years of experience. Tri-State ASHI has splintered into multiple groups over the years. Many home inspection organizations throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey can trace their roots to Tri-State ASHI. Although the organization once had membership rates exceeding 100, our membership gradually sank to as low as 30 members. Now, the trend has reversed and we are happy to report steady membership growth. Our plan has been simple. Stick to offering meetings that feature a tried and true combination: excellent education and camaraderie, coupled with a good meal. Currently, I’m the chair of the Education Committee and I find it is a rewarding 22

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

challenge. I’d like to share with you some of our strategies for planning education and increasing our membership. Offer Educational Opportunities Tri-State ASHI offers two educational sessions at each meeting and we hold nine meetings each year. This schedule allows us to offer our members 18 continuing education credit hours per year. We also hold an annual seminar, at which we typically offer sessions that can earn members an additional eight continuing education credit hours. Keeping the educational sessions diverse, interesting and current while meeting our ASHI continuing education criteria is Objective Number 1. Select Relevant Topics With so many topics from which to choose, finding the right topic and choosing the right speaker is tricky. Making a list of topics that will interest your group and that haven’t been covered or overcovered is essential. We distribute questionnaires at meetings to get our members involved in the selection. Here’s a typical list of topics:

• Emergency generators • Zone damper control for HVAC systems • On-demand water heaters • Electrical changes • Radiant heat • Indoor air quality • Mini split heat pumps • New foundation repair techniques Build a Pool of Speakers We like to start our speaker search early so we can give presenters time to prepare and choose dates that work best for them and

that fit our schedule. We’ve found that there are many product representatives who are eager to speak to our group. We let it be known that, although our members do not make sales, we are in contact with the end users of their products. Speakers can benefit by explaining their systems to us, and we benefit by having the ability to recognize a new product or system and actually know how it works. We prepare our speakers to expect a well-educated group that will test them with great questions. Also, we remind our speakers that they must keep their “sales hype” to a minimum. Most reps have had years of practical experience in their fields, are well-spoken presenters and welcome the challenge to present their product to a professional audience that appreciates the information. Engage Affiliate Members Tri-State ASHI has formed a dependable and knowledgeable group of affiliate members who work in multiple trades. By tapping into their resources, we’ve offered enlightening sessions on swimming pools, HVAC, termites and mold, for example. Affiliate members are part of our association, attend our meetings and often enjoy the other speakers’ presentations. Having these affiliate members definitely makes us a stronger organization. Get the Word Out Having speakers planned in advance lets our membership and guests plan as well. This also shows the level at which we value education in our group. We broadcast our schedule for monthly meetings and list the next three months’ topics on the notice.

Invite Members, Then Invite Them Again Once a topic is targeted, we send out a letter with the date, time, location and what’s expected for the presentation. I’ve had excellent results in boosting our numbers of attendees at meetings by making follow-up phone calls and sending e-mails. Provide a Good Showtime Location We meet at a local Dave & Buster’s. It’s been a good choice because it is reasonably accessible and appealing to the majority of our membership. The meeting rooms are well-equipped with all of the WiFI video screens and audio equipment needed, which is a big plus. We schedule the first education session to start at 6 pm, have time for dinner from 7-8 pm, and begin the second education session at 8 pm. Offer the “Wow” Factor Our board decided to go all out for the Tri-State ASHI annual seminar this year.

TRI-State ASHI Grows Membership Through Education

Joe Lstiburek, a leader in and creator of the field of building science, will present a “Day with the Expert” October 9, 2015. We’ve engaged Joe to set up a program tailored strictly for home inspectors. Because a building scientist looks at the home from the top down, Joe’s presentation will cover some of the following topics:

• High R-value roofs • High R-value wall assemblies • Top 10 blunders that rot your house • Mold explosion — why now? • Difference between air sealing and ventilation • Air sealing and ventilation in retrofits • Vapor barriers • The perfect storm — why systems fail • Masonry retrofit project • Energy-efficient retrofits • Hybrid foundation and insulation retrofits • New light in crawl spaces • Conditioned crawl spaces • Q&A session

Be Persistent and Patient to get Steady Membership Growth We have found that, through our emphasis on education, including monthly meetings, biannual peer reviews and yearly seminars, our membership is growing. It will take time to meet previous highs, but we are inching along. Our efforts are taking our chapter to the next level. We hope that by sharing our secrets about growing our membership, we’ve given you ideas that can help your chapter increase its membership, too. H For more information, visit www.tristateashi. org or contact Gerry Gavin, Tri-State ASHI Education Chair, at Gerry@qhab.org.

This Test-Your-Knowledge photo appeared on Page 36 of the June 2015 issue. Thank you to Lawrence DiPietro and J.D. Grewell for sending in responses to the question “Can you spot the defect(s)?” that accompanied this photo submitted by Dave Grudzinski (Advantage Home Inspections, Cranston, RI).

Answer submitted by Lawrence DiPetro, Wakefield, MA Regarding the water heater, the vent pipe should slope up (not down) at ¼-inch per foot per NFPA 54. The corrugated pipe used in the installation is not approved for venting gas appliances. Vent pipe must be single-wall sheet metal or double wall-(type B) vent pipe.

• Many jurisdictions no longer allow natural gas and oil appliances to vent into the same flue; thus, if the water heater has its own flue, it leaves the water heater orphaned. In my area, all masonry chimney flues must have a metal stainless steel liner. • It appears that the water heater is newer; in my area, new heaters must have a properly installed expansion tank. • (P.S. Dave Grudzinski finds some weird stuff.) H

Answer submitted by J.D. Grewell, Silver Spring, MD • Based on the stains, it appears the masonry chimney likely has some issues with condensation accumulation or prior seepage. • The CSST gas line has no apparent bonding (as is required in my area) and lacks proper support. • The vent pipe is not an approved material and is not on a positive pitch, thus it cannot function and likely is drafting into the home’s interior. I hope they had a carbon monoxide detector. • The hot feed appears to be undersized at only one-half inch and may be tubing rather than pipe. • The furnace (larger diameter, oil-type flue) enters the chimney flue at a lower elevation than the water heater.

23August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

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rivate wells and well pump systems are beyond the scope of many home inspectors, but we all should understand the basic science behind well pressure tanks and know how to recognize a short-cycle problem.

Loss of air cushion causes problems Problems occur when the system loses its air Water use triggers the system cushion. In systems with no bladder, air is When someone in the household draws simply lost through contact with the water, water, air expands in the tank, pushing more with the air cushion disappearing over a water out into the system. This reduces air period of several months. (Some systems pressure in the tank. As pressure in the tank have a floating disk that slows the loss of approaches 40 psi, the pump switches on, air.) Air loss can also occur with rubber refilling water in the tank and restoring the bladder systems when the bladder fails. air pressure. When the air is compressed to about 60 psi, the pump turns off. This opera- Because there’s less air in the tank, the tion allows the home’s water flow to remain system kicks in repeatedly whenever somealmost constant, as the 20 psi pressure one draws as little as a quart of water. The change is rarely noticeable. pressure switch clicks on-off on-off. The pump may also turn on and off. With the The pump is controlled by a pressure switch pressure fluctuating so quickly, noticeable located on the piping near the pressure changes occur in flow and pressure. tank. Systems typically run between 40 and 60 psi, but can be set to a higher or lower This “short-cycling” will damage the pump. pressure. Often, pressure is set with a If you run water during a home inspection simple spring and screw adjustment inside and notice any of these noises or quick varithe pressure switch housing. ations in pressure, you should note this as a potential issue to be evaluated by a special24

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

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Some shallow well systems have a “jet” pump that sits on top of the well casing, and some older systems have a deep well jet pump. These systems also rely on a pressure tank to even the water pressure and flow. In recent years, sophisticated systems have become available, providing a variablespeed pump to vary the flow of water; these eliminate the pressure tank or use a very small pressure tank. H

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25August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

Garden State Chapter Celebrates 30 Years of Excellence by Diana Moore, Affiliate Member Committee Chairperson, Garden State Chapter

t its June 2015 meeting, the Garden State Chapter of ASHI celebrated its 30-year anniversary during its biennial awards and installation-of-officers ceremony. Officially incorporated in June 1985, the Garden State chapter provides continuous service to home inspectors throughout New Jersey. The chapter offers quality continuing education, networking and marketing opportunities for home inspectors. In his address, incoming Garden State Chapter President Kevin Vargo said, “This chapter now has 30 years of history and experience in educating, supporting and helping home inspectors become leaders in their profession. The Garden State chapter has been cultivating inspectors and leaders for far longer than any other home inspector organization in the state.” Kevin previously served as chapter President (2007-2009), is a recipient of the chapter’s President’s Award, is the current chair of the Complaints Committee–Ethics and is a recipient of the prestigious John Cox Award. In addition to installing the chapter President, the Garden State Chapter also installed the rest of its incoming board members. The board thanked the outgoing officers and directors for their service and presented them with plaques in appreciation. In his remarks, Chapter President Jason Mitchell thanked the outgoing board members for their work in their terms of office and presented this year’s President’s Award to Dominick Laurita. This award is presented to a chapter member who has performed exceptional service to the chapter. Jason Mitchell stated, “While dealing with a number of personal issues, Dom has always gotten the job done. He has been a dependable, hard-working member of the board and is always willing to help.” Dom served as Director of Education for the chapter and will now assume the position of Vice President. Congratulations, Garden State Chapter, on 30 years of outstanding service to home inspectors throughout New Jersey! H Left to Right: Active Past Chapter Presidents Bret Kaufmann, Jason Mitchell, Joe Corsetto, Pete Engle, Ernie Borsellino, Dave Whittle, Kevin Vargo, Robert Fico, Sergio Angione (Ken Salvo is not pictured).

Safety Harbor for the 2015 FABI Summer Conference

ASHI & CREIA Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter’s June 26-27 Certified Residential Thermographer Seminar With Monroe Infrared Technology

eft to Right: Larry Cerro, ASHI Secretary, Robert Dees, FABI President; and Randy Sipe, ASHI President-Elect. H

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

ertified Residential Thermographer Seminar with Monroe Infrared Technology at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Canoga Park, CA. Twenty-four members attended with instructor Mr. Bill Fabian. H

27August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

New ASHI Associates

New ASHI Inspectors

As of June 1, 2015.

H Denotes graduate of The ASHI School Michael Triplett

JOTA Consulting LLC Conway, AR

Same Day Inspectors LLC Miami, FL

St. Louis, MO

Jack Fernstrum

Jeffrey Gunter

Jack's Home Inspections, LLC Scottsdale, AZ

Cumming, GA

Robert Burdick BurCan Dynamics Chandler, AZ

Elite Spec Home Inspections LLC Buford, GA

Michael Marsh

Mac Van Pelt

Buyers Protection Group Carmichael, CA

Lisa Yetter

American Visions LLC Adel, IA

Patrick Foran

Yetter Inspection Services North Hollywood, CA

Home Pro Services, Inc. Skokie, IL

Dale Bensel

Paul Ragano

Dale Bensel Home Inspections Palm Springs, CA

P.I. Inspections Chicago, IL

Mark Pavelich

Richard Stevens

Pavelich Property Inspections Fresno, CA

Iron Gate Inspection Services Lebanon, IN

Karim Younes

Joseph Aiello

Pillar to Post Menlo Park, CA

I-Spy Home Inspection Winthrop, MA

Derek Rogers

Matthew Bagby

Avalon Inspection Service Camarillo, CA

Albun Inspections Frederick, MD

H David Yanushonis

Stacy Link

Arvada, CO

H Jacob Wilcox Arvada, CO

H Michael Griess Cornerstone Home Inspections, LLC Littleton, CO

Strongest Link Home Inspections, LLC Sykesville, MD

Jarrod McGill True Sight Home Inspections Crystal, MN

David Lillback

H George Klapac

Pro Serv Home Inspection LLC Monticello, MN

H Matthew Varney

Brandon Capelle

Colorado Springs, CO Pueblo, CO

Daniel Liegghio Colorado Springs, CO

Ed Bergin AAA Pex Property Maintenance LLC Aurora, CO

H Deahn Hendrixson Lakewood, CO

H Michael Fiola St. Petersburg, FL

Ken Egan Pillar to Post Naples, FL

David Sturman Malachi Construction, Inc. Fort Myers, FL

Darrin Hill

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

Richfield, MN

Kyle Montgomery Absolute Home Inspection Services St. Charles, MO

H Cody Halfacre Hazelwood, MO

H Leagh Dement Warrenton, MO

James Cannon Cannon Certified Inspections Incorporated Pleasant Hill, MO

Todd Kleinheider Buyers Protection Group O‘Fallon, MO

Chris Kaemmerer Kaemerco Home Inspections Lake St. Louis, MO

ASHI Chapter Education

As of June 1, 2015

Mario Garcia, Jr.

Joe Taylor

New ASHI Certified Home Inspectors

Michael Griewing Inspection Pros of St. Louis LLC St. Louis, MO

H Michael

Schallenberger

Brian Weischedel East Penn Home Inspection, LLC Harleysville, PA

Michael Watson Pillar to Post Pittsburgh, PA Pillar To Post Mount Pleasant, SC

Dan McCormick

TNT Home Inspections Dallas, TX

Edward Hansalik Sugar Hill, NH

Michael Valtierra

Clark Covey

Raymond Olivier Peace of Mind Home Inspection Pembroke, NH

Pillar to Post Clinton, UT

Victor Walsh

Blaise Ingrisano

Logan, UT

A-Pro Nesconset, NY

Jeremiah Sargent US Inspect North Chesterfield, VA

Professional Property Inspections, LLC Yorkville, NY

Austen Jordan

Paul Chow

Raymond Montminy

STONETOWER Home Inspection Services Rego Park, NY

Moshe Lapchinsky

Nshore Home Services Chesapeake, VA GHI Springfield, VA

Adam Comeau

Inspector Guy, LLC Monsey, NY

Final Analysis Property Inspection Virginia Beach, VA

David Millard

Shawn McQuiston

Millard Home Inspections LLC Louisville, OH

Geoff Duncan Choice Home Inspection Services Stow, OH

Charles Wolfe

Maple Valley, WA

H Jenny Dailey Seattle, WA

Dan Moore Homesweet Inspection Seattle, WA

American Home Consultants Coolville, OH

Bran Meade

Kevin Miller

Matthew Van Cleave

Seattle, WA

Rainier, OR

Vancouver , WA

Bruce Smith

Eric Johnson

Neighbor's Home Inspection LLC East McKeesport, PA

Pillar to Post Seattle, WA

E. Patrick Joseph

JL Smith Home Inspections Fall City, WA

Essential Home Inspections Bridgeville, PA

Andrew Cohen Resource Home Inspection Services, LLC Murrysville, PA

INSPECTOR Myers Todd First Rate Inspections Trenton, OH

To submit your materials for moving up, please contact Janet George at 847-954-3180 or janetg@ashi.org

Covey Inspection Services, PLLC Flower Mound, TX

H Ryan Asmussen

Michael Loiacano

Black Dog Home Inspections, LLC Martinsville, IN

Sam Leslie

American Property Inspections Billings, MT Eagle View Property Inspections Fort Harrison, MT

Alvey Gary

James Smith

LaPlante Gilles Waasis, NB, Canada

Glenn Crowl

H. Tyler Mahley

Home Inspections LLC Prescott Valley, AZ

BPG St. Louis, MO

Paul Breitkopf

Alex Marrufo

BPG Inspections Alameda, CA

AmeriSpec Albuquerque, NM

Margaret Conable

Frank Kishel

Elm City Home Inspections LLC New Haven, CT

ABI Inspections LLC Boardman, OH

Joshua Allen

Mark Hill

Allen Home Inspections Dayton, OH

Allview Home Inspections, LLC Marietta, GA

Adam Goldner WoodArts, LLC Atlanta, GA

Steve Gregory Gregory Enterprises, LLC dba NPI Floyd, VA

Keith Proctor Central Missouri Home Inspections LLC Columbia, MO

HURRY! If you haven’t voted on the proposed Bylaw concerning reducing the size of the ASHI Board of Directors, you still have a few days.

To have your chapter seminar listed in this section: Email all information about your chapter seminar to micheleg@ashi.org.

You should have received an email with a link to voting. If you haven’t, it may have gone to your spam/junk file.

Information also will be picked up from CE applications.

If you’d like to review what the Bylaw change is, go to Page 7 of the July 2015 ASHI Reporter. Whatever you decide, please vote. This is YOUR association and YOU decide how it’s run. Thank you!

Be sure to include all information: when, where, CEUs & a link for more information or contact information.

Southeastern Inspectors Conference

ASHI Great Lakes Chapter Fall Conference

When: September 9-13, 2015 Where: Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA CEUs: Earn 20 ASHI CEs Radon Certification: 16 ASHI CEs Thermal Imaging: 16 ASHI CEs Mold Sampling and Protocols for Inspectors: 8 ASHI CEs 7 Surprisingly Simple Ways to

When: September 25-26 Where: Holiday Inn 17201 Northline Road Southgate, MI Contact: carol@greatinspectors.com 734-283-4400

get More Business: 8 ASHI CEs Contact: Shannon Cory, shannon1943@comcast.net www.sehomeinspector conference.com

New York Metro Annual Seminar 2015 When: September 11-12, 2015 Where: DoubleTree Hotel 455 South Broadway Tarrytown, NY 10591 CEUs: 16 ASHI CEs Contact: Vic Faggella vjf@centurion-inspections.com www.nyashi.com

ASHI New England 266 CMR 6.00 Standard of Practice When: September 14-15, 2015 CEUs: 4 ASHI CEs Contact: rmulloy@verizon.net

Great Plains Chapter Annual Fall Seminar When: September 18 - 19, 2015 Where: Great Wolf Lodge 10401 Cabela Dr. Kansas City, KS 66111 CEUs: Earn 16 ASHI CEs Contact: www.ashikc.com

Tri-State ASHI Conference When: October 9, 2015 Where: Temple University Ambler Campus Learning Center 580 Meetinghouse Road Ambler, PA 19002 CEUs: 8 ASHI CEs Contact: www.tristateashi.org

Keystone ASHI Inspection Seminar When: October 30 - 31, 2015 Where: Crowne Plaza Reading 1741 Papermill Road Reading, PA 19601 CEUs: 16 ASHI CEs Contact: dave@thehomeinspecto rinc.com

Mid-Missouri ASHI Chapter Educational Seminar

When: November 6, 2015 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Where: Columbia Board of Realtors Office Columbia, MO CEUs: 8 ASHI CEs Contact: www.midmoashi.com

Saturday, June 20, had a new (first-time) “Home Maintenance 2” class for 10 Habitat for Humanity-Northern Fox Valley volunteers and home recipients, in Elgin, IL. Lasted over two hours, lots of discussion and questions! Each attendee received a copy of Tom Feiza's How To Operate Your Home. Jack Fehlandt ASHI Retired Member

29August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

ASHI Chapters Find the Chapter Nearest You and Join Today

NORTH CENTRAL ASHI Central PA

www.ashicentralpa.com Second Monday, 6 pm, except Jan. & July, Bonanza Steak House, Walnut Bottom Rd., Carlisle William Weitzel, 717-919-5087 bill@centralhomeinspections.com

Keystone (PA)

www.keystoneashi.org First Monday, 5:30 pm The Crowne Plaza, Reading David Artigliere, 610-220-1907 artihi@gmail.com

Ohio

www.ohioashi.com Howard Snyder, 330-929-5239 ohashi@neo.rr.com

North Central Ohio

www.ncohioashi.com William Stone, 216 308-9663 wstonehomeinspection@gmail.com

Pocono-Lehigh (PA)

www.pocono-lehighashi.org Third Tuesday, Tannersville Inn, Tannersville Ronald Crescente, 570-646-7546 amerispec@pa.metrocast.net

PRO ASHI (PA)

www.proashi.com Second Wednesday of Jan., March, May, July & Nov. John Fleenor, 412-862-1443 jthefleenor@gmail.com

Tri-State (DE, NJ, PA)

www.tristateashi.org Second Tuesday except April, Aug. & Dec., Dave & Buster's Plymouth Meeting, PA Vince Tecca 215-527-5710 bioainsp@aol.com

MIDWEST Central Illinois

www.cicashi.com Second Monday, 6 pm Kevan Zinn, 309-262-5006 info@inspectwithzinn.com

www.ashiheartland.com Reuben Saltzman, 612-205-5600 info@ash.heartland.org

Indiana ASHI

www.inashi.com Quarterly Danny Maynard, 317-319-7209 danny@inspectinc.net

Iowa ASHI

www.iowaashichapter.org Fourth Tuesday, 5:30 pm Clarion Inn, Cedar Rapids Mike Tomash, 319-310-1557 tomashprohome@mchsi.com

Kentuckiana (IN, KY)

www.ashikentuckiana.org Allan Davis, 502-648-9294 elitehomeinspections@ insightbb.com

Mid-Missouri

www.midmoashi.com Second Thursday, 12:00 pm Even months of the year. Columbia Board of Realtors office. 2309 I-70 Drive NW Columbia, MO Stuart Spradling, 573-874-9797 Stuart@SpradlingInspections.com

Northern Illinois

www.nicashi.com Second Wednesday, 5:30 pm Associate Corner Dinner, 6:30 pm Main Presentation, 7:00 pm Crazypour,105 E. North Ave. Villa Park, IL Steve Reilly, 630-248-6500 owlinspection@comcast.net

SOUTH MIDWEST Arkansas Richard Kirkman, 501-327-9794 homeinspectionplus@conwaycorp. net

Great Plains (KS, MO)

www.ashikc.org Second Wednesday of even months, The Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City Miki Mertz, 913-268-0222 mikimertz@aol.com

Midwest PRO ASHI (KS)

MOUNTAIN www.azashi.org Tony Hecht, 480-507-0837 tony@tonyhecht.com

New Mexico

Oregon

Arizona

First Saturday, 10 am Charles Smith, 505-670-4442 prevuesf@gmail.com

Northern Colorado

www.ncc-ashi.org Second Thursday, 6:30 pm Fairfield Inn, Loveland Chris Elliott, 970-567-7393 chris@homelandinspectionservices. com

Northern Rockies (ID, MT) Lamar Rase, 406-531-4848 completehomeinspectionsinc@ msn.com

Rocky Mountain Fourth Tuesday, 6:30 pm Kathleen Barbee, 303-646-3413 info@ab-inspections.com

Southern Colorado

www.ashi-southerncolorado.org Second Thursday, 6:30 pm Valley Hi Golf Club, Colo. Springs Mike Meyer, 719-686-8282 mikehome07@msn.com

Utah

www.ashiutah.com First Tuesday, 7 pm Marie Callender’s, Midvale Fred Larsen, 801-201-9583 Fred.larsen@pillartopost.com

PACIFIC Alaska Second Thursday, Jitters Coffee House, Eagle River Jim Foss, 907-522-2378 jim@inspectbest.com

ASHI Hawaii

www.ashihawaii.com Alex Woodbury, 808-322-5174 Woodburya001@hawaii.rr.com

California

Jack Koelling, 316-744-9990 jackkoelling@cox.net

Randy Pierson, 310-265-0833 randy@southbayinspector.com

For monthly meetings: www.greatinspectors.com/ schedule-of-events/ Carol Case, 734-284-4501 carol@greatinspectors.com

St. Louis (MO)

Central Valley CREIA-ASHI

www.ashiomaha.com Rick Crnkovich, 402-779-2529 Rick2@cox.net

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

www.stlashi.org Second Tuesday, 6:30 pm Spazio’s at Westport Frank Copanas, 314-456-0783 Acropolis-inspection@live.com

Orange County CREIA-ASHI (CA) Third Monday, 5:30 pm Hometown Buffet, 2321 S. Bristol, Santa Ana Ralph Bertke, 714-317-3792 ralphbertke@msn.com

Great Lakes (IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI)

Greater Omaha (NE)

Heartland (IA, MN, ND, SD, WI)

Chapter meetings and contacts are subject to change. Please contact the chapter to confirm meeting time and location.

Peter Boyd, 530-673-5800 Boyd.p@comcast.net

Golden Gate (CA)

www.ggashi.com John Fryer, 510-682-4908 johnfryer@gmail.com

www.oahi.org Fourth Tuesday, 6:30 pm 4534 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Portland Ken Meyer, 503-997-4120 kmpdx@easystreet.net

San Diego CREIA-ASHI First Tuesday each month Dave and Buster's, San Diego Sean Blasius, 619-804-8111 sean@bestpropertyinspections.com

San Joaquin Valley (CA) Third Tuesday, 6 pm Rice Bowl, Bakersfield, CA Sam Jabuka, 661-664-8629 jabuka@sbcglobal.net

Silicon Valley ASHI-CREIA (CA)

www.siliconvalleyinspector.com Felix A. Pena, 510-573-0367 homesavvyinspections@comcast.net

NEW ENGLAND/CANADA British Columbia

www.cahpi.bc.ca Gary Poirer, 604-220-0305 gary@walkaboutinspections.com

CAHPI Atlantic

www.cahpi-alt.com Blaine Swan, 902-890-0710 goodeyeinspections@gmail.com

CAHPI Ontario

www.oahi.com Donald Beneteau, 519-995-0235 don@beneteauinspections.com

Central New York

www.cnyashi.com Second Wednesday, 6 pm, Tony’s Family Restaurant, Syracuse Peter Apgar, 315-278-3143 peter@craftsmanhomeinspection. net

First State (DE)

www.firststateashi.org Third Wednesday, 7 pm The Buzz Ware Center, 2121 The Highway, Arden Mark Desmond, 302-494-1294 mark@delvalleyhome.com

Coastal Connecticut www.coastalctashi.org Third Thursday, 6 pm, Westport VFW Lodge, 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport Gene Autore, 203-216-2516 gene.autore@gmail.com

Garden State (NJ)

New England (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

www.ashirochester.com Second Tuesday, 6 pm, Murph’s Irondequoit Pub, Irondequoit John White, 585-431-0067 john@iihomeinspections.com

www.ashinewengland.org Fourth Thursday, 5 pm The Lantana, Randoph, MA Michael Atwell, 617-630-5629 mike@jmhi.com

www.gardenstateashi.com Second Thursday, The Westwood, Garwood Bret Kaufmann, 973-377-4747 bretkaufmann@optonline.net

Greater Rochester (NY)

Hudson Valley (NY)

www.nnec-ashi.org Bob McDonald, 207-475-7758 omnispect@gmail.com

SecondTuesday, 6 pm, Daddy O’s Restaurant 3 Turner Street Hopewell Junction, NY 12533 Michael Skok, 845-592-1442 ashistatewide@yahoo.com

Second Tuesday, 6 pm Old Spaghetti Factory, Duarte Larry Habben, 714-685-0321 habbenshome@earthlink.net

Prairies (Alberta) (CAHI)

Long Island (NY)

Los Angeles-Ventura County ASHI-CREIA

Quebec AIBQ

Southwestern Idaho Second Monday David Reish, 208-941-5760 dave@antheminspections.com

Los Angeles-Greater San Gabriel Valley

First Thursday, 5 pm Holiday Inn, Woodland Hills Bob Guyer, 805-501-0733 guyerinspections@roadrunner.com

South Bay (CA) Webinar meetings Randy Pierson, 310-265-0833 randy@southbayinspector.com

Western Washington

www.ashiww.com Michael Brisbin, 425-742-1735 seaviewinspections@comcast.net

Northern New England (ME, MA, NH, VT)

www.cahpi-ab.ca Bert Bruinsma, 403-348-5550 Red.deer@homealyze.com www.aibq.qc.ca Germain Frechette, 514-694-4350 Insp.glf@sympatico.ca

Southern New England (CT)

www.snecashi.org First Tuesdays, 6:30 pm Billy T’s, 150 Sebethe Dr. Cromwell, CT Richard W. Hall, 860-281-4238 rhall@usinspect.com

NEW YORK/JERSEY/ DELAWARE Capitol Region (NY)

www.goashi.com Third Thursday, 7 pm, Doratos Steakhouse and Pub, Guilderland Robert Davis, 518-885-7949 rdavis@home-inspection.com

www.liashi.com Third Monday, 6 pm, Domenico’s Restaurant, Levittown Steven Rosenbaum, 516-361-0658 inspector@optonline.net

New York Metro

www.nyashi.com Last Thursday, Eldorado West Restaurant-Diner, Tarrytown Raymond Perron, 914-329-2584 pres@nyashi.com

Southern New Jersey (NJ)

www.southernnjashi.com Third Wednesday, 6:30 pm Ramada Inn, Bordentown Rick Lobley, 609-208-9798 rick@doublecheckhi.com

Western New York Second Thursday, 6:30 pm Tony Rome’s West Seneca Andy Utnik, 716-636-9676 esimail@aol.com

MID-ATLANTIC

Inland Northwest (ID, WA)

Central Virginia

Chris Munro, 208-290-2472 chris@peakinspections.net

Continues top of next column ...

First Thursday, 6:30 pm, Independence Golf Club, Midlothian Ray McMurdy, 804-639-1171 ray@capitolinspections.com

Greater Baltimore (MD)

www.greaterbaltimoreashi.org Third Thursday except July & Aug., 6:30 pm, Snyder Willow Grove Restaurant, Linthicum Stephen R. Dallmus, 410-323-7600 dallmus2inspect@yahoo.com

Hampton Roads (VA) Second Thursday, 7 pm, Cypress Point Country Club, Virginia Beach Guillermo Hunt, 757-245-3100 huntshomeinspections@gmail.com

MAC-ASHI (MD, VA)

www.mac-ashi.com Second Wednesday, Rockville Senior Center, Rockville John Vaughn, 800-767-5904 John.vaughn@yahoo.com

NOVA-ASHI (MD, VA)

www.novaashi.com Fourth Tuesday, Associate hour 6-7 pm, Membership meeting 7-9 pm Northern Virginia Resources Center, Fairfax Ferando Barrientos 703-255-6622 fernando@abodecheck.com

Piedmont ASHI (VA) Robert Huntley, 540-354-2135 rwhuntley@cox.net

SOUTH ATLANTIC ASHI Georgia

www.ashigeorgia.com Gregg Allen, 770-745-7574 gregg@totalhomeinspections atlanta.com

East Tennessee

South Carolina First Saturday of Feb., May, Aug. & Nov., 8 am Roger Herdt, 843-669-3757 herdtworks@msn.com

GULF ASHI South (AL)

www.ashisouth.org Quarterly, Homewood Library, Homewood Derl Nelson, 205-529-1657 dbnelson@bellsouth.net

Central Florida

www.centralfloridaashi.org Second Tuesday, 6:30 pm Bill Labita, 407-977-9182 hbis@cfl.rr.com

FLASHI (FL) First Tuesday except July, 6 pm Golden China, 11112 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville David Sorge, 904-484-4847 safetekk@comcast.net

Florida Wiregrass

www.ashiwiregrass.org Second Wednesday, 6:30 pm Hyundai of Wesley Chapel Nancy Janosz, 813-546-6090 ProTeamInsp@aol.com

Gulfcoast (FL) First Thursday, 7 pm, The Forest Country Club, Fort Myers Len Gluckstal, 239-432-0178 goldenrulehi@comcast.net

Gulfstream (FL) Ralph Cabal, 305-256-7369 info@cabalinspections.com

Lone Star (TX)

www.ashitexas.org Craig Lemmon, 817-291-9056 craig@reioftexas.com

www.etashi.org Third Saturday of Feb., May, Aug. and Nov. Paul Perry, 866-522-7708 cio@frontiernet.net

Louisiana

Mid-Tennessee

Suncoast (FL)

Ray Baird, 615-371-5888 bairdr@comcast.net

Quarterly Michael Burroughs, 318-324-0661 Mburroughs2@comcast.net

Steven Campbell, 901-734-0555 steve@memphisinspections.com

www.ashisuncoast.com First Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Please see our website for meeting locations. Steve Acker, 727-712-3089 steve@buyersally.com

North Carolina

Southwest Florida

Mid-South (TN)

www.ncashi.com Third Wednesday, 3 pm, Quality Inn at Guilford Convention Center, Greensboro Larry Conway, 336-669-0679 ncashi@triad.rr.com

www.swashi.com Second Wednesday, 6 pm Holiday Inn, Lakewood Ranch 6321 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota Michael Meesit, 941-321-6962 mike@acu-spect.com

www.cvashi.org

31August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

Renew Your ASHI Membership Same membership rates as last year – no increase

For Your Business, Your Career

CURRENT ASHI MEMBERSHIP

Questions? The ASHI staff welcomes your questions and comments at 847-759-2820 or hq@ashi.org.

ASHI Certified Inspectors: 3,359 Inspectors/Logo: 108 Associates: 1,826 Retired Members: 90 Affiliates: 73 TOTAL: 5,513 Members as of 7/11/2015

ASHI Event Calendar

October 22-24, 2015 LTC and ASHI Board Meetings Des Plaines, IL

January 24-27, 2016 InspectionWorld® and ASHI Board Meetings San Diego, CA

Membership benefits & value

ASHI-ENDORSED MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT PROGRAMS  You may now pay your ASHI dues on a monthly basis.

 ASHI’s Online Marketplace offers great deals on marketing publications,

• You just click on the link in the email you received on July 7 • You’ll have 12 low payments • You’ll have better cash flow

technical information and more for your home inspection business.

 Special ASHI member rates on Errors & Omissions Insurance (E&O) and

 Listing on the ASHI Find an Inspector section of the website. Homeowners, homebuyers and real estate professionals rely on the ASHI Find an Inspector function to find an inspector in their area. Did you know that one or two inspections from the Find an Inspector tool will pay for your membership?

prepaid legal services program, from ASHI’s endorsed providers.

 Member rate at InspectionWorld® 2016 in San Diego. Look for up-to-date state approvals for courses and more information at www.inspectionworld.org.

 ASHI’s public relations program provides millions of potential readers

 ASHI’s Standard of Practice and Code of Ethics are nationally

with information about ASHI.

recognized as the standard for home inspection.

 ASHI is the only association for home inspectors accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, which allows ASHI Certified Inspectors to use the ACI designation.

 Free, online inspector education. The Online Learning Center covers the core subjects of ASHI’s Standards of Practice. Each module includes dynamic exercises and a comprehensive exam. Some modules are state approved.

 A one-year subscription to the ASHI Reporter print magazine and

A Community of Successful Professionals  ASHI Chapters offer technical education, marketing and business-building tips, networking opportunities and camaraderie.

 Use ASHI’s social media — Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn — to obtain and share information and experiences with other inspectors from around the country.

access to the ASHI Reporter online (www.ashireporter.org), which includes more than 10 years of archived issues.

JULY ANNIVERSARIES Thirty Years Danny Maynard

Twenty-five Years Ronald Hamblin Daniel Blum Stephen Pelle

Twenty Years

Steven Acker Peter Engle Scott Benkert David Bunker Ronald Meely Daniel Merrion

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

Alan Chase Kim Coman David Venable Dan Jones Rob Schwindt Michael Connolly Melvin Jacobs

Ten Years

Dan Meyers Thomas Recke Daniel Whiteknact Greg Shawn Jim Kasterko Drew Gordon Michael Myers

Five Years

Bill Compton Malcolm Hund John Bowley Tim Krof Gary Cuchna Stephen Gaudet Corey DePenning Joseph Brandli Doug Thomas William Henning Jay Hensleigh Thomas Perez Michael Bender Brian Cogley Wendell Montgomery

ASHI’s E&O Insurance Program: Business Risk Partners (BRP) www.inspectorinsurance.com 866-268-1327 ASHI Personal Lines Insurance Program: Liberty Mutual www.libertymutual.com/ashi ASHI Service Program BuildFax Tricia Julian, 877-600-BFAX x161 TJulian@BuildFax.com www.buildfax.com http://go.buildfax.com/ASHI ASHI Customer Appreciation Program: Moverthankyou.com Brent Skidmore, 864-386-2763 www.moverthankyou.com Brent@POWRsoft.com HomeAdvisor.com Brett Symes, 913-529-2683 www.homeadvisor.com ashi@homeadvisor.com LegalShield Joan Buckner, 505-821-3971 buckner.legalshieldassociate.com buckner@legalshieldassociate.com InspectionContracts.com Dave Goldstein, 800-882-6242 www.inspectioncontracts.com david@inspectoreducation.com OneSource Solutions 877-274-8632 http://www.osconnects.com/ashi/ Porch.com Eliab Sisay, 206-218-3920 www.porch.com Eliab@porch.com

ASHI Rebate Program Quill.com Dana Fishman, 800-634-0320 x1417 www.quill.com/ashi dana.fishman@quill.com Platinum Provider Millionaire Inspector Community Mike Crow www.mikecrow.com dreamtime@mikecrow.com Mention that you are an ASHI member ASHI-ENDORSED Exams ASHI Standard and Ethics Education Module Go to www.homeinspector.org, click on Education and Training, then click on the link for the ASHI Standard of Practice Education Module. NHIE Exam: 847-298-7750 www.homeinspectionexam.org ASHI-Endorsed Training Programs ASHI@Home Training System 800-268-7070 education@carsondunlop.com The ASHI School Kendra Eiermann, 888-884-0440 kendra@theashischool.com www.TheASHISchool.com

ASHI Council of Representatives Speakers and Group Leaders Speaker: Jim Funkhouser 571-214-4039 jfunkhousr@aol.com

South Atlantic

Alternate Speaker: John Wessling St. Louis, MO 314-520-1103 John@wesslinginspections.com

Gulf

Secretary: Brendan Ryan 724-898-1414 brendan@csahomeinspection.com

Paul MacNeill 314-392-9313 paul@appleinspections. com

Group Leaders

New England/ Canada Mike Atwell 617-285-8554 mike@jmhi.com

New York/New Jersey Jerry Sanangini 856-232-6607 jsantangini@comcast.net

Mid-Atlantic

Richard Hart 770-827-2200 ashi1@comcast.net John Knudsen 334-221-0876 jgknudsen111@elmore. rr.com

South Midwest

North Central Brendan Ryan 724-898-1414 brendan@csahomeinspection.com

Mountain Marcus Richter 520-271-8582 info@handsonhome inspection.com

Pacific Scott Swickard 949-454-1389 scott@inspectoc.com

Jim Funkhouser 571-214-4039 jfunkhousr@aol.com

Midwest Michael J. Von Gunten 262-945-2446 mike@ashigroup.com

33August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

NEW POSTCARDS EMAIL!! Please send your name, city, state, photos, headings & captions to: postcards@ashi.org

444 Preparing for an IRS Audit

At Least They Installed the Cleanout in a Convenient Location.

I Spy With my Eagle Eye … … potential fatalities for the homeowner. This was easy to miss at first glance.

Daniel Land Land Made LLC Bethel, CT

James Foss Foss Home Inspections Hancock, MI

Advancing Your Career With the ASHI School Program By The ASHI School Staff

Q. Why is The ASHI School the leader in home inspection education and training?

Apparently, Someone Can't Read …

I Sure Hope This PRV Never Gets Activated

… the tag on the can light telling the installer not to install in direct contact with insulation due to fire safety concerns.

Clear regular 3/8" plastic tubing, melting time a few seconds. Norman Bodewig Accu-Rate Home Inspections Tierra Verde, FL

Matthew Steger WIN Home Inspection Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, PA

Caulk Fixes Everything.

More is Better “Dang? Used a whole tube of caulk and it still leaks!” Ken Meyer Portico Home Inspection LLC Portland, OR

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

“Well, that was the last shim. It'll have to do”

Ken Meyer Portico Home Inspection LLC Portland,OR

A. Best known for its pre-license home inspection courses, The ASHI School incorporates the very best instructors from across the country to achieve a reputation of excellence in education. Furthermore, the school offers other ancillary courses to assist home inspectors who want to further their careers and, in turn, achieve greater success in this competitive field of study. Currently, the school offers three additional classes: MOLD – Healthy Environmental Living Program (HELP) Infrared (IR) Thermography and Commercial Inspections. MOLD – Healthy Environmental Living Program (HELP) This 12- to 18-hour class is based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and covers basic material and more to provide students with an advanced understanding of mold and mildew, with an emphasis on identifying the presence of mold in buildings. Covering the latest in mold-sampling techniques and mold remediation, the course teaches the student about the impact of water intrusion within a building. A supplementary class on proper mold cleaning is also available. Infrared (IR) Thermography The two-day IR Thermography course is designed to instruct the professional home inspector in the practice of thermography, which is the study of heat distribution in structures or regions. Training includes infrared fundamentals, infrared camera operation, thermal science and heat transfer. Attendees learn how to create professional IR thermography reports through image interpretation and the use of correct terminology.

Commercial Inspections Our three-day Commercial Inspections Class, taught by Richard Weldon, P.E., is always well attended and highly acclaimed. This class offers an opportunity to diversify your home inspection business and generate up to 80% more revenue than residential inspection in the same amount of time. You will learn how to get into the commercial inspection business. We will cover everything from business practices to technical inspection, with special emphasis on using the “team approach” for commercial inspections. You will learn where and when a consultant is required, and how to find and work with consultants. As the home inspection industry expands and becomes more diverse in its application, The ASHI School will continue to be the frontrunner in education and training. H UPCOMING PRE-LICENSE HOME INSPECTION CLASSES August 24-September 4, 2015 • Cypress, CA September 14-25, 2015 • Lakewood, CO • Des Plaines, IL • St. Louis, MO • Cincinnati, OH • Leesburg, VA September 21-October 2, 2015 • Cumming, GA • Tampa, FL ADDITIONAL CLASSES OFFERED BY THE ASHI SCHOOL MOLD – Healthy Environmental Living Program (2-day class) • September 26-27, 2015 – Des Plaines, IL Commercial Inspections (3-day class) • October 24-26, 2015 – Des Plaines, IL • January 28-31, 2016 – San Diego, CA

35August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

Here’s a Novel Approach to Keeping Mice out of the Attic.

Help Your Customers and Boost Your Business If Your AC Overheats, Plug in a fan.

Throw the book at ’em!

An outlet installed in an A/C disconnect. Michael Chambers The BrickKicker of St. Louis St Louis, MO

Larry Brooks Alatech Home Inspection Service Alexandria, AL

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Fuel Source? Check. Ignition Source? Check. Ready? 3-2-1 FIRE! Jay Hensleigh Associated Master Inspectors Hillsboro, OR

They Aren’t Even Pretty!

Dave Grudzinski Advantage Home Inspection Cranston, RI

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

When you Want Warm, Moist Mail

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GOT POSTCARDS?

We‘d love to share them! Please send your 1. name, 2. company, 3. city, 4. state, 5. photos, 6. headings & 7. captions to postcards@ashi.org

37August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

By ASHI President, Alden Gibson

arlier this year, we selected the speakers for the upcoming San Diego InspectionWorld® conference. The conference will be held January 24-27, 2016. We selected 45 speakers whose topics fit into the following five tracks: - - - - -

Essential Track Advanced Learning Environmental Track Specialty Diversification Business Management

The Essential Track is aimed at new inspectors, while the Advanced Learning and Building Science and Structure tracks cater to more experienced inspectors. Information about additional services (for example, radon, decks and pools) are a part of the Specialty Diversification track. The Business Management track is a must for all inspectors. Learning the ins and outs of home inspection is only a part of the overall business. Managing the business is also required and this track helps outline what is required to make the business successful. Another highlight of InspectionWorld® is having the opportunity

to learn about new products and materials that are coming to the market. Some of these products fail from time to time, resulting in multimillion-dollar lawsuits. InspectionWorld® brings this type of information to light.

From time to time, I’ve heard that some new inspectors find the cost of InspectionWorld too expensive. My advice for new inspectors is that the information and contacts you will gain make InspectionWorld® well worth the cost — this is a conference that inspectors should include in their business plan.

he conference provides an opportunity to obtain the mandatory continuing education credits and, with the diverse educational tracks included in the conference, there’s a wealth of information to help new inspectors achieve success. As an added benefit, the weather in San Diego is fantastic! Consider going out to California a little early and make it a combined business-pleasure opportunity by enjoying some of San Diego’s features and landscape. In addition to the educational opportunities at InspectionWorld, this year ASHI is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Last year, 850 inspectors attended InspectionWorld in Philadelphia. Let’s make the 40th anniversary celebration one to remember and see if at least 1,000 inspectors attend InspectionWorld in San Diego. Come and be a part of “40 Years of Trust.” See you there. H

SAVE THE DATE • January 24-27, 2016 Join us in the celebration as ASHI marks 40 years as a leader in the home inspection industry.

ASHI’s annual meeting and the largest education conference and expo for professional home inspectors. > Over 45 expertly led educational sessions > Popular networking and social events > Exhibits providing the latest information on tools and technology > Earn 20 ASHI CEs, state CEs and many industry association credits Town and Country Resort, San Diego www.towncountry.com Room rate $148/night (taxes not included) WiFi included. Parking $5/day. Reservation site: https://aws.passkey.com/event/13855072/owner/27934/home

Conference registration begins September 1, 2015 A special raffle will be held October 1 when five lucky registrants will receive complimentary registration to InspectionWorld San Diego.

ASHI Reporter • August 2015

39August 2015

• www.ASHIReporter.org

ASHI Reporter â&#x20AC;˘ August 2015