A chatfireside with

Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME A HOME INSPECTOR?

A: It’s was a long path. I was in construction in New York City for 20 years. You talk about hustle and grind, and that’s what it’s all about. I was killing myself down there, then I was coming home and doing construction on the side just to make ends meet for my family.

And I got burnt out; I truly did. And one night, I was sitting at home and my cousin called me and told me he just had his house inspected, and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I stayed up all night and found the best school in the country called AHIT (American Home Inspectors Training) and I signed up.

It was three weeks long, and I went into work the next day and told my boss I wanted three weeks off. He said “okay, fine, what’s this for?” And I said I was going to better educate myself. I didn’t tell him I was going to be a home inspector. Fast forward, I went to school, passed everything with flying colors, and then I started my new job. That was it. I got my first home inspection, and then I earned that trust. I started with one job and it went through the roof.

Q: HOW DID THAT TRANSITION INTO HGTV?

A: My brother is big on Instagram, and he kept telling me, “Joe, you gotta start posting, you gotta post. Start doing it.” So, I started doing it, and people started following me. They liked what I was doing, and my following got higher and higher.

Then I got an email from my now production company, telling me they had an opportunity and they had watched me on Instagram. “What do you think about a renovation show on a big network?” And I said okay.

So, they came to me and we talked about that, and I said, “Everyone is doing a renovation show on HGTV. Why don’t we do home inspection renovation?” And I went to the casting and went back and forth, and COVID hit and everything delayed, but I ended up here. We’re filming a lot now, and it’s a different path in life but an awesome one.

Q:

A: My clients trust me. They rely on me. They’re buying a house for their family and for their kids. When I pull up to a house, I'm inspecting this house as if I am moving my wife and daughter into it. So, I have to gain their trust.

For example, Gerber is a family company, it’s amazing, it’s what drives me to be here. So having a company be trustworthy means having a warranty behind it. If there’s no trust, there’s nothing there. It’s just like having a contractor.

If you’re going to be a tradesman, you have to build trust with your client, because you have the power to ruin their life. Don’t take their money, do the right thing, take your time, and build their trust. They’re counting on you. They’re spending a lot of money.