Hey Bob,
Jees, I can’t remember who is the home inspector, Hartman right?
Whom ever………Can you tell me how to find a certified Home Inspector in a given local?
Before I Google and look through 10,000 hits I was hoping you or someone else could point me in the right direction.
I say certified because that is what I keep reading, I need an unbiased second and expert opinion (at least as good as mine) on a property DW and I are looking at.
Thanks for your help.
Eric
Replies
On second thought, I think it's Bob Walker. Are ya out there Bob?
Eric
Duh! and it's Bill Hartman, not Bob!
Edited 4/6/2004 9:05 pm ET by firebird
It is Bob Walker that is the home inspector.
Now I am trying to figure out if we have both be insulted or both been complimented <G>.
Bill,
That depends.........
Thanks for the respoce though.
Eric
You probably will want an inspector who is ASHI (american society of home inspectors) credentialed (sp). Try to call and talk to the inspector and see if both of you are on the same wave length. Try to get recommendations, there are a lot of bums out there.
Timh Former home insp.
I don't know anyone personally in your area to recommend, but that's the part of the country the industry started in.
The ASHI site has a locate an inspector, and as someonme mentioned, talk to some inspectors to get a feeling for their experience, their communication skills and the type of report they use.
IMO, ASHI membership is the most useful indication of qualification. Any other "certification" generally is self-adopted or awarded from some instant wonder HI school.
Tell the HI the neighborhood the house is in and its age and ask him/her what they expect in that area -type of house, type of construction, typical problems around there.
IMO, a good, experienced home inspector is going to have some idea of what to expect in a given neighborhood and age of home for the region you're in and should feeel comfortable making some educated guesses: "Around there I'd expect to find a two story dutch colonial type with a full basement and because the soil has high clay around there, we might see more cracks than some other areas in the foundation, which is likely to be the split-face block that kind of looks like quarried stone if you squint from a distnace during a lunar eclipse.... The electrical around there is probably going to be 100 or 150 Amp. and so on"
Remember that HI's are generalists, rather than experts, more like family doctors than brain surgeons.
Each inspector is going to have some areas they're particularly experienced in, through, so you might want to look for one to complement your own strengths - say your strong on framing and roofing, but a bit uncomfortable with electrical nad heating - consider looking for someone who expreses particular confidence in those areas.
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Thanks a lot Bob.
I will look on the ASHI site for someone in the area.
Remember that HI's are generalists, rather than experts, more like family doctors than brain surgeons
So who would qualify as an expert. I feel I would for the most part, but I need to back up my opinions to others and then of course there is the bank as well.
Thanks again......
Eric
Edited 4/7/2004 7:44 am ET by firebird