Beware of the vast differences in home inspectors. All have different levels of experience, professionalism, communciation skills and, of course the inspection & the format of the delivered report varies widely. HOUSEPROFessortm has put together what we feel to be important questions the Realtor and buyer should be asking: Is the inspector coming to your house a properly trained professional? It's hard to believe, but many firms don't use experienced individuals with a proper background and training. Richard Giltz, President of HOUSEPROFessor, has performed over 8,000 inspections since 1981. He has been a Building Maintenance Engineer for commercial property, a Property Manager, an Energy Consultant and a Real Estate Agent. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering and holds several licenses, including a Builder's License. Are inspections performed by a certified member of the American Society of Home Inspectors? Richard Giltz is a certified member of ASHItm. Strict certification and performance standards apply. (See the "qualifications" page of this site.) Ask any competitor if he is a certified member of ASHItm. Will the inspector go on the roof and into the crawlspace? Astonishingly, some inspectors refuse to go onto a roof or into a crawlspace, using instead binoculars. No roof or crawlspace can be properly evaluated without close-up inspection. Is the inspector a good communicator and not an alarmist? The ability to communicate information verbally and in report form is crucial. HOUSEPROFessor is not an alarmist. We deliver the information in a calm, clear and understandable fashion. Will the inspector give me cost estimates for repairs? Many inspectors shy away or refuse to give repair costs-- but isn't that vital information at this crucial time? HOUSEPROFessortm will give you contractor costs for repairs greater than $1,000. Will the inspector summarize, in writing at the end of the inspection, the repair priorities and evaluate/compare the home against similar aged homes? Many inspectors won't commit on repair priorities in writing, nor will they evaluate your home against similar aged homes-- even though this is what the buyer wants, and is exactly what HOUSEPROFessortm provides! Will the detailed report I receive be in a simple format that I can quickly and easily refer to? Big franchise companies may give you a 300 page report and/or a generic videotape. These reports can be technically oriented and deliver "canned" information which doesn't pertain to your property. This overwhelming information can sometimes scare the buyer by making it appear the property needs work when it doesn't. Of course, the buyer is paying for these expensive bells and whistles. With HOUSEPROFessortm, you get a short, on-the-spot report described in the previous question, followed up with a typed report. The typed report has a simple format: the discovered repair/replacement need is described, followed by the most likely solution. If the repair/replacement is greater than $1,000 then a contractor cost is given. Will the cost of the inspection be reasonable? A professional inspection will vary from $175 to $450 for most homes, so shop around but DO NOT COMPROMISE QUALITY. HOUSEPROFessortm inspections are fairly priced, ranging from $210 to $395 for most homes. Call us for an exact quote. Will the inspection company take on some real liability for missing something they should not have? Must I sign a limit of liability clause-- and what is that limit? Ask these questions and demand clear answers! Almost all inspection companies take on no liability or only up to the price of the inspection! This is grossly inadequate and all involved deserve better! This is why HOUSEPROFessortm extends $5,000 of liability on each inspection it performs (ASHItm standards of practice is used as the benchmark for this liability). HOUSEPROFessor tm is backed up further with a $1 Million dollar errors and omissions policy, which includes all real estate agents as co-insureds! HOUSEPROFessor 11852 Diehl Drive, Sterling Heights, MI 48313 Phone:(586)739-1909 Fax: (586)737-2800