Life before HI

[Gregory Scheer]

Hey thanks Jay.  I didn't go in to serving my country, but I sure came out having served!  If there is one thing I think the military gave me, it was a pride of having done something bigger than myself!

Oh and Greg, I'm soooo jealous, I want a cool lookin helmet like that!  lol

John,
Use your serve and the pride that you exhibit to your advantage as to why people should hire you. I added a Why Hire a Vet link to my site.  It may bring more calls--I've received one call purely based upon my service.  :-)  The helmet was like a fish bowl on my nugget--never suppose to "open up" at altitude but sometimes the nose itch is incredible, and one time I had a spider in there with me--no choice.

Jay, 100%.  We had to pre-breathe for an hour minimum (I liked 1:15) before takeoff to get the nitrogen levels in our body lower (preventing the bends when we ascended).  I sure do miss it.  I have some other pictures I'll post.  My call sign is Bubba-J (nickname I received from my fighter pilot brethren while stationed in Korea on the staff) and I have a Bubba-j.com web site.  It was vast a couple years ago but I took everything off but the home page--I'll add on again soon.

OAT was about -63C though in the desert it's really cold around 47,000 feet (-83C) and but the standard lapse rate doesn't apply as high as we fly.

Ahh, the life--I miss getting paid for sitting on my bum doing that.  Plus U-2 bubbas fly the T-38 nearly daily while back at the mother ship in CA.  And we drove fast cars (chase)!  But now is chapter two, and the story continues.

John, try to get into a realtor agency meeting as a guest speaker--most agencies have a meeting once a week where the broker/owner passes on info.  Take the time they give you and sell yourself--tell about your submariner days--you'll fascinate them and capture their business, or at least make them want to give you a chance.  Right now, without a referral database, I found the realtors give me business and the business they give me leads to more business (I'm still at the realtors give business stage myself).

[John Adrian Sopher]

I like the vet page idea!  I will look into that further.  And its free!!! 

About the presentation idea, I've already been gathering info.  I still need to spend time and put a presentation together.  But its in the works. 

Keeps these idea's coming,  I may have already thought about them, but you guys keep the fire lit under them!!! 

[Steven Turetsky]

Gregory and John,

I respect and value more than I can put into words my appreciation to those that have served to protect our marvelous country and our way of life. Because of people like you, my children can live in the greatest country on Earth.

As far as presenting to the realtors, I have a different view. When I first started inspecting, although I never went into a Real Estate office, I did stop by any open house I saw and introduced myself.

I almost always was asked... "are you a deal killer?"

Of course my answer was "no, but I am an honest inspector and report what I see."

I never got a call from them, and came to realize that RE Agents are looking for inspectors that will help SELL thier houses.

During one early inspection, I was challanged by the homeowner and her agent. They called in their own engineer. It was a very serious water problem. They told me he stated to them that "all they had to do was spread a little dirt to divert  the water."

I was present at the reinspection. I stayed out of the way but was asked to join in, so I did.

At first, the suger coating that was being spread was so sweet it would kill a diabetic!!!

I asked the other inspector if he had seen the entire property, because what he was suggesting would not work!

He stated "no", so I suggested he look around. Every time he passed an area, he missed many tell tale signs that told a complete story.

He entered the crawl space, I stayed behind, as I was already there and felt no need to crawl under the building again.

I left to smoke a cigarette. I was soon called back by his agent, who told me the engineer wanted to speak to me under the house. I crawled in and when I reached him, he started whispering to me... "I don't know how to say this, everything you said is true and this house is a disaster!"

I told him that he had better go speak to his client.

I realized the situation he was in. I pictured some poor schmo, working to feed his family, putting a child or two through school, reporting on a house for an agent that refers him work on a regular basis.

OK, even if you are an honest inspector, don't you think if nothing more, you will find yourself torn by how you word things or include things? Even a little.

When I inspect a house, I find so many things wrong. I include everything I see. I tell it how I see it and let my clients decide what is acceptable. OK, sure I advise them and tell them what is more important , and what is common, and what is no big deal. BUT! I include everything.

I know times are hard. But be careful how you go after your work.

By the way, I find that my clients that are truly looking to purchase a home call me to inspect the next one... and refer me to their friends.

Having said that, why don't you solicit lawyers. Who would you rather be referred by, an agent who only gets paid if the house is sold... whether it be the seller's agent or buyer's agent, or the person that the client go to to protect them?

[Jay Markanich]

GO STEVE-O!

[Steven Turetsky]

Hi Jay,

Do you think I'm wrong?

When it really comes down to the nitty gritty, when presenting to RE's, do you believe the thoughts that pass through thier mind is:

A. Hey, this guy really knows alot and has the ability to find what is wrong, thus protect my client from buying the wrong house

or

B. This guy is a nice guy and really wants my business.

and

OK, I'll try him because I believe he will not blow my deal.

[Gregory Scheer]

Steven,
Thank you very much--our children join yours.    I've spoken with many realtors who have asked me if I knew a certain HI in the area.  They call him "Dr. Death the Deal Killer", and he has a bad rep.  New to the area, needing work to get my name out, and working for a loaf of bread to feed my family I went to who sells houses--realtors.  I hear what you're saying about trying to make a buck but if I came across a realtor who wanted me to compromise my integrity--no inspection.

So far everyone I've worked with is on the up and up.  Developing a relationship with these "shared" clients, I hope to get referrals that don't go through the realtor.  I did get a call today from a realtor that booked an inspection for a spanish-only speaking family.  My report was 56 pages long and the husband (buyer) wanted to talk to me about some of the items.  He actually speaks more than he lets on--both the realtor and buyer were impressed with the level of detail (thanks Uncle Sam) the report went to and calling it like I saw it.  The realtor said, "This is why we have home inspectors."

Ahh, so back to report writing--inspected a mess today for a client whose realtor who is retired from the Coast Guard.  Tomorrow I inspect a property for a fellow AF pilot and his realtor is retired Air Force.

v/r
Greg

[Steven Turetsky]

Hi Gregory,

I'm glad you are able to deal with folks that are on the up and up. Unfortunately, and maybe it's a local thing, I find that most folks around here  are more interested in selling a property and collecting a commission.

Do you find that most of the homes you inspect are decent? I find myself running into alot of dogs!

In the past, there were times I wondered if it was me. But after going back into the report, I really couldn't find anything that I felt I should leave out.

When writing, I try very hard to avoid "inspectorspeak". I rarely use the phrase "appears to be." Something either "is" or "isn't"

I speak to many people. When someone tells me they will refer me to their XXX, who is a RE, I tell them that unless their XXX is looking for an honest inspector, and will not be upset if they call me in and my inspection brings to light things that my "kill" their deal, then I suggest that they don't ask their XXX to use me.

My girlfriend thinks I'm crazy, and suggested to me that I write my reports in a way that will help the deal so the RE's will use me more and that people reaally don't want all that information.

Whne she used a HI to buy her home, she must have used exactly that type of HI. Her house is built on a filled in pond. I have never seen water problems like she has. The basement has floor drains every 10 feet, and a sump. I had to put a n additional sump in her backyard and pipe the water around her property... that helped about 90%. (Her basement always had water, even when it wasn't raining for days. Now it only gets water when there is a heavy rain.)
Now I am going to install another sump att the other end of her basement, with underground drainage... and hope that works. The next step after that is to break up the entire basement and install pipe under the entire slab.

Yeah, she had one hell of an inspector.

My feeling is:
Someone hires an HI to inspect a house because they don't have the building knowledge to do so themselves. How dare an HI not give them every bit of information apossible? I am really big on integrity. I don't know everything and don't catch everything. But, I assure you, if you hire me to inspect a house or building, I will use every ounce of my ability to do as thorough of a job as I possibly can.

[Gregory Scheer]

Steven,
We're on the same sheet of music. I've, remarkably, had a couple "nice" foreclosures but MANY "dawgs".  It's a mix with the average right in the middle.  I take what I can get right now but maybe it's the water here--good luck so far. 
v/r
Greg

[Jay Markanich]

Steve - I agree with you completely!!   I was cheering you on!  My feeling is this:  home inspectors don't kill deals, houses do.  We just call them like we see them...

Yes, lots of dogs recently.  We are asking if the house is bank owned and if so we tack on an extra $50.  The realtors understand.  Reason for the dogs around here - the local governments were getting fed up with all the illegals and cracked down, enforcing laws (imagine) and many people up and left.  My county of Prince William made news nationally because of the crack down.  And since the exodus, crime is down here over 30% - according to the county executive (imagine). 

The houses that were left vacant are not in good shape - you know the routine, eleven basement bedrooms, laundry rooms turned into "bathrooms," wiring that is more than interesting.  However, people are scooping up houses at good prices now that the market is back to where it should have been before the balloon.

Yes, Greg, the Latins speak better English than they let on.  I have lots of Latin realtor clients (though not as much Spanish-speaking business as before the market correction), lots of veteran realtor clients and I really like the lawyer market.  Lots of people here do transactions without realtors and let the lawyers handle the paper work.  I get many of those referrals.

Clients and non realtors like thorough, thorough, thorough...

[Dominic Maricic]

As far as I've seen, using a lawyer is pretty rare out in California. I think its more of an east coast thing but I culd be wrong.

[John Adrian Sopher]

I know I've never heard of it here in Okie Ville

[Jay Markanich]

Yes, you CULD...

[Steven Turetsky]

Are you guys serious? You buy homes for hundreds of thousnads of dollars and don't use lawyers to make sure the deal is legal and done right?

Do you use lawyers if the folks that sell you the property don't own it?

[Jay Markanich]

My wife and I have never used a realtor, but always a lawyer...

[John Adrian Sopher]

Is it cheaper?  lol

[Dominic Maricic]

Are you guys serious? You buy homes for hundreds of thousnads of dollars and don't use lawyers to make sure the deal is legal and done right?

Do you use lawyers if the folks that sell you the property don't own it?

Yup, serious. The loan companies pull the titles and check all the docs. Although my Dad's an attorney so I have him look over my stuff but as far as I know getting an attorney involved around here is rare.

[Jay Markanich]

It's cheaper - you save the realty fee (6-7%) and the lawyer insures that all the jots and tittles are complete.  We hired a private real estate attorney in addition to the title company's people.  It's cheaper over all.

[Dominic Maricic]

Realty Fee is 6-7% where you are? It's only 3% here for buyer and 3% for seller. But you're saying you're not using an agent at all. So you're doing your own selling.

[Jay Markanich]

Most agencies charge the 3% plus 3%.  There is a company called "4% Real Estate" which does the whole transaction for that.  They are small and don't seem to get a lot of business, I guess because people perceive that if you are cheaper you can't be better.  ReMax charges 7%...

[Dominic Maricic]

7% just to the BUYER? Out here usually the buyer/seller each have their own agent and are each paying 3% to their respective agent.