Independent Home Inspectors of North America

Comments From Clients Of Independent Home Inspectors:


(Bruce Hunter, Hunter & Associates Inspections Inc. Vancouver, BC)

I guess we did not realize how political and antagonistic the realtor vs. property inspector was going to be. It was a real eye opener and something of an object lesson in complicity as to the depths that realtors are prepared to plumb to ensure that the outcome is positive for themselves---never mind in most cases, the unsuspecting homebuyer. Fortunately we managed to hurdle some of the barriers by having a frank and open discussion without the involvement of the realtors, i.e. theirs or ours. Ed, we are grateful for your inspection on the other property. Thank you for referring Bruce to us in your absence. His report was thorough, well presented, unbiased and contained additional supplementary information that will be of benefit to us in the future.

Joe & Jill Q., Coquitlam

Two years ago I made the mistake of hiring a home inspector recommend by my realtor. He was the only home inspector listed on the realtors web site and that should alerted me to too much of a cozy relationship. Not being familiar with inspectors’ reporting methods I did not realize until later that many of the defects of the house were smoothed over. Then the mold was found. When I attempted to hire another inspection company to review the inspector’s report I quickly learned that there are virtually no inspectors who want to come to the aid of a consumer with this kind of problem. I now know that many home inspectors get referrals from realtors and know that if they offend that industry they will not get any more inspections referred to them. Most home inspectors don’t want the added pressure from their peers or associations who may not accept that one of their own should be investigated by someone outside their association.

Bert Anderson


(Hugh Poole , A.C.E. of Space Home Inspections, Vancouver, BC)

Dear Hugh,

I'm just writing to express my heart felt appreciation for your good work. Finding a house in this market was not easy, it seemed like people were taking the opportunity to put a lot of junk up for sale and early on in the game we realized that the selling agent, and ours, only made their commission when the deal went through, so why would it be in their interest to recommend someone who would give us the unvarnished truth? Having your expert opinion working for us took so much of the worry and guess work out of it. With your help we were able to bypass the heart and bankbook breakers, and then recognize the diamond in the rough that we were looking for. Again, many thanks,

Dr. Stanley deVlaming,
St. Pauls Hospital, Vancouver


Potential Homebuyers,

I have been aware of the service provided by real estate agents whereby they recommend or refer potential property purchasers to home inspectors, presumably at arms length. I reviewed the documentation used by these home inspectors and was not comfortable with the simplicity of the inspection commentary or its checklist approach. The single largest purchase one makes in life requires a more serious approach and professional expertise in not only the built environment, but skill in phrasing the commentary in understandable terms in an inspection report that assists a buyer, rather than confusing them.

We began our house search this spring and found what we thought was an ideal home. I looked for a home inspector that was NOT referred by real estate personnel. I was looking for truly independent professionals, who derived their clients because of satisfied clients, not satisfied agents. The web pointed out IHINA as a potential source. It was clear that, although the costs were almost double to inspectors referred by real estate agents, I was willing to pay knowing it was small insurance relative to the purchase price and I would be engaging a professional who would be working on my behalf. There is no question in my mind that engaging an independent home inspector is a process whereby you receive accredited, professional service for what I think is a fair price. I would not hesitate to recommend any member of IHINA.

Ihor Pona
Professor of design, Kwantlen University College


(Dennis Robitaille, Able Home Inspection, Inc. Saugus, MA)

Dennis,

" The last time I bought property was 10 years ago. I used an inspector recommended by the real estate agent, that won't happen again! Thank you for your thorough, knowledgeable, and professional inspection. Kate and I especially liked the way you weren't rushed and asked us "do you have any questions before we leave this area of the house?". We were also very impressed with your bag of high tech gadgets. We'll recommend you very highly!!!"

Elizabeth Sullivan

I was willing to pay the little bit extra for an extremely thorough inspection, I was very pleased. It was interesting to witness the real estate agent get frantic when we chose such a thorough inspector as opposed to their "suggested" inspector.

Julie & Doug Hogue

"Dennis, thank you for assisting my wife and me with our housing inspection. Your professionalism and care for your clients was evident during the inspection and in your report. My wife and I have read through your narrative a couple of times. We are pragmatic and realistic individuals and so while we did expect there to be some issues (i.e. need to replace heat/cooling systems), we did not expect to find the excessive evidence of water damage as well as the structural problems such as the issues with the roof structure. All I can say is that I am glad that we chose you for the inspection.

I'm pretty sure that most inspectors would have missed many of the issues you brought to our attention. When spending the amount of money this purchase requires, it is imperative to have the best service providers/advisors you can find. I was wary of using any home inspector that my broker suggested. The potential principal/agent conflict of interest is just too great to ignore. I will be recommending you to my colleagues and friends as they move through their own house purchase processes. Regards, Scott



(Chad Fabry, Structure Smart Home Inspections, Inc. Holley, NY)

Chad,

Thanks, your inspection exceeded my expectations. Your focus on customer service, attention to detail, timely turnaround of the report, and totally professional approach to the process speaks volumes of your skilled and expert commitment to the business of property inspections. I also very much appreciated you accommodating my somewhat hectic schedule and time line for this purchase. I did come to an agreement with the seller on a 3% price adjustment, largely based on the information you provided. Now the work to complete the sale lies ahead. I certainly appreciate your opinion and philosophy on conflicts of interest between the business of inspections and doing repairs or referrals for repairs. I hope to do business with you again soon and consider you in my group of business contacts /friends /advisors. If you ever need a reference (which I doubt you should) feel free to count me as one of your very satisfied customers.

Zig Kurpiewski

Hey Chad,

Thanks so much for the thorough inspection. It was extremely informative and I learned a great deal about different things to look for in the future. The sellers of the townhouse did not want to fix anything I requested so I walked away from the deal with no penalties. Again thank you for opening my eyes and educating me. I am still in the market for a home and will definitely call you when I need the inspection done!

Hope all is well with you too, Michele


(Ted Gilmour, T.H.E Home Inspection Services Ltd.Vancouver, BC)

Dear Ted:

I am writing to say thanks for your help in the recent purchase of our new (used) home. We very much appreciated the thoroughness of your inspection and the timeliness and detail of the report. The many useful features of the report (photographs, suggested repairs, priority ranking of repairs, estimated cost of repairs etc.) were very useful both as a decision-making and negotiating tool, and as a reference once we had bought our house.

Of particular importance to us was your independence from the real estate sales community. Being free from any vested interest in the outcome of the sale negotiations, we feel that you were able to provide us with a completely impartial inspection service. In closing, I would (and already have) highly recommended you to friends and colleagues considering a home purchase. Thank you again for a job well done.

Yours sincerely,
Sheldon J.B. Duff, Ph.D.

Professor
NSERC/COFI Industrial Research Chair in Forest Products Waste Management

Hi Ted,

I just wanted to drop off a note to you regarding the property you inspected for me. I can't begin to thank you enough for all the help and information you provided for me. You have saved me a great deal of money and you have shown me areas I need to look at and repair before I move in. The furnace alone was a life saver. (They are replacing it.) This being my first home ever, I was really in the dark about a lot of things. You not only provided the inspection, but the maintenance schedule is a real help. Thank you for the job you did and thank you for making my new home a safer place to live in. The service you provide is essential to people buying a home. It's a good thing I listened to you and not the real estate agent. I feel the fact that you are realtor independent made a big difference! I know of cases where the buyer went with an inspector referred by a realtor with less than satisfactory results. I was given that option as well, but felt the inspector would put the realtor's well being before mine, even though I'm paying the bill, so I decided to go with someone with affiliations to the Independent Home Inspector or Independent Home Inspectors of North America. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all the best in all your endeavors in 2002.

Yours,
Dani Kasburg


(Ron Burns, A-1 Home Inspection Services, Melbourne, FL)

"It's the best money I've ever spent!"

Very satisfied client,
Melbourne, FL

Tell Ron I said thanks for the really great report. The actual home inspection was quite enlightening - Ron did an excellent job. The summary report was very clear and to the point and there was no confusion like I have had in reports from other companies I have used in the past. We will be discussing the many problems that came to light with the real estate company. The report undoubtedly saved us thousands of dollars in repair bills that we would have discovered after we had purchased the house without your help.

The roof was a major concern before the inspection, however, we had no idea how many other important things needed attention and they will definitely be repaired before we finalize any purchase. Again, I am sure this report saved us many thousands of dollars and I would certainly recommend your company to anyone.

Thanks again,
C. Sparks


(Robert Ross, Ross Residential Services, Deshler, OH)

I am new to the rental business and purchased my first duplex this past January. A good friend recommended Bob Ross to do the whole house inspection and I was pleasantly surprised with Bob’s service. Bob was on time and ready to work. He knew exactly what he was looking for and was very thorough with his inspection. His price was very affordable and fair and what I like most is that I can continue to call him for advice without being charged for it. Bob was very easy to get along with and made me feel very comfortable and open to ask any simple question. He took his time with me and gave me much advice throughout the inspection. After the inspection, Bob immediately followed up with a written report detailing all his findings along with suggestions and concerns about the property. I have referred to this report numerous times when making repairs and upkeep to my duplex. It is very handy and informative. Because he was working for me and not a realtor, I felt he was very honest and up front with his report. In my opinion, Bob is a “truly professional home inspector”.

Mary B., Findlay,
OH.


(Lake Home Inspection ---Larry Lake--- Ponca City, OK)

I can honestly recommend Larry Lake of Lake Home Inspection when buying a home in the northern Oklahoma area. He was recommended to me by others and I found him to be absolutely committed to my (buyer's) interests. When issues arose, Larry retested, recommended specialists and reinspected until the concerns were satisfied. His report was professionally produced and included text, pictures and summaries that were consise and easy to understand.

I strongly believe that an independently selected home inspector is a buyer's only real protection and is worth the money and time to accomplish. I also suggest that the "standard" real estate inspection time period of 7 to 10 days be extended to 15-20 days to accomodate full understanding of unexpected issues and to avoid time pressures on an important purchase decision.

Richard Parker


(Buyer's Edge Home Inspection Services --- Mike Lancop --- Calgary)

To whom it may concern,

I have used Michael Lancop's services 3 times in the past . In all three instances I have saved myself thousands of dollars. The first house I looked at I hired Mr. Lancop to do an inspection and to my surprise he discovered that the house had no water pressure. I didn't want the expense of digging a new well, so I walked away and didn't put an offer on that house.

I knew the second house I had Mr Lancop inspect would need to be spruced up but I wanted to make sure this would only be superficial repairs. (cosmetic). I had made my offer conditional on the home inspection. It turned out there were so many problems with the home from electrical to plumbing that it would have turned into a money pit. I was able to walk away based on the inspection.

The third house I had inspected by Mr Lancop is the one I am currently living in. There have been no surprises and because I knew what repairs were needed, I was able to deduct the cost from the price I offered. Saving at least $3000 on this house alone not to mention the money I would have spent on the other houses. The cost of having an impartial home inspection by someone not tied to trying to sell me the house was the best thing I ever did. He more than paid for the cost of the inspection.

I have and continue to recommend Mr. Lancop's services.

A very satisfied customer,
Lise Rainville-Sommerfeld


(Lake Cities Inspection Service --- Korey Robertson, Denton, TX)

Korey:

I can not express the appreciation I have for the thorough home inspection I received on Sunday. This being my first home purchase for my family and I, at times has been extremely nerve racking. However after the advise and guidance provided by you has given us the knowledge we need to start a home. At no time did we feel as if you were in a hurry and just doing a job. It is obvious that you care about your clients and the quality of your work by taking the time to explain what you saw and making sure we understood exactly what you were talking about. After the full inspection the time you invested informing us what you felt should be attended to quickly and things that have time to be corrected was above and beyond the small fee you requested.

Thank you once again for your assistance and rest assured when we have anyone update our home we will have you confirm the quality of their service.

R. McDonald and Family


(Accurate Inspections, Inc. --- Michael Del Greco, W Paterson, NJ)

"The purchase of a new home is a very exciting and stressful time. It is very easy at this time to over look some of the important details associated with the condition of the new home being purchased. Accurate Inspections, Inc. proved to be a very important asset at this time. After a very thorough inspection of the property and a detailed report, we were given the opportunity to weigh all the pros and cons and make our decision based on the true condition. Thank you, Accurate, for supplying us with the information need to make a decision we can live with."

William & Doris W.
River Vale, NJ


( American Home Inspection --- John McKenna, Bryan, TX)

"Thank you so much for your thorough inspection! I would still like to purchase this property, but with a more realistic value placed on the home. Without your help, I would be unable to re-negotiate based upon the problems we saw. Thanks again,"


Linda Davis

Georgetown, Texas


(William J. Finlay, A-1 Inspection Services Guardian Home Inspectors)

The best decision we ever made was to hire William J. Finley of A-1 Inspection Services.

We were in love with a home. We loved the home, area, layout and neighbors. We had enrolled the children in the neighborhood school established carpools and we were on our way to taking ownership. We were certainly not expecting the home inspection to produce anything but a few minor repair issues. Bill arrived on time and immediately went to work doing a thorough inspection. He quickly identified a $20,000 black mold and other issues requiring immediate attention. Bill was very polite and helped us understand the issues he identified. He quickly followed up with a written report and was available to answer questions at no charge. We will use Bill’s services whenever we purchase a home. His knowledge and thoroughness exceeded our expectations.

Bill stands very high on our list of those to whom we owe a great big thank you.

Thank you!
Ron & Jody DeLand


(Steve Czubinski, Dream Home Inspections, Inc., Buffalo, NY)

I recently had my home inspected by Dream Home Inspections. I was impressed with Steve's professionalism and thoroughness. Far from rushing through the inspection process, Steve methodically covered every aspect of my home's condition from roof to basement, inside and out. In the process, he identified several areas requiring attention and clearly spelled out recommended actions for resolving these. I am very happy to have asked Steve to perform an inspection of my home. I would certainly recommend him to anyone who wants to get to know the condition of the property "up close and personal" before they buy."

R.B.
Grand Island, NY


(Andy Shaw, Halton Home Inspection Service, Ontario, Canada)

I have had Home Inspections in the past. Your inspection was the most thorough inspection we have had. You were very informative and helpful. We would be happy to refer you to our friends about your service.

Sabrina S.

Our older home was inspected by a different company. They did a lousy job and did not point out problems and potential problems. We have a small child and were concerned about her safety. We contacted Andy at Halton Home Inspection Service for another inspection. Andy was extremely thorough and professional in the inspection and helped us make important decisions. I now recommend his service to anyone buying a home.

Eva E.


(Mike Porter, Arc Home Inspection Services, Kent, WA)

Dear Mr. Porter,

I wish to thank you for the superb job you did inspecting my new home. You were very through and pointed out a number of problems areas as well as some of the home’s positive features. I appreciated how quickly you responded to my request for an inspection. You performed the inspection on the very next workday after our phone conversation.

I was also extremely impressed with your offer to do a subsequent pest inspection. You did this on your weekend and at reasonable expense to me. Once again you were very through and your advice convinced me to go ahead with the purchase of the property.

Your service was impeccable. As a first time homebuyer, I felt as if I was treated with the utmost care and concern. Again, thank you for a job well done.

Sincerely yours,
Kevin L. Seebeck


(Eric Van De Ven, Magnum Inspections, Inc. South FL)

I am writing at my own initiative to provide a testimonial on behalf of Eric Van De Ven of Magnum Inspections in Florida. I learned about Magnum Inspections through an Internet search of qualified inspectors in the West Palm Beach, FL area. I was impressed by Magnum Inspection's website initially, as it provided helpful, straightforward information. Eric Van De Ven was also the most responsive of the firm representatives that I talked with initially, so I decided to hire him to inspect a house I was interested in purchasing -- a historic home built in 1950 in downtown West Palm Beach.

Eric spent several hours on site performing the inspection and provided a very thorough, objective inspection report with extensive photo back up in a very short time frame. When asked for additional advice and opinions, Eric was forthcoming with information, and never once cut me short. He remained highly professional and objective at all times, with the wisdom and level-headedness that comes with experience.

A few weeks after I assumed our last business interaction was over, Eric called to check to see if my home purchase was progressing smoothly and if I needed any further assistance. He then gave me substantial helpful advice on how to interpret the inspection report for the home I was selling in my home state - with nothing expected in return. I offered to provide him with referrals, and a testimonial - he did not request this.

I would recommend Eric Van De Ven and Magnum Inspections, with no hesitation, to anyone seeking an experienced and highly ethical, yet reasonable inspector in South Florida.

Sincerely,
Betsy Dorn
Cary, NC


(Richard Zwierzynski, Real Estate Inspector's Group Inc Chicago, IL)

I needed a home inspection from a company I could trust. Having purchased several properties in the past, I was looking for an independent. I came to know Real Estate Inspectors Group through a web search, finding the company on the IHINA website. My inspector (Richard) exceeded our expectations. It's refreshing when a business meets my expectations, let alone exceeds them as in this case. Richard under-sells his service on the phone and over-delivers at the inspection. He worked tirelessly for more than four hours reporting on every detail leaving nothing out. He used hi-tech equipment and provided a detailed report the following morning. The contract did not proceed. I will certainly ask Rich to inspect the next house I consider. I would recommend Real Estate Inspectors Group for home buyers who desire a thorough, honest and unbiased inspection.

John Chambers,
Chicago, IL


(Erol Kartal, Pro Inspect Schaumburg, IL)

Erol is very enthusiastic about his inspections and helping his clients understand the many details of their home. He explains technical details in words you can easily understand. His follow-up is also great. You will feel safe and comfortable working with him. A real professional. Two thumbs up.

M. Sato ,
Arlington Heights, IL


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