We love receiving email from our friends, clients and visitors to our web site. I read all emails that are sent to me (unless you send SPAM). I save most emails and found out that many ask the same similar questions about our company when they call. So I will try to answer many more of your questions here on this page also. Don't forget, we still have the original FAQ page to help you with any other questions you may have. FAQ: Donald, I thought your narrative type report samples were excellent and more thorough than others. However, I notice you do not give the report on the spot, why is that? Answer: "All good things take time!" Yeah, I could offer this service but my reporting quality would suffer. I know most of the time my clients are under time restraints. However, I also know they are paying me for a quality report. It seems the rage today is to turn out on the spot, check box reports with a few boilerplate comments from a drop down menu. My clients pay me for, and expect, a detailed and informative report that will give them greater negotiating power. Reports will be emailed or faxed within 48 hours (usually the next morning but some take longer) of the end of the inspection unless the inspection is done on a Friday or Saturday, in which case they will come out Monday morning. FAQ: I noticed some of your samples included pictures while other do not. What is your policy about adding pictures to reports? Answer: I normally do not include photos because my narrative type of reporting explains most any deficiency. By the time I caption the photo, I have just restated what was in the report! I do include photos on request. Unlike others, I do not include photos in the report just to be including them and trying to focus your attention away from a skimpy report or to add 'fluff' to a thin report. I do not want your attention to be anyplace other than the report! FAQ: I noticed in the past that you belonged to some of the local home inspector associations, but now I don't see their logo on your website. Do you still belong to some of the local associations? Answer: NO! I have either cancelled or will allow all our memberships with local Houston home inspection associations to expire and not renew them. These associations exist only to market the services of the member inspectors. There are either little or no educational requirements to become a member. They will accept anyone with a check. Then, when you call a 'Hotline', you are supposed to be sent to a member who is in a rotation with other members. It's like playing Russian Roulette with your home. Often, the person answering the phone tries to book you their self. No thought is giving to the ability or credentials of the inspection company they are booking you with. Not only is this unethical, it is unprofessional in my opinion and I will not support such associations with my membership dues. Other inspectors have started their own 'associations' as marketing tools. Beware when hiring anyone from a list that is provided to you from your Real Estate Agent. Even if my company name is on that list! Don't take our word for it, do your own research! This is a quote from an email I received from an officer of one of these inspector 'construction' associations when I asked about an application and requirements to join. "Donald, here is the application you requested. However, I must warn you that our board has turned down professional, qualified and highly experienced applicants in the past due to their criticism of other members of the real estate and construction industry." Well shucks George, I do not 'play along to get along' so I guess that leaves me out!! I refuse to compromise my professional ethics and integrity, not to mention my client's best interest, to satisfy some organization whose sole purpose is to market their members who have a varying degree of experience, ability and credentials to unsuspecting consumers! I will continue to support organizations, through my membership and donations, which service the public with consumer information and services that add true value to the general publics lives. These organizations include the American Society of Home Inspectors, Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors, LoneStar ASHI, Houston Association of Realtors and International Code Council. FAQ: Donald, I notice your fees were higher than many others in the area, why is that? Answer: Actually our fees are about the same as other professional inspectors in the Houston area. Yes, we are higher than the new guys right out of the home inspection schools and the inspectors who do the quick 45-minute to an hour and half 'drive by and wave' type inspections. Unlike them; we offer a Professional service and product, we have to charge reasonable fees to maintain our independence and competitive edge. New inspectors to the industry and others, who just do not offer quality inspections, have to charge cut rate fees in order to pull in the price shoppers. They have little if any referral business. Inspectors who provide the quick 45-minute to an hour and half 'Soft Inspections' cannot rely upon their non-existent referral base for work. In order to make enough money to cover their operational cost, they have to do 3, 4, 5 or more of these quickie inspections a day to stay in business. Cut-rate inspectors often know less, do less and therefore have to charge less. Yes, you pay more for my services. I have been told more than once that my inspections and reports were great values at even twice the fee I charged! Ask yourself this, would it be worth an extra $50 or $100 to find out: You had a leak around a toilet flange in a second story bathroom The attic structure was under built for the type of roof that is currently installed That there was actually two layers of comp shingles over wood shingles (an insurance nightmare) That there were no or little masonry ties holding your brick veneer up That your brick veneer was constructed wrong. (Could your inspector provide you with codes and installation instructions proving this) That the siding on your home is a wood composition type that may be under recall (can your inspector provide you with information) That the breaker box that is suppling the home is a known brand that has a high rate of failure and is a fire hazard? That the electrical system has several 'False Grounds' or many of the receptacles have 'low voltage drops' which can be fire hazards That the duct work in the attic is a kind known to fail and deteriorate easily and will cost you $$$ in the future to replace it That the furnace or water heater has been installed incorrectly and is now a fire hazard That many areas of your home have not been built to current standards That all the repairs the Seller told you were 'to code' are not and now pose a safety hazard That the Seller failed to disclose major discrepancies That the shingles on your newly constructed home have been installed improperly That the fibered cement siding on your new home has been installed incorrectly which may lead to a voided warranty That the plumbing in your home is PB and that there are class action suits against the manufacturers due to product failure That "this old house' has outdated gas valves, electrical system including breaker box or plumbing that are safety hazards Would it be worth it to have a professional report in your hand that details the true condition of a home and provides you with real negotiating power? These are all things I have found that the Seller stated, "My inspector didn't mention that when we bought the home!" |
Email: Donald@best2inspect.com |
888-206-5572 |
Email: Donald@best2inspect.com |
More Frequently Asked Questions About Us |
We love receiving email from our friends, clients and visitors to our web site. I read all emails that are sent to me (unless you send SPAM). I save most emails and found out that many ask the same similar questions about our company when they call. So I will try to answer many more of your questions here on this page also. Don't forget, we still have the original FAQ page to help you with any other questions you may have. FAQ: Donald, I thought your narrative type report samples were excellent and more thorough than others. However, I notice you do not give the report on the spot, why is that? Answer: "All good things take time!" Yeah, I could offer this service but my reporting quality would suffer. I know most of the time my clients are under time restraints. However, I also know they are paying me for a quality report. It seems the rage today is to turn out on the spot, check box reports with a few boilerplate comments from a drop down menu. My clients pay me for, and expect, a detailed and informative report that will give them greater negotiating power. Reports will be emailed or faxed within 48 hours (usually the next morning but some take longer) of the end of the inspection unless the inspection is done on a Friday or Saturday, in which case they will come out Monday morning. FAQ: I noticed some of your samples included pictures while other do not. What is your policy about adding pictures to reports? Answer: I normally do not include photos because my narrative type of reporting explains most any deficiency. By the time I caption the photo, I have just restated what was in the report! I do include photos on request. Unlike others, I do not include photos in the report just to be including them and trying to focus your attention away from a skimpy report or to add 'fluff' to a thin report. I do not want your attention to be anyplace other than the report! FAQ: I noticed in the past that you belonged to some of the local home inspector associations, but now I don't see their logo on your website. Do you still belong to some of the local associations? Answer: NO! I have either cancelled or will allow all our memberships with local Houston home inspection associations to expire and not renew them. These associations exist only to market the services of the member inspectors. There are either little or no educational requirements to become a member. They will accept anyone with a check. Then, when you call a 'Hotline', you are supposed to be sent to a member who is in a rotation with other members. It's like playing Russian Roulette with your home. Often, the person answering the phone tries to book you their self. No thought is giving to the ability or credentials of the inspection company they are booking you with. Not only is this unethical, it is unprofessional in my opinion and I will not support such associations with my membership dues. Other inspectors have started their own 'associations' as marketing tools. Beware when hiring anyone from a list that is provided to you from your Real Estate Agent. Even if my company name is on that list! Don't take our word for it, do your own research! This is a quote from an email I received from an officer of one of these inspector 'construction' associations when I asked about an application and requirements to join. "Donald, here is the application you requested. However, I must warn you that our board has turned down professional, qualified and highly experienced applicants in the past due to their criticism of other members of the real estate and construction industry." Well shucks George, I do not 'play along to get along' so I guess that leaves me out!! I refuse to compromise my professional ethics and integrity, not to mention my client's best interest, to satisfy some organization whose sole purpose is to market their members who have a varying degree of experience, ability and credentials to unsuspecting consumers! I will continue to support organizations, through my membership and donations, which service the public with consumer information and services that add true value to the general publics lives. These organizations include the American Society of Home Inspectors, Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors, LoneStar ASHI, Houston Association of Realtors and International Code Council. FAQ: Donald, I notice your fees were higher than many others in the area, why is that? Answer: Actually our fees are about the same as other professional inspectors in the Houston area. Yes, we are higher than the new guys right out of the home inspection schools and the inspectors who do the quick 45-minute to an hour and half 'drive by and wave' type inspections. Unlike them; we offer a Professional service and product, we have to charge reasonable fees to maintain our independence and competitive edge. New inspectors to the industry and others, who just do not offer quality inspections, have to charge cut rate fees in order to pull in the price shoppers. They have little if any referral business. Inspectors who provide the quick 45-minute to an hour and half 'Soft Inspections' cannot rely upon their non-existent referral base for work. In order to make enough money to cover their operational cost, they have to do 3, 4, 5 or more of these quickie inspections a day to stay in business. Cut-rate inspectors often know less, do less and therefore have to charge less. Yes, you pay more for my services. I have been told more than once that my inspections and reports were great values at even twice the fee I charged! Ask yourself this, would it be worth an extra $50 or $100 to find out: You had a leak around a toilet flange in a second story bathroom The attic structure was under built for the type of roof that is currently installed That there was actually two layers of comp shingles over wood shingles (an insurance nightmare) That there were no or little masonry ties holding your brick veneer up That your brick veneer was constructed wrong. (Could your inspector provide you with codes and installation instructions proving this) That the siding on your home is a wood composition type that may be under recall (can your inspector provide you with information) That the breaker box that is suppling the home is a known brand that has a high rate of failure and is a fire hazard? That the electrical system has several 'False Grounds' or many of the receptacles have 'low voltage drops' which can be fire hazards That the duct work in the attic is a kind known to fail and deteriorate easily and will cost you $$$ in the future to replace it That the furnace or water heater has been installed incorrectly and is now a fire hazard That many areas of your home have not been built to current standards That all the repairs the Seller told you were 'to code' are not and now pose a safety hazard That the Seller failed to disclose major discrepancies That the shingles on your newly constructed home have been installed improperly That the fibered cement siding on your new home has been installed incorrectly which may lead to a voided warranty That the plumbing in your home is PB and that there are class action suits against the manufacturers due to product failure That "this old house' has outdated gas valves, electrical system including breaker box or plumbing that are safety hazards Would it be worth it to have a professional report in your hand that details the true condition of a home and provides you with real negotiating power? These are all things I have found that the Seller stated, "My inspector didn't mention that when we bought the home!" |
