Finding a Qualified Home Inspector

Some inspection services out there are offering very cheap inspections. The first thing to consider if the price is too low; are they licensed and insured. Ask to see their license and proof of insurance. Are they currently a member of a national trade organization for home inspector like NAHI, ASHI or InterNachi? Florida Home inspectors are required to give proof of their licensure before the inspection begins. I recently completed an inspection for a couple that previously hired and paid a home inspector to perform a Home Inspection. The finance company rejected the first inspectors report because it was poorly written and lacked professional characteristics of a home inspection report. 

The State of Florida regulates home inspectors under the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).  All home inspections conducted in the State of Florida must be conducted by a Florida Licensed and Insured Home Inspector as of July 1, 2011 as amended by House Bill 713 (2010 legislative session).

You can verify if an Inspector is current and active at https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=0&SID. The DBPR requires home inspectors to meet the following requirements before obtaining their Florida Home Inspection License. 

 

FLORIDA HOME INSPECTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Application for Licensure” effective July 2012
2. Be of good moral character. Good moral character means a "personal history of honesty, fairness, and respect for the rights of others and the laws of this state and nation."
3. They are required to complete a Livescan (electronic fingerprinting) background report with the state and FBI.
4. High School diploma (or equivalent)
5. Complete an approved course of study of 120 hours covering structure, exterior, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, interiors, exteriors, and site grounds & grading. a)  Inspection Methods     24-hours   b)  Building Systems  42 hours   c)  Reporting  24 hours   d)  Professional Practice  10-hours   e)  20 hours of field-based practical demonstrations of the inspection process by the student under the direct supervision of a licensed Florida home inspector.
6. Maintain commercial general liability insurance (not less than $300,000).
7. Apply to the Florida Home Inspector Department to take a licensure examination.
8. Complete and passed the National Home Inspectors Examination given by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI).
9. Continuing Education - Florida Home Inspector Licensees are required to get 14 hours of continuing education every two years in Florida.

In the opinion of this Home Inspector if the price is too low you must ask yourself; why?  The fee for a basic home inspection nationwide is $300 to $500 by HUD estimates in "Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector" 2011.  The size of the home, additional structures, pools or spas and irrigation systems will all add to the price of the inspection.  Fees vary by region of the country significantly.  When purchasing your home, you want the best inspection at a reasonable price.  A thorough inspection will take from 2 to 5 hours to complete.  When it is your money and your family’s safety on the line you want the most meticulous inspector you can find.   

When contracting a home inspector check them out; license, insurance, professional association, and do they have complaints on file with the state regulatory agency.  Agents will often recommend an inspector they know, but is the inspector best for you or the agent?  Do not take their word for it, that they are the best inspector, check them out.

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home in the Orlando Metro and Daytona Beach areas of Central Florida and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
 

First Choice Home Inspections

Residential Home Inspections in Central Florida

(386) 624-3893 

Website:  http://1homeinspector.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsLlc

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-choice-home-inspections

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsDeltona

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1stChoiceHomeIn

Do you need a Home Inspection?

You’ve decided to sell your home but do you really need a Home Inspection?  Depending on your realtor, they may or may not, suggest a Home Inspection.  Be assured your home will be inspected.  The buyer, will as a rule, opt for the Home Inspection. 

Without hesitation you put your home on the market, paint and fix it up a bit, and stage it per your realtor's specifications.   Your home looks perfect and the price is right.  Now you have an offer, and the buyer asks to have the Home Inspection.  Is your home ready?

Many items frequently go unnoticed when preparing the home for sale.  Most items are easily

rectified if you only knew what the Home Inspector would find.  The dilemma is, if you and your agent cannot find what is wrong, you cannot fix it. 

Once your home is inspected by the buyer’s inspector it is often too late to undo the damage done.  The buyer and their agent, report in hand, now has their demands of items to be repaired.  They will surely ask for a reduction in the price of your home.  To fix or not to fix, do you reduce the selling price even further?  You decide to make all the repairs noted on the inspection report.  You hold firm to your original price but the deal falls through.  No problem another offer will come, you think.

Has your home shown recently?  It is in fine condition everything is repaired per the buyer’s inspection report.  The problem is, at this point, too many people have heard about the inspection and what was wrong with the property.   The buyer’s agent had first-hand knowledge of the report.  How many other agents was the buyer’s agent connected to?  How many other agents were in their office, in their realtors association, and in their immediate realty network?

In this Inspector’s opinion, the Sellers Home Inspection is an invaluable tool.  It puts your house in perspective and lets you choose which items you will repair and which you will not.  Many of the realtors that I deal with on a regular basis recommend their client initially have the inspection.  Being prepared gives you the upper hand in the real-estate transaction.  The buyer’s agents have a network of colleagues which they will regularly communicate with.  Once the report has been made available to the agent, that is what they remember.   Many homes have been on the market for months, even years, before they sell.  It is a buyers’ market and you need every advantage that is available to you.  You can choose to have an inspection and be in control of the transaction or let the buyer be in the driver’s seat.

Frank Carr is the Owner / Inspector at First Choice Home Inspections in Deltona, FL serving Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Lake Counties. Formerly in the building trades, Frank’s focus is a safe home in the Orlando Metro and Daytona Beach areas of Central Florida and building FCHI. We believe that consumers have the right to expect the highest standards of thoroughness, fairness and effectiveness from their home inspector and that is exactly what we provide.
 

First Choice Home Inspections

Residential Home Inspections in Central Florida

(386) 624-3893 

Website:  http://1homeinspector.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsLlc

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-choice-home-inspections

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+FirstChoiceHomeInspectionsDeltona

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1stChoiceHomeIn