Why contractors, current or past, are vulnerable to not inspecting a house well. 

I was motivated to become a home inspector after performing my “own home inspection.” I missed a Major sewer line issue, Asbestos, Lead Paint issues, insulation, plumbing, carpenter ant activity. I missed an active leak in the wall of the freshly painted room (The Infrared camera I rely on today would have seen the thermal anomaly), drainage issues, and the list goes on. 

I failed to advocate for myself, which motivated me to become the best advocate for future buyers I could be. For those who do not know, Washington is just one of the 28 states in the USA that require a home inspector to be licensed and trained. To maintain a license in Washington, one must continue to educate yearly and earn continuing education credits to retain ownership of a license to inspect.

I set the bar high for becoming educated, knowledgeable, and speaking for the client.

• Currently, I am the ONLY inspector in Whatcom County with a Masters Degree
• The only Home Inspector in Blaine with over 40 5-star reviews
• I inspect for pests 
• I use an Infrared Imaging tool on every inspection
• I get up on a ladder, and I crawl under the home

The 4 T’s that matter when hiring a home inspector:

• -Trust (can you trust the inspector is working for the client or realtor)
• -Time (onsite and writing report, time spent with the client) Most inspectors don’t allow the client to come till the end to do walk-thru, whereas I welcome clients to be onsite during the inspection
• -Thoroughness (defined by time on site, qualified and able to see the issues present, and report 
• -Technology (Basic home inspector, or inspector who goes above and beyond ( Level 1 Thermographer, Certified Sewer Scope Specialist, 
• -Tools (IR camera, Sewer scope, Moisture meters, electrical testing equipment)

As a home inspector, I come to the job to provide a fair and accurate assessment of the risk your thinking of signing up for. A home after all is an expensive purchase and still currently made with tools by hand. This leads to the obvious need to understand how and how the structure has been handled over time. Sometimes the touchpoint is easy to see even to a potential homeowner and sometimes it takes the insight only developed over hundreds of hours of inspections to know where the potential for disaster or imminent expense is laying dormant. 

I hope at the end of the day I provide assurance that you are making the right decision whether it ends up in a purchase or a sale.