ailanthus777

John Dirks and John Kogel, Thank you both for the advice. I like the mock inspections and reports idea. Will definitely do that if I move forward with this. Plus, I live in a 100+ year old home... should be interesting!

Thanks Erby. I read the article and found it very informative.

Ahh! So the shove-off was intentional?? LOL Thanks for the confidence. At this point, I'm still trying to figure out if this is for me. I'm not ready to jump head first into anything, so I'll probably be lurking around these forums just reading what others are saying for awhile.

Scott, Thank you for the advice. If I pursue this, I had planned on covering a wide service area radius, but after reading your post, perhaps I need to widen it some. If you don't mind my asking, how has your business been in the past two years compared with earlier during the past decade?

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies! This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for! Oh, and by the way, I've been to many other forums about various other topics, and I'm familiar with people telling others (especially newbs) to "use the search" or "read the archives." I don't mean any disrespect by saying this, but I don't want yesterday's information; I want today's. But, just so you don't think I'm totally disregarding your advice, I have been reading in the archives some Resqman,Well, practically none, so good point. I can, however, create and host my own site as well as optimize it for search engines. That MIGHT help some during a down market, depending on how effectively my site is optimized. Scottpat,I am also in Tennessee. That is a pretty drastic jump downward in numbers. In your opinion, what has caused this "cleansing?" Kurt, Thank you for the warning. Actually, the "being in business" is the part I fantasize about. Home inspection is just a possible vehicle for achieving that fantasy. I love the idea of being able to set my own hours. I love the idea of not being penalized for being a minute late clocking in. Listen, I'm not going to bore anyone with details, but I have a very crappy job, so hot attics, icky crawlspaces, etc., etc. doesn't frighten me in the least. Now, you did mention better businesses to go into; I'd love to hear some ideas! Jim,Yes, I most certainly would like to know why, and thank you! Les, I understand what you're saying. To be honest with you, I'm not looking for a career path that will make me wealthy; I'm looking for one that will make me happy, or at least happier than I am with my current job. I've been working "jobs" all of my life and I really feel like I'm ready to step up to a career. At the age of 33, I realize that I'm a little late getting started (I've always been a late bloomer, lol), but I simply cannot just resign myself to keep doing what I've been doing. Giving up is not an option. As far as being part time, I feel like that would be the best option for me to start with since it takes a while to become well established. I've considered starting part time with home inspection while also doing computer repair from my home. Hopefully, between the two start-ups, I could keep myself fairly busy. And, eventually, I believe one of the businesses would evolve into a full-time career. By the way, I chose computer repair because its something I'm already decent at and have most of the required tools already. But, it could be something else. I'm very open to suggestions right now! lol Thanks to everyone for your responses!

Thank you for your input. Les, why do you say, "don't do it" to number six? Scottpat, thanks for the advice on number six. Wife is an RN and I will most likely keep my day job and try to start this as a part time business, IF I decide to do it at all.

Hi all, Recently, I have become interested in possibly transitioning into the home inspection career. I have worked the past seven years in a manufacturing environment and it is time for a welcome change. I also have some light construction experience (roofing, framing, drywall, etc.) Overall, I think I have the potential to do well in this line of work. I am a detail oriented perfectionist. And when I want to, I can find a flaw in anything, which isn't always a good quality to have, but I think it might be helpful in this line of work. Anyway, before I take any big steps forward, I would kind of like to ask a few questions to those who are already doing this. I have emailed some random inspectors with these questions, but have not received any responses yet. Here are the questions: 1. Do you like your career in home inspecting? 2. From the time you started, how long did it take you to become well established? 3. In your personal opinion, what are the pros and cons of this business? 4. Have you ever been sued? If so, what were the results of the case? 5. How much are your total insurance costs per year? 6. And finally, what advice would you give to someone who is beginning with this career? Thanks in advance for helping me with my research!