slinger2k

Emailed, Word-based doc (usually 17 pages long or so). I customized the setup using InspectIt software - the report is half checkboxes and half narrative. The report gets rave reviews. I have a Fujitsu Lifebook I got off eBay (6"x10" - fits nicely in my lap - I use my center console as my mouse pad). We do have some work time prior to catching zzzs. We email the reports (pretty late) to each other and double check them before they go to the client. Already Bama has been ousted fromt the Dance - there goes a 2nd rounder.

Steve...I apologize for the assumption and the first part of my reply. Terence and Chris... Our company is modeled solely based on TIME. We have a $/hr goal that we strive to achieve, so the process is engineered to meet that goal. I rounded up with the average, it is actually 675 for the past two years running. The bank deposits and our accountant, however, do not lie. The revenue figure is solid. Our company is model of efficiency. Terence, you may be subject to the productivity "bell curve". Having performed only one inspection by myself (not as a team), I found in the third hour, I was running out of gas. My brother felt the same way. Performing inspections on 10k+ sq ft houses presents a similar problem...even the team starts to tire as you eclipse that third hour in the house. We split certain responsibilities of the inspection to each person (the same responsibilities are done every inspection - we are working in unison cutting the inspection time in half or more). My brother and I, invariably, finish at the same time. A typical townhouse will take an hour to 1:15 (including a breif discussion with the client), a standard detached... an hour to 1:30 (2000 sq ft) and so on. We are only taking notes during the inspection. Reporting is switched off between the two members (I do my report as I'm driving to the following appt - not the safest but the most productive). I handle all the scheduling during the inspections - clients are usually on my brother's arm (he is reviewing the mechanicals of the house). Chris - we are well-oiled and very competent (I think we would most likely be described as thorough and efficient - just as we intended in our business plan). We have had only one claim against the company - a client who did not attend the inspection, a client who is working with his third attorney because his claims are so far-fetched and frivilous. We have the ability to complete 4 inspections per day alotting 2.5 hrs per inspection (including drive time and report process, if available). We start at 9AM and usually finish at 6:30PM. We have done 5-6 inspections in a day when we got lucky and p/u two condos back to back. Our slow season is usually Dec-Jan and the back 2/3 of Aug. The average ticket also includes ancilliary inspections (radon, well/septic, etc.). Environmental is just icing on the cake - everything is weaved into the process. Only one downfall - picking up the radon monitors will sometimes put a dent into our free time depending on the property location. There you have it (in a nutshell) for you doubters. Luckily we didn't have a 9AM appt today, however, I did run out to a house at 8AM to perform a water test. Now I must complete my brackets before the pool sheet submittal deadline. GO ACC! Good luck today and make some coin. -Sling

Steve, I think you answered yourself ($314*.20=$63) No termite or lead paint (push it to a third party), but everything else...radon, water analysis, septic, CO, well yield, mold, new construction and structural consults (few and far between). Average is skewing higher ($350-75 a pop) after adopting a new pricing formula (spreadsheet equations - punch in the numbers and pow! I have a cost figure) mid last year, but the market is turning on us again...agents are striking the inspection clause in contracts, so our gross number will decrease.

Rob's post ????

Don's correct and we are just looking at other opportunities, nothing firm yet.

Doesn't appear the "Help Wanted - Biz For Sale" category gets hit a lot, so... How does one go by selling their business. I would venture a guess that I would be selling "goodwill". In any case, my company is two man (one team, however) strong. We have struck a chord with real esate agents because of our process time factor (and, of course, our abilities). We are completely electronic. We picked up a quarter of our PMA within 2 years. We will be 4 yrs old in July. We have done 2500+ inspections, probably doing 700/yr (and our quality of life is great - we do not overwork ourselves). We gross about $220k + cash. Overhead is around 20%. We would train our successors and provide them all the equipment (no trucks) and a couple of laptops. We are in a hot market. Who's interested?

The situation is somewhat complex. I didn't rip into her on site. Didn't really rip into her at all. The "unprofessional" portion was following our action to refund the inspection fees and void our agreement with the client (retired builder/contractor to boot). Cheap shots came our way from the client (and girlfriend). We decided that in our best interest, we should sever the relationship (I could foresee legal problems down the road). The expectations of the client (they are a stretch) could not be met. I called her and her boyfriend "nuts" and explained if they didn't intend to use our report as intended, they shouldn't have contracted us in the first place - so we were refunding her money and good luck trying to find an inspector to fit your mold. I'm still ticked that the referring party felt it was her place to share confidantial correspondence (that did not involve her directly) with outside parties. I don't see the professionalism in that action, thus, she is a hypocrite.

I let my temper get the best of me last week and sorta blasted a client (not really the client - the girlfriend of the client - she put her nose where it didn't belong). Anyhow, the client's girlfriend forwarded the an email (not the most professional) to the referring party (an appraiser - her friend). The appraiser got really ticked off, called us completely unprofessional, and, is now forwarding the same email to other real estate professionals demanding our removal from the referral loop. I have apologized for the outburst, however, is the appraiser being a hypocrite?