Devereaux412

Good point, anybody somewhat close to the KC area that doesn't operate here up for a few ride alongs?

I'm not sure that I'm all that happy with my website. I got it as part of a package with the ASHI School and it's not the most user friendly and it runs $65/month. WP does have some good layouts and it's easy to manage. I may think about switching over and using my domain name I have through Go Daddy.

I am somewhat new to the industry after spending the past 12 years working for engineering firms. I was required to do the classroom and hands on training and decided to go to the ASHI School (which I would find to be a huge waste of time and money). I've been practicing in Missouri due to them not requiring licensing as I have not taken the NHIE yet. I've been studying for it and am scheduled to take it this month. Now I see this news that KS doesn't require it? To me this seems like a huge waste of time and money. I have never been able to do the mentoring program as each local inspector I've approached has basically blown me off unless I wanted to give them thousands of dollars. I'd be interested in hearing more about this.

They thought I should have picked up the scent of the sewage gas. I know it wasn't there at the time of inspection but didn't want to seem unreliable so I returned to check it out just a bit ago. The drain looked damaged since it basically looked like broken concrete under the grate. There was water present though.

I may just try and check the clean out and drain in the furnace room since it sits directly under this bathroom. The drain may just be dry or the plug could be missing from the clean out.

Being new, this is my first time encountering this so I was curious of the proper steps to take.

I have a home I've been to twice now. Once the 1/2 bath off of the kitchen was fine. The next time I was called back because the bathroom smells of sewer gasses. Per the realtor, this is an ongoing issue with this home and they have not fixed it. Any suggestions on what it is and the best path to take? Thank you.

You guys are awesome, this is all great info! I appreciate it!

I looked at the Protimeter Surveymaster and they are pretty expensive. Looks like the Tramex Moisture Encounter Plus is a good value. Guess I have a decision to make. Great info guys, I appreciate it!

Appreciate the info. Are there any moisture meters and thermometers that you would recommend?

I am new to the business and just starting to get equipment. I have the basics in a good LED flashlight, multi bit screwdriver, GFCI tester and a good ladder. My question is what other tools are essential? Do you have any that you specifically recommend? I've read through the forums and it seems some answers are dated or that people's answers vary greatly. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

Sorry, been busy Dan. I'll give you a call soon after 7 PM. Thanks!

Dan, Sorry about that, is there a good time to call? I still am at an 8-5 job until I can get my business up and running. Which right now is kind of a toss up of when. Hope everything checked out okay at the VA hospital. That's good info on the Great Plains Chapter. Nice play on words too, haha. I look forward to hearing more insight.

I did receive a message back from Jeff Arnold stating that he is looking into the matter and would be back to me in a few business days. He was very professional and courteous in his message.

Bill, how did you get to that point? I find it hard to just get one inspection done with an experienced H.I.

Guys, I really appreciate all this information. You can call me Dev, it's a lot easier than typing out Devereaux each time. I have reached out to people in Kansas City and I'm willing to pay a fee, but I've not received any responses. I just wrote a letter explaining how unprofessional the ASHI School experience is to the ASHI CEO, Jeff Arnold. I plan on writing a similar letter to the board of Kansas. Hand-on may be a bad term. What I mean is learning by doing. I'm not alone in my opinions of the training that the ASHI School provides, there were 11 other guys in my class that feel the same way. We are all on an email chain discussing what we can do to prevent others from taking the path we did. Sure, my dream training is a H.I. that enjoys mentoring and would be comfortable showing me the ropes. Now finding that person or persons is the real challenge.

Mike, I was by no means looking for what you call "shake-n-bake" courses. I did some research, I was told Carson Dunlop was the best from a training standpoint and they told me to go to the ASHI School. I was given false promises that they would give me in depth training over a two week span. My state requires 80 hours of hands on training, so it left me with little options. The reason I chose the course that I did is because I wanted to do this right to gain as much knowledge as possible. Unfortunately, I didn't know it was a scam. After receiving my money I can barely get a response from anybody at the ASHI school. I would never have chose a mediocre course, I wanted the best.

I think what I said must have been misleading to get these type of responses. I'm by no means looking to make easy money, I'm looking to find a career I will enjoy that doesn't confine me to an office each day. The course was highly unorganized. They shipped books two weeks prior to class with the expectation that you would put in 40 hours to read them and fill out the workbooks prior to attending the class. When I arrived at the class, there were 12 total students. All we did was read slides straight from the book along with hearing stories of these instructor/inspectors greatest feats in the field. What we received was no real hands on experience. If any of us asked for additional information or for one of the instructors to explain something more in depth, they would be highly disrespectful. Mentioning things like they are getting paid to be around us. That was comical considering how much they charge. If I knew now when I knew before I signed up I would have invested all that money somewhere else.

I work for an engineering firm and decided one day that I feel like I'm slowly dying coming to work each day and sitting in a cubicle. So, one day I decided to reach out to some local home inspectors and get their thoughts on the industry. I did some research and decided to try and get trained through Carson Dunlop. I was quickly informed that in the state of Kansas I needed hands on training to get certified. So, I was referred to the ASHI School. The ASHI School is probably worth about $300 including the books. I would have rather read the Carson Dunlop book, did the workbook and then paid a practicing home inspector a certain fee to shadow and learn from him over the period of a few weeks. Instead I paid the inflated amount that the ASHI School charges while being disrespected by their instructors on a daily basis. One of the instructors even makes it a habit of checking his Facebook all day and then falling asleep. It was really a complete disappointment. Now I have to find a way to get some on-site training on my own, despite having paid that fee to the ASHI School.

I just attended the ASHI School in Des Plaines for two weeks. I have to admit, I was really disappointed. They charge $3,499 and don't even have the decency to provide you with breakfast or lunch. You're in class from 8-5 where all the "instructors" really do is read slides that you were already supposed to review on your own before attending. The field inspections were also not very educational. They have 12 students trying to follow two inspectors and you don't get much hands on experience. They also say they're going to explain the software they recommend, Horizon. But, none of them ever have used Horizon so they basically tell you that you're on your own. This school is a racket, I would avoid it at all costs. We were even given $8 GFCI testers one day to use, and they asked for them back. How cheap can you be? Save your money and just order the Carson Dunlop material online. You will get the exact same education without the overinflated expense.