hausdok

Hi Mel, I do full-narrative reports. If you'd like to, you can send me a copy of the report and I'll see if I can give you some help. Send it to hausdok@msn.com . By the way - a shameless plug here for our primary sponsor, DevWave. Their report system, Inspect Express can be configured in either full-narrative or partial-narrative style. With the full narrative style, which is designed basically for those who's typing ability/speed is very limited, you drop responses that describe the home into the report and the software writes the report for you in full sentences and paragraphs. For issues encountered, you choose the deficiency from a menu of deficiencies and the report drops a fully-written, narrative boilerplate comment into the report. If you take pictures on-site you can include them in the report and you can produce separate summary reports if you wish. However, it's not a data-based reporting system like Kurt's or Inspect-Vue. This is a word processing-type report in MS Word format. The program is extremely customizable, is bug-free and switching from full-narrative to partial narrative is as simple as going into the settings and clicking on one checkbox, so you aren't hamstrung with only one report format. I think that the partial narrative is ideal for those of you who do on-site reports, because you can use one of those palm computer devices to collect data, transfer that data to a laptop and print a report right there. However, like any report that uses boilerplate, if you aren't happy with the boilerplate it has, you'll end up re-writing it to your own style. Knowing that would be the case, DevWave has gone to great lengths to make the process of tweaking the comments or completely replacing them pretty much computer-idiot simple, so it's not a laborious process. I've been using it for nearly 5 years and I'll be happy to share a sample report with anyone who wants to shoot me their email via PM above. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, My CodeCheck Plumbing is based on the 2000IRC and 2000UPC. It says 6 inches or less from a receptor(IRC 2803.6.1) or within 6 to 24 inches of the ground (UPC 608.5). It also says that it can't be kinked or restricted, so logic says that if you are using the IRC you can't terminate a pipe with a 3/4 inch I.D. any closer than 3/4 inch to the floor, or you've created a restriction, so I'd conclude that the IRC is saying within 3/4-inch to 6 inches of the receptor or ground. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Try to find out the brand name of the product and call the manufacturer. If you can't determine the name, google 'rubber roof' and then contact Firestone and one or two other rubber roofing product manufacturers, ask to speak with their technical assistance department head and then ask for the name of the best flat roof guru in your area. I did that once many years ago and two different manufacturers knew one guy's name right off the top of their heads and said he was without-a-doubt the best flat-roofed guy in my area. I took their advice, called the guy and you know what? They were right. They guy was a guru and I referred every difficult flat roof issue that I couldn't adequately investigate/comment on to him for years until he retired. But I digress. My point is (I have trouble staying on point - adult A.D.D. and all) that these guys know who they sell their products to and they know who they get questions from and the quality of those questions allow them to determine whether the guy calling is a turkey or really knows his stuff. I think they'll be a better source for you than we will. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi All, For those of you who are interested, I've managed to restore most of the photos that were in the original article and have posted them full-size. Just go back to the first post on the first page of this thread to see them. I've down-sized them pixel-wise so they should load relatively quickly on dial-up, but I apologize if it doesn't display well on some monitors. I'm still not very good at all of this formatting. OT - OF!!! Mike

Hi All, I got a chuckle out of these - especially #3 - because I know that I've inspected the homes bought by these folks, that have been put up for sale, more than once. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Mitchell, Some folks are very clear in their view of who they consider to be their "customer". Check this out: http://www.tijonline.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3523 Shades of Herner vs. Housemaster! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Randy, If the client really does want the house, despite the report, and the only thing he/she needs is time to get an estimate in order to be absolutely sure, I don't see a problem with it, as long as they aren't asking you to change the conclusions in the report or soften your language. However, I'd call the client, explain to the client what the realtor has requested and confirm that this actually is not a case of the realtor needing more time to convince the client not to walk away from the house, by bringing in his/her 'favorite contractor' to provide a ridiculously low estimate to assuage the client's fears that the repair will be hugely expensive. If it was on the level, I'd send any changes as an attachment to an email and would direct them both to delete any previous reports emailed to them or copies that they've made, and I'd keep a copy of that email as a record of having directed them to do so. Then I'd add something like the following to my comment about the flatwork. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

By Ellen Rohr Time to do Ellen Rohr’s absolutely-painless-fast-n-easy-why-not-make-your-dreams-come-true program. You can make this coming year your best ever. Follow these steps… 1. What is your POINT? What is your purpose? Each of us is given unique talents, genetics and desires. It is our responsibility to discover how to use those gifts to be of service to others. What would your life be like if you were absolutely ‘on purpose’? (A nice bonus of being ‘on purpose’ is that you have your greatest chance of being really successful!) When you were a little kid you probably had a very clear idea of what you wanted to be when you grew up. What was that? Is that your purpose? Write it down. If you don’t know for sure what the heck your purpose is, that’s OK. Keep asking and jot down your hunches. You’ll figure it out. By the way, no fair just thinking through these steps. You must write it down. Committing the thoughts to paper is essential to the program. That’s the rule. 2. Go for PERFECT! What would be your ‘Perfect Day’? Write down, in great detail, what your ‘perfect day’ is like. This is a lot of fun and won’t take you but a few minutes. Close your eyes…imagine your ‘perfect day’. What time do you wake up? Where? With whom? What do you have for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Where do you work? What do you do? How much money do you want to make? To spend? On what? What good works do you want to accomplish? Who would you like to talk to? How much time would you spend outdoors? Alone or with others? 3. Look yourself in the eyeballs. Take stock of your current situation. Using your ‘perfect day’ as a guide, write down where you are now compared to where you want to be. What time must you wake up now? Where? With whom? How is your average right-now day different from the ‘perfect day’? In some areas, you will be pleased to discover, you are living the ‘perfect day’. Maybe your relationships with your kids are exactly what you want them to be. Maybe you absolutely love your home, your job…at least what you have for dinner? In a few areas you might be within ‘spittin’ distance’ of your perfect day. Perhaps you love the work that you do, but your office needs some remodeling. You might find an area where you are way off track. You’ve discovered that your real purpose is teaching children, but you spend 12 hours a day selling insurance. Just write down the current situation and compare each point to the ‘perfect day.’ 4. Go where you are LOW. Pick the area that has the largest variance between what you want and where you are right now. You don’t have to change everything. Just focus in on the one point that is farthest from where it should be. That’s it. Your energy needs to be focused on narrowing the gap in that one area. For instance, your soul longs for the farming life and you live in an apartment. You pick this area. Now…how to make the changes? 5. Keep Score. Once you’ve figured out the goal - for instance, a farm in the country - how could you make that happen? How much money would you need? Do you have it? Where could you get it? Do you know which farm or what country? How could you learn about farming? From these questions create a ‘to do’ list. Wherever possible, assign a number that will keep track of how you are doing. Make yourself talk to three realtors about farm tracts. Statistics keep you honest - you either talked to three realtors, or you didn’t. Start a savings account with specific goal of ‘x’ number of dollars. (That is why I love money. It’s so easy to keep score with it!) Get the idea? 6. Bootstraps! Hold yourself accountable. You are the only one keeping you from the ‘perfect day.’ Yep. Just you. You are your only obstacle. This is America. The universe is abundant. Get going and make your dreams come true. I saw a cartoon once that had the caption “Self-help books we’d like to seeâ€

Say, This might be a chance to put the chat room to good use, if we could get a few of these guys who use IR systems on here at a predesignated time and date to answer everyone's questions in real time. What do you guys think about that idea? OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, No, you are not missing the boat. There are several things in play. The mold guy might be right if the outside relative humidity in your area is so high in summer that it will migrate into the cooler crawlspace and condense all over everything. However, leaving soil - any soil- uncovered in a crawlspace will result in about 11 gallons of water evaporating out of 1000 s.f. of soil every 24 hours. Close those vents and where does it go? If the vents are closed and you create a sealed crawlspace, the soil, and the foundation walls, need to be capped and sealed very tightly, and then that space needs to be conditioned and become part of the conditioned space of the home, otherwise you create a petri dish. If the soil is capped properly and the vents are left open, moisture-laden air will migrate into the crawlspace in the summer and probably condense all over everything, if, like I said above, the r.h. in the crawlspace is less than that outside. So, in that circumstance, it might make more sense to close the vents in the summer and open them in the winter when the air is drier. Properly capping the soil is a key element to that. If the barrier is put down poorly and mold spore does develop beneath the plastic it can spread out onto areas that aren't capped and then mold spore gets airborne and will germinate on mold-friendly areas such as dampened lumber. The barrier has to be sealed at the perimeter and at overlapping joints. Do it right, and the soil beneath becomes completely saturated with all that moisture that's unable to escape and evaporate into the crawlspace and it reaches equilibrium. Do it wrong, and it continues feeding higher levels of moisture into that air 24/7/365 wherever the soil is uncovered. You need to become better acquainted with the science of this. Go here: http://www.advancedenergy.org/buildings ... wl_spaces/ and download a copy of Closed Crawlspaces - An Introduction to Design, Construction and Performance and you should have no problem debunking Mr. Mold is Gold if you take the time to study the research on this site. While I'm at it, what the hell is with that plastic on the underside of those joists? That vapor barrier needs to be against the heated floor, not on the underside of the insulation where moisture that's naturally moving through diffusion into that crawlspace will encounter that cold plastic, condense and form a mold farm in the joist bays which have now been turned into petri dishes (Note the stains). You've got some pretty poorly informed builders in that town by the looks of things. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, The schematic and labeling on the box will often tell you what size conductors can be used under those bus lugs. As far as I know, there isn't any prohibition against multiple equipment-grounding conductors (grounds) under a single terminal, as long as the maximum number of conductors for that terminal is not exceeded. However, grounded conductors (neutrals) may not be doubled. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, No, he'd never told me that he's heard that kind of conversation. Understand that the N.A.R. has a code of ethics and that their public face encourages buyers and sellers to have an inspection. Since many of them compete with each other for sales, they don't talk like that in front of anyone who they know or suspect isn't of the same frame of mind. I'm just telling you how he says "those" kind of inspectors seem to get pigeonholed by the type of folks that I'd call slick operators. I doubt that there's even anything as overt as you've suggested. It's probably something more on the order of very pointed and carefully worded questions about how the inspector inspects and reports and maybe how he reports certain issues that are a pet peeve for the agent. Basically, feeling the inspector out in private and hoping to get the right responses in order to know that he's got an inspector who's hungry enough to take it easy on the house for future referrals. It doesn't take very many questions to figure that out. In fact, if you feed them the right answers and then they refer you, you can always turn around and do it exactly the opposite of the way they expect you to do it. You'll at least get that one referral and that's money in the bank, just don't expect to hear from 'em again and be prepared to receive an unhappy phone call and maybe get your name bandied around amongst their office as being an incompetent or something like that. Some of them will get pretty nasty on the phone, because you didn't listen to 'the code' and threaten all sorts of things - that I've experienced. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I think I'd do it a little differently. I used to be a member of a franchise and spent several days in training learning how to kiss the butt of real estate agents and use every sales trick in the book to manipulate them into referring customers to me. Since the franchise was started by someone who used to sell real estate, it only served to turn me off on the whole process and I never felt comfortable doing it. I did though, for the first 9 months in business and then I simply quit and decided to let the chips fall where they may. That was nearly 10 years ago. If you feel that you must go to a real estate office and kow-tow to them in your area in order to get referrals, I think you'd be wise to keep in mind that agents are professional sales people. They'll know that you're coming there to try to sell to them and they'll have seen literally dozens of similar presentations from other inspectors before you and will likely be bored silly if you try and feed them the same old fodder. I have a friend who's an agent. He says that they love it when the inspectors bring the donuts and coffee, but that he tunes out when the inspector goes into his/her 'I'm better than the other guys because' spiel. He says that some agents he knows make it a sport to pick the inspectors apart in front of everyone else in the office and that after they leave they usually have a good laugh at how the inspector had been squirming. He says that after the inspector leaves they toss the brochures and cards, go back to their desk and keep right on referring inspectors whom they know and feel comfortable with. So, basically you're spinning your wheels if you think you can impress them by talking about how you're better than the other guy. He says that every once in a while they'll get an inspector who continuously drop strong hints, without actually saying anything, that they can rely on him/her to help the sale go through. The inspector will comment about how he/she can help them ensure a "smooth transaction" by "putting things in perspective" and will tell them that he/she understands that they (the agents) are also his/her "clients." He says that these folks usually generate a little more interest among certain agents and those agents will typically pigeonhole the guy/gal afterward for a few minutes to ask more questions in their own cubical. Can you guess what they are probably asking? This guy is a straight shooter and has been referring work to me for about 8 years. Believe me, if he's referring work to me after that long, he is, or I would always be booked up whenever one of his clients called. He says that he values honesty and directness and learning something new more than he does hearing about how an inspector is going to do better than the other guy, 'cuz that's what he's heard dozens of times from every Tom, Dick and Harry inspector. He says if an inspector can come to his office, educate him on something that will actually be of value to him, instead of trying to show him how to suck eggs, and will answer his questions honestly and without trying to tailor his/her answers so that his butt is feeling nice and kissed, he's more apt to save the guy's card and refer someone to him later. In my opinion, this is the kind of agent this profession needs, rather than the other type who seeks out the facilitators. If I were you, I'd go there and give them a class on something that I knew well and that they aren't likely to know much about, which will help them understand homes better, thus making it easier for them to help them avoid money pits before they get to the offer stage. Stuff like that will be valuable to them. Keep it under 10 minutes and don't appear to be selling yourself or anything else. Act like you are doing them and their clients a favor by teaching them that stuff, pass your cards out and then leave. If they tried to engage me in questions that are pointedly aimed at trying to gauge whether I were a facilitator, I'd tell them that I was there to help them better educate their clients. I'd point out that I inspect to specific standards of practice and I'd hand that person a copy of those standards and tell him/her to study it and then call me with any questions about it. I'd make it a point not to become trapped into questions about how I will inspect, because, as a rookie that won't help me. I'd tell them that if they want to know how well I can inspect, they'll just have to give me a shot by referring a client to me, and then we'd see whether we were a match or not. Then I'd pass just my card out and I'd leave and tell them that if they'd like some brochures to give me a call and I'd drop some off. That way, I'm not putting my money on their break room shelf only to see it tossed in the trash as soon as I'm out the door. If you provide them information that shows you are knowledgeable and confident, and leave the impression that you/re honest and ethical, here's what I think will happen: 1. Those that want an honest and ethical inspector will probably refer at least one customer to you, in order to see if you really are. If you show them you are, do a competent inspection, and write an honest report, they'll probably add you to a list of honest inspectors they have and they'll refer clients to you as they rotate through that list. Don't expect it to be as often as you might imagine because the list of honest inspectors can be anywhere from one or two to up to a few dozen - depending on how they operate. 2. Those who are on the fence and can go either way, depending on how many homes they've sold so far this year and how many unpaid bills they're sweating out, will probably do the same, just to see whether they want to get you on their special list for those times when they have those touchier, more risky clients - a relative, a media personality, a celebrity, a lawyer or a professional engineer. 3. Most of those who are realtorzoids (manipulators who are seeking facilitators and secret salesmen) will never contact you, but some, thinking that maybe you're something else in private and out of sight of overseeing eyes, will probably risk at least referring one person to you, in order to gauge your skills, so they'll know what to expect when they know you'll be inspecting one of their listings and writing a report, and in order to include you on that special list used for those touchier clients. 4. All of them will include you on the list of inspectors that they'll personally use for homes that they are purchasing. Whether they use you when that time comes will depend entirely on whether you're available when they call. In any event, by giving them something that they can use, you increase the odds of getting referrals from every type, over sitting there and letting them pick you off with questions designed to peel the onion and determine what's at it's core. It will get you referrals. From there, it's up to you. You can bet that you'll have to do it all over town the same way and do it enough to keep those referrals coming long enough to build up a decent referral base of satisfied customers and honest realtors, because I can guaranty you that for every one who sends you a second referral there will be at least six who never will again, unless it's on a home they are personally purchasing or the client is in that touchier class above. My opinion. Worth the price charged, I suppose. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Around here, agents are required to open up and remain during the entire inspection. It wasn't enforced very stringently until about a year ago when one of them left an inspector and then there was a stink later on that revealed that the agent had left. I'm told that the agent, whoever he/she was, was fined $5,000 and almost lost his/her license. Ever since then, the only agents that will leave me there are the one's that have known me for 10+ years who know that I can be trusted to lock up and won't rat them out. I think that their coming to open up is the least that they can do for what they get paid to sell a house. Hell, I'll happily sign up for the local realtor association and get a lock-box key if they'll start splitting that commission between the selling agent, listing agent and me. Otherwise, they can darned well drag themselves over there with a book, open that door and prepare to wait a few hours for me to finish. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, About a month ago, I was doing an inspection where both the realtor involved and my client were apparently die-hard fantasy sports nuts of some sort. From the start of that inspection to the end, I had to listen to non-stop jabber about so-and-so was traded to so-and-so and so-and-so is a lousy passer, and so and so is on the injured list and gee, weren't they glad they'd traded him before he got injured, yadda, yadda. They got so loud and animated that one would have thought they were in the stands at the super bowl or something. I'll bet the client doesn't remember a single thing I told him about that house during that 3-1/2 hours. About halfway through it, I had to stifle the urge to talk about the fighting cricket tournament and how Autumn Trounce ate the leg off of Spring Placidity in the finals. [:-boring][:-yawn][:-yuck] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

While still coming under criticism from real estate agents, the first trials of government-mandated home information packs (HIPS) are preparing to kick off in the U.K. in November. For the complete story, click here.

Des Plains IL-October 1 Anyone who watches Bravo's new show "Million Dollar Listing" knows that the final sale of a home can hinge on the results of a home inspection - even for a million dollar home. While a home inspection is a critical component of buying and selling a home, knowing your home inspector is just as important. Effective October 15, home inspectors who claim to follow the American Society of Home Inspectors' (ASHI) Standards of Practice (SOP) will also be required to adhere to ASHI's Code of Ethics. The revised Standards of Practice (which have become an industry standard and model for licensing in many states) was overwhelmingly approved by ASHI Membership in an effort to elevate the profession and safeguard consumers from unethical home inspection practices. "By understanding ASHI's Code of Ethics, consumers can arm themselves with information that could help prevent them from hiring the wrong home inspector," said 2006 ASHI President Joe Corsetto. "Any inspector can claim to follow ASHI's Standards of Practice, but by merging the SOP with ASHI's Code of Ethics, ASHI is raising the standards of the profession to better ensure the likelihood that consumers receive a fair and objective examination of their home." ASHI's Code of Ethics Revealed Among the topics contained in ASHI's Code of Ethics is the relationship between a home inspector and a real estate agent, or other third parties that have a financial interest in the closing or settlement of a real estate transaction. ASHI's Code of Ethics states, "Inspectors shall not directly or indirectly compensate realty agents, or other parties having financial interest in the closing or settlement of real estate transactions, for the referral of inspections or for inclusion on a list of recommended inspectors, preferred providers or similar arrangements." While a real estate agent can be an initial resource for identifying home inspectors in the area, ASHI urges homeowners to research each home inspector's references, qualifications and affiliations, such as whether he or she is an ASHI Member, before committing to an inspection. Other ASHI codes that consumers should be aware of before hiring a home inspector include the following: Inspectors shall not inspect properties for compensation in which they have, or expect to have, a financial interest. Inspectors shall not repair, replace or upgrade, for compensation, systems or components covered by ASHI's Standards of Practice, for one year after the inspection. Inspectors shall perform services and express opinions based on genuine conviction and only within their areas of education, training or experience. Inspectors shall be objective in their reporting and not knowingly understate or overstate the significance of reported conditions. "The Code of Ethics is what sets ASHI members apart from other inspectors," said Corsetto. "ASHI members won't list items on the full inspection report that need repair and then turn around and offer to repair them ourselves. This is not our job. This is a conflict of interest that compromises the integrity of the inspector and the inspection results. Our job is to provide a thorough and objective inspection of a home's condition so that a homeowner or buyer can make an educated purchase decision. Homeowners selling their home will also benefit from the same ethical practices because the defects noted are based on conviction. We're not using the inspection as a way to generate repair work for ourselves. By merging these two practices, we are preserving the integrity of our profession and protecting the interests of our customers." For the complete statement of ASHI's Code of Ethics, visit ASHI's Web site www.ASHI.org. Homeowners and buyers visiting the site should also check out ASHI's virtual home inspection, a narrated tour that provides an overview of the 10 main areas of the home that should be inspected in accordance with ASHI's Standards of Practice. About the American Society of Home Inspectors: Celebrating 30 years, and more than 6,000 members strong, ASHI is the oldest and most widely recognized non-profit, professional organization of home inspectors in North America. Its Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics have become the industry standard. ASHI's mission is to meet the needs of its membership and promote excellence and exemplary practice within the profession. For more information, visit www.ASHI.org or call 800-743-2744.###

As they prepare for the pilot compulsory home information packs (HIPS) program, that is set to kick off in the U.K. in November, SAVA, one of several new home inspector organizations in Britain, has confirmed that it will implement the country’s first certification scheme for home inspectors and energy assessors in time to certify inspectors to government standards before the pilot program begins. According to SAVA, this provides the essential consumer protection needed to ensure public confidence in Home Condition Reports and Energy Performance Certificates, because inspectors will be properly vetted for qualifications, trained, insured, and will be monitored to make sure they prepare their reports to the required quality standards. To read the entire article click here. To learn more about SAVA, click here.

The National Association of Licensed Home Inspectors (NALHI), one of several professional home inspectors associations that sprang up in the United Kingdom after thousands of prospective home inspectors began their training, has demanded that the British government closely monitor the voluntary Home Condition Report (HCR) aspect of home information packets (HIPS) when HIPS are officially implemented in June 2007. Up until July 19th, HCR's were a mandatory integral component of HIPS, but the British government, bowing to pressure and criticism from the real estate and mortgage lender professions that the mandatory HCR would financially strap sellers, pulled the HCR component from the HIP and made it voluntary. This sent the infant home inspection profession into a tailspin and many inspectors in training saw their employment prospects dry up when firms that had planned to hire them lost their financing and folded after the July 18th announcement. The government has assured prospective home inspectors that at some future point the HCR will be re-instituted, but NALHI and other inspector associations want more assurances. To read the complete story click here.

In this article from the October 6 Times Record-Herold, municipal building inspectors in New York State, who are required to wear 3 hats, find themselves with about 6 months worth of backed up inspections because their municipalities won't hire more inspectors. To read the entire article click here.

Atlanta-September 27 Save My License, the member organization and society of licensed professionals dedicated to helping professionals protect and save their licenses, designations, certifications, careers, reputations, and livelihoods from state board and administrative regulatory actions, announced today it had agreed to a reciprocal arrangement with the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), the largest inspection association in North America, to display the two organizations' logos on their web sites, newsletters, and on other appropriate vehicles, as a gesture of support of their respective missions. Both organizations adhere to strict Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice Standards guidelines. "We welcome this reciprocal arrangement as a statement that the leadership of our two organizations supports the ethical commitment we each have to our mission and the importance of protecting the rights of our members and professionals in an increasingly challenging and litigious society," explained Chris Fisher, Vice President of Marketing for Save My License. "We appreciate NACHI's acceptance and recognition of our relatively young organization and we invite other professional associations to join with us in the cause of protecting members from special interest actions and frivolous activities aimed at profiting at the expense of principle and ethical professionals." While not an insurance company, Save My License (www.savemylicense.com) enables licensed professionals in almost any occupation to receive up to $100,000 in costs and legal fees to defend against any state or national board, administrative, or regulatory action that threatens their license, designations, certifications and their livelihood. Different levels of protection are available for low, mid, and high-risk careers. Save My License members can protect their professional license(s) with plans offered at protection levels of $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000 and start at $49 per year. All levels of membership include protection against fines a member may be obligated to pay, up to $5,000. SaveMyLicense.com is owned and operated by an institutional holding and investment company, SML Holding Corporation, is backed by a performance bond and is registered with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and VeriSign. For additional information or to become a member of Save My License legal protection, individuals can apply online at www.savemylicense.com. About Save My License: Save My License (www.savemylicense.com) is the first and only professional membership organization dedicated solely to the legal defense of members engaged in state licensing board actions or complaints affecting their certifications or designations. Backed by Delaware-based parent company SML Holding Corporation, Save My License is backed by a performance bond and is registered with the Department of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and VeriSign, and has forged marketing partnerships with Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and others. Save My License offers trusted, secure, and reliable protection for physicians, chiropractors, architects, accountants, real estate brokers/agents, nurses, therapists, optometrists, home inspectors, real estate appraisers, attorneys, and many other professionals. About NACHI: The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors is the largest inspection association in North America. Formed in 1990, NACHI is both a non-profit organization as well as tax exempt. Its 205,000+ page, 106 million hit per year website, nachi.org, is host to interactive online continuing education, the industry's most popular exams and quizzes, and a 300,000+ post message board. NACHI also operates InspectorMALL.com, aboutNACHI.org, FindanInspector.us, InspectorPages.com, InspectorLocator.com, InspectorNow.com and InspectorSEEK.com as well as thousands of other lead generating sites for a total of 624 million plus webpages constituting 98.4% of all inspection related content online. NACHI is the industry's largest provider of continuing education and host to hundreds of inspection events each year. More than 8,900 North American inspectors call NACHI home. NACHI... Inspected once, inspected right.###

North Billerica MA-September 27 The latest listing of fully certified infrared training courses offered by the Infrared Training Center (ITC) is now available. The courses, held at the ITC headquarters facility located a few miles north of Boston and twenty-three other cities in the United States, Canada and South America, offer infrared training programs including Level I, II, and III Predictive Maintenance (PdM) Thermography, Research and Development, and applications courses in building science, roofing, and electrical and mechanical inspection. All ITC Course Certifications meet or exceed ASNT (American Society for Non-Destructive Testing) SNT-TC-1A guidelines. Level I and Level II courses are recognized by NETA (International Electrical Testing Association, an accredited standards developer for the American National Standards Institute, ANSI). ITC is the only ISO-9001 certified infrared training organization worldwide, and is the only factory-authorized training organization for FLIR, Agema, and Inframetrics cameras. ITC instructors are ASNT NDT and PdM TIR Level III certified and have extensive field experience. For the complete course schedule and registration information as well as information on InfraMation, the infrared industry's premier annual Thermographers' Conference sponsored by ITC (October 23-27 , Las Vegas, Nevada), contact Betty Taylor at 1-800-254-0631, or visit http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses. For Courses in Canada please contact Nancy Edwards at 1-800-613-0507 ext 24 2006 – 2007 Course Schedule – North & South America October 2006 2 – 5 – Level I – Kitchener ON 2 – 6 - Level I – Billerica MA 3 – 6 - Level I – Las Vegas NV 5 – Software – Kitchener ON 9 – 12 – Level I – Rockville MD 10 – 13 – Level I – Charlotte NC 10 – 13 – Level II – Denver CO 12 – 13 – Electrical Apps. – Toronto ON 23 – 27 – InfraMation – Las Vegas NV 30 – Nov 2 – Level I – Winnipeg MB 31 – Nov 2 – GasFindIR – Houston TX 31 – Nov 3 – Level II – Sterling Heights MI November 2006 2 – Software – Winnipeg MB 6 – 9 – R&D – Billerica MA 7 – 9 – Gas Find IR – Edmonton AB 7 – 10 – Level I – Monterrey Mexico 7 – 10 – Level I – Quito Ecuador 13 – 16 – Building Science – Billerica MA 17 – Home Inspectors – Billerica MA 13 – 16 – Level I – Seattle WA 13 – 16 – Level I – Lima Peru 13 – 16 – Level I – Moncton NB 16 – Software – Moncton NB 20 – 24 – Level II - Maracaibo Venezuela 20 – 23 – Level I – Edmonton AB 23 – Software – Edmonton AB 27-30 –Level II – Costa Rica 27 – 28 – Building Investigations – Toronto ON 28 – Dec. 1 – Level I – San Jose CA 28 – Dec. 1 – Level III – Billerica MA December 2006 4 – 7 – Level II – Toronto ON 4 – 7 – Level II – Stevensville MD 4 – 8 – Level II – Billerica MA 5 – 8 – Level I – Las Vegas NV 11 – 15 – Level I – Billerica MA 11 – 14 – Level I – Denver CO 11 – 14 – Level I – Kansas City KS 11 – 14 – Level II – Atlanta GA 11 – 14 - Level I – Toronto ON 11 – 14 – Level I – Montreal QC 14 – Software – Toronto 15 – BCAM Basics Montreal QC 18 – InfraCAM Basics Montreal QC January 2007 9 – 11 – GasFindIR – Dallas TX 9 – 12 – Level I - Miami FL 9 – 12 – Building Science – Fremont CA 16 – 19 – Level II – Phoenix AZ 22 – 25 – Level I – Phoenix AZ 29 – 2 – Level I – Billerica MA February 2007 5 – InfraCAM Basics – Atlanta GA 6 – 9- Level I – Atlanta GA 13 – 16 – Building Science – Atlanta GA 13 – 16 – Level I – Kalamazoo MI 20 – 23 – Level III – Billerica MA 20 – 23 – Level II – Clarksville TN 27 – 2 – Level I – Seattle WA March 2007 8 – 9 - Roofing Application – Las Vegas NV 12 – 15 – Level I – Las Vegas NV 12 – 16 – Level II – Billerica MA 19 – 23 – Level I – Billerica MA 27 – 30 – Level I – Dallas TX April 2007 3 – 6 – Level II – Denver CO 3 – 6 – Level I – Orlando FL 10 – 13 – R&D – Billerica MA 17 -20 – Level I – Minneapolis MN 23 – 27 – Level I – Billerica MA 24 – 27 – Level I – Stevensville MD May 2007 1 – 4 – Level I – Denver CO 1 – 4 – Level II – Dallas TX ABOUT ITC: Located a few miles north of Boston, Massachusetts, the ITC headquarters facility offers infrared training programs including Level I, II, and III Predictive Maintenance (PdM) Thermography, Research and Development, and applications courses in roofing, building sciences, and electrical and substation infrared inspections. Fore more information contact us at 866-TRAINIR or visit www.infraredtraining.com. To register for courses, contact: Betty Taylor at 800-254-0631.###

Denver-September 20 The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) is now offering professional mold inspectors errors and omissions liability coverage for home inspectors. NACHI, together with the Insurance Office of America, Inc (one of the top ten largest independently owned insurance agencies in the United States), has arranged to provide this important coverage for their members. Those NACHI members that acquire approved training can obtain this coverage with no prior experience or qualifications. No other association fees or mandated standards are required. The limits of liability are $1,000,000 ($500,000 also available) with $5,000 deductible (options upon request). Annual premium $2,000 or less plus applicable State Tax & fees (terms available). The "flat" premium is NOT revenue based, so there are no surprise audits to face. Policy features include: Individual inspector named as insured Additional insured can be added at no additional cost Claim-made policy Underwritten by "A" + rated insurance provider Access to many qualified testing laboratories Eligible for the companion general liability. This general liability coverage is underwritten by "A" + rated insurance company with limits of $1,000,000. and NO deductibles, annual "flat" premium of only $350 NO surprise audits No underwriting delay as binding is immediate upon submission of approved application & premium payment. Access to other insurance coverage; workers compensation; auto; property & bonds Coverage can be obtained by a simple process for the NACHI member who: is a NACHI member in good standing, successfully completes the NACHI approved mold inspection training through PRO-LAB, completes the insurance application, and sends completed application and premium to IOA c/o Rod Morton, Senior Vice President. Binding insurance certificate will be forwarded promptly. For additional information, click web site www.ioausa.com or contact NACHI's rep, Rod Morton at: Rodd Morton, Senior Vice-President and NACHI Rep. Insurance Office of America, Inc P.O. Box 162207, Altamonte Springs, Fl 32716-2207 PH 407-998-4109 (800-243-6899) Fax 800-788-2324 E-mail: rod.morton@ioausa.com www.ioausa.com

Here ya go Oh Great Prognosticator. This should be right up your alley. http://www.nbnnews.com/NBN/issues/2006- ... age/4.html ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

In his Q & A column in The Washington Post, home inspection pundit, Barry Stone, patiently explains to a consumer who doesn't "get it" why inspections are worthwhile. To read the entire article click here.