jbushart

It has not. Licensing has failed in every state to achieve any of its desired outcomes. Licensing solves nothing.

I am qualified to say, from personal knowledge, that there is a reduction in renewals of Illinois licenses.....but not a reduction in inspectors. The law in Illinois is ambiguous and lacks enforcement. Several folks are simply ignoring the law and real estate salesmen are going along with it. I think I stumbled across "why". An acquaintance asked me to do an Illinois inspection. I explained I was not licensed in Illinois and declined. He had his agent call me who explained that he had an Illinois inspector who would "sign off" the inspection for me if I would do it. So here is an Illinois inspector in cahoots with a real estate salesman to get "whoever" to do an inspection. Licensing solves nothing.

Another fake "coalition" formed by a few ASHI folks and ITA. They did the exact same thing, to include the media hype, in Missouri, Kansas and New Hampshire. All three states defeated the attempt to force licensure on home inspectors. Exposing the fake coalition for being what it is gives the biggest push for backlash and momentum against it. People are just not as stupid as these folks want to think.

Here is what the fellow said: "Regarding James H. Bushart's letter in The Examiner on Monday, headlined "Bills would create conflicts of interest" (about home inspectors): He says, "House Bill 978 ... needs to be voted down. A home inspector is the only party in a real estate transaction who has no interest or financial gain in a home sale. His report is valued, as unbiased and complete, in that regard." This is complete hogwash. After an inspection by an inspector recommended by the real estate agent, we bought the house now owned. The "inspector" missed serious roof hail damage that the seller had already claimed and pocketed the money for; (cost us $5,000). He missed rusted-out cast iron sewer pipe, two locations, and a sewer vent line open into the house interior. We were smelling sewer gas and couldn't find where it was coming from until sewage overflowed. The unbiased "inspector" was a valued aide to the real estate agent's and seller's sale. Is that enough reason for HB 978? Bushart wants to pretend otherwise. His reason is obvious. " I guess the poor misguided soul thought that having real estate salesmen sitting on a home inspector licensing board, as proposed by the (now dead) HB 978 would make things better. I did respond to his letter and agreed with everything he said. There is a congressman from the Missouri Legislature who is - right now - studying the Massachusetts law and plans to bring a bill to the next legislature that will outlaw any conflict of interest between RE salesmen and HIs...to include RE salesmen referring particular HIs to their clients. This will address the concerns of this gentleman much more effectively than HB 978 ever could.

Thanks for bringing this up for discussion.