Jerry Simon Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 After over 21 years doing this gig full-time, I just had a record month. Five total jobs all month; the lowest total, including my first month of biz. Hot dang. I better quit saying things can't get worse. . . [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Market? Weather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Not sure what it is, but it's been crickets chirping around here. I actually had a pretty good year, but December was a void. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted December 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Market? Weather? Market. Thought it was all *me*, but a couple other veterans said they're really slow as well. Or, could be those fu**ing Bears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 December is always my lightest month. Looks like I'm going to close out this December with a whopping total of 7. That's better than December '13 when I had 5 (my lowest ever), but it's half as many as I did December 2011. I find the only thing consistent with with inspection numbers is inconsistency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Looks like I've passed everyone else up with a grand total of 3 HI's. I've gotten a couple new accounts lately completing surveys for commercial draw inspectors and these three HIs make up about a fourth of my December sales. Monthly HI sales between Nov and Feb are always dismal for me. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 October, 2013, was my worst month with 3. October has always been my leanest month and I don't know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Not so bad over here in Jersey. We'll do around 65 inspections for December. Around 1,100 for the year for a three person company with upper end pricing. Up 20%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 9 inspections for me in December, a couple small consulting gigs, and some odds and ends opining for a couple bucks here and there, but only 9 inspections. Limp. Down 18% here for me from last year. I was in China for a couple months which didn't help revenue but China was worth it. 2011, 2012, and 2013 were fantastic, 2014 reasonable, no complaints, but down from previous years. Traditionally, October is one of my slow months too. I don't know what it is about October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I've done 12 full inspections so far, plus several pre-offer consults in December. I had a call earlier this evening and told him I could do it Wednesday morning. He'll call back in the a.m. to confirm. If he confirms, I'll finish the month with 13. That's pretty much the same. I pretty much average a dozen full and a few POC's every month and I pass on about another dozen to other inspectors 'cuz I refuse to do more than one inspection a day. Despite the fall, surgery and recovery I'm up a couple of dozen from last year. I'm not doing a lot but I've been pretty consistent year after year. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Y'all are 'rolling along' pretty well. I've only had six since the first week of October. From what I hear it has been spotty for many HIs here as well. Of course there are those who say they are so busy they can't see straight, but most of those are the 'drive-by' specialists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 My slowest months are Sep and Jan. 2014 was the best of my 9 years in business. For Dec I'll finish with 15 home inspections, 4 commercial jobs and some other items. I'm up 35% over last year which was previously my best year. The big increase is on the commercial side of things. I'd give up a big chunk to go back to China for awhile. I was there in 1989 and I loved it. Northen Laos was amazing as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmeriSpecguy Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 With our last inspection today our 2 man shop will complete 21 inspections for the month of December. This will be a record month of December for us. Not sure if it's our market or the lack of precipitation but we definitely don't mind the upturn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Prior to the Great Recession there was an annual average of 12 home sales in December for a 40 mile radius around me. During, it slipped to 2 or 3. Now that we've "recovered" the same area has about 6 sales. My last inspection for the year was in November. The RE was impressed, and my clients got $15K in repairs done based on my report. Here's hoping 2015 is a better year for all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 The exact numbers for us are not important. We have survived in a market that was the worst in the nation for a decade. Our sales market is 12% up for year over last year. Now we are at 1999 numbers! We survived and prospered by being very lean and being sure we took care of our customers; not agents. Agents went from 2200 on the local board to 600+-, so all the xxxkissing inspectors fell by the wayside. Our legal support, radon screening and component work was actually up 30%, so we can eat another year. I use "number of sales" figures and target a percentage of that for inspection work. Seriously, I never dreamed home inspections would provide me with a decent living. It has and I am thankful for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 December wasn't bad, will do 30. And for the year, I am up(will have done a little over 400 inspections). Actually hired on another inspector(my first "employee"), and contracted with an answering service, best business move I have ever made. I limit myself to two a day. It's an awesome gig, sometimes frustrating, but, awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 It's an awesome gig, sometimes frustrating, but, awesome. I forget this sometimes. Not many small shop gigs provide the income, freedom from drudgery, and opportunities for learning something new every day. Freedom rules. Thanks for reminding me. It is an awesome gig. I managed to close out the year with a nice multi-day, multi-thousand dollar consulting inspection on a large condo building on the lake. My number of inspections is still low but my gross revenue just took a very nice uptick. So yeah......awesome. The other thing's that's awesome is the crew in here. There isn't anyplace on the 'net that's got the collective knowledge and expertise of this joint. Thanks for all the help, and everyone have a good 2015. [:-angel] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Yeah......awesome. The other thing's that's awesome is the crew in here. There isn't anyplace on the 'net that's got the collective knowledge and expertise of this joint. Along with the willingness to share that knowledge, and avoid bullshit drama that the other boards seem to flounder around with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 December was slow for me as well in residential inspections but busy with commercial work for banks and individuals. Like Les, I also have had a good increase in litigation work for the year.... Overall, I'm happy with the work load in 2014.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Another thing about this forum is that although contention will raised its head on some discussions, including those times when someone mistakingly brings up govmental politics, there's true little politics found here. Heated discussion about topics related to HI work are merely passionate pursuit of the truth. The little true politics found here is the visiting tradesman defending his field or the HI defending his own against the visiting tradesman. Our HI Board and most levels of govment are shock full of politics. Not so much of it here. Its an oasis here. Folks come here to grow in expertise. JMHO Happy New Year to all. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Although December was slow for me in inspection work too, 2014 was my best year overall since starting in 2007. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlord Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 20 inspections less (424) than last year but only $570.00 less in revenue. I target 8 per week Mon-Thurs and I will occasionally throw a condo in on Friday morning as long as it doesn't inhibit me from making my weekly 11:00-11:30 tee time. I typically take about 4 weeks +/- off a year 2 of which are between Thanksgiving and mid Jan when things are typically slower anyway. 15.5 years into this gig I would say its been a fantastic ride. I'll be 50 in Feb so I hope I have some good years left in me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHI in AR Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 The uncertainty in this business can drive me a little nuts at times. Overall, 2014 was a bit down compared to 2013, but not a bad year at all regarding inspections. Some additional litigation support work helped though. December is typically pretty slow here, but I was able to visit family in Denver for the first time and go snowmobiling in the Rockies. Then again, when my phone literally didn't ring for the first six days of this year I was getting a bit really panicky. (I got the garage beautifully organized, however!) Then, magically, it started ringing again yesterday morning and I've scheduled six jobs since then. I KNOW it's like this every year but I still can't help getting nervous when it's slow around the holidays. On a semi-related note, I'm going on a cruise early next month. Do you guys also find that going on a vacation -- forcing you have to turn down jobs -- always seems to make the phone ring more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Works every time, Kevin. Schedule a little trip or vacation, phone rings with people that just have to have it during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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