Kurt's Wondering About a New Paradigm

[kurt]

I don't know about other folks markets, but I am greatly heartened by the rapid, steady, and growing distaste, distrust, and in some cases, outrage @ the world of realty as practiced by the NAR. I hear it on almost every job nowadays. My younger customers are all on board w/the idea the entire realtors paradigm blows. Even my older customers understand, although they are hesitant to step outside; they still imagine realtors are worthy of respect.

I think all this work by the NAR's monkeys' to get us under their thumb can be used to great effect by us. Let them write their laws. With any creativity, we can get a lot of traction w/them. Of course, one has to have a lot of built in cantankerous-ness (me) for this idea to take hold.

What would you do if you hired someone for a specific job of advocate, and then found out there are laws that prohibit them from performing that task? You're going to be pissed off. You're going to talk to your legislator. Newspapers are going to write stories. Realtors have to be perceived as intelligent, friendly, neighborhood professionals. All these laws can be used to show they are the opposite of that.

With real estate being as screwed up as it is right now, there's no legislator who'd going to stand behind anti-consumer legislation if it can have a bright light shown on it. No politician is going to want to be perceived as anti-consumer. It would be death at the polls.

From my perspective, I see upside to draconian attempts at keeping consumers in the dark. None of us can afford to educate our customers to how their getting jammed by the realtors. Too expensive. Realtors laws could do that for us. We just have to be creative. Look at North Carolina. The guv took that law down pretty quick once it hit the news media.

Someone explain why I'm wrong.

[Richard Moore]

Walter and Kurt,

I don't pay too much attention to licensing in other states, but I am aware that, in at least some cases, the purpose seems to be more to "smooth the deal" rather than protect the consumer. In our case here, the "home inspector advisory licensing board" is to be made up of seven members; six of whom shall be actively engaged as home inspectors and the seventh currently teaching an HI course. Notice that there are no agents, appraisers, lawyers, etc, etc on that board. The road to our particular law seemed to be initially driven by consumer complaints about bad inspections, and not by the RE industry here.

Only time will tell if all the ducks can be arranged in decent rows. Our licensing isn't necessarily going to create better inspectors, but it might get rid of some of the worst ones and deter the lesser wannabes. As there were actually no requirements at all in this state to prevent anyone from printing a business card with crayons and calling themself an HI, I see nothing wrong with that. The bi-annual fee is kind of high, but I can live with it.

Maybe I'm naive, but I just don't see the evil hand of realtors behind this particular state's licensing or the ability of those wicked people to easily affect or degrade our standards.

[randynavarro]

Kurt, we almost posted simultaneously.

Its almost benign. Unless I've misread something, my previous post points out a few issues that could be problematic.

BTW, I had to edit my post a few times since I posted cuz there were some errors. You probably saw the "government" statement in huge letters like I was yelling.

I just learned how to make the font thingy work. The statement is meant as an aside so now its in tiny letters. I'm not mad.

One more thought: if the legislation is truly benign, then why even have it at all?

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by kurt

From my perspective, I see upside to draconian attempts at keeping consumers in the dark. None of us can afford to educate our customers to how their getting jammed by the realtors. Too expensive. Realtors laws could do that for us. We just have to be creative. Look at North Carolina. The guv took that law down pretty quick once it hit the news media.

Someone explain why I'm wrong.

It's not that you're wrong. Speaking from my humble experience, though, it is devilishly hard to shine any light on the workings of a state legislature -- at least the TN state legislature. Heck, I'm a 13-year, card-carrying member of the media, allied with muckraking reporters and supported by a fearsome lawyer. I can get the local media folk to pay attention to shoddy construction and mistreated homeowners, but I can't get 'em interested in what they (we) call "industry stories."

It may be different in other parts of the country, but I've found it impossible to interest local (which means the state capital) media in any story that involves home inspectors. Home inspection -- and home inspectors -- bore the asses off media people. Taken as a breed, we're awful in writing, we're awful on camera, and we can barely get on the radio. We read from a tired and tedious 30-year-old script, and we have no money to hire our own lobbyists.

Yesterday, I watched a TV story on NBC, in which a bus shuttled wannabe homebuyers around Florida neighborhoods. In the bus, there were "real estate professionals," and a few home inspectors. One HI got a little face time. He walked up to a water heater, and said that there was a problem, because the copper supply pipe had been painted white. What? What!?

Until and unless we get a Bob Vila, I think we're screwed.

But that's just me,

WJ

[kurt]

Randy, I know you. I know you're not yelling. It's just a law. Be happy we all got to be part of a profession that was free, for a little while anyway.

Walter, I agree completely w/the boring HI part. The guys that get put up for review by the media are almost entirely boors or worse. The only exceptions I can think of offhand are Warga's program out in Arizona, or Loden's bits on the local new channels.

My take was this/these laws that are restrictive can be turned around and used to our advantage. Anything that takes place in HI land has to be grass roots. There's no money for a real campaign. With a little creativity, we can still shine a light on the bad stuff.

As far as Bob Vila, well, I actually know (well, knew) Bob Vila. At the time, a best friend was best friend of Michael, Bob Vila's producer of the moment. I chauffeured Bob around Chicago for a week and half while he was doing ad spots for Sears. He wouldn't be doing us any favors. Bob, above all else, is about Bob.

I've got a (very) little plan for all this, but it requires my hanging the bare ass out all the way. I'm a little scared to do so, but I might.

We'll have to talk about it, private like.

[randynavarro]

I've got a (very) little plan for all this, but it requires my hanging the bare ass out all the way. I'm a little scared to do so, but I might.

We'll have to talk about it, private like.

I'm all ears -- you're place or mine?

By the way, my wife and I are always talking about starting some kind of super 8 video series on home inspector-ly stuff. Make it kind of fun, kitchy, entertaining and informative.

We've still got a few contacts down in Holly-weird land that we might call . . .

[kurt]

Originally posted by randynavarro

By the way, my wife and I are always talking about starting some kind of super 8 video series on home inspector-ly stuff. Make it kind of fun, kitchy, entertaining and informative.

I know, I tried a little of that years ago w/a customer who was a producer @ HGTV, and honestly, it is boring. No offense, but I've yet to see anyone bring an upbeat interesting tone to any HI stuff, including my own. It just doesn't play.

I'll email you w/my ideas. It ain't about media stuff; it's about a different approach.

[randynavarro]

The provision for grandfathering in the last amended bill has not been removed. See Section 2 (2), which is copied below. Grandfathered inspectors will still have to pass an exam, which will be chosen or written by the new licensing board.

OK. My bad. That's what I get for rushing through and skimming. Thanks for the correction.

[randynavarro]

I know, I tried a little of that years ago w/a customer who was a producer @ HGTV, and honestly, it is boring. No offense, but I've yet to see anyone bring an upbeat interesting tone to any HI stuff, including my own. It just doesn't play.

It'll play if I'm in a thong and a tool belt.