NORTH BRANCH PROPERTY INSPECTION

It went well. Mr. Ladner was on time and explained everything he saw.

Mark Ladner and North Branch completely failed to detect extensive rotting to the deck on the property we subsequently bought.  The problem was so clear that once we took possession of the property, pieces of the rail structure just came up in my hand while other parts of the rail structure collapsed when we leaned against them.  
It will now cost $6,000 for us to replace to rotted rail structure and many of the rotten deck boards.  He also missed obvious problems with the ac/furnace system including a non-functioning zone system.  Instead, his report is filled with trivialities that were of no particular consequence.
His response (through his lawyer)?  Tough - their liability is limited to the fee paid.  
Beware prospective homeowners.  Based on my experience, I would NEVER HIRE MARK LADNER and North Branch.  They failed and now are refusing to accept responsibility.

I have used Mark Ladner for several home inspections prior to my purchase of a home in the Cook collar counties areas during the past months. Each time Mark has performed very detailed and thorough inspections which saved me making serious mistakes. In this last inspection he crawled around on his hands and knees for almost 30 minutes in the wet and dirty crawl space of the house to document very serious structural problems. He found and documented with photos that much of the soil under foundation footings had been washed away by water flow and much of the footings were sitting on nothing but air. He then strongly suggested I have the house examined by a structural engineer before final purchase agreement and offered engineers he recommended. After speaking with the recommended engineer (for free) I leaned the foundation repairs would be a major expense and wihdrew my offer to puchase. Mark, also, found minor and major electrical code violations, heating and cooling issues and other substandard issues that I overlooked. I have always found his inspections and reports very detailed and professional. He does not miss anything and you will know what you are buying after he is done. He is very friendly and always willing to take the time to explain any issue he finds during the inspection if you decide to be present at the inspection and ask questions. He does not rush the inspection or explanations to any questions I have had.
I intend to continue using his service until I find my new home and recommend him without hesitation. His fee is more than reasonable and I always receive more service and value than I paid for. If you need a home inspection and want a thorough, professional job well done so you know exactly what you are buying, this is the guy to use.
Jerry Donovan
7/29/2011

It went very well. He inspected everything in detail. There were large cracks in the garage and Mark said that he didn't believe it was something that would cause the garage to collapse but that a structural engineer would need to be hired to make sure. I did that and the engineer came to the same conclusion and he indicated what needed to be done to stop it from cracking any more. I would hire him again, he seemed very knowledgeable and thorough.

George was fantastic. He actually did two inspections for me (the first condo fell through) and for each he was perfectly on time, and more importantly took his time during each inspection, and then also took his time in each to walk me through and show me things -even if they were not actual inspection flaws (for example, how to work my gas fireplace because it was unusual). He also caught tiny things that honestly amazed me (a microthin crack in a window that even after he pointed it out was hard to see). When he could not inspect the air conditioning unit because it was not yet installed -he came back, a few weeks later, at no charge, to make sure it was appropriately hooked up and working. Thank you George. I hope that now that I am closing on the condo, i never need another home inspection again. But if i ever did, i would call George without hesitation. Seriously A++

George was right on time for the inpsection. Snow covered the ground so close inspection of the foundation near the ground wasn't possible. George was able to inspect parts of the roof because most of the snow had been blown off of it. Inside he did look at almost everything but he did explain why he couldn't inspect some items such as the wiring of ceiling lights; sellers don't like fixtures being removed. OK, that sounds reasonable. Overall what he was able to see had a consistent quality of workmanship and materials. George is familar with vintage buildings and issues they face. He also gave me some information on how condo's are converted and what to look for in a good conversion. There weren't any major problems with the unit but it was nice to have another pair of eyes, a pair not being distracted by the realators to buy, was quite nice. Good job George. A number of inspector web sites have sample reports and explain how good buildings go bad; it's worth reading some of this material before the inspection to get familar with the process and think of questions to ask the inspector.

Mark was professional, thorough, and knowledgeable. He identified problems, big and small, and recommended solutions. He was on time, brought all the tools he needed, and wrote a detailed report.

It went great. Mark is a true professional! He pointed out some things that we hadn't noticed with our first walk thru. It was well worth the money, and I would use him again.

George was responsive and professional from start to finish. His inspection was meticulous and thorough. He explained all issues to me and prepared a great written report that he put in a binder on-site. After 3 years in the unit there were no flaring issues that George did not identify. I have just called George to inspect a single-family home I am purchasing. Highly recommended.

George took the time to show me problems and to suggest some repairs. He found things I never would have if I'd looked for hours. No detail was too small for him.

North Branch did an excellent job. They were very thorough and looked at every part of the building and garage. They did a great job of not only identifying problems, but letting me know whether the problems were a major or minor concern. After I moved in, I did not find anything they missed. I would use them again and I highly recommend them.

George accepted a last minute schedule need for us even though he was busy. He spent about 3 or more hours doing the inspection - checking EVERYTHING. He created a great report in a nice bider. Answered a lot of home owner questions on repair stuff and renovation plans. All and all, a great experience. Of course time will tell on accuracy - but it felt good.

MY EXPERIENCE WAS SUPERB. GEORGE IS THE UTMOST PROFESSIONAL.