Associated Master Inspectors LLC

Jim was really great. He was there on time (a bit early, actually), and already had his computer set up outside when we arrived. He was extremely thorough and professional, and very well-informed about local code requirements, typical building practices in older as well as modern homes. And he was just a pleasant guy to deal with. He made clear which items were the more critical ones; which were things we would be well-advised to take care of in the near term; and which were more in the nice-to-do or long-term category. At the conclusion, we stood around his computer and he walked us through all of his findings and answered all of our questions. We were very pleased with the service, and have already contracted with them for an inspection of another house (since the previous purchase fell through).

We were told that if a screw was missing, Jim would find it and identify it in his report. We want to purchase a house built in 1999. Our realtor told us we had several options and that Jim was the best of all of the options although we might not need him for such a new house. However, Jim identified a dimpling and two cracks in the furnace's heat exchanger that even the furnace guy couldn't find without a scope (after the inspection). Jim is professional and detailed. He did a great job. I wish I had another house for him to inspect. I think his fee was more than reasonable and that he could charge more for his services.

Jim Katen with AMI performed a home inspection for us on a prospective property. He provided a report that was incredibly thorough and also distinguished the larger problems of pressing concern from the smaller issues that we could deal with on our own over time. He answered all our questions and provided several helpful tips for addressing some of the smaller repairs on the home. In addition to his keen eye and expansive knowledge, Jim is also a really funny, nice guy to talk with and we came out of the home inspection happy, informed and absolutely confident that we'd received the best inspection we could get. We can't recommend him highly enough and, if we can help it, won't ever use anyone else.

Although the customer service was good and with pictures of problem areas, as well a long time spent at the house conducting the inspection, and a 37 page report; I now wonder if too much time was spent making it look good for the customer rather than conducting a thorough inspection. AMI advertise they cover all the bases, including structural, electrical, attic and crawlspace and wood destroying insects. In the case of the house I purchased after AMI's inspection, I found a lot of these very important areas were missed. As the house was partially occupied, I was unable to conduct a thorough inspection myself, and therefore relied heavily on the finds of Mark at AMI. However on moving into the house, I was quick to discover the following and very obvious problems. I want to note that it is impossible to see things that are hidden behind wall. All of these were un-obstructed and clearly visible with a flashlight and a little nosing around. Structural: A missing outside pillar has caused the roof overhang to dramatic sag. Although not clearly visible from the outside of the house, in looking under the hip supports in the attic (where there is no insulation and all open) the floorboards in the overhang are 6 inches higher than the surrounding floorboards making if very obvious and clear to see. After discovering the problem, a handyman we hired commented that we were missing a support post as it was clear the the run of the overhang was too long with no supports. There is also a patched hole where the post should have gone. On top of this, visible joists had been replaced with under sized timber, which need replacing for structural integrity. This is the kind of problem you hire a inspector to catch. electrical: Somehow missed the huge amount of live knob and tube wiring ( again quite clearly visible) in the attic. Doors and Windows: Although commented on the weather stripping, failed to catch that the door is 2 inches away from the frame of the house at the base (you can see into the basement if you move the insulation tape hiding the gap). Also, neglected the insect damage and rot in 2 of the windows, where you can push your finger fully through the frame with ease. And the list goes on and on.... I am sorry to say, this inspection would have made the TV show. It is clear from the report that it was only the easy to see and very obvious elements that were picked up. I see from the many great reports that this is inconsistent from AMI, but felt it necessary to share my very negative experience. Maybe I caught Mark on a very bad day when he had other things on his mind. Had I known the extent of the structural damage, I would have negotiated in the sale and saved a severe headache! Spending several thousand dollars on un-budgeted expenses due to very clear problems that should have been caught will not make anyone happy! On the positive side, Mark was friendly and great at explaining his evaluation. He was also open to being contacted with questions at any time.

Wonderfully The inspection was as thorough and professional as possible. Mark Lindgren spent more than a full half a day going over everything in great detail. He took us through the house, explaining everything he found and what we might want to do with that information. We had a 44 page report emailed to us before the next day. We can't recommend him enough and will certainly call on his services in the future.

We were referred to AMI by a friend who had used Toby multiple times for inspections. It was easy to schedule online over email with their office. The appropriate paperwork was emailed and it took about a week to get Toby scheduled. Toby arrived early and was thorough and spent about 2 hours going through the house, and 1 hour reviewing his findings with us. Overall it allowed us to get a concession from the seller to do repairs on our own. - They are about $100 higher than other options, but I think it was worth it. - The report was a little hard to read ... it was more of a form letter vs. the specific findings - I would have liked more photos of the issues so I could remember the things I'm supposed to fix + On time, courteous, and easy to work with + No major issues were missed that we know of

Toby Deming arrived before the scheduled time. He wanted to get there early because there was much that needed to be looked at in the crawl space. We stayed in the home while he was conducting his inspection which lasted about three hours. At the end of the inspection we went on the carport roof with Toby and he showed us items that needed to be addressed. We continued to explore the house, first on the outside and then on the inside, stopping along the way to examine areas that Toby felt warranted attention. He answered each question we had along the way. We spent about an hour reviewing his findings. We found Toby to be thorough and honest. The next morning, we received a detailed report from Toby which we used in setting up contingencies for the purchase of the house. Toby was available for consultation by phone and email. We live out of town and had to return home. For the re-inspection, we had some tight deadlines to meet and Toby accommodated us by fitting our re-inspection in on a Sunday afternoon. Again, he provided us with a detailed report of items that were not adequately or completely addressed. Again, he was available to discuss his findings. We found his knowledge and insight extremely valuable in this process. Being from out of town, it was great having an inspector we could trust. It was obvious that he was working for us in this process. Though AMI is a little more expensive than some other inspection services, we feel it was money well worth spending.

We finalized a sales agreement on the house and went ahead with AMI since they were available on the day we needed, and had really great reviews on Angie's list.We spoke with Lisa at the office to schedule our appointment, and she was very diligent and detailed in explaining the process to us as first time home buyers.Our specific inspector was Toby. The inspection was schedule for 1PM, but when we arrived we noticed Toby was parked and has already done much of the area survey from the street and yards. Needless to say he was more than punctual. We met and he explained to us how his workflow would go for the next 3 to 4 hours (structure, electrical, plumbing, roof, drainage, foundation, etc...). He asked that he will run his inspection for the first 2-3 hours and then we will join him for the last hour or so for his findings. He did make it clear though that at any time we had a question we could just ask him right away.Although this was my first home inspection, I am an engineer by occupation and was really impressed with how process and checklist oriented Toby was. He would cover each function of the house from head to toe and would always take notes immediately and pictures if needed. Meanwhile, per his suggestion, we took the time for ourselves to really look at the house, take measurements, and write down questions.At the end of the his inspection, Toby walked us through where all the main water, electrical, and gas connections are and how to isolate them in case of an emergency. He pointed out major work needed such as crawl space repair for standing water, and other minor work items such as fixing door latches, etc.... He put our minds at ease that even the crawl space issue should not discourage us from purchasing the home, and his estimated pricing for the fixes came right in range with the official quotes from several contractors we asked to come out. He also didn't hold back on pointing out how good some things are (such as the roof and flashing) and gave us recommendations on what needs to be done to properly maintain the home. Toby was honest in answering all our questions, and had a very good attitude and professional manner. Within one business day our report was very detailed, easy to follow through, and included everything from the oral discussion plus a few other minor items. We bought the house (and decided to do the repairs ourselves in return for a price reduction), and to this date, Toby is still answering my questions.

We scheduled a home inspection with AMI on short notice as we had offered to buy the home we are currently renting. Well, the owners accepted our offer contingent on a home inspection. Jim Katen performed the inspection (on a Saturday no less). He showed up promptly before our 8:30 AM appointment to introduce himself and get set up for the inspection. He did a very thorough job inside and out and was able to put to rest some of our concerns about the home (built in 1962). Plus he found one issue that needed to be addressed right away in that the main electrical service to the home was burried only 8 inches underground instead of the required 18 inches. Jim also recommeded having the main sewer line video inspected and recommeded several items that we could add to our list of renovations and fixes that we were not aware of. Jim was very paitient with us and did not mind Mike following him around and asking a 1000 questions for the entire inspection. After Jim finished up he went over everything with both of us. We received his full report promptly the following day. I would recommend Jim Katen and Associated Master Inspectors for your next home inspection.

Jim Katenwas wonderful! He was very careful,very thorough and obviously knew what he was doing . Among the problems he discovered was water intrusion in the crawl space. He was able to explain in a very matter -of- fact way how we could remediate this. When we asked about trusted contractors, he gave us a list and asked us to give him feedback if we were not satisfied with any of his recommendations.He cares about his customers as evidenced by patient answers to all our questions, even later by email.His inspection report is so good that a contractor commented to me that he had seen many inspection reports but that Jim's was the best .The house issues were explained so clearly with words and photographs that it was easy just to hand the contractor the report to show what needed to be done.We will definitely call on Jim for our next inspection.

The experience was great; we had a really good experience with them. They were extremely easy to work with, were on time and very thorough. They answered all of our questions and went above and beyond what we were expecting as far as giving us information. The report we received arrived within 24 hours and was extremely complete with photos and everything. Our inspector had a really good attitude and we thought he did a good job. I will use this firm again in the future.

Jim came to our prospective home and did a thorough inspection. The house is old, formerly a less than loved-on rental, and I was a little worried about how the inspection would go... But it was Fantastic. He covered all three floors, the basement and the roof, spending almost 6 hours looking into every nook and cranny. Then he briefed us on his findings in a way that was so wonderful I wanted to bring him home for dinner. He was thorough (very thorough!!!) but not alarmist. He patiently answered all of our questions and though he had been there for most of the day, made no moves for the door, waiting until we were totally done with him. He even went back outside (in the rain, of course;) with my husband to look at the water meter and back down to the basement to walk us through things. Honestly, above and beyond is the phrase that comes to mind. His e-mailed report was easy to read and had a fabulous summary section. I can't recommend his work highly enough!

After reading reviews on Angie's List, I decided to have Jim Katen inspect the home in Lake Oswego that my husband and I currently have a contract on. Lisa was very friendly and helpful during the initial phone call and accommodated the specific date that I needed, as I was flying out from Colorado where I currently live and only had a one-day window during which to have the inspection performed. Jim was there when I arrived 2 minutes before our scheduled time of 8:30 a.m.. He introduced himself, asked if there were any particular items I wanted him to address specifically (which I appreciated), and immediately got to work. I know it's Portland, but he worked outside in the rain for at least an hour, no complaints. Once inside, his diligent and professional work ethic continued. He literally checked everything there was to check, and spent 4 and a half hours from start to finish. I left him to his own work, but he would periodically stop to point something out to me, answer a question, or give a bit of helpful advice re: something he had discovered while working. When he was completely finished, he sat down with me for 45 minutes and went over all details of his findings. He answered all my questions honestly and professionally and I sincerely appreciated his wisdom. His wriiten report, which arrived 24 hours later via email, was exceptionally organized, detailed, and well written. He produced a document that maps out all the intricacies of my new home that will be an invaluable reference for as long as I own this home, and also produced exactly what was needed to help the process of deciding what needed to be fixed by the sellers. I have had several home inspections over the years, but only now, after using Jim's services, can I say that I truly know how a real home inspection should be conducted. His services were invaluable and I would use him again anytime. I highly endorse his work and would not hesitate to refer him to others.

I recently had Toby Deming perform a pre-buy inspection on a home that my wife and I are in the process of purchasing. This will be our fourth home, not to mention the oldest and a substantial project. A family member, who recently used AMI and Toby?s services, recommended AMI to me. From the first phone call I made to AMI to schedule my appointment, to the recent voice message I left for Toby with questions regarding a radon test, the interactions have been one of the most positive parts of this home buying experience. Lisa (I believe), who took my call and scheduled my appointment, was knowledgeable, thorough, and easy to work with. She clearly explained the steps in the process, what was expected of me, and left no question unanswered. Lisa was able to schedule an appointment with the inspector I requested (Toby) for the next morning at 0830! I arrived at 0830 not only to find Toby on site, but with the inspection underway! Unable to immediately enter the home, Toby started to examine the exterior of the home and inspect the detached garage. He had a nearly full verbal report ready for me as I walked back to greet him. When I arrived, in the midst of his inspection, he graciously and clearly listened to my concerns with the home, inside and out, and reviewed each of those concerns with me during and after the inspection. The inspection lasted the better part of four hours. Toby examined this home from top to bottom, even walking the roof in a manner that can only be appreciated by someone with the same obsessive traits that I have. Toby?s inspection was performed in a very systematic and uniform manner that ended in a verbal report consisting of some of his top concerns for the home. He offered a professional opinion when I asked, and even offered some ?ideas? to improve or fix the home?s deficiencies. The written report that Toby prepared was emailed to me in less than 48 hours (on a Sunday night, I might add) and contained not only the uniform predesigned check boxes, but also hand written notes on nearly everything Toby found throughout the property. Toby left me his cell phone number and encouraged me to call should I have further questions regarding my new home or the inspection. The customer service I received from AMI and Toby throughout this transaction/inspection process is, without question, more than I expected and something I truly appreciated. I plan to refer AMI, and specifically Toby, to all friends and family looking for a professional and exceptional inspector. I can?t express enough my appreciation for the services provided.

Jim Katen was precisely on time, and spent about an hour longer than the typical inspection. He had told us up front it would take 4 hours. He found a foundation/water issue among a many other things. Most were very minor - as he told us. The house was a 1987 built. The real benefit was his time and careful explanation of all the things about the home. How it was structured for heating and insulation, and how a few things had thrown that out of whack. And how to easily remedy that. He helped us understand the type of roof, and the options in the future we should consider. His recommendations would have prevented costly repairs in the future. Ultimately we did not buy the house. I honestly believe getting the best inspection before you buy is money very well spent. I strongly recommend these guys.

Toby performed a very detailed inspection from om the foundation to the roof. After he did the inspection he walked me through the house and explained it to me, including pointing out areas of concern. He was helpful in explaining how we could do some of the repairs ourselves, and which needed contractors. He was very personable, professional, and thorough. The next day he sent a detailed written report.

When we arrived at the house to be inspected, James was already there, with his ladder, lap top and ready to go. He looked over every square inch of the house. And I mean every square inch. Checked all the plumbing for proper venting, leaks, water pressure, even checked the basement drain to ensure it worked properly. After he did the inspection, he gave us a review of what he found and his recommendations, reiterating what were safety issues which needed immediate repair and what could be added to a "honey-do" list. Next day we received our report via email. It was clear and concise with detailed photographs. There is a recap section at the end which is icing on the cake.

Mark arrived promptly at the scheduled time and went to work. He did an overview of the outside of the home and then went to work inside, including the crawl space. After spending 3 hours inspecting the home, he walked me through the house giving me an detailed overview of his findings (both positive and negative). He was professional and courteous and gave me an opportunity to ask questions. His written report was in my hands in less than 24 hours. Amazing service!!

The team at AMI scheduled an inspection for a time that worked for everyone, and was very responsive both to telephone and email. They made it very clear what would and wouldn't be inspected (the usual limitations of what can and can't be reasonably done in a standard inspection), and asked about any unusual or unique things we'd like to add to the standard inspection job. Charlie showed up on time and was prepared for all sorts of odd situations, and got straight to work. Charlie inspected the house top to bottom, modestly going about his business without bothering anyone, but was at the same time very pleasant and helpful. I can't say enough about how generous Charlie is with his expertise - at any time that I was interested in what he was looking at or things he was concerned about, he was patient, helpful and spent as much time explaining what he saw (as well as what he would normally expect to see in comparable situations, and what looked acceptable, odd or downright made him uncomfortable as a former contractor). Charlie has an obvious wealth of expertise and experience working on all sorts of home building/remodeling/repair issues, and he makes very practical and down-to-earth suggestions of things you should explore with a contractor (and where he thinks I was getting overly-worried and didn't need to be). The final walkthrough with Charlie, after he's performed his full inspection and points out all his findings, is well worth the price of the inspection. Charlie is very thorough, covers every single thing from the major to the trivial, making sure that you understand what he's pointing out and what kinds of problems they'll lead to if they're not adequately remediated (either by the seller or after the purchase). It's the kind of thing that I was tempted to record for posterity, but he said he'd cover it all in his written report, and he did. In fact, Charlie's written reports feel like a planning guide for the prospective buyer (not only for you & your agent to finalize the offer, but also for all the things you should plan for long after you've bought the home). I've had Charlie perform two full home inspections now, and in both cases not only did I learn a ton about the home I was considering buying, but I also gained a good deal of confidence in the kinds of reasonable & practical ways to address those upcoming fixes/improvements. I am planning to have professionals do most of that work, but I felt like I had a trusted expert keep me focused on the important stuff.

Based upon my recent experience with AMI and specifically Inspector Jim Katen I would not hesitate to use his services again. Inspector Katen was prompt in his appointment with my real estate agent and performed a very through inspection of the home. The report was returned to me via e-mail the same day in a high quality professional format. The report was detailed and used a narrative format including pictures and applicable building code/standards referenced to back up his observations. I really appreciated his attention to detail.

Above expectations as he inspected other areas. He gave options for repairs. Just a really practical way to find out about future maintenance problems. Charlie is great at customer service.

Toby was the inspector who came out each time. He was excellent. Very thorough, caught a lot of things, recommended that we bring out other contractors to inspect various items. AMI scheduled the inspection within a day or two of when I called, which was important because we had a short inspection period. Toby also responded promptly to follow up emails when I had questions after reviewing the report. Finally, he did a thorough walk through of each house after the inspection and had lots of wonderful tips about keeping up the house. Both deals fell apart over issues raised during AMI's inspection and the follow-up inspections by other contractors. AMI saved me a lot of money, and a lot of headaches, by finding problems before I bought either of the houses. I cannot imagine how the service could have been any better. For the reinspection, Toby remembered the house and agreed to meet us on a Sunday morning because we had a tight turnaround time. He raised some questions about some of the work that had been done by a contractor, and he was very responsive by email to help us understand the contractor's explanation. I could not be more satisfied with this company or this inspector. He did an outstanding job for us.

Overall extremely pleased from start to finish including office staff. Note this was the second time we used AMI in two months on different homes, and the inspections in both cases were done professionally and were quite thorough. I would certainly use this company again.

Excellent. They were available the next day which was Saturday. Jim Katen came on time and was very thorough and did an excellent job. When finished he went over everything with us in detail. He sent the written report by email the next day. He reported 51 items to consider repairing or to maintain. He prioritized them to make it very easy to understand what was needed. He was there for more than 4 1/2 hours, it was great! He provided all the information I needed for the real estate transaction.

Pros: Service, Exceptional attention to detail. reasonable price. Detailed report. Cons: none come to mind. We had Jim Katen perform a pre-purchase inspection for us. We did not want to get in his way of the inspection, however, Jim was very kind to our presence and gladly and expertly answered our questions. He was very thorough with his inspection. I believe the inspection along with meeting with us after to discuss the results, took about 4 hours. This is our first time buying a home, but in the future, we would not hesitate to use AMI again. Very professional and very much appreciated! Thanks Jim!