HOUSE EXAM INSPECTION & CONSULTING

"Such reviews provide a couple of opportunities in our business. First, we always strive for improvement in our services, and when a client is displeased, we pay attention and try to make things better. Second, critical reviews sometimes give us an opportunity to explain our limitations more clearly for the public. I personally performed this inspection, and I am responsible for it. I am certainly not a perfect inspector, though I (and my company) have a strong record of quality and satisfaction among Angie's List clients. If this member feels strongly that I failed his family, I am inviting him to call my office and discuss it with me personally. Just, please be civil with my office staff. In reviewing this member's inspection report, I can see a couple of items that may have been missed because the previous owners' property (clothing, furniture, cleaning supplies under sinks, etc.) may have prevented a visual identification. I actually made that statement in the report in the "Walls - Interior" section. As inspectors, we walk a narrow line between respecting personal property where the house is occupied, and moving items to discover concealed defects. If we break things, people get upset. However, leaking sinks usually get my attention if they are leaking at the time of the inspection. As for this member's list of things I missed, a couple of items deserve specific comments. When fences are not actually "fastened" to the structure, they bear no "pertinent" relationship to the structure. In fact, our Standards of Practice from the Texas Real Estate Commission actually state that we are not required to report on fences at all. The very fact that I DID report the deteriorating condition of the fence, and yet the Seller did not repair or replace the fence, shows how futile it has proven to be in our industry to report on the condition of fences. That's because fences do not affect the structure or its performance. As for the "surround sound" wiring, we do not inspect low-voltage wiring, internet, cable, satellite, sound, or security systems. Every one of these systems have technicians that make a living installing and servicing this equipment. Even if it was obvious, I'm not 100% sure I would have noticed it. Is it at all possible that the cutting and removal of these items happened after my inspection, and before closing? I would like to repeat my request for the member to speak directly to me if he feels that he was slighted by the quality or thoroughness of my inspection, or anything I have stated in my response to his review."

"It is NEVER our intention to scare anyone, since most items in a house can be repaired. But after the inspection, some of our clients get to see beneath the "pretty" and start figuring that remodel or repair costs can't be negotiated or budgeted. We love our job, but sometimes the truth about a house surprises everyone, even us."

"My thanks to this client, since it highlights a growing portion of our business - new home construction. More and more builders are discouraging buyers from getting a home inspection, by saying city inspectors see the property as it is built. While that is true on the surface, it is far from an accurate description of the process. Building or municipal inspectors are charged with several job sites a day, so they would only spend a small portion of time on any one job site. A home inspector spends enough time to go over every part of the house, and if we see it two or three times as it is being built, we get to correct mistakes along the way that might have been covered up. Hire a home inspector to do phase inspections for your new house. You'll be glad you did."

"Thank you, Sir. Elizabeth is one of company's greatest assets, and we don't thank her enough. As for the gas service not being on, it happens all too often, and unfortunately we have to come back again to inspect the gas-fired equipment. When hiring an inspector always try to confirm that gas and electric and water are on at vacant properties. It saves time and money."

"I am always open to recommendations as to how we can improve our inspection services. It might be pretty suspicious if we got an A-rating from everybody. If this were a fair representation of my service and reporting, I might just say, "thank you. I'll try to do better next time." However, it gives me a chance to highlight a problem we see more often than I am comfortable with, namely, folks who don't actually read or pay attention to their inspection reports. As for the "rotted" items I am supposed to have missed, I would direct the customer's attention to page 8 of 29, where I included 3 photos of wood rot (2 "high" and 1 "low"), and reported those items in the following two deficiency statements: "Wood trim and/or siding is water damaged and deteriorating at lower west wall, just north of patio (photo below). Recommend repair/replacement and re-painting to prevent further damage." and "Fascia board is rotted at second floor northeast corner roof edge. Recommend replacement to prevent further deterioration." When customers don't read the report carefully, there's a chance that they miss important recommendations for further evaluation. In this case, I recommended having a qualified roofer inspect for suspected hail damage (with photos). In this report, I recommended having a certified chimney technician check to see why there were water stains inside the fireplace (including photos), and I recommended having an electrician check to see why the kitchen and wet bar electrical outlets are not ground fault protected, and so on, and so on. I do hope that the customer followed up on those recommendations. I hope anyone hiring a home inspector will read and take to heart recommendations for further evaluation by a qualified professional, before they complete the purchase transaction."

"[Removed Member Name], thank you so much. I can't think of a better compliment for any business than loyal customers and clients. We are happy to be of service."

"Thank you, [Member Name Removed], for this vote of confidence. Even new construction homes have deficiencies that need attention. Hundreds of new home and one-year warranty clients have benefited from our thoroughness."

"[Member Name Removed], thank you for this review. We are always interested to know when first-time buyers get what they need from a home inspection. Best of luck with the purchase, and call if we can help any further with the house after you move in."

"We appreciate any review, even the really simple, straightforward ones."

"Short notice is a challenge for a lot of inspection companies, because most are one-person shops. We have three full-time inspectors and one part-time inspector. So, most of the time we can accommodate the need. Thank you for the nice review."

"It was a pleasure to be of service. And we certainly appreciate and "Overall A""

"Thanks, for the nice review. Hope the next house works out better for you guys."

"Thanks for the quick feedback, [member name removed]."

"Wow! I want to thank you, [Removed member name], for a detailed review. We are happy when our inspections give clients this kind of results and satisfaction."

"We have always been a locally-owned "Family" business. Even when we hired Brandon and Paul, we just felt like the family grew bigger. Thank you, [Member name removed]. for the kind words, and best of luck on your home purchase."

"As always, our customers reviews are our best way to determine whether we are fulfilling our mission in this business. We are a "service" company. We were so blessed when Paul V. came to the inspection staff in September 2014. He brings 21+ years inspection experience, and a true respect for our clients. AND he speaks fluent Spanish, so he has helped expand our services to whole other segment of the home-buying public."

"I'd like to thank this client (and all the clients who give us reviews) for the detail in his review. Our goal for the inspection is to give our clients enough information to help them decide on their purchase. Detail is important. We've had some folks call our inspectors "picky." We just think that's what you need us to be when you're making the decision to buy or not to buy."