Five Star Home Inspections Inc

We were at the house with Mark for 4.5 hours during the inspection. In an unusual turn of events, the current home owners were there as well. We felt that he deftly navigated the potentially tricky situation of having buyers and sellers present. We felt that his easy-going personality enabled him to defuse the somewhat nervous and gruff demeanor of the sellers. Mark was an excellent inspector: his keen eye gave a very thorough assessment of the house. Because the process is lengthy (e.g., letting water stand in tubs for 3+ hours), there was ample opportunity for conversation. We enjoyed chatting with him (about houses and other things) and enjoyed his sense of humor. Mark produced a standard inspection report (i.e., based on the standard form) and pictures. As most inspections do, it noted many areas for potential improvement. However, his comments (verbal and written) were useful in negotiation, since it helped us to focus on the important issues. Indeed, those comments, which provided context for his findings, were the most valuable part of his work. For example, instead of simply saying that house did not have arc fault protection, he noted that such an update would be highly unusual for a house of the age of this one, and were it to be installed, would likely be ineffective, given the wiring configuration of houses of this era. Or, he noted a sagging cross beam in the garage that would not likely be a problem in future, but that if we were to repair it, we should do that before replacing the roof. We have since followed up on some comments with specialists (e.g., an electrician), and their comments echoed those of Mark. From our perspective, he has the right experience to know what to look for and whether or not is important. For us, Mark's experience and the quality review were well worth the cost. He does charge more than a budget inspector. We've used those before, and we feel that we did indeed get what we paid for.

Background: I am an advanced DIY’er who has experience with lots of large projects, plumbing, roofing, flooring, etc. I did my research and picked Mark based on the fact that many sellers had negative things to say about him. I took that as a good sign because he was working for me (the buyer) so I was ok with it. When I spoke with him on the phone, he was pretty proud of the fact that sellers hated him. I also took that as a good sign, something he wasn’t afraid of upsetting people. As it turns out, it was not a good experience. I have to say that Mark is very experienced, he knows this business well, knows where problems are likely to be and what to look for. I was pleased that he knew his stuff and I thought it was helpful to the overall result. That is where the good ended though. There are two cautions I would present to a potential employer for Mark. One is that he considers himself witty, and tries to bring humor to the conversation. Most of his comments are wisecracks and dry, sarcastic humor. For some people, I suspect it is fine. For the sellers of this particular house, it was NOT well received. Mark’s office botched the scheduling of the inspection and we showed up without them even knowing we were coming. Rather than being apologetic and deferential to people who were clearly put out from being displaced randomly, Mark as borderline rude to the people, again, not intentionally, just not astute enough to be picking up the vibes they were sending him. He even when so far as to tell them (the sellers) that they should hire him for their upcoming construction project. The look on her face could have wilted flowers, but Mark didn’t notice or chose not to. This caused a problem later as he was insensitive and untactful during the entire 5 hour period we were there. This caused serious problems for me later with the negotiation for repairs. Second, the actual report. I have done several of these with different inspectors. I was disappointed in the report that Mark provided. First, it was all words, pages, and pages of them, all the pictures were at the end with no annotations or comments at all. It was up to me to correlate the pictures with the words in the first section. Most inspection reports have had the pictures correlated with the commentary so you can see what they are referring to. Second I expect the report to so that I can see what’s a problem and work with the seller to fix it. What needs to be changed, why it’s doesn’t meet code, etc. Marks report reads like a list of reasons not to buy the house. I get the sense from him that rarely are houses worth buying. Seems that most of his reports end up with this tone. At the beginning, I wasn’t all that worried about it as I was experienced enough to know what I was worried about and what I wasn’t, but it was a problem because the sellers were not that experienced and so caused doubt against the entire report. Rather than the sellers being willing to work through the legitimate repairs, they were overwhelmed with it. They called in some contractors to get bids and were told that things were presented in the inspection as major but actually minor in terms of severity or time to repair. The entire inspection was cast in a negative light, and even legitimate things that should be fixed were not just relegated to scary banter. I had a very hard time getting what I considered to be serious issues addressed. So, on the whole of it, I will not be using Mark again. His experience and insights were basically useless due to a poor presentation, poor communication skills, and poor overall ability to read to read the room. I am upset that I paid almost double what I would have paid some someone who almost certainly wouldn’t have cost me so much time going back and forth with the sellers on the actual work to do. I would recommend that others strongly consider my review before hiring him. While I feel he had no ill intent at all towards the sellers, he seriously caused problems for me. I even called to explain it to him. How his attitude and “wise cracks” caused the deal harm. But I have no illusions that it will have any effect on him long term. He seems very much set in his ways. I hope this helps you all.

Mark was really professional in both of the home inspections he performed for me and was very detailed in his reports. I mean it, he can find ANYTHING in a house. So glad I picked Five Star Home Inspections, couldn't have asked for a better inspector!

Mark was very thorough.  He noted items that didn't meet code and those that may have met code, but did not meet accepted building best practices.  He provided his findings within 24 hours of completion of the inspection.  His report allowed us to withdraw from a contract on a terrible construction project.  Money well spent.  He is a bit gruff (with builders and clients alike), but I cannot question his thoroughness.  Glad he was on my side.

Found several problems with AC, and shower drainage. Saved us major expenses on future repairs

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I had to walk away from the first home I inspected because the sellers would not repair essential items, so I hired Mark to inspect the next home that I found. He was very thorough and detailed. Again, I would not hesitate to recommend him. Don't make your decision about an inspector based on price. Make sure you find someone like Mark who will take time to perform a thorough and complete inspection.

I read all the reviews and selected Mark at Five Star Home Inspection. He did an excellent job and spent time investigating the property and explaining the items he noted. He included pictures of the major items that needed attention. I would recommend Mark..

We contacted the company. The receptionist gave us the inspector's cell phone number so that we could talk to him directly. I appreciated that.  On the appointed date the inspector, Mark Eberwine, showed up on time and was very professional. He allowed me and my adult son to follow him during the inspection and ask a few questions, although we mostly watched in order to learn. The inspection lasted about 4 hours. This inspector did a much more comprehensive inspection.  We received a detailed written report with photographs in a timely manner.  We also called him afterward with a few additional questions and not only were we able to reach him quickly, he was very nice about answering our questions. Of the many issues he pointed out, some were major and others were less serious but still costly to fix, something we needed to consider.  He did not bash the house, but mainly explained that most of the negatives were simply due to "deferred maintenance".   Mark Eberwine is professional, knowledgeable, and accessible. We would definitely use this company and this inspector again.

• Mark Eberwine of Five Star Home Inspections is one of the most thorough home inspectors I've had the pleasure to do business with. He did a complete inspection inside and out inside and out, including the roof and attic. He also did a Termite inspection. 

His report to us was very detailed and included pictures with explanations of everything he found. I highly recommend Mark Eberwine of Five Star Home Inspections.

I contacted Mark after reading various reviews on the web. I was impressed with his resume and reputation. I asked him to inspect a 5000 sq ft home built in 1985. I was not able to attend the majority of the inspection due to childcare issues, but he arrived promptly according to my realtor.
I found his inspection and attention to detail to be complete and thorough. I know some people below posted some problems with a lack of pictures, but this was not the case with my report--there were plenty of pictures, and in fact the pictures helped make the case to my husband (who could not be present) as to why we should not purchase the home (extensive wood rot, unlevel framing..all documented with a corresponding photo.). I received the detailed report within 8 hours of the inspection completion. 
I also received a phone call within 24 hours from him, as a follow-up to see if I had any questions about the report. 
His personality is somewhat "intense". While I found him to be funny, I can see how others might find him a bit abrasive.
I will say that even though I am "the wife", I do all the home repairs around the house. Even in this day and age, I run into problems with contractors asking me if I "want to check things out with my husband",  infantilizing me, addressing the bill to my husband despite having no dealings with him, and calling my husband (who has not a clue about anything repair related) about their findings, again after I was the one who contracted the service. This drives me batty. I got none of this treatment from Mark. He directly reviewed the findings with me, without any condescension or needless "dumbing down". 
His price is not cheap. But his work is excellent, so I find the value in that. 
I would use him again without question. Realtors hate him. 'nuff said.

The only reason he got a "B" on price is because the report did not come with pictures. For me this was not important, but for some people it may be an issue. I would definitely use him again.

I have already reported my disappointment  with this company. Many things were reported to "appear" one way or another. The report was sloppy and vague and had no photos to identify what was referred to. The major problem reported was that the septic tank of the building and that of a neighboring one "appeared" to be too close to the water well, with out any estimate of distance. I am amending this report to say that  It turns out that what the inspector called the septic tank was not the septic tank at all. The actual septic tank was on the other side of the building. This is evident because the pipes under the building from the toilet go 180 deg away from what the inspector called the septic tank. Hence, I have amended my rating.

This was exactly the kind of company i was looking for.  The owner, Mark, did the inspection and he was very picky, which is what I wanted in an inspector.  I can figure out myself the priority of the things that needed to be fixed, but i needed someone that would pick out everything and then talk to me and help me understand any issues that may come up.  Mark was very good at that.  His price was not the cheapest i found, but i also felt like there are just certain things I don't want to skimp on.  I'd rather pay more and know the service rendered was thorough and complete.  I thought his service was well worth the cost.  I would definitely recommend him to my pickiest friends!

It went incredibly well.  See above for further detail.

Overall, I received my inspection report, but without pictures of the findings.  If an inspector does not provide photos of findings, don't use him/her.

Great -excellent communication throughout the entire process!

As many others have reported, the inspector arrived about 30 minutes late. He was thorough with his inspection, but seemed to delight so much in nitpicking, that it was very difficult to discern (or to get insight from him) on what was important and what was stuff he was simply proud he could point out when others might miss it. I know one might want an inspector to be "hyper critical", but it's also important to be able to communicate to your client what information is critical and what is not. The wood destroying insects inspection was done without my prior consent. I went with it anyway because I figured it was a smart thing to do. It was negative. So, imagine my surprise when two different pest control companies found much evidence of active wood destroying insects a mere month later. I'm fairly skeptical and like to be informed, so I accompanied the pest control folks to the home underside and had the inspector done an adequate inspection of wood debris under the house (which should be routine when charging $100+ for such an inspection) he would have seen the evidence too. The inspection written report was substandard and included no photos and not a lot of detail...just general comments on problems without enough detail for the homeowner to be able to know how serious particular problems were or exactly where they exist to be able to address them.

Mark arrived on time and did a thorough inspection of all areas of the house and barn area. He then took me on a tour explaining everything he found to be a possible problem or code violation. He was willing to explain, with a wonderful sense of humor, all the details of what he saw as issues with the house. He loooked carefully at the appliances, wiring, attic spaces, plumbing and crawl spaces. He was very exacing and precise and had a complete knowledge of the codes. He found and pointed out things that I would have never known or discovered without his inspection. It was an excellent experience.

This is the 3rd house Mark has inspected for us. He is very thorough, to the point of being compulsive. He will find every problem large and small. This sounds like a good thing, but his reports can be overwhelming until you can learn to sift out the small problems from the large. There is no defect free home, and Mark will find all of them, from the stair that is 1/2 inch too high to the major structural problem with the roof. He will find scuffs and cracks in tile that are not noticeable to most people and are probably not a significant issue in the purchase of a home. He has found evidence of major structural problems on one home that someone else bought after we passed on it. (The house was un-insurable according to our insurance carrier.) On another home he discovered a severe mold problem after noticing evidence of a water leak by the chimney. He found a significant water leak on this current home, a possible structural defect that turned out to be a miss-sized header beam that the builder repaired, the range top vents ending in the attic (a code violation) and a problem with the AC return that while not a defect would make it less efficient to cool the home. The builder did agree to repair all of these items at a cost in excess of $3500- a good return on the inspection money. Mark is busy and he can be late to appointments, though he will call. He spends a lot of time in the house, 2-3 times longer than other inspectors and his report does "nit pick" some, but you won't be surprised by a major flaw.

Mark was a tad bit late to the scheduled appointment, but he did call before to let me know he was running late. Mark allowed the buyer to accompany him as he went through the house, the grounds, up to the attic and down to the crawl space beneath the home. He was thorough in his inspection. I believe the client felt that he got his money's worth and went away feeling that he got questions answered that he may have had before the inspection.

This was my second time using this inspector for a inspection of a house before purchasing it. Performed detailed inspection of home and provided timely property inspection report. He identified problems I would have never found and we were able to work with the builder to resolve them.