Hear Here ....Jay has named just some of the things that are important to watch ..thank you for the heads up Jay !
Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):
Every industry has its no no's. Home inspecting as a profession is no different.
Certainly, no list of anything is definitive, but can I suggest seven deadly things a home inspector can do?
- MISINTERPRET - Home inspecting is about gathering information. It is very important that the information one gathers is correctly interpreted. A leak stain can sometimes come from many different things. A stain in an upstairs bedroom ceiling might manifest in one spot, but the source can be far away. Or it might be an exploded soda can! Tools, like a Thermal Infrared Camera, can reveal colors that may or may not indicate a problem. A home inspector has to be thoroughly trained in many things and understand many industries in order to properly interpret a finding during an inspection.
- MISUNDERSTAND - Closely related to the first sin, things aren't always as they appear. What you see might not be what you get. But very important - the client is the process during a home inspection. It is very important to understand the client's needs and concerns. And clients aren't always as understanding of what they see or what the inspector says as a home inspector might think, so communication is crucial. Communication is a two-way avenue.
- MISTAKE - Even something as small as a typo on the report can become something big. Words mean things and so, during the inspection, what is said must be said properly. That "sump pump" might be an "ejector pump" for the bathroom, and has to be explained for what it is. If the amperage is not stated clearly on the panel box or main breaker, be sure what is said to be the amperage is correct. Which leads to the next sin:
- MISSTATE - one very important aspect of a home inspection is what happens after wards. The report is probably one third of the home inspection (after construction knowledge and client education). It has to be right. It has to be understandable. It has to accurately describe what it is trying to convey. Be sure that when something is an inspector's opinion, it is expressed as such and/or reported the same. Like it says above, words mean things, so the proper words and proper wording is essential. And we inspectors put down our reports electronically and on paper for all to see and for all time. It has to be right.
- MISQUOTE - Again referring to the report, if an inspector is going to quote a code, or a phrase from a manual and cite the reference, it has to be correct. References to websites or other URLs have to be exact! Some builders are getting finicky and are requiring a code reference to be included in the report when something on their house is cited by an outside inspector. I notice they don't require that of the County Inspector, but that is just me.
- MISREPRESENT - An inspector needs to truthfully state who he is, what his certifications are, his licensing agencies or organizations. If not, that is something that will bite quickly and hard. His appearance and professionalism should also represent who he is, reflect well on his industry and even the Realtor who referred him! An inspector wants to be referred to others and be called on again and again. We are all missionaries for something and certainly professionalism should be one of those things we convey!
- MISS - Nobody is 100%. No where and no how. But, unfortunately, a home inspector is expected to be! Don't miss anything! Anything! Sometimes a little thing can blow up to become a bigger-than-it-needs-to-be thing. There is always somebody looking to blame others for whatever happens later and a home inspector has a big target on the back of his logo-festooned shirt! Most people are in their house for a long time. So don't miss anything! This is a very hard sin not to commit however...
My recommendation: While this might not be THE definitive list of seven home inspector sins, it sure is a good start! These lists could go on for a while. After all, this list just describes the M's!! If any of these seven sins is a problem for you, may I suggest sincere repentance and a change of heart or mind. Seek out an industry professional in the know and learn how corrections can be made! And let's be careful out there!
When a new competitor comes to town...lots of things happen...the competition may run a sale on a competing product or service....You have to wonder if there would have been as much room for the competition if they had done some promotional marketing BEFORE the competitor entered the market. Sometimes competitors work too hard at discrediting the new entry in the market. They scream to anyone who will listen:
Every agent should like the broker they work with.....in the greater Milwaukee/Waukesha area, agents work FOR their brokerages...that is, what they sell is designed in part to pay the overhead of the broker. Is Keller Williams different ? Yes....of course, every office will have overhead but Keller believes that a brokerage should be AGENT CENTERED..That's a new term here....and one that agents from every company at every level of seniority are taking a hard look at....and studying the merits of becoming a
Tools Short Sale Listing Agents Should Have Include:
If an agent has done a 
I'm also hoping (I do a lot of hoping, don't I?) that everyone, again whether or not on Daylight Savings Time, has at least one fire extinguisher in the home and that it has been inspected/tested/recharged within the last 12 months. If not, it's time to do that, too!
There was a time....long ago and far away, or so it would seem, when "Variable pricing" was all the rage..the theory was that buyers would be attracted to an "opportunity" to write an offer that was acceptable to the seller(s) between $X and another figure a bit higher...a good bit of at least five figures. This is not a marketing plan we have ever used, and in fairness to the "long ago and far away" agents...there was a time when it seemed to work for them,
It may not be everywhere....(qualify, quantify....real estate is local) but Price is KING, QUEEN, PRINCESS AND PRINCE in many markets throughout the country...so why would an agent position a seller's home at the HIGH end when the middle or lower end be what the market dictates ? Maybe because it is not what the seller wants to hear....they want to hear...higher...their house is better than_____....in the end....when the listing expires, the days on market roll along....the variable is that the house did not sell....and that will not make sellers very happy at all.
Outstanding room sizes....finished lower level....with electric fireplace...full bath, egress windows, two bedrooms.....WOW !
We see it as our obligation as does every agent with short sales as a part of their practice to educate people....to help them understand that it is likely that someone they know may be in the position of not being able to pay their mortgage and that this is a solution to avoid foreclosure. There is a decision to do a short sale...not one to be taken lightly....not one made because the sellers just don't "want" to pay a mortgage.