Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, WA Home Inspector (King of the House)

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This song was really quite the big deal. The Dixie Cups were the only American group to have a #1 hit on the U.S. charts in the first six months of 1964. If you wonder why, think British invastion. The Beatles were putting out hit after hit and those U.S. songs that did chart tended to be solo acts, not groups. Chapel of Love stayed at #1 for three weeks. The Dixie Cups never had another huge hit, although they did make the top 20 one more time. Bette Midler recorded a cover of Chapel of Love several years later.

For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

At one time it would have been safe to say "no, failure to go on the roof does not make an inspector incompetent". However, as client expectations change, and many in the industry strive to improve the credibility of home inspectors, I think that the answer to that question is now bobbing in the surf. As the public and the industry demand better home inspections, that is good for the consumer.

Let's look at some of the changes that are emerging. The old standards, used seemingly forever by the better-known home inspector organizations, were written to make it easy for an inspector to opt out of walking on a roof -- even low-sloped and flat roofs.

NAHI says:

 NACHI says:

"The inspector is not required to walk on any pitched roof surface."

ASHI says:

"The inspector is not required to walk on the roofing."

So, under those rules, if so inclined, an inspector can pull-up on-site, knowing full well that he or she will not try to walk the roof. Heck, there are no violations of standards, no explanations required, just tell the clients you do not do roofs. Do these professionals, who will not even consider walking a roof, realize that they are home inspectors? If an inspector cannot traverse even a simple single-story roof that is flat, or 3/12 slope with three-tab shingles, should that person with that attitude be a home inspector at all? Sure, some people are afraid of roofs and heights, but we hope that does not include those who are working as home inspectors.

Here is why I think changes are in the wind. First, I saw an article online from CREIA. CREIA (California Real Estate Inspection Association) flat-out states that any inspector who does not normally walk the roof may not be doing a "competent" job. There is no state inspector licensing in California but CREIA, a non-profit, voluntary association, provides education, training, and support services to the real estate inspection industry and to the public. They state that their Standards of Practice have been recognized by the State of California, and are considered to be the source for Home Inspector Standard of Care by the real estate and legal communities.

Okay, so they have been around more than 30 years and they have credibility. So let us look at what they tell Californians, consumers, who are looking at hiring a home inspector:

"A detailed roof evaluation is a standard part of every competent home inspection. Home inspectors typically inspect a roof by walking on the surface, as this is the best way to observe and evaluate all pertinent conditions. There are some conditions that could keep an inspector off the roof (barring these circumstances, a competent inspector should include a walk on the roof)". The conditions they list include: The surface is too high for access with a normal length ladder; The roofing is so deteriorated that foot traffic would cause further damage; Surface conditions such as snow, ice, moisture, or moss make the roof too slippery; The roofing consists of tiles that might break under foot pressure; The sellers have told the inspector to stay off the roof

The intent is clear -- the inspector should arrive on-site prepared to walk the roof. Any decision, not to go on the roof, should be based on conditions found at the site, not pre-conceived policies that exclude walking the surface of the roof. Put simply, if one is not walking the roof, that should be the exception and not the rule. I always arrive prepared to traverse the roof, sometimes circumstances are such that I cannot.

This policy, expecting more from home inspectors, does not stop in California. The Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Advisory Board has put even stronger language in the Standards of Practice for this state. These standards become law in September.

Roofs.

The inspector will: 

Traverse the roof to inspect it.

There it is. Again, the intent is clear. The licensed home inspector, by law, must be willing to traverse roofs. There are times when an inspector cannot and should not go on the roof. The board is aware of that and there are "outs" in the law, as there must be.

But, if as a general practice, an inspector does not walk roofs, he or she is violating the law as written. There were some members on the board who wanted even stronger language in this regard. It would have mandated full disclosure to clients, when the inspection was booked, that the inspector does not go on roofs.

The bottom line: No inspector can walk every roof and some roofs are plain unsafe or could be damaged. But inspectors who have a policy of not going on roofs at all, or do not have an open-mind about it, are leaving out an important part of the home inspection. Fact is, it can be hard to detect roof and flashing problems even when you are up on the roof, let alone when you are on the ground or trying to stand on an incline to get a look. You have a better chance of inspecting fine details, appurtenances and flashings if you are actually up on the roof.

My view is that, to intentionally and as standard practice, to avoid roofs is a marginal effort on the part of the inspector -- to say the least. The inspector, later, writing into the report some generic mumbo-jumbo language -- called covering your rear -- suggesting that a roofer ought to get up there and check the roof at a later date is a poor substitute for, in the words of CREIA, a competent home inspection in the first place.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

What are repairs? Should a home inspector be doing paid repairs on a home that he or she inspected?  That is a question that will be asked around the state as the proposed new home inspector licensing laws kick into effect in September. At the last board meeting of the home inspector licensing advisory board, that was a topic of discussion. The proposed home inspection licensing law, in the standards of practice, states:

"The home inspector may not for one yearafter completion of the inspection, repair, replace, or upgrade for compensation components or systems on any building inspected -- this applies to the inspector's firm and other employees or principals of that firm or affiliated firms."

A number of people, inspectors, have asked the intent of that rule. It is there to prevent conflicts of interest and it is not unlike the standards of practice that the major home inspection associations or societies follow -- you do not get paid to do repairs on problems that you found. The thought of cash, at the end of the rainbow, can cloud one's objectivity.

Now, on the other hand, an inspector is not restricted from performing or providing inspection related ancillary services. The section of the law, allowing that, is below:

"Inspectors are not limited from examining other systems and components or including other inspection services."

What kinds of services does this allow? This topic was discussed and it seemed clear that the board feels that radon testing, taking well water samples, re-inspects are all acceptable practices. There, of course, would be other acceptable services as well, but the language must apply. The key is that the inspector will be allowed to do additional inspections, or collect samples, but he or she will not be allowed to get out a saw and a hammer and do the repairs. Or, in the examples above, the inspector may not enter a contract to put in a radon mitigation system or a water treatment system. An inspector may not install or upgrade insulation if it was identified as a defect, or repair steps, etc. That work is not inspection related -- it is hands on.

This division might seem simple but, as the building trades become tougher, some inspectors are looking at different ways to supplement their incomes. A few of them would like to turn inspection work into repair work. That is the kind of activity that the board considers to be a conflict of interest. As a whole, the board believes that it is difficult to be objective, in reporting problems, if you are the one who makes the money off the recommended repairs.

For specific information, you should contact the Department of Licensing.

To see additional information on home inspector licensing in the state, click on George's head.

  Steven L. Smith

 Bellingham WA Home Inspections

An earlier post described the new section of a WAC that took effect at the end of January. It mandates that real estate brokers must establish a policy to assure that agents disclose to clients any "business relationships" they might have with the home inspectors they refer. The department of licensing, administering the rules, has stated in writing that a realtor, referring an inspector based on merit, is not a business relationship requiring disclosure. You can read the detailed information here.

For the record, the proposed home inspector Standards of Practice and Ethics mirror this sentiment. They say:

"The inspector shall provide full written disclosure of any business or familial relationships or other conflicts of interest between themselves and any other party to the transaction. The parties may include, but are not limited to, buyers, sellers, appraisers, real estate licensees, mortgage representatives, title companies, vendors and service contractors."

For the most part, this is self-explanatory. The home inspector licensing board discussed this language. A few explanations, based on our conversations, follow. This rule applies to situations where the inspector might have a wife, a sister, a brother, a child who is the seller, a realtor, a mortgage broker or anyone else who might be involved in the deal.

Then there is the word vendor. Some inspectors have asked what is meant by the requirement to disclose conflicts of interest that might exist with vendors. That is not complicated. Inspectors must disclose certain business situations that are not readily apparent to the client. For example, let us say the inspector or a family member has an interest in a plumbing firm and that firm's name was given to a client as the "go-to" guys to solve a plumbing issue. Or assume another scenario: Maybe an inspector is paid a "finder's fee", a kickback, for sending clients to a certain roofer, electrician, HVAC company, alarm company, etc. Any such relationships must be disclosed to the client, as specified in the SOP and ethics.

For specific information, you should contact the Department of Licensing.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

This video has it all: Goofy teenage girls, almost babies really, doing a sappy song that was destined to have a date with infamy. Could this song with sobbing, roaring motorcycle engines and a horrible crash be anything but an early classic of rock music? It had to have a place in the history of rock, it just had to. Put Steve Allen and Robert Goulet in the mix, on national TV, and you have a real winner full of silly American nostalgia. The songwriters said that the minute they heard the final take, they knew they had written a monster. It was that good!

That group was the Shangri-las, the lead singer being only 16 years of age, and they were from Queens, New York. Leader of the Pack held the number #1 position on the charts for a single week. The song was, also, big in the UK -- it charted there a number of times including in the 1970's. The group had four members but they often appeared as a trio.

Let's go back to that era. Guys on motorcycles started really getting the young girl's attention eleven years previously, in 1953. It was no coincidence that these bikers, dressed in black, were the heart-throb of the nation. That was almost guaranteed when one famous and sexy actor posed on the big screen as the leader of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Who could ever forget the famous still shot from the movie The Wild One? This is an image that you do not even have to see to picture it in your mind. It is that famous of a shot! Brando and the bike -- enough said. Back then, everybody was a Brando wannabe and tried to look the stud that he had become in pop culture. 

For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

At King of the House Home Inspection, when we get a good business idea, the corporate execs swing into action. The next day, after discussing the scenario, my certifried assistant inspector and I began a rigorous training program for the two feline brothers who had been relegated to pushing-paper in the office. Nutsy and I, especially with his police and military training, quickly put together a tough training regimen. To achieve this complex and taxing result of turning the office staff into ruthless hunters, it takes patience and individual training as well as teaching teamwork.

Some of that training, and I can say it is going well, is documented below. In the first photo, we have the team captain -- Tigretto Tartufo -- working solo on locating and then apprehending a mouse. He is working on his reflexes and coordination. Note that he is, not unlike those who undergo police training, working with a lifelike adversary -- a mouse decoy.

It takes more than one expert tactician to clear a city hall of mice. Therefore, teamwork is essential. Below, captured in action by the camera, is team leader Tigretto Tartufo and his brother, and cohort, Fratello Tartufo. They are ready to pounce. These two are learning that, like fishing, patience and timing is everything when seeking out the clever rodent adversary. 

And, finally, we have the end product. This is what the training was all about. The two of them, working as a team, have the adversary totally under control. Should he get away from the team leader, the tactician laying on the floor will take over. That mouse is history.

That is the training program and it worked great. They are ready and enthusiastic. Now we are going to put some good keywords in this post and hope, against hope, that someone in charge in Florida will see this information and send for the boys. They are a feline swat team that is eager to get a brush with real action. They say that pushing paper gets old.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections