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by Wally Conway,
Host
of the Home and Garden Show on WOKV
The slight slow down in real estate sales has been a challenge
for us all. When sales slow, not only is there a direct economic
impact on real estate agents, but also on the related professionals
whose job it is to serve and support the customers in the real estate
transaction. Fewer real estate sales mean fewer appraisals, surveys,
title policies, and mortgages. It also means fewer home inspections,
the service nearest and dearest to my heart.
One of the consequences of this slow down in real estate, and hence
slow down in the number of home inspections, this that some inspectors
have started to do "side work". I've recently seen home
inspectors advertising such services as WDO repairs, appliance repairs,
minor electrical and plumbing repairs, and other general "handyman"
fix-it repairs. And all listed right next to their home inspection
service!
 Wow,
this is really scary!
This is scary for two reasons. Not only should you always have
a licensed professional conduct repairs, but this type of
activity is also an ethical violation for the home inspector.
I'm assuming that it's common knowledge you should always choose
a full Member of ASHI to conduct your home inspection. You should
also know that the ASHI Code of Ethics states that "Inspectors
shall not repair, replace, or upgrade, for compensation, systems,
or components covered by ASHI Standards of Practice, for one year
after the inspection".
It is the intent of the ASHI Code of Ethics to keep the inspection
process free of "conflicts of interest" that are sure
to arise when the outcome of the inspection has a financial benefit
to the inspector beyond simple payment for the actual inspection.
When home inspectors stray away from this mandatory ethical position,
the entire real estate process breaks down. Ultimately, both buyer
and seller lose faith in the process, putting everyone involved
in a very high-risk position, including the real estate agent. At
the least damaging end of the scale, a conflict in interest can
result in the dying of the deal. But at the most harmful end of
the scale, it may also result in potential legal action by an upset
buyer or seller.
The simple solution to reducing your liability is to ensure that
a Certified ASHI Inspector does your home inspection and that a
properly licensed contractor does your repairs, and that these two
people are not the same! Two heads may be better than one, but if
one guy is wearing both hats, it is sure to end in trouble.
Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace
J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.
About the Author: Wally Conway is your weekly Host of the Home
and Garden Show on WOKV, and author of the book "Secrets of the Happy
Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com.
Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House
Detective", DIY Network's "Finders Fixers", the National Association
of REALTORS®, newspapers, and corporations. As a speaker, writer, and instructor,
Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right
amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com
for more information!
Reproduction of this article: Permission is granted to use this article
in any media provided that the article is reproduced in its entirety as shown
above, with the authors resource box/bio included including links to http://www.gohomepro.com
and http://www.wallyconway.com
as the original publisher.
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