If you’re approaching retirement, an encore career as a home inspector might be worth looking into. Even better, you could work on your own terms. Time was, you’d spend your days working for the same company until retirement, then collect your gold watch and a pension. But today, most people plan to work after retirement.…
DetailsThe weather will soon warm up again, and air conditioning units will get a workout. That’s the classic time for lurking problems to surface. In winter, you’ll switch on the air conditioning just long enough to inspect it. But when the weather is warm and the unit might be running more often, problems that have…
DetailsAccording to the National Flood Insurance Program, floods are the No. 1 natural disaster in the U.S. and they’re not cheap to recover from. Between 2005 and 2014 NFIP estimates flood insurance claims averaged $3.5 billion a year. And with climate change bringing more intense storms, chances are this average will only grow. Which is…
DetailsProbably the last thing that you want to do is a home inspection when it’s pouring down rain. But the Orange County Register in California proposes a different idea. Home inspections in the rain might be a great idea for home buyers, sellers and people who are fine where they are. As a home inspector,…
DetailsICA School’s course author and instructor, Steve Preins, regularly takes email questions from students, prospective students and inspectors out working in the industry. You never know which question will pop up next, and he addresses them in a regular podcast series available at no cost. This week’s question is from prospective student, Tom, in Orlando,…
DetailsOne of the most challenging things about owning a business is setting prices. If you sold a tangible product, you might consider a typical markup to base your pricing structure on. But when your product is a service, such as home inspection, things get a little more complicated. Too many home inspectors worry about setting…
DetailsWith Americans living longer and healthier lives, many older men and women prefer to stay in their own home instead of moving with family or opting for retirement residences. Additionally, Americans with disabilities need certain home improvements to make living at home more accessible. Unfortunately, the idea is not without its problems. That’s where CLIPP…
DetailsAs you probably know, or will learn soon after earning your certification, there’s a lot more to being a home inspector than just performing inspections. Some keys to good business take a little extra effort on your part, but are well worth it in the long run. Such is the case with a pre-inspection agreement.…
DetailsHome inspecting can be a dirty job, but do you really want to meet a client wearing your Saturday worst? Maybe worse than that is dressing up too much, considering that you’re going to get dirty. There has to be a happy medium. Your inspections should be the focal point of your business. Any client…
DetailsIn such a litigious society, you might one day find yourself sworn in and offering a statement in someone else’s real estate lawsuit. Sometimes this happens with a home that you have inspected, and sometimes the case deals with a home that you’ve never seen before. There are many reasons why you might be called…
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