Sep 12 2005
With the real estate industry booming and the price of housing going up, more and more consumers are relying on the professional expertise of a home inspector to give them an independent view of the quality of their investment.
Yet, even as the number of real estate agents has gone up dramatically, the number of home inspectors has not kept pace -- and the reason is clear: Most people either don't know where to begin to get into the home inspection business, or they have preconceived notions ("Don't I need a construction background?" "Isn't that a man's job?") making them reluctant to pursue home inspection as a career.
21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know ($24.95, Dearborn Home Inspection Education, 2005) by veteran industry writers Frank Cook and Pat Remick, is a straightforward briefing on a great business that can be emotionally rewarding and lucrative, but definitely is not for everyone.
21 Things... dismisses industry misconceptions without pulling any punches about what it takes to succeed. No, you don't need to be strong, but yes, you do need to be comfortable around creepy crawly critters. Yes, you need to understand how homes work; but more importantly, you need to be able to explain its systems in their simplest terms to fretful home buyers.
"More than 7 million homes are changing hands every year and consumers are demanding to know what they're getting," says co-author Pat Remick. "Inspectors can't just hang out a shingle any more. States are regulating them and training is mandatory."
21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know includes interviews with dozens of the industry's most respected home inspectors who provide practical advice on all facets of the industry to help potential inspectors:
- Assess if they have the skills and the personality to enter the business
- Learn of critical resources to help them understand the business and to network, such as trade industry associations
- Analyze the start-up costs, potential income and liabilities of starting their business
- Learn to market themselves and their business
- Become aware of the dangers of the job
21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know also provides readers with insight into industry politics and ethical issues, as well as first-hand testimonials from women working in the home inspection industry.
"Over the years, we have learned that the home inspection business is more than just looking for cracks and leaks," says co-author Frank Cook. "Knowing how a house works is one thing, but knowing how people work, how they think about their homes and the politics of the industry is another. Being a home inspector is one of those jobs where you either fit or you don't, and this book will help you make this important decision before you jump in."
21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know ($24.95, 220 pages, paperback, ISBN: 0-7931-9623-X) is available now in bookstores and at http://www.DearbornHomeInspection.com.