| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
Becoming A Home Inspector: What the Home Inspection Schools Dont Want You To Know
Chances are if you're reading this you've thought about becoming a home inspector. You may have even seen the ads that say you can make hundreds of dollars a day as a home inspector. Home inspection schools put many of these ads out. They paint a rosy picture about the profession and how easy it will be for you to make a ton of money virtually overnight. I'm a Professional Real Estate Inspector and I'm going to tell you what the home inspection schools don't want you to know about this profession! What the Home Inspector schools aren't telling you What these schools and the various company's selling Home Inspection courses won't tell you is how difficult it is to be successful in this business. The National school that I attended for my inspector education made it sound so easy to get started. They explained how easy it would be to start doing 1 home inspection a day with little or no effort. I have many soon-to-be home inspectors email me and call our office asking about the business. This business is like any other. It takes dedication, strong finances and time to become successful. Think you'll get started with no money up front? Many schools do not tell you about the liability side of the home inspection industry. The home inspection industry is a very high liability profession. Every home you inspect is a potential lawsuit. It doesn't matter that you may be the most thorough inspector in your area. Inspectors are sued over things that the homeowners thought they should have found whether or not you could see the defect or not. There's an old saying in this business. "It's not IF you get sued, but WHEN you get sued." If you can't live under this pressure, you'd be best off looking elsewhere. All it takes is a ladder and pickup truck...right? Well, here's more bad news. Like most legitimate businesses, it takes a little more than that. A new inspector is going to need about $5000 worth of tools just to start. Then there is about the issue of insurance. Errors & Omissions Insurance will cost a new inspector (if you can even get it) anywhere from $3500 to $5000 per year. Then there's General Liability Insurance that will run you from $400 to $1500 per year. In some states, you can't even get started without this insurance. Do you have a rainy day fund? I hope so Brother 'cause it will rain on your parade! Just like any new business, the 1st year will be a rough one. It may take you from anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to get to the point where you're bringing in a steady income. Many inspectors came into this business by doing home inspections on the side or part time. That is the approach I would advise any new inspector to take. Don't quit your day job just yet! What about the Real Estate Agents? The schools make it sound like there's an agent behind every tree just waiting for you. Odds are they have their favorite inspector already and they're not likely to use a new inspector because they do not know what to expect from you. It will take you many months up to a year or more before you'll be getting regular referrals from real estate agents. Don't count on them to feed your family when you first start. This industry can be very rewarding in many ways. However it's likely to leave a sour taste in your mouth if you enter thinking that it's a pushover to get started. I've seen way to many good people go broke trying to get started in this business because the home inspection schools left them unprepared for what they were about to face in the real world. Donald Lawson is a Professional Real Estate Inspector licensed in Texas (#5824) and Oklahoma (#454) and currently owns V.I.P. Home Inspections, a multi-inspector firm in Houston Texas. You can find out more about home inspections by visiting his site at Houston Home Inspections There is also a page with helpful books on home inspection on his site at Home Inspection Books
MORE RESOURCES:
Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sample Resume Objectives: What They All Tend To Miss Sample resume objectives. When a harried and possibly panicked job seeker finds one he thinks is good, he feels like the drowning man who just got rescued. Make A Lasting Impression With Interview Etiquette (Des Moines, Iowa - February 2, 2005) Behaving appropriately during every course of an interview is just one way to increase your success with finding a job. Here are some tips to consider before you're seated across from your interviewer. Cover Letter Magic: 4 Ways To ASK For The Job Interview - And Get It! Just how important it is to ASK for the job interview clearly and directly in your cover letter?IT'S EVERYTHING!So the question remains: how effectively are you ASKING? The following four ways will help you nail down many more job interviews. Try them all and see which ones work best for you. What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF? According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order: (1) Communication skills; (2) Honesty/integrity; (3) Teamwork skills; (4) Interpersonal skills; (5) A strong work ethic. Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter. Interview Skills That Attract Offers An interviewer's mission is to assess your qualifications compared to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is their way of accomplishing that mission. How I Joined the Outsourcing Revolution Mention "outsourcing" to a programmer and you may as well be uttering profanity. The word suggests all the evils that have befallen the Information Technology sector since the Internet bubble burst a few years ago. Why Use a Resume Writer or Resume-writing Service? Here are some of the questions we have been asked by our clients or potential clients in the past, together with our answers to them. We hope you find them useful, and that they help you to make an informed decision. Why Choose A Professionally Written Resume? Good question, considering that nowadays you can find many useful resources to help you write your own resume (including many located at http://www.impressive-resumes. Is it a Scam? I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to make my fortune online. The Role of a Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to assign to a Medical Assistant. It is important to remember Medical Assistants are not licensed to make independent medical assessments or give advice. Answering The What Are Your Weaknesses? Interview Question One of the trickier questions an interviewer might put to you is "what are your major weaknesses?"What are you meant to say? If you list all your weaknesses, aren't you just giving the interviewer reasons to think that you aren't up to the job?If you read most other interview advice guides, they will say that you should list some weaknesses that are just as much strengths. Things like "I am a perfectionist" or "I work too hard". Playing from the Blue Tees: Women in the Federal Government Throughout the past decade, workplace diversity issues have allowed organizations to adjust their policies in response to the need for workplace equality in all aspects. As a result of the dynamic political, social and economic changes, some companies have willingly become more inclusive, integrating women, people of color, gays/lesbians, and individuals with disabilities into their workforce at all levels of their organizations. Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which you present your skills, achievements and experience on paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring company considers your application. 80,000 Americans Work in the Oil Change Industry There is a huge shortage, which effects franchises costs in labor, availability of labor and quality of workmanship. For instance 80,000 Americans are in Oil Lube Facilities alone and over 50% are franchised lube centers. 5 Things Every New Caterer Should Know It has been over twenty five years since I started a small catering company that specialized in International Tapas, tiny silver trays of finger foods to delight the eyes and satisfied the stomach. These little morels were tasty, light and filling. Job Interviews -- The Four Worst Objections You'll Face and How to Deal with Them Dealing with tough questions and objections is an essential part of job interviews. Here are four common ones that derail many candidates. Career Transitions: Creating Complementary Careers in a Day Down-sized? Outsourced? Burned-out? Wizened up? That's what I said. Wizened up! Now is not the time to be depressed. How to Walk Away from an Opportunity thats Wrong for You Q. I just finished a job interview. Job Interviews: Ill File a Grievance! I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party. Telecommuting Website (Part One) "I've heard you talk about building a website to get telecommuting jobs. Can you tell me more about this, and how I would do it?"If you all listen to WAHMTalkRadio.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
