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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER

Message Prepared For Home Inspectors and especially for Members of the

American Institute of Inspectors®

June 6, 1999

GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.™

It's a great day at Michael Leavitt & Co Home Inspections. Summer is here although you wouldn't know it by the weather. June 5th found Adam (5), Jessica (9) and myself on the ski slopes at Snowbird, Utah. Who would have thought that the season would be continuing this long. I have never skiied in the month of June before.

Snowbird is still open on the weekends from 8 AM to 2 PM. We showed up at 7:50 AM ready for the long tram ride to the top. It was Black Diamond skiing only and only the top Little Cloud lift area was skiable. We were there with about 50 other people to ski the perfect coverage that had a few inches of fresh snow cover. The storm systems have been bringing fresh snow every couple of nights. It certainly is a strange weather season. We are just 15 days from the longest day of the year, but we have yet to have a single hot summer day here in Northern Utah. The weatherman says that starting Wednesday we are in for a drastic summer arrival. That means that 150 degree attics are just around the corner.

SPORTSFLASH: Oregon Trailblazer fans are experiencing what the Utah fans felt last week. It is hard to watch your team go down in flames.

FORE!!! GOLF TOURNEY FEEDBACK

Bill Bergstedt from South Lake Tahoe, CA shared....

Michael, I too have been involved in our local Realtors Golf Tourneys and offer a free Home Inspection as part of the raffle drawing that takes place at the BBQ and awards afterwards. I think it is great for business, as it gives you exposure to a lot of the local agents and their friends. The freebies that you can provide each golfer that passes through your Hole are usually welcomed and remembered.

I hope that some of the others out there are doing the same, and if you're not, give it some consideration. It won't cost much more than an average Inspection fee and it more than pays for itself plus you get to meet a lot of nice people.

Michael, as far as earning a week long Sunburn for your efforts, bring a beach umbrella and set it over your lawn chair. Keep up the good work!

I guess summer is over already! It snowed 3" overnight..........@#$$#$$ Bill Bergstedt - S. Lake Tahoe

Betty Buckley's comments made last week's MMM worthwhile to create. It is rewarding to share helpful information in cyberspace. Betty shared......

Hello Michael! Thank you for the informative MMM. I was asked to sponsor a hole for our local Home Builders Association two years ago and completely missed the boat on this one. I thought they just wanted a cash donation, which I gladly contributed and they put our name on a hole.

I have played a few rounds of golf on the smaller courses but never participated in any competition and had no idea of the opportunity being presented to me. This year I declined when asked to sponsor a hole, thinking it hadn't been a very useful way of advertising. A few weeks ago I began to learn of the great opportunity to rub elbows and have fun socially with the realtors, other business owners and contractors. All of these people are past, present or potential clients and so are their families and friends.

This week's MMM pulled it all together for me. It's too late for this year, but my imagination is going crazy for next year. It appears you can do just about anything you want to do (within reason) and what a great way to implant positive thoughts about Buckley's Home Inspections, Inc. I can tell we are going to have a lot of fun with this. Thanks again.
Congratulations to Adam for graduating! Betty Buckley - Midland, Oregon

BOARD OF REALTOR MEMBERSHIP

Many A.I.I. ™ Inspectors belong to local Board of Realtor associations. I, too, belong to the Utah County Association of Realtors. They are a small version of the National Association of Realtors. I waited 2 years in this business before I joined the local Board as an Affiliate Member. I now look back and wonder why I waited so long. Joining their ranks was a major success hurdle in the growth of my business.

As many of you are aware, I interact with many Home Inspectors throughout the USA and Canada. I am amazed by the different philosophies espoused by Inspectors on this continent. Many view interaction with agents as a selling of one's soul. The philosophy is usually that if we seek business success by agent referral, then we are giving away our independence and become the agent's pawns. They view agent referrals as brown nosing and kissing up to the monster that is set to destroy us. I don't think that I need to elaborate any further on this viewpoint, because I don't buy it.

Here in Northern Utah, I have found that by becoming an active part of the local Board of Realtors, I have become a powerful influence in defense of local Home Inspector interests. Making changes from outside an organization is viewed as a war or a personal attack. Making changes from within an organization is welcomed because of the volunteer efforts.

I feel that I must clarify. Long time readers of the MMM will remember when Broker Bill threatened to kill my business back in November of 1998 if I did not change the way in which I reported the conditions of the home. Refer back to the MMM Back Issues if the confrontation isn't fresh in your memory banks. He was trying to wield his influence to restrict my reporting. I held my ground and went through weeks of internal evaluation of my reporting style. I ultimately concluded that I was doing my job very effectively.

Had I not had the strong foundation of A.I.I.'s™ Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, I would probably have buckled to the pressure. This would have spelled doom for my business. While my refusal to bend has killed my interactions with Bill himself, my business success and reputation have not suffered at all. I regularly hear agents defending me to other agents who have referred to me as a Deal Killer. My next article for the Realtor's newsletter produced by the local Board is whether the Home Inspector or the home is the actual Deal Killer. When an inspection is performed well and the deal goes south from the inspection's findings it is because the home's conditions have killed the deal.

Being a strong member of the local Board of Realtors allows me the privilege of writing regular informative articles about Home Inspections. As I do so, I am representing our Industry and making known the ethics which Home Inspectors everywhere should be following. I have found that it is much more difficult for the label of Deal Killer to stick upon me when I put forth the numerous volunteer hours to the UCAR each month. My volunteer visibility at their functions has unknowingly kept me as an ally instead of an enemy. So far I have been able to retain my strong business ethics and have not been forced to cower to stronger forces.

REALTOR AWARDS

As many of you are aware, the Board of Realtor associations have annual awards given to its membership. A year ago, for the very first time in Northern Utah, the local Board of Realtors (UCAR) awarded its Affiliate Members with Master Affiliate awards. Following the National Realtor's Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels for agents, they decided to likewise award the Affiliates. This was driven by the Affiliate Committee of which I am a vocal participant. The agents wholeheartedly approved the recognition by the Affiliate membership.

In its second year, the participation by the Affiliate members was up and more awards were given. To attain the highest award it was necessary to participate, give service hours, write articles, teach classes and serve on committees. Doing so accumulated points and from this accumulation the leadership core of the UCAR started a new tradition of selecting an Affiliate of the Year.

I was supportive, but skeptical as to whether the award would really be noticed. Last year with the initiation of the Master Affiliate awards the actual presentation was weak. Not much fanfare was given, but it was a start. This year, however, the weak presentation was overcome by strong UCAR leadership support. They designed a Realtor luncheon around the Master Affiliate awards presentation. Kudos were also given in their monthly newsletter. This was done with a push for agents to use those businesses who volunteered their efforts to strengthen their Association.

It was rumored that I was to be this year's Master Affiliate of the year. I was surprised when UCAR called to ensure that my wife Shelly would be in attendance. Showing up without big expectations, I was overwhelmed by the presentation. I first received the Platinum award recognition along with the other Platinum award winners. Then they called me up front to receive the bigger "Master Affiliate of the Year" award. Then they called Shelly up front and gave me a corsage to pin on her and she then pinned me with a boutonniere.

Then I was allowed to speak about our participation with the UCAR. It is wonderful to be recognized, yet interesting that the Award is not the reason for participation. I thanked the UCAR for the acknowledgement and gave praises to all of the affiliates who dedicate the hundreds of hours of service each year. The biggest accomplishment was to get the agents to stop and take notice of the service hours that up until the last two years have been totally taken for granted. Our local agents have been guilty of thankless abuse of the Affiliate membership expecting freebies, free food and cash donations at every turn. Long gone unnoticed, even the Affiliates tired of the lack of appreciation. Since the institution of the Awards program there has become a new revitalization and enthusiasm from the Affiliates.

I have found that I am now the representative for the Home Inspection industry in our area. I get informational questions from lenders, tradesmen, title officers, as well as agents. I did not realize that my participation would bring the added benefits. I encourage all of you to be an active force in your local real estate boards, not for the awards but to strengthen the Home Inspection industry. My participation has given me some great informational resources in return. When I have questions about the REPC or other real estate issues I now have all of the contacts in each needed profession. When I turn to them they are always happy to impart their experiences and information.

POTENTIAL OR IMMINENT HAZARD?

This is a 1965 "Pioneer" brand unit. No flue vent, strapping, PTR valve or fresh air provided. Installed in a wood, elevated, closet at the exterior of the residence. There was heavy buildup of soot in burn chamber.

Is this a potential or imminent hazard? ;-)

Steve E. Dansby - Portola, CA

Thanks for the photo Steve. I edited some of the descriptive text that Steve offered to allow all of you Inspectors the chance to comment. What unique issues do you observe in this installation? Please e-mail us your observations.