It was a great day here in Brian Head, Utah. That's right.... This edition is coming from Southern Utah as we enjoy a Family Reunion. We will be wrapping it up on Wednesday morning and I will get back to the hectic inspection schedule in Orem. The truth is that this is supposed to be a vacation, but I worked so hard leading up to it, including two inspections on Saturday morning, just to be able to go..... If you will recall, I do not like to work on Saturdays and have not done a Saturday inspection in over a year.
While here in Brian Head we will do some fishing, hiking, and and relaxing. My cell phone does not work up here and I will just have to let the phone messages back up while I am away. When we left on Saturday, we were booking for the 18th. The other inspectors in the area must love it because I can't fill the needs of the delayed schedulers. I love telling the For Sale By Owners that wait until their lending is approved before they call to schedule with only 3 days left in the inspection window "NO!". On the other hand, I hate it when my How High agents call up and say I have 2 more inspections that need to be done in the next 10 days and I really have no room in the normal inspection day to work them in. This usually finds me inspecting late into the evening to accommodate their all cash quick closing deals..... I hope that your businesses are equally successful in this busy July inspecting season.
Last week's topic of how far you will drive for an inspection drew several great responses.
Chris Burkhart from the county north of mine responded..... Michael, if we all had realtors selling us the way you obviously do we too could charge a sweet travel fee. Our firm charges $25.00 for the 2 counties North & South of us, both are about fifteen minutes away from my home office. The two counties East&West from us are a little farther by at least 15 minutes more. We charge $45.00 for those areas. I feel you are fair in the fee you charged Miss "Hardsale". Chris Burkhart - Salt Lake City, Utah
Richard Grisham shared his fee schedule for the Las Vegas, Nevada market......
Michael: As you probably know, I price my home inspections by size (square feet) AND complexity (number of stories, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.) using the "standard" house as a reference, which around here is $180. Sometimes they're a little higher than average and sometimes a little lower. I have often thought about charging for mileage on some kind of rigid schedule of cents per mile, but have discarded that in favor of $10 extra for Boulder City (Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, & Henderson are $0), Mount Charleston $30, Indian Springs - well you get the point. The plain fact of the matter is that I only get a few of those per year and I don't think it's worth it to spend a lot of mental energy trying to devise a uniform scheme of charges for the outlying communities.
P.S. Thank you Shelly for your article. I know how hard it is to sit down and take time out of your schedule and re-allocate it to an endeavor that only benefits somebody else. Thank you again. Richard Grisham - Las Vegas, NV
Jon Gudnason shared a truly seasoned perspective.......
We set as policy of not traveling over an hour many years ago. If the request comes from someone important, we will make exceptions. We do not have a travel fee. If I want to go, I do and if I don't want to, I don't. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Jim Corbin is the long distance traveler of the readership.......
Here in the rural areas, 20 mile drives are the norm, one way. Sometimes I will go 335 miles. If I get to 50, I attach a fee and if I go 100 miles the fee goes up. Normal travel fees range from $20 to $100 depending on the circumstances. They are usually not concerned. Some have mentioned that they have seen a sample of my report and want me to do the inspection, which is good to hear. Have a good day! Jim Corbin - Bow, WA
Jon Larson is the Inspector who I tried to refer the inspection to that sparked this travel fee topic........
Dear Mr. Leavitt. I love this page. My wife and I are reading this at the same time. I want to tell you about this lady. She asked me what I charged (I followed your wife's advice and asked many questions first.)and I did raise my price by fifteen dollars. I asked her a few questions about the home and then she bombarded me with questions but nothing that I wasn't ready for. She wanted to know what my training was and if I had ever looked at a 100 year old home. I told her I had purchased a 120 year old Oolite home and am currently restoring it back to its original design that can be seen in the Fairview museum. I also told her about my qualifications and the historical restoration classes I currently take being taught at Snow College and what I would expect to find in this home after 100 years. She sounded happy booked the inspection and I thought nothing more. I had an inspection in Scofield the next day and even stopped on my way back to just get an idea of what was in store!
That night, the night before I was scheduled to inspect she called and said that their offer had not been accepted and did not want a home inspection until it was accepted. I wrote in my notes to make contact this Wednesday after the 4th and follow up on the progress. The funny part is that after she called and canceled I told my wife that something was fishy and I believed her to be hiding something. I'm glad I opened your newsletter late Tuesday night before I called. I'm still thinking about calling to find out where she is in the home purchase and if she say's it is already inspected then find out what it was in the phone conversation that turned her off. Not getting the inspection doesn't bother me, but what a great opportunity to learn what I did wrong. Always living and learning. Best Wishes and thanks. Jon Larson - Ephraim, Utah
Jon's response was a real eye opener. It is interesting how our actions have a ripple action that affects other Inspectors as well. The first thing I think that must be expressed to Jon is that you did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, it sounds as though you did everything right. What you must remember is that clients can be a very strange breed. Just when we think we know their every move, they surprise us all over again.
The reason that you didn't get the inspection, Jon ,is because of the referrer that originally sent them to me. The President-Elect of the Utah County Board of Realtors told them that if they wanted the "Best Inspector" for an older home they needed to have me do it. Even though I gave them your name and my vote of confidence that you were closer and they could save the travel fee they were having a little "Inspection Booking Remorse." It was obvious that they wanted to feel completely at ease with their purchase and hiring me was the only thing that was going to give it to them.
Put your mind at ease, Jon. As time goes on and more satisfied clients spread your name you will receive the same kinds of referrals. I have complete confidence in your abilities and know that your time is coming. The expression of your dismay at the cancellation ethics on the part of the Buyer makes me reflect back to all of those times that inspections mysteriously were canceled, never to be booked again. I imagine that most of those clients were too gutless to just come right out and say that they had booked with somebody else. On the other hand, if they had told me that too many times, my self-esteem would have been shattered and I would probably be in another profession now. I guess that it is a good thing that we are sheltered from the truth sometimes.
Steve Jordan makes me wish that I could experience some of his drive times......
Michael: I do inspections within a 20 mile radius at no "travel" charge. Beyond that, I charge $1.00 per mile for the one-way distance that is greater than 20 miles. I have done frequent inspections as far as 60-70 miles from my home. My market area lies almost entirely in small shoe-string towns along the Oregon coast. So---on a nice day I can do what I enjoy most---driving up and down the scenic Oregon coast, looking at the surf, the beaches, and the forested hills, and getting paid a little for it. When time allows, I stop at each scenic overlook for a few minutes. How can you beat a deal like that?? Sometimes I think I should pay my customers rather than ask them to pay me!! Steve Jordan on the fabulous Oregon Coast.
Ken Ives shares some interesting insights regarding travel and traffic.......
Michael, since I live in the Downtown area of Sacramento, my inspections are more often than not outside of my neighborhood (about 50 percent). I usually put a limit of an hours travel time from my home office, prefering to focus on a 30 minute commute. Two of the communities that are within my sphere of influence are Woodland (about 25 miles away) and Roseville (about 15). Because of traffic patterns, it is actually easier for me to go the extra miles, and spend less time on the road than in heavy traffic to Roseville. The challenge I find is that the homes in Roseville are generally larger, commanding a bigger fee. What to do??? Since time is also an important piece of the equation, I typically default by going to Woodland.
But I have a different question to ask the assembled masses. How do you and your company handle and address appointments that go awry? For example, this morning (and once last week) I was unable to perform an inspection because the Selling Agent forgot to take care of their responsibilities. One, the electrical supply had not been turned back on, and the other, the sellers were not informed of the appointment, and I was denied access. Do any of you bill the agent (or escrow) for your lost time??? What say ye??? Ken Ives - Sacramento, CA
"What say Ye?"
Your Name:
THANKS FOR THE GREAT RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S TOPIC!!!..... Michael
Hi Michael and Shelly, I have no excuse for not sending a note to you concerning Shelly's article except that many others also did not get responses to e-mails during my "flu" season participation.
Shelly's article of 6/22/98 is in plastic in my training book and I refer to it often just to remind myself of protocol. This years article is great! Shelly possesses a marvelous writing style that covers so many points in our business. I appreciate Shelly's contribution and marvel at how much assistance she must be to Michael Leavitt & Co. This year's article will also be placed in plastic in my training folder, right along with the Telephone Answering Techniques. In the words of Jon Gudnason...Thank You, Thank You, etc.... for your contribution to all of us. I appreciate your efforts in being the "Co" in Michael Leavitt & Co. I enjoy your articles very much. I look forward to the next contribution on Father's Day, or sooner if one of your great topics comes to the surface. Thank you again! Jim Corbin - Bow, WA
Last week's Photo Challenge drew some good responses
Jerry Burch is a first time responder with......
Best regards to all on this day of celebrating our Independence. I'm not real sure how or if this response to the All-L list works but as they say "I'm a long time listener first time caller." I can't tell from the photo how the double door system works so will assume one is for the garage wall and the other is for the box. It appears, from the photo, the integrity of the fire wall has been breached. Jerry Burch
Bill Baker shared..... I see two issues with this situation. The first is that any fire wall would have been negated with this penetration. The second issue is with security. If the garage is not secure then the house is not. Bill Baker
Jon Gudnason added.... The opening between the garage and the living room is not a fire rated assembly and could lead to a more rapid spread of fire from the garage to the house. As a fire safety upgrade, we recommend the opening be sealed with approved drywall and tape or that an approved fire ratted door assembly be installed. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Ken Ives stated...... The modification to the common wall of the garage and house has been altered from original design, compromising the the intended firewall barrier protection. This is not recommended and one should highly consider the abandonment of this design application, restoring the original safety design of the garage. Ken Ives - Sacramento, CA
Nathan Buckley reported factually with humorous overtones..... "A non fire rated firewood access door has been improperly installed in the garage. The door is not fire rated and breaches the fire wall between the garage and house. Consideration should be given to upgrading to a fire rated door with a self closing device or removing the door." But if you do the above repairs, you will no longer be able to watch TV while splitting wood or working on your car. Nathan Buckley
Roy Brown is thinking of adding this feature to his home as he responded..... I think it is a great idea. However it is a breach in the firewall. Would I call it on an inspection? Yeah, for sure. Would I used it and be extra careful about fire safety in the garage if it were my own house, you bet. Roy Brown - WA
Chris Burkhart shared these observations.... First of all I would like to say Thank-you to both Michael & Shelly. This is my third week visiting the MMM and I enjoy it very much. I will be subscribing this week. Shelly, your information on phone contacts was of great use (but what pink form are we talking about?) to my office. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and time! This weeks challenge seems too simple. It must be a trick. Breech of firewall integrity is my concern. The garage must be an add on since most fireplaces/chimneys are on the exterior with their own pad. When this door was put in the garage probably was not there. But now repairs are needed. Recommend closing up the doorway with proper materials. Is it plaster? Chris Burkhart - Salt Lake City, Utah
Steve Dansby's response left me chuckling out loud......
This is great! You can pass the "drying wet timber" from the garage into the living area. That way you can pass around some of the "abundant" moisture that is found in firewood. But, it doesn't stop there, you can also train the children (with very little effort) to play hide and go seek using this as an escape route (their little friends will wonder how that got from room to room). Plus, if it gets too hot this winter, just leave this little ventilator type door open to aid in the transfer of air. Or if it gets too cold (the wood stove isn't quite keeping up) turn on both vehicles, leave the garage doors closed and open this little vented door and it will become an additional heater at no extra charge. Actually, that wall is a nuisance. Rather than a little door, maybe we would save time and energy if we just remove it. Convenience over safety is the word for the week. Steve E. Dansby - Portola, CA
Jim Corbin responded with......
It is a great idea, one that I have seen up here. The usual place I see the "wood box" is through an outside wall. The situation here is one of safety and breaching of the firewall. It appears that there is a plaster board cover on the inside of the door, but there is a wood trim, which will deteriorate quickly in a fire emergency. The other issue is one of security to the home. My home has deadbolt locks in the garage entry which simply slows down access. Like pet doors, access is quick through these openings. The same is can be stated to the outside wall wood box. I would write up a condition of breech of the firewall and possible reduced security of access. Jim Corbin - Bow, WA
THANKS FOR ALL OF THE GREAT RESPONSES!!!..... Michael
Hi Michael, So far, I have taken "test" pictures with my digital camera and have attempted to e-mail them to others. My file, evidently, is so large that the process cannot be handled. I have not taken the time to contact friends to find out what I am doing wrong. I believe I need to convert the photo into another form, but don't know what. Do you know where I can go to find out, or do you have some words that may help? Possibly others need some words also. I convert the photo for my reports and have converted the report to PDF successfully. Same here? I do find some conditions during inspections that would be interesting...all I need to do is figure out how to send the photo. Regards, Jim Corbin - Bow, WA
This is an excellent question, Jim, so let's talk file sizes for a moment. Firstly you need to decide who is getting your photo and what they are planning to do with it. Most digital cameras save their higher resolution pictures at 350k to 3 meg per photo. The larger the file size, the better the resolution and/or the larger the photo. For fun you should take one high resolution picture and place it directly into an e-mail window. When the addressee receives the e-mail it will be an extremely slow download and the photo will be very large in size.
Now the truth is, most people don't need to see the huge photo that took so long to download. Instead, they would be just as happy with a photo that was 1/3 the size and maybe not at such a high resolution. In most cases I would much rather see 3 edited photos than 1 large, non-edited photo.
So how do you reduce a photo files memory size?
I use a photo editing program called PhotoDeluxe. It is made by Adobe and comes in a Lite version, a Home version and a Business edition. I have all 3 and now usually use the Business edition. The Business edition sells for $79.00, while the other two are popular giveaway softwares with digital cameras. You may have heard of more expensive programs like Photoshop that run $500.00, but they are overkill for most computer novices. There are also many other photo editing programs like PhotoDeluxe that are equal to the task at hand.
I'll step you through editing a photo using the Home edition of PhotoDeluxe, because I think that is the program you already have.......
Now that the photo is cropped down in size the file will naturally be smaller too. This is only the first part of reducing the memory size of the photo. To reduce it even further we will save it in a special way to shrink it even more.
Now I challenge you to play around with the software. Save the picture on a 10, 7, 5, 3, and 1 and then send them out to yourself via e-mail and see what you get. You will quickly find the quality # you feel most comfortable with. Here is a quick example of what resolution can do for you. I went to Bill Schwan's website at www.MontannaHomeInspector.com a while back and he had some great pictures of him on the site. The web designer selected a low setting for the photos and the resolution was such that you could not clearly make out Bill's face. The web designer was attempting to make a page that loaded quicker at the sacrifice of resolution and clearer pictures. This is where you must opt for the resolution and memory size that is going to make you look the best..... There is nothing worse than grainy pictures.
Hello fellow/fella inspectors,
Wow! It is July already, seems like we just made it through all of the millennium celebrations. We are into our busy time of the year but it is always important to think ahead and plan. I want to keep you updated on the plans for our Annual Meeting in November as they are being made. Wouldn't it be great if we could have 100% participation? I know, I know, I get called PollyAnna all the time. But, mark these dates on your calendars now-- November 11th and 12th.
The Annual Meeting will be held at the Red Lion Hotel in Portland, Oregon. This is at a beautiful spot on the Willamette River overlooking the city of Portland. We have a confirmed room rate of $59 for a queen bed. I think this is a great rate and hope it will be feasible for everyone to stay there. You will begin to receive registration information in August. We are working on getting some very interesting classes scheduled, including some things for the spouses or office support people. So please, encourage your spouses/girlfriends to come with you. Those of you who have attended in the past can attest to the value of these conferences to our business and personal lives. I come home with a renewed energy afterwards. Stay tuned.... more will be revealed.
Invoices will be mailed out by the end of the week for your annual dues. The amount has remained the same; $250 for inspector members and $150 for associate members. There will also be an information update sheet with the invoice. This information will be used to create our 2000 Membership Roster, due out in August.
Please join me in welcoming new members; Peter Barten of Peter Barten Home Inspections in Bay City, Oregon and Doug Sharp of Milwaukee, Oregon. Best wishes in your Home Inspection businesses. We are pleased to have you as members of our professional association and invite you to participate in our daily Hotline discussions. As new inspectors you will find a great deal of support and a wealth of information available from other members.
Have a really prosperous summer. I'll see you in the Fall at the Annual Meeting!
Best regards, Betty Buckley
This week's AII™ Photo Challenge comes from a $650,000 home with traditional stucco installed over a chicken wired covered foam base. You can obviously see a tree on the left side in front of the stone covered pop-out that gives extra room to the Family room. The stucco is installed in between 1x wood slats instead of having a solid stucco clad wall with wood nailed to it. The lower roof rake runs down against the stone covered wall with metal flashing and no sealant between the flashing and the stucco/stone. This portion of the home has a north exposure in the winter season..... Oh yeah..... The home is thirteen years old and has never seen a single bead of caulking or roofing sealant applied to it anywhere on the exterior........ Now ponder the situation I presented and dream up some of the conditions you might expect to find on this huge 6,000 square feet custom home. Do you see anything currently wrong? Would you be inclined to look at anything in particular on the inside of the home as a result of this outside evaluation?
"What do you see and what would you look at on the inside?"
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