Helter Shelter for July

[Jim Katen]

I travel in circles that attract the dumbasses

Ouch.

Present company excepted, of course.

Seriously, the inspectors who frequent the internet forums tend to be more alert & well informed than the masses who don't. There are also excellent inspectors who shun the forums but who are dedicated to improving themselves outside of the traditional venues.

If you don't believe me about circles of dumbasses, attend some of the local CEU events, look around, & listen to the chatter. It ain't uplifting.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

The vast majority are illiterate, poorly informed, and not suited to the job. While I agree that each & every one has the *potential* to improve, one of the hallmarks of the dumbass is that he lacks the *ability* to improve -- usually because he doesn't think it's necessary..

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Shame on you Jim. That's the lowest I've ever seen you go.

And I haven't even started in on my opinion of self-rightous, holier-than-thou inspectors.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

Well, but whether someone is impugning one of us, or a small portion of us, or a huge bloc of us, it brings EVERYONE down. One of the basic tenets of marketing is that negativity should always be avoided. You'll never hear, "Burger King makes you fat! Taco Bell is a heart attack in a wax wrapper! Ah . . . but McDonalds . . . we prepare dinner exactly the way your mother does."

Your analogy is flawed because the three chains you mention are all roughly equivalent in terms of poor food. Recast the analogy with slew of crappy restaurants compared to a handful of very good ones and it'll be more accurate.

There are plenty of horrid, incompetent HIs in my area. I lose business to them because they undercut my fees and buyers honestly don't know what questions to ask or how to differentiate between who's the real thing and who's the pretender. But there are also knowledgable, honest people who do everything they can to look after their clients.

I agree completely.

I believe in capitalism. Those who are competent and energetic will succeed. Those who are hacks will eventually be forced out of the food chain, but perhaps more slowly than seems reasonable or just.

And their places will be taken up by swarms of new hacks. The problem with capitalism, in this context, is that it does absolutely nothing to check the onslaught of the hacks. They sprout up like dandelions. And while they might not bloom for long, they overtake the yard by their sheer numbers.

What Walter wrote pretty much slaps all our faces, and paints us as a merry band of buffoons. Is that what anyone wants? I certainly don't.

Sadly, though, it's accurate. If you don't like it, work to change it. Don't shoot the messenger.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Bill Kibbel]

• Google up local home inspectors in your area.
• From those results, download the first 10 sample reports and try to read them.
• Realize that the inspectors that posted those sample reports are actually proud of their final product.
• Pour a big glass of Bourbon.

[Brandon Whitmore]

Jim,

Didn't take it personally....

If you don't believe me about circles of dumbasses, attend some of the local CEU events, look around, & listen to the chatter. It ain't uplifting.

I'll pass, but thanks.

[Terence McCann]

If you don't believe me about circles of dumbasses, attend some of the local CEU events, look around, & listen to the chatter. It ain't uplifting.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

When I was fact finding on getting into this profession I attended one of the local ASHI chapter meetings. The guest speaker was a local roofer who, btw, really knows his stuff. As he was speaking there was one (maybe two) inspector(s) sleeping. He turned to Tammy and asked him if this was acceptable.

I think that was the one and only meeting I attended. It was also the time I knew it would be easy to enter the market.

[Charlie R]

His remarks do sting but are probably accurate for many inspectors. The question to me is always - How do we raise the bar? Can it be done through each state's licensing program or not? Probably not. Is it through peer pressure? Probably not. So how? Just individual effort?

[Bain]

Well, but whether someone is impugning one of us, or a small portion of us, or a huge bloc of us, it brings EVERYONE down. One of the basic tenets of marketing is that negativity should always be avoided. You'll never hear, "Burger King makes you fat! Taco Bell is a heart attack in a wax wrapper! Ah . . . but McDonalds . . . we prepare dinner exactly the way your mother does."

Your analogy is flawed because the three chains you mention are all roughly equivalent in terms of poor food. Recast the analogy with slew of crappy restaurants compared to a handful of very good ones and it'll be more accurate.

There are plenty of horrid, incompetent HIs in my area. I lose business to them because they undercut my fees and buyers honestly don't know what questions to ask or how to differentiate between who's the real thing and who's the pretender. But there are also knowledgable, honest people who do everything they can to look after their clients.

I agree completely.

I believe in capitalism. Those who are competent and energetic will succeed. Those who are hacks will eventually be forced out of the food chain, but perhaps more slowly than seems reasonable or just.

And their places will be taken up by swarms of new hacks. The problem with capitalism, in this context, is that it does absolutely nothing to check the onslaught of the hacks. They sprout up like dandelions. And while they might not bloom for long, they overtake the yard by their sheer numbers.

What Walter wrote pretty much slaps all our faces, and paints us as a merry band of buffoons. Is that what anyone wants? I certainly don't.

Sadly, though, it's accurate. If you don't like it, work to change it. Don't shoot the messenger.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Well, but it wasn't an analogy, but rather an example. Had I used Ruth's Chris instead of McDonalds, it would have sounded more than a little self aggrandizing.

Look, I'm in total agreement that our ranks are populated by crass, uneducated, inexperienced, and clueless hacks. I DID attend a two-day CE seminar sponsored by our state association a few years ago, and was dismayed by how many conversations, interruptions, and inappropriate comments occurred while speakers were presenting. I actually remember looking around and thinking, "These are my peers? This is a societal group into which I'm included?" A couple of the speakers, too, were buffoons, and made outrageous assertions that were simply wrong.

But back to what Walter wrote. Like I initially said, the thrust of the column was mostly accurate, but the addition of a single sentence or clause that reminded his readers that not ALL--including his friends around here--HIs are dumbasses, would have been nice. AND accurate.

[gtblum]

After reading that article a second, and third time, I'm not interpreting this to be an HI bashing fest, at all.

The message is quite clear to me. It's all about the festering boil of unethical arrangements and conflicts of interest that allow the incompetent and uncaring to continue to be representatives of the HI industry.

Read it again. This time, from the paragraph that starts with, "Truth be told". There's your message.

If you want take something personally, focus on that. At least this guy stood up and told the truth.

[kurt]

After reading that article a second, and third time, I'm not interpreting this to be an HI bashing fest, at all.

The message is quite clear to me. It's all about the festering boil of unethical arrangements and conflicts of interest that allow the incompetent and uncaring to continue to be representatives of the HI industry.

Read it again. This time, from the paragraph that starts with, "Truth be told". There's your message.

If you want take something personally, focus on that. At least this guy stood up and told the truth.

All is well with the world..............[:-angel]

[Marc]

His remarks do sting but are probably accurate for many inspectors. The question to me is always - How do we raise the bar? Can it be done through each state's licensing program or not? Probably not. Is it through peer pressure? Probably not. So how? Just individual effort?

The bar is raise by first getting everybody on board, then by working with their state govt to demand better. When enough states align for a better standard, a void in the training industry is created. Capitalism will respond and fill it.

But it begins with the cohesion & solidarity of the practitioners.

Just my opinion as usual.

Marc

[Jim Morrison]

Marc,

That sounds nice, but the people outside of our profession who actually give a fiddler's fart about what we do probably number in the dozens nationwide.

'Getting everybody on board'? Are you joking? Have you ever tried to reach any kind of consensus among home inspectors? Cohesion? Solidarity?

Your optimism is refreshing, but unsupported by any actual evidence.

Jim

[Marc]

I don't care much for people outside our profession either. By 'everyone', I meant only home inspectors, at least the vast majority, state by state. If the inspectors of just one state were to succeed in passing changes to home inspection law that were well thought out, other states would take notice and perhaps copy. Louisiana copied the ASHI SOP 10 years ago in it's initial legislation regulating the home inspection industry. They're like chickens in a coop, they follow the leader.[]

Marc

[Jim Morrison]

Your post was clear, just a bit fanciful.

[Chad Fabry]

Your post was clear, just a bit fanciful

Do you extend your pinkie finger when you say "fanciful"?

[Jim Morrison]

I typed it with just my pinkies, sir, as any civilized person would.

[Erby]

Look, I'm in total agreement that our ranks are populated by crass, uneducated, inexperienced, and clueless hacks. I DID attend a two-day CE seminar sponsored by our state association a few years ago, and was dismayed by how many conversations, interruptions, and inappropriate comments occurred while speakers were presenting. I actually remember looking around and thinking, "These are my peers? This is a societal group into which I'm included?" A couple of the speakers, too, were buffoons, and made outrageous assertions that were simply wrong.

Uh, Bain, wasn't that actually sponsored by the City of Lexington instead of KREIA, the state association.

Perhaps you should try the state association meeting in October in Frankfort. I think you'd find it a refreshing difference.

Though there's always been a buffoon or two in every class I've attended, no matter who sponsored it. KREIA tends to shut them down pretty quick now. Different game, different players.

[qhinspect]

Look at the state he lives in. I thought things were bad in Kentucky when I lived there until I was reading things about Tennessee.

Contractors were really bad in many parts of Tennessee then they become home inspectors?

When I moved up here (Northwest Indiana), I was glad to see that most of the home inspectors are knowledgeable.

[randynavarro]

If you want take something personally, focus on that. At least this guy stood up and told the truth.

Wait. That's my job. It sez so on my van...