hausdok Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 According to an article in The Republic Online, on February 17th the Mississippi senate unanimously passed a bill to abolish the state home inspectors board established in 2001 and place home inspectors under the oversight of the state's real estate commission. To read more click here.
kurt Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 Oh Lordy...... Then again, it is Mississippi...
Marc Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 This is what happens when the HI's of a state don't give of their time and resources to maintain, nurture and protect a set of regulatory laws given them by the legislature. Too little appreciation is given the few who serve on Boards for the benefit of all. Marc
Scottpat Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 This is what happens when the HI's of a state don't give of their time and resources to maintain, nurture and protect a set of regulatory laws given them by the legislature. Too little appreciation is given the few who serve on Boards for the benefit of all. Marc Marc, you are wrong.... I served on the original board for five years and helped write the law and rules. The problem is money or the lack of it due to the number of inspectors in the state. They had a full board and the bureaucrat in charge of the commission that overseas the real estate agents, the appraisers and the home inspectors decided to no longer fund the home inspector part of the board. They had a group willing to serve but they were not given the opportunity to do so. We are facing almost the exact same thing in Tennessee. My suggestion for MS was to do what Louisiana did and assess each inspection with a fee ($5) or whatever to support the board operations. I suggested this back in 2001 but the legislators would not have it.
hausdok Posted February 22, 2013 Author Report Posted February 22, 2013 What funds the license program in Missippi? Here we've had an advisory board established under the Department of Licensing from the get go. The program has been designed to be revenue neutral from its inception. In other words what is brought in by license revenue pays for the time that those designated to oversee the program put into it. If revenu from licenses is down, the put less time into overseeing the program, if it's more they can spend more time working with the board. There are no additional funds other than the initial seed money the state provided to get the program started and that was paid back with the revenue earned during the first couple of years when the license fee was double what it is now. Our board has been threatened with shut down a half dozen times. We just kept on talking to anyone that would listen in order to make them understand that the board was revenue neutral and shutting it down would hurt consumers. So far, it's worked and though hundreds of other programs have been shut down to save revenue our board has continued on because of the revenue-neutral aspect to it. When it comes to who is going to be running their profession, inspectors really need to understand that it truly needs to be..... ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike
Richard Moore Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 Oh Lordy...... Then again, it is Mississippi... Yeah, I'm not sure what the fuss is about. If a buyer doesn't trust the agent regulated inspectors they can always tow the home to the closest neighboring state for the inspection.
Darren Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 What funds the license program in Missippi? Mike I don't know about Mississippi, but here in NJ, they collect a boat load of money for all the CE classes; I'm pretty sure it costs $100.00 for every class you want to get approved.
kurt Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 If a buyer doesn't trust the agent regulated inspectors they can always tow the home to the closest neighboring state for the inspection. [:-angel]
inspector57 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Posted February 22, 2013 Bad regulation is worse than no regulation. Having the foxes guard the hen house is never a good idea and that is what we have here in Texas. HI's are regulated by the Real Estate Commission which is run by the real estate agents. I've been hoping they would move us to the state licensing board since I started but it will never happen since the real estate agents voice is so much louder and more profitable for the politicians. The voting public does not understand nor care so the politicians and bureaucrats continue unabated. Mississippi inspectors would do well to talk to their representatives and introduce a workable bill that would help them control their own destiny. Once they are moved into the realtor board, there is no way back!
Scottpat Posted February 23, 2013 Report Posted February 23, 2013 What funds the license program in Mississippi? Funding for the Home Inspector Board was suppose to be from the revenue generated from HI license fees. MS does not charge educators for classes, etc.. 100% license fee based revenue. The money was subsidised by what is called the Real Estate Commission, which houses the Appraiser Board, the Home Inspector Board and the Real Estate Board. Each board was autonomous of the other with the only common person being the Commissioner who is over all of the boards. The Commissioner serves at the pleasure of the Governor. Each board also had/has only members of that profession sitting on it, which was really great. Each member is appointed by the Governor and covers or represents a congressional district in the State. From what I have heard the folks on the real estate board do not want to take in the home inspectors and they are letting that be known. I kind of doubt it will get out of the House committee to the floor for a vote.
Marc Posted February 23, 2013 Report Posted February 23, 2013 What funds the license program in Mississippi? Funding for the Home Inspector Board was suppose to be from the revenue generated from HI license fees. MS does not charge educators for classes, etc.. 100% license fee based revenue. The money was subsidised by what is called the Real Estate Commission, which houses the Appraiser Board, the Home Inspector Board and the Real Estate Board. Each board was autonomous of the other with the only common person being the Commissioner who is over all of the boards. The Commissioner serves at the pleasure of the Governor. Each board also had/has only members of that profession sitting on it, which was really great. Each member is appointed by the Governor and covers or represents a congressional district in the State. From what I have heard the folks on the real estate board do not want to take in the home inspectors and they are letting that be known. I kind of doubt it will get out of the House committee to the floor for a vote. I'm confused a little. Mississippi has a Real Estate Board and a Real Estate Commission, right? The bill presently headed for the House would put the Home Inspection Board within the Real Estate Commission? Isn't that where it is now? That's what the article in the OP link says. Maybe the reporter got it wrong. Marc
Nolan Kienitz Posted February 23, 2013 Report Posted February 23, 2013 Bad regulation is worse than no regulation. Having the foxes guard the hen house is never a good idea and that is what we have here in Texas. HI's are regulated by the Real Estate Commission which is run by the real estate agents. I've been hoping they would move us to the state licensing board since I started but it will never happen since the real estate agents voice is so much louder and more profitable for the politicians. The voting public does not understand nor care so the politicians and bureaucrats continue unabated. Mississippi inspectors would do well to talk to their representatives and introduce a workable bill that would help them control their own destiny. Once they are moved into the realtor board, there is no way back! It is even getting worse in Texas. TREC announced (just this week) two new appointees to the Inspector's Advisory Committee (always has been made up of inspectors with two 'public' members) for six year terms. One of the appointees is connected with a realtor's association in Central Texas as an executive and the other is a TREC licensed inspector as well as an agent/broker ... yet there is not any documentation on the respective websites of the "two licenses" being held by the same person. This person is also an executive with a local realtor's association in one of the D/FW suburbs. What I see happening is a further dilution of what little strength the IAC had now that there are agents/brokers on the same committee. We are also going through a two-year re-write of the SOP to what is becoming a realtor friendly document ... according to many who have viewed same. I sometimes feel that inspecting in Texas is far more about a CYA situation so that you don't get in a situation where TREC can slap you for something that means nothing in the overall scheme of what you are trying to do for the potential home buyer. To say the least it is an interesting conundrum down here as well.
Scottpat Posted February 23, 2013 Report Posted February 23, 2013 What funds the license program in Mississippi? Funding for the Home Inspector Board was suppose to be from the revenue generated from HI license fees. MS does not charge educators for classes, etc.. 100% license fee based revenue. The money was subsidised by what is called the Real Estate Commission, which houses the Appraiser Board, the Home Inspector Board and the Real Estate Board. Each board was autonomous of the other with the only common person being the Commissioner who is over all of the boards. The Commissioner serves at the pleasure of the Governor. Each board also had/has only members of that profession sitting on it, which was really great. Each member is appointed by the Governor and covers or represents a congressional district in the State. From what I have heard the folks on the real estate board do not want to take in the home inspectors and they are letting that be known. I kind of doubt it will get out of the House committee to the floor for a vote. I'm confused a little. Mississippi has a Real Estate Board and a Real Estate Commission, right? The bill presently headed for the House would put the Home Inspection Board within the Real Estate Commission? Isn't that where it is now? That's what the article in the OP link says. Maybe the reporter got it wrong. Marc The state has a Real Estate Commission. Under that commission they have three independent boards with their own commissioners who are all appointed by the Gov. 1. Real Estate Board. 2. Appraiser Board. 3. Home Inspector Board The Senate Bill passed so now it must pass the House committee and without any changes and then the House. The HI Board has always been under the RE Commission, just not part of the RE Board...
hausdok Posted February 23, 2013 Author Report Posted February 23, 2013 It sounds very similar to the way we're structured out here; which is why I don't understand the whole point of the bill. If the program is revenue neutral eliminating it is an exercise in futility. That's why I think the inspectors there are missing the boat by not diving on this. On the other hand, maybe it is easy to understand if the majority of inspectors there are cow-towing to the real estate community and don't like the rules placed on them by a home inspection law. I know there was a huge block of folks here who fought implementation of our law tooth and claw, and some of them even got a senator to put in a bill to try and overturn key aspects of our law. If they'd gotten their way, the law would have been gutted. That's why inspectors who really care need to be vigilant and they need to constantly work at improving their contacts with those in their legislatures. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike
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