"Home Inspection Misses" from advice columnist

[GMedich]

A local newspaper columnist from west Michigan recently responded to a reader's question about home inspection "misses." I thought he gave a fair answer, and even provided a related anecdote.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/201 ... ion-misses

[Marc]

Surprisingly fair indeed, especially when considering that the author is not even a home inspector but an agent, among other things.

9 times out of 10 we see crap when folks in the media try to narrate our profession.

Marc

[GMedich]

9 times out of 10 we see crap when folks in the media try to narrate our profession.

Well stated, Marc.

[Jim Morrison]

Marc is being generous.

Most of those stories (and a buttload of them cross my desk every day) are written by real estate agents who are biased to begin with and aren't great writers. I occasionally write them to correct dangerous and misleading statements -a thankless task, as you'd imagine.

If you want to see the profession represented well in an article, you're probably going to have to write it yourself.

As a matter of fact, that's how I got my first paid writing gig. In 2000, I wrote a self-serving piece called "How To Choose A Home Inspector" and sent it to my local paper. They hired me to write a monthly column that also resulted in a handful of inspections.

I wouldn't sweat the poorly-written inspector articles too much if I were still a home inspector. I can't imagine very many people read them.

[Mike Lamb]

I wouldn't sweat the poorly-written inspector articles too much if I were still a home inspector. I can't imagine very many people read them.

I read the newspaper.

If you have the time I don't think you should ignore bad HI related articles. Write the columnist and the editors. I have had some taffy pulls with the real estate editor of the Chicago Tribune, and other writers about stuff that is just plain wrong.

For instance, "September is Mold Awareness Month sponsored by the EPA," Pure bullshit article - the EPA actually responded to my query about this - published in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Chgo Tribune, and other papers by a syndicated columnist. Some people still read newspapers. I think it matters to say something.

[Marc]

I take the news with a pinch of salt. They're selling something and it's not necessarily the truth. Despite all the technology we have, the truth can still be hard to find.

Marc

[kurt]

In large Chinese cities, one finds large crowds of old men congregating to sort out the news. No one trusts what's in the paper, everyone gathers to provide what they know for sure and they sort it out.

[Nolan Kienitz]

In large Chinese cities, one finds large crowds of old men congregating to sort out the news. No one trusts what's in the paper, everyone gathers to provide what they know for sure and they sort it out.

That is like (back in the day) when the old-timers used to gather around a wood-stove in the local general store, playing cards or dominoes and going over the day's events. Actually was not a "day's event" as news traveled at a much leisurely pace then.

In the image below it is hillbilly music being enjoyed.

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[Tom Raymond]

Old guys still do that now, just at different venues.

[Erby]

Here's my venue.

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