LandAmerica ... expanding ?

[Nolan Kienitz]

Continue to get cards/letters in the mail from LandAmerica with a generic greeting and a wonderful offer to become part of the best home inspection company in the U.S.

Seems they are continuing their march about the U.S. and attempting to grow ... I'm guessing in select states.

One of their 'managers' called me a few months back. He was located in the Austin, TX area. Said he was looking for inspectors to sign on with them in that area. He said he wasn't interested in the DFW market at the time.

Just curious to hear from others about LandAmerica.

NO ... I'm not giving up my portion of the pie.

[paul burrell]

All these yahoos have one thing in common. They want to make a living off your labors. Yes I have been contacted by them wanting to give me jobs if I join their parasitic operation. I am sure they get a lot of newbies to sign up but since I am a veteran I would not consider no way no how making them a living. They are not inspectors they are only a marketing clearing house, middle men.

I abhor these free loaders.

Paul B.

[Jim Morrison]

If they called me, I'd have sold out to them in a New York minute. What moral issue am I missing here?

[hausdok]

Yeah,

You threw me with that one, Paul. Charlie Wood was affiliated with InspectTech (Land America) for years. I've never met the man, but I've heard nothing but praise for the guy from everyone in the business for more than a decade. I wonder if there is anyone in the profession who believe that Charlie Wood would affiliate himself with anyone that could be classified as freeloaders or parasites?

They're a big company. They employ home inspectors. Yeah, maybe what they pay isn't equal to the gross revenue that an independent inspector takes in, but they do provide their employees with a ton of benefits that most of us in this business can't afford for ourselves. I wonder - if you were to provide yourself with the same benefits that they provide their employees, would you be making more or less after expenses than their average employee makes? Think about that for a minute.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[randynavarro]

I've never heard of them.

I'm confused. Are they good or bad?

[kurt]

I know Charlie; he may be the smartest & most knowlegeable individual I've ever met about the profession and the players.

Like the smart guy he is, he's on to frying much more interesting fish than helping build the LandAmerica/Inspectech operation.

They're not good, bad, or anything else. They're a big company, doing what big companies do.

[hausdok]

Originally posted by randynavarro

I've never heard of them.

I'm confused. Are they good or bad?

Hi Randy,

InspectTech started out as a franchise outfit back in the 1990's. Somewhere around 2000 or 2001 they converted over to a multi-inspector firm. They've now got guys working in a number of states into which they are expanding. They're a subsidiery of LandAmerica Corporation which I understand is a Fortune 500 company. There's a rumor that the toilet paper rolls in the wash rooms at their headquarters building are made out of crisp new $100 bills (not really []).

They pioneered the use of on-site computers with pre-formatted boilerplated text. WJ even earned a few dineros re-writing much of it about 5-6 years ago.

Their employees get a small raft of benefits as part of the package.

I guess whether their good or bad depends on your perspective. If you are in one of their markets and are losing work to their guys, I suppose you'd call them bad. When they're on the other side of the country and not affecting your own market, there's a lot to be admired about how they're making it work.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[paul burrell]

If you guys say Mr. Wood is a nice and intellegent guy I believe you. I don't know him but I will take tour word for it. I guess I am just old fashioned and will remain independant like I always have. Never did like parterning with anyone. My older brother and I who I always worshipped entered into a partnership and it wound up a total disaster with hard feelings that I never believed would happen.

Anyway if I offended Mr. Wood I apologize. I just figured that if someone called me to work for them something had to be in it for them and I would have to furnish it. The offer may be an advantage for some inspectors just not for me. Sometimes I may speak a little harsh and I know it. Sorry.

Paul B.

[hausdok]

Hi Paul,

Hey, there's really no need to apologize; we were just a little puzzled as to why you seemed so down on them. I don't know much more about them than what I've written above. If there was something they were doing that was wrong or unethical I'm sure we'd all want to know about it.

You've heard of US Inspect haven't you? Well, they're like InspectTech in a lot of ways and some of the guys who sold their companies to them and then went to work for them are happy with the arrangement. I assume, but don't know, that others probably aren't. That's just the way of it.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[ozofprev]

I think we are all so used to people wanting to take our money for sham seminars, acronyms, warranties, internet presence, etc., that our healthy knee-jerk response is to hold a cross to their faces.

My reaction would be the same as Nolan's IF I DID NOT KNOW that such a fine person was behind it.

[SonOfSwamp]

I know Charlie Wood. If Charlie tells you a pissant can pull a plow, hitch up the pissant.

Charlie pretty much invented the concept of citing reliable sources in HI reports; he made sure every useful HI in GA learned about EIFS defects; he led the charge to get GA HIs code-certified. He's done a lot of "smart up" our little backwater profession.

Charlie was in charge of LandAmerica's HIs for years. He has since "graduated" from LandAmerica. While he was there, he improved the place greatly. I don't know who's herding LandAmerica's HIs now, but whoever it is, he can't be as good as Charlie.

WJ

[hausdok]

Jeez, Nolan,

See what you started? []

[Nolan Kienitz]

Originally posted by hausdok

Jeez, Nolan,

See what you started? []

Glad to be able to provide 'talking points'.

I know that Jim & Charlie have their venture in Puerto Vallarta. I do not personally know either, but have read a lot and have the highest respect for both.

My bell didn't go off associating Charlie with LandAmerica when I was doing other web reading. [:-dunce]

[paul burrell]

Originally posted by ozofprev

I think we are all so used to people wanting to take our money for sham seminars, acronyms, warranties, internet presence, etc., that our healthy knee-jerk response is to hold a cross to their faces.

My reaction would be the same as Nolan's IF I DID NOT KNOW that such a fine person was behind it.

I have had so many knee-jerks from telemarketers that my doctor said I may need a knee replacement. I have had so many "free" offers that I have blisters on my back side from grabbing it with both hands. Never could afford free offers from tele marketers. I live by if it sounds to good to be true it probably is. As soon as my four kids started walking I taught them all this wisdom until they growed up and left home. I told them so many times I think that's why they left.[:-bigeyes

Paul B.