When Unenforced, HI Law Misses the Mark

[hausdok]

Eight years after a law requiring home inspectors to register with the state went into effect in Pennsylvania, some folks say that, because it's not enforced, registration has made things worse, because consumers now assume that all inspectors are licensed. They're now trying to go from registration to a full licensure law and are finding it tough going.

To read the article, click here.

[Herb Scott]

Pa consumers / buyers do assume we are all licensed or that we all meet the laws requirements. I think this is due to the realtors lack of doing their part. (I really hate it when spell check tells me to capitalize the "r" in realtors) We simply don't have the timely access to the buyer that the agents do. If we did, we would inform them that only 3 Associations meet the Pa law requirements. ASHI, NAHI, and 3rd smaller one that I can't think of now. My understanding is that nachi does not meet the requirements and therefore if a nachi inspector is used the information obtained can not be used to re-negotiate the sale price.

Why would the agent not tell the client this? Because those who do not meet the minimum requirements are likely not as knowledgeable or as experienced as those who do meet the law requirements. This equals an easier sale.

I don’t regret the current law. It was a tough fight just to get what we got, and we knew that it isn’t enough, but it is a foot in the door. I hope the current bill gets passed. It’s another step in the right direction, but one thing we need to remember. Legislation will be a continuing battle and we need to stay in the fight

[hausdok]

Well,

Could it be because EBPHI came on line somewhere around the end of the year in 1999 and the NHIE, as promulgated by EBPHI was in its infancy and EBPHI was still taking baby steps?

I don't think anyone was sure in 1999 whether EBPHI was still going to be around 8 years later and I don't think there were that many folks who were actually convinced, even in ASHI, that the NHIE was going to survive and become the standard by which other tests would be measured. However, now that it's been around for 8 years, it's kind of a proven product.

But lets not forget the NAHI CRI exam. Both of those tests have been put together using procedures that are advocated by the best educational minds in the country and both have been around for quite a while now. The difference between the two is that EBPHI is an independent entity that puts together its test using inspectors from all over the country, regardless of affiliation, while the NAHI CRI test is linked directly to an association.

Don't get me wrong though, I believe that either might be a good choice for a test of the basic knowledge that a home inspector needs in order to be barely competent at this thing we do, but neither proves that an inspector can actually do what he claims he can do - inspect homes; for that, you need peer review. Without peer review, all one has proven is that one can remember stuff in a book and correctly answer questions about the stuff in the book .

Why do you bring up ASHI and the NHIE? Is it because if the NHIE isn't used then there won't be any way to at least show that every single one of the guys and gals being licensed in PA, regardless of time in the business or number of jobs completed, at least know the bare basics of how to inspect a home; and you wish there were more stringent requirements? Or, is it that you don't consider EBPHI's test difficult enough and think ASHI should not be endorsing it and should be recommending something even harder?

Is there something wrong with the NHIE. Is it too easy? Is that why interNACHI doesn't want ASHI to advocate it? If it's too easy, would the NAHI CRI exam be more appropriate? If not, I know your an interNACHI fan, does interNACHI have a better test than the NHIE that could be used instead - one that's also been psychometrically validated and does a better job of gauging an inspector's competence than either the NHIE or the NAHI CRI exam? If so, does interNACHI also have peer review? Heck, if you've got all that, sign me up!

If you're concerned that PA doesn't do enough to check the qualifications of the folks that it issues licenses to, I guess I have to agree with you. Take a look at this case where this fellow, who was licensed by the state of Pennsylvania, according to the judge in the case cheated his clients for years and placed many of his clients' health at risk.

http://ehb.courtapps.com/corpus/04-27-2000.98199.html

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[hausdok]

Editor's Note

The previous post may seem out of context and unrelated to the discussion. That's because it was made in response to a member's inquiry as to why ASHI was in favor of the PA law in 1999 but now is not in favor of it because there is no requirement for the NHIE in the Pennsylvania rules. Still, though the member never made clear why he posed the question, I attempted to answer him and then asked him why he'd brought the question up.

He chose not to answer, and then, for whatever reason, the member apparently decided to delete his post after I'd responded. Perhaps he didn't like the answer or perhaps he felt his question had been answered. Regardless, it's clear from the example at the link posted in the comment above that Pennsylvania's licensing procedures and enforcement, such as they are, leave something to be desired.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

Originally posted by jhagarty

It is only reasonable that the Consumer have the same expectation of the Inspector of their home as they do of the Building Contractor that was contracted to Construct their home.

[:-paperba