IHINA

[Chad Fabry]

Where'd the IHINA forum go?

[kurt]

I think that it is only "visible" to IHINA members or those w/ administrative controls or Moderators. It's still here (or there?).

[hausdok]

Thank you Chad!

You've just unwittingly proven to those skeptical on the IHINA Forum that their secrets are protected.

IHINA has a forum here, that's true, but it is only accessible to their members. Think of it as my owning a club with a bunch of private banquet rooms that I rent out. Those folks are welcome to come out and sidle up to the bar for a drink, but since their party is private only members and invited guests can enter.

If you want access to that forum, talk to Dennis Robitaille. His user name here is denable and you can shoot him a private message. I don't know if he'll allow you to visit for a while as a guest or you'll have to join IHINA, because that is up to them. By agreement, I have nothing to do with how they handle access there, what is said on their boards nor do I care.

Bidness is Bidness as Kurt said on another thread.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Chad Fabry]

I'll cough up the fifty bucks to join. As I said before, I wanted to be sure I could adhere to the no realtor thing.

If I must succumb to soliciting realtors, I'll just have to email Dennis and tell him I've fallen off the wagon.

I'll spend the next two weeks delivering all the big screen TV's... then I'll join.

[hausdok]

Uh,

As long as you've got all of those extra TV's to unload, my address is......

OT - OF!!!

M.

[kurt]

Originally posted by Chad Fabry

I'll cough up the fifty bucks to join. As I said before, I wanted to be sure I could adhere to the no realtor thing.

If I must succumb to soliciting realtors, I'll just have to email Dennis and tell him I've fallen off the wagon.

I'll spend the next two weeks delivering all the big screen TV's... then I'll join.

Technically, I could sign on, pay the $50, & be a member; I don't solicit realtors. Then again, what if I do? Maybe we can get a good volume deal on big TV's........

I think being an IHINA member requires devotion to a cause; I just wanna inspect buildings......

[Chad Fabry]

I get an affiliation,an acronym, a link, and an excuse to not solicit realtors.

I'll probably have to go door to door selling Amway, Fuller brushes and home inspections to eek out a living while the more polished middle Europeans with Vitalis on their hair languish poolside with others that look like that too, at the Realtor/Home inspector convention.

If I can't get a hundred honest inspections my first year I'll toss my ethics to the ground and send roses to all the Realtor's secretaries.

This post was edited in the interest of good taste.

[Jim Morrison]

Dennis R. is a vocal opponent of real estate agents both here in MA and on this here internet, so he draws a lot of fire, but I think IHINA is a good group and will be around for the long haul.

Dennis and I have very different styles but similar philosophies: "Charge what you're worth, give 'em more than they paid for, and make darn sure your client's happy." If that's you, and you want brokers off your back, then IHINA is worth a look. I guarantee you won't be branded without consent over there.

If you were only going to join one HI org, I think ASHI (with its faults) still has to be the one. To butcher a quote from Winston Churchill, "ASHI is the worst HI organiazation ever conceived, except for all those others."

Reliable sources tell me that NACHI is considering changing their name to the Jim-Morrison-the-home-inspector-not-the-singer-is the-most-fabulous-guy-around-club as soon as they can agree on a shorter acronym.

If you can confirm or deny this, please send me a PM, the t-shirts I designed go to print on Thursday.

JM

[kurt]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

Dennis R. is a vocal opponent of real estate agents both here in MA and on this here internet, so he draws a lot of fire, but I think IHINA is a good group and will be around for the long haul.

Dennis and I have very different styles but similar philosophies: "Charge what you're worth, give 'em more than they paid for, and make darn sure your client's happy." If that's you, and you want brokers off your back, then IHINA is worth a look. I guarantee you won't be branded without consent over there.

If you were only going to join one HI org, I think ASHI (with its faults) still has to be the one. To butcher a quote from Winston Churchill, "ASHI is the worst HI organiazation ever conceived, except for all those others."

Reliable sources tell me that NACHI is considering changing their name to the Jim-Morrison-the-home-inspector-not-the-singer-is the-most-fabulous-guy-around-club as soon as they can agree on a shorter acronym.

If you can confirm or deny this, please send me a PM, the t-shirts I designed go to print on Thursday.

JM

I can only confirm what I hear from them that goes there. What I heard is that NACHI is going to change its name to Kurt-Mitenbuler-(the-inspector-there-is-no-singer)-is-the-biggest-jerk-around-club. [%|] I heard there's an entire conference over there devoted to bashing those meatball moderators @ the ASHI forum. If I'm wrong, I just wasted a lot of money on T shirts.

IHINA will undoubtedly be around for the long haul. There are too many disgruntled civilians that have been jacked around by too many realtors; no lack of pissed off civilians wanting to express ire @ realtors. Kind of like the stockbrokers, the hack doctors, the shyster attorneys, the shill HI's, the sit on their thumbs public educators, the bureaucrats, the politicians, the .........

If there is a worthless pack of professionals, there will be an organization devoted to opposing them. It's the American way, & I'll fight anyone who sez otherwise [:-irked]

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

If you were only going to join one HI org, I think ASHI (with its faults) still has to be the one. To butcher a quote from Winston Churchill, "ASHI is the worst HI organiazation ever conceived, except for all those others."

Well butchered Brother Jim, and I agree.

Reliable sources tell me that NACHI is considering changing their name to the Jim-Morrison-the-home-inspector-not-the-singer-is the-most-fabulous-guy-around-club as soon as they can agree on a shorter acronym.

If that happens, I assume there will be a new "minimum beer capacity" requirement for membership. [:-bonc01]

Brian G.

No Longer Qualified

[Chad Fabry]

I am going to join ASHI. It might take a year or two for me to get a respectable portfolio of inspections to present, but that's when I'm joining. Until then I trust in this group to teach me. I'm betting some of the best intellect is right here and I won't need the ASHI forum.

[kurt]

Ya know, what I really like about Mikes joint is that smartass-ism's are developing into a fine art; that is seriously lacking @ the other inspector forums. What w/ all the goofiness & general insults & humiliations of the average inspectors day (today some realtor actually scolded me for talking about garage door openers), I like to kick back @ the end of the day w/ some good old smartass talk. (When the realtor was finished, I acted all hurt, sideled up next to her, grabbed her & planted a big kiss on her right cheek before she knew what I was doing. It probably coulda got me arrested, but my customer & everyone else laughed, I came off the raconteur/bon vivant, & the bitch couldn't do anything else w/out revealing her true bitchiness. Life is good.)

[hausdok]

Gosh Kurt,

I hope you don't answer a doorbell to find two uniforms there thrusting a warrant into your fist and arresting you for assault w/battery!

You're a brave guy. I'd be afraid they'd run over me with their Lexus' here.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jim Morrison]

Originally posted by kurt

(When the realtor was finished, I acted all hurt, sideled up next to her, grabbed her & planted a big kiss on her right cheek before she knew what I was doing. It probably coulda got me arrested, but my customer & everyone else laughed, I came off the raconteur/bon vivant, & the bitch couldn't do anything else w/out revealing her true bitchiness. Life is good.)

You'd have to ask Dennis, but a smooch is tantamouunt to a solicitation where I come from.

JM

[Chad Fabry]

He assaulted her w/ his lips... if he'd used a battery he'd have to marry her.

[hausdok]

Oohh,

I can see you and Kurt are gonna get along just fine.

Careful guys, we have visitors of the opposite gender visiting here.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Brian G]

Most of us newbies would love to reach the point where we could forget about realtors, but for most of us that's a point on the mountain that must be climbed to since we don't come in with helicopters (big money or a big customer base). [:-tophat]

If IHINA is to ever reach the large numbers in membership to create real wide-spread influence, they will need more appeal towards those large numbers who are engaged in the climb, not just the relatively few already at that point. When the leader makes extreme and offensive statements like "If you solicit realtors you are a turd!", its hurts the entire cause. How many members never, ever solicited a single realtor?

If IHINA intends to stick to that sort of line, they may survive, but they will never really matter in the larger picture. Since no one else is trying to do much about the status quo, that would be a shame.

Brian G.

Climbing That Mountain Now

[denable]

Originally posted by Brian G.

Most of us newbies would love to reach the point where we could forget about realtors, but for most of us that's a point on the mountain that must be climbed to since we don't come in with helicopters (big money or a big customer base). [:-tophat]

If IHINA is to ever reach the large numbers in membership to create real wide-spread influence, they will need more appeal towards those large numbers who are engaged in the climb, not just the relatively few already at that point. When the leader makes extreme and offensive statements like "If you solicit realtors you are a turd!", its hurts the entire cause. How many members never, ever solicited a single realtor?

If IHINA intends to stick to that sort of line, they may survive, but they will never really matter in the larger picture. Since no one else is trying to do much about the status quo, that would be a shame.

Brian G.

Climbing That Mountain Now

Brian,

I agree with what you have stated. IHINA will not become a large organization (membership wise.) Most of the IHINA members are old farts, like me, who have a steady flow of clients from sources other than real estate agents.

Unlike some HI organizations, IHINA is not going to swing the membership door open for every guy (or girl) carrying a flashlight and clipboard.

IHINA and some of its members are involved in the background with a few things that could have a major impact on the inspection / real estate fields in a couple of states. It may not be necessary to have a 6,000 member organization to effect change.

The provision to keep real estate agents out of the inspector selection process here in MA was the work of just a few inspectors. (Oh course it didn't hurt to get Dateline NBC involved for a while.)

Dennis (walk softly and carry a big stick.)

[b)]

[Brian G]

Originally posted by denable

Unlike some HI organizations, IHINA is not going to swing the membership door open for every guy (or girl) carrying a flashlight and clipboard.

I can understand that. I'm just suggesting that if less HI's were offended on their way up, more of them might join you at the top...no compromise needed. [:-idea]

Brian G.

On the Way Up

[pete]

Originally posted by Brian G.

Most of us newbies would love to reach the point where we could forget about realtors, but for most of us that's a point on the mountain that must be climbed to since we don't come in with helicopters (big money or a big customer base).

Let me jump in here Brian I understand what you are saying and you are right. To be doing volume as quickly as possible you need to get with the Realtors. But if you have a solid business plan with realistic goals and good marketing, you can make more money per hour and feel better with the IHINA ideas. We have been doing Home Inspections as a stand alone business for two years now. Our volume might lag slightly behind the goals for most new companies. But we charge more than the most established guy in our area and we charge almost double what the newest Realtor chasing coupon offering new guy charges. Like Brian my partner and I work another job, we build new homes. So we live breathe and eat homes. I think working another job, is worth the pleasantness of not dealing with Realtors. It is scary and last year we went 9 weeks with no jobs and I had visions of mopping the floors at Realtors offices to get biz. But I held out.

I still say do half as many inspections for twice the price, the Realtors won't give you stress, you can focus more, and believe it or not the world will treat you with more respect. Our society says "Costs more=Better".

Pete

I believe Dennis is right, I also believe people perceive him to be a zealot and that scares people.

[kurt]

Pete, all worthwhile thoughts & ideas, but what one charges, grosses, nets, or otherwise gets to walk away with has nothing to do w/ realtors, non-association w/ realtors, or anything other than a practical sense of business economics & the intelligence to act on that practical intelligence.

I used to teach a class to home builders (I'm a home builder) about margin, profit, how to calculate those things, & how to apply them to ones' business. Most of the folks in the class would listen quietly for several days & then ask "that's all well & good, but how do we make more money?". Most folks didn't get it.

Charge what you're worth; people pay it. It has nothing to do w/anything other than intelligent business practice. You will probably even be surprised that there are realtors out there that understand, & steer clients to you. Not many, but it's a big world, & the idea that any group can be painted w/ a single brush is not nice, un-American, & bad business.

[pete]

I agree with your last statement. Not all Realtors are evil, not all home inspectors who solicit realtors are bad. But I think the appearance of impropriety, and the non spoken pressure can do damage. I believe that is what the NJ case law (Herner v Housemaster) is saying.

In addition, each business or inspector needs to differentiate themselves. This can be difficult, let's assume that everyone in this discussion is a great inspector. The potential client may now have a hard time differentiating between us except by price. I believe the other two IHINA inspectors who are near us are 30 miles and 180 miles away. Makes the local competition and I pretty different!

When we started marketing HI as a seperate business, I sort of had your thought. We could market to only those realtors who seemed ethical. We struggled to find them and could not. I know a couple as a builder that I think are ok but for various reasons, I would not solicit them for HI biz. Especially since we are signed up with Dennis!!

You also hit the nail on the head with the paragraph about profitability. I can not get over how many posts I read on all the forums that reveal that the majority of Home Inspectors are working very hard to build themselves a job not a business.

Pete

[kurt]

Originally posted by pete

I agree with your last statement. Not all Realtors are evil, not all home inspectors who solicit realtors are bad. But I think the appearance of impropriety, and the non spoken pressure can do damage. I believe that is what the NJ case law (Herner v Housemaster) is saying.

In addition, each business or inspector needs to differentiate themselves. This can be difficult, let's assume that everyone in this discussion is a great inspector. The potential client may now have a hard time differentiating between us except by price. I believe the other two IHINA inspectors who are near us are 30 miles and 180 miles away. Makes the local competition and I pretty different!

When we started marketing HI as a seperate business, I sort of had your thought. We could market to only those realtors who seemed ethical. We struggled to find them and could not. I know a couple as a builder that I think are ok but for various reasons, I would not solicit them for HI biz. Especially since we are signed up with Dennis!!

You also hit the nail on the head with the paragraph about profitability. I can not get over how many posts I read on all the forums that reveal that the majority of Home Inspectors are working very hard to build themselves a job not a business.

Pete

It is an unfortunate fact of the business that most HI's price their service based upon what the other geek is charging. It's very similar to homebuilding, remodeling, & the trades in general. Nobody does the math to figure out what it really costs to do a home inspection.

There is a zen buddhist concept of remaining above the fray, i.e., if one acts w/pure intention & without longing for desired result, magic happens. Or something like that. Marketing efforts can be surprisingly similar. If one focuses on the process, & does not allow personal frustrations to cloud the pursuit, interesting results accrue.

Maybe I've been hanging around so long I don't have to think about it; there are so many realtors that hate my guts and have blackballed me (without much success), I don't really care what anyone thinks, or perceives, about my "ethical" standards. I just try to do good jobs; the other stuff takes care of itself.