OREGON Prudential NW properties, Home Services

[Brandon Whitmore]

To the other Oregon inspectors on this site. Have you heard of Prudential NW's Home Services? I had a Realtor tell me I should get added to the list, so I am looking into it right now. My assumption is that we must pay in some way to be listed, which would make this illegal in OR, correct?

Right now, there are 18 home inspectors listed with them.

[SWagar]

Brandon,

I'm sure that the CCB has made it VERY CLEAR, that pay to play is not acceptable. Doing so can get your license revoked. I do not know who the inspectors are that are on the list but they should be aware of the CCBs policy. The Pru-NW list has been around for quite awhile now.

Here is the link to the CCB FAQ

http://ccbed.ccb.state.or.us/WebPDF/CCB ... I_FAQs.pdf

[Jim Katen]

Brandon,

I'm sure that the CCB has made it VERY CLEAR, that pay to play is not acceptable. Doing so can get your license revoked. I do not know who the inspectors are that are on the list but they should be aware of the CCBs policy. The Pru-NW list has been around for quite awhile now.

Here is the link to the CCB FAQ

http://ccbed.ccb.state.or.us/WebPDF/CCB ... I_FAQs.pdf

Didn't a whole passel of inspectors get their metaphorical wrists slapped for participating in that program only a year or two ago?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[SWagar]

Does anyone know who is currently on the list in Oregon?

[Chris Bernhardt]

To the other Oregon inspectors on this site. Have you heard of Prudential NW's Home Services? I had a Realtor tell me I should get added to the list, so I am looking into it right now. My assumption is that we must pay in some way to be listed, which would make this illegal in OR, correct?

I don't know about that list, but I have been told that I am on some preferred provider list internally. I don't know how one gets on that list. I do work with many prurep agents in Salem.

Now, the fiasco that I heard about was with inspectors paying to be on some list by Service Magic?

Chris, Oregon

[SWagar]

If Service Magic is just a service provider or referral agent then that should not be a problem. Unless Service Magic directly benefited from the sale of the house somehow.

The problem is when an Inspector pays to be on a list that is maintained by an entity that is financially interested with the sale of the home.

[Brandon Whitmore]

This makes it sound pay to play to me:

http://www.homeservicesnw.com/vendors.php

Here are the 18 companies listed, but I can't say for sure how up to date this site is: http://www.homeservicesnw.com/directory.php

I haven't received a call back from the company, and luckily have been too busy working to look into it any further.

After posting, I looked again. There are more than 18 companies listed. There are 18 under one category, and down below there are more listed under "real estate services"

[Brandon Whitmore]

Didn't a whole passel of inspectors get their metaphorical wrists slapped for participating in that program only a year or two ago?

My memory isn't all the great, but I believe so.......

What to do......

[Chris Bernhardt]

Maybe it's me, but I can't remember getting any referrals from paid advertising except maybe one time from my name in the phone book.

I really doubt that there's any inspector by being on that list that gets any significant biz.

Each RE office seems to have their own internal list of HI's they prefer around here.

Chris, Oregon

[Brandon Whitmore]

If Service Magic is just a service provider or referral agent then that should not be a problem. Unless Service Magic directly benefited from the sale of the house somehow.

I'm pretty sure that Service Magic is a no no as well, but don't quote me on it.

[Brandon Whitmore]

I received a call from Home Services today. I was told that home inspectors in OR no longer have to pay to be on the list, and she specifically mentioned the CCB's issue with it. If anyone was interested, they aren't taking any more home inspectors on.......

[Paul N Frey]

Why on earth would you want to be included with those knucklehead inspectors?? Some of them can barely walk and chew gum at the same time! Half of them fall into the "quick and easy boys" group, the others start their pay scale at about $250.00 so if you want to compete with them go for it! The only problem is that it takes the homeowners about 6-7 years before they realize that they got a shitty inspection (when they sell and a competent inspector comes in).

[Paul N Frey]

Jim, yes - a number of inspectors got a little more than slapped. Some got fined I think - not much but I know it really pissed a few of them off. 3 I know of were Larry, Nagle and J Weaver. Of course 1 of them argued with the CCB and they promptly hit him harder. One of the main complainants was the OREIA board. Sort of funny because Jerry was also on the board and kept saying it was no big deal! CCB really didn't want to pursue it but OREIA's board told their lobbyist to jam it down their throat until they choked on it. He did well! I thought the list went away but it seems it didn't - and I really doubt that PNW is going to publish a list for free!! I doubt that any of the inspectors would admit to "pay for play" at this point in time but there are other ways to "donate to a cause" I would think. As they said in another thread a while back - if it smells and tastes like shit, it probably is!

[Brandon Whitmore]

Why on earth would you want to be included with those knucklehead inspectors??

I just re- checked my post. I never mentioned I wanted to be added to the list, but was looking into it. []

Tell you the truth, if the list is free and it lands me a single job, than why not? If the agent doesn't like my thorough inspection, I don't need them, and if I was to gain just one quality agent by being on a list, why not? It could amount to several thousand dollars of added income each year, and balloon out from there.

Half of them fall into the "quick and easy boys" group, the others start their pay scale at about $250.00 so

You're kidding, aren't you?? If I were to work for that price, I'd have to double the number of inspections per day and go back to doing a crappy job to get by. Hmmmmm.. Not gonna happen.

I doubt that any of the inspectors would admit to "pay for play" at this point in time but there are other ways to "donate to a cause" I would think

I suspect this to be the case

[Paul N Frey]

Brandon, check out some of our "competitors" web sites - you can get a pretty good idea of what some of the people are charging. I agree, I think we are not charging enough as is but I get at least 5 calls a week and the first question is "How much do you charge -------------. Any more I politely tell them that if that is all they are concerned about to call another inspector and many times just hang up. You can give them all the speil you want but until that $$ comes down they are not going to bite. The problem is that some of the low ballers have been in the business long enough to know better!! One way to get a good laugh when they tell you so and so will do one for $$, tell them you will match that price and let them bite. After gettig all their info and letting them think they are really cuttin' a fat hog ask them "Now, which part of the inspection would you prefer I do not do since I have lowered my original bid price, plumbing, electrical, WDO??" Watch them backpedal - "I thought you were going to do a normal inspection?" they say. "I was and will but for the original quoted price, not the discounted price." I sort of like to push buttons on occasion. P.S. one of the low price guys was the old pres of OAHI so what does that tell you?? You can have it either way - "quick and easy" or clear and complete - - but you can't have them both at the same time! In the last 3 months I have seen inspections that were so poorly done I had to wonder if I was at the same house - normally I don't tell homeowners to seek legal counsel but this time I did on 2 homes (engineer also agreed). One hates to disparige other inspectors but once in a while they really need to get a boot in their ass!