This event will not only give you the opportunity to take part in the
greatest event of the year, but you will also have the privilege to
hear some of the best Guest Speakers enlighten you with their
knowledge and experiences in the Home Inspection and Restoration industry.
Become A Speaker At Inspection Universe 2008!
If you are interested in becoming a speaker at
Inspection Universe 2008, please
call 1-800-427-0550 Ext. 219.
Keynote Speaker - To Be Announced
Additional Event Speakers
 James
McDonnell IV, Founder and CEO of PRO-LAB©,
Inc
Ten Lessons for the Inspection Business in the Next
Decade
Mr. McDonnell is the founder and CEO of
PRO-LAB®, Inc, the leading provider of environmental
laboratory testing services in the world.
He
will give an informative presentation using
demographics and futures leading to successful
business practice. Learn some secrets leading
to Twenty-First Century success! Mr. McDonnell
has an extensive background in the marketing
industry.
 Nick
Gromicko, NACHI's janitor, veteran REALTOR, and
ad agency owner
Business Success Tips for Home Inspectors
How to raise your prices when your home inspector
competitors charge less, tips for tweaking your home inspection
website so it sells, getting your home inspection phones to ring
off the hook, dominating your local market, and retire rich.
* How to raise your prices when your competitors charge less.
* How to get more inspections from the internet.
* How to sell seller's inspections.
* How to perform commercial inspections.
* How to market mold
* 12 things you can do to improve your inspection
business.
 John
Shane, Ph.D. Vice President of Laboratory Services
and head of PRO-LAB©'s Scientific Advisory Board
Advanced Mold
* Advanced microbial issues
* Viable sampling techniques
* Investigating moisture sources
* Tools of the trade
* Report documentation
* Remediation techniques
* Remediation protocol
* Clearance testing
* Who needs your services
* How to market your services
About Dr. John Shane
Dr. Shane is the best-known
instructor in the field of spore trap analysis
for environmental particles and mold.
He has
trained over 3,000 analysts during the past
ten years as Professor and Director of Research
of the McCrone Research Institute in Chicago,
IL.
Dr. Shane is a recognized expert in the
scientific community and will play a major role
in offering Inspection Universe's attendees
high-end technical knowledge.
 James "Jaime" Jackson,
President, Castrillo Home Service Property Inspections & Consulting
Increase Your Profitability While Decreasing Your Liability
James "Jaime" Jackson is a Certified Indoor Environmentalist
(CIE), Commercial Real Estate Inspector (CREI), Residential Real
Estate Inspector (RREI), New Construction Inspection Specialist
(NCIS), Certified Mold Inspector (CMI), Professional Environmental
Inspector (PEI), Public Housing Inspector (PHI) as well as being
FEMA and HUD/REAC certified.
He is the owner of Castrillo Home
Service, with two offices in Florida (Miami and Tampa). He was
a television personality after hurricane Andrew and is seen in "Surviving
the Storm", a Dade County public television special. He
is a frequent guest on Terry Hall's "This Week in Real Estate",
nationally syndicated, radio talk show. His company has performed
over 3000 various type inspections in the last three years.
Jaime
has inspected homes for the reality makeover program "Nice
Package", seen on the Oxygen Channel to the homes of Miami
's "Rich & Famous". Jaime served as the Chairman
of the Board of Directors for The Women's Shelter of Hope. He
is currently working on his first of many children's book series
and enjoys spending time with his wife Jeannette and their 5
children, 10 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandson.
 Jeff
Coffey, Coordinator,
Community Partnering Program for Disaster Preparedness
Partnership for Response & Recovery (PaRR Inspections)
Disaster Housing Inspector
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) declares a federal disaster, they send in Disaster Housing
Inspectors to visit the affected homes to assess the damage.
Based on what the inspectors record, disaster victims may be
eligible for federal assistance to get back on their feet. All
inspectors are private contractors drawn from across the nation.
This class not only provides an in-depth look at the recovery
process, but also provides certification as a Disaster Housing
Inspectors.
Upon successful completion the inspector will be
eligible for deployment on federal disasters, typically for a
few weeks at a time, during which they are paid per inspection.
Inspectors do not have to accept any deployment that is not convenient;
however the chance to earn extra income during slow periods,
as well as the opportunity to help people in their times of need,
make this a very rewarding opportunity for those that wish to
pursue it.
For professional home inspectors, disaster housing inspections are natural
off-shoots of what they do every day. Although many home inspectors will
be unavailable for deployments due to their workloads (particularly in their
busiest seasons), below is a recap of what home inspectors have told PaRR:
- New home inspectors are typically more flexible, as they are still getting
their businesses off the ground and they welcome the extra source of income.
- Home inspectors nearing retirement are often looking for something else
to try, and the personal satisfaction this work offers appeals to many.
- Home inspectors in multi-inspector companies can shift their workload
to others.
- Should disasters occur in the inspector’s community, disaster housing
inspections may be the only show in town for 1-3 months.
- Home inspectors benefit by display their disaster housing certification
status on their presentation folders, business cards, etc.
The class is being presented by The Partnership for Response and Recovery
(PaRR Inspections), who is a primary contractor to FEMA to run the disasters
and supervise the inspectors. To learn more about the role of the disaster
housing inspector, please visit www.parrinspections.com.
Please note that, in order to attend this class, you MUST:
1) Go to www.parrinspections.com
2) Click on "Apply Online" and fill out the online application
About Jeff Coffey
Jeff Coffey is the Coordinator for PaRR Inspections' Community Partnering
Program for Disaster Preparedness. He also offers Training/Certification courses
throughout the nation. When necessary, Mr. Coffey also functions as a Field
Supervisor on site during federally-declared disasters. In the latter capacity
he manages all field inspectors in the performance of their duties, and interacts
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Inspection Services Coordinator.
He has held these positions since PaRR Inspections was awarded the FEMA Housings
Inspections contract in February 2001.
Prior to employment with PaRR Inspections, Mr. Coffey worked for six years
as a Disaster Housing Inspector. He also served as Team Leader, Trainer, and
Field Supervisor. During this period Mr. Coffey was affiliated with Charter
Disaster Services, Computer Sciences Corporation, and Parsons-Brinckerhoff.
Mr. Coffey began his disaster relief career in 1995 as an employee of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency at the National Processing Services Center
in Denton, Texas. He began as a Reviewer in the Department of Combined Verification
(CV), and subsequently advanced to Team Leader. Soon after, he transferred
to the Inspections Services division to serve as Project Monitor.
Mr. Coffey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt
University (1981) and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from
Ohio University (1986).
 Robert
W. Pearson, Alan Insurance Group
Covering your Assets
This session is to educate the inspector as to the frequency
and
cost of claims. Why insurance companies settle claims. What
causes claims in our report writing. Examples of problematic
claims. Also the inspector will receive a recent article on
Defensive Report Writing.
About Robert W. Pearson
Bob's previous experience as a home inspector
gives him a unique perspective in dealing with
home inspector insurance. Bob started his first
inspection business in 1985 and since 1992 has
been the manager of the Allen Insurance Group's
program along with maintaining a home inspection
business on the side.
He retired as an active
inspector
in 2000. He has written many articles on claims
management and report writing. He is considered
to be the foremost expert on home inspector insurance.
 Kerry
Kelly of American Property Inspectors of Northwest Florida,
Inc.
Home Inspectors and Stucco Cladding: How To Inspect
and Report
This session is designed for intermediate level and beginner
level home inspectors. Attendees will learn the three basic stucco
systems and how to properly identify these systems. They will
be able to explain to a customer the differences between EIFS/DEFS "synthetic" stucco
systems and traditional hardcoat "real" stucco. After
having attended this session attendees will be able inspect for
and identify conditions that have potential to allow water intrusion
into the substrate behind the stucco cladding, The attendee will
also learn tips of communication that may help reduce the potential
for disagreements and litigation.
The specific objectives of
this session is for each attendee to:
- understand the components of the two basic synthetic
stucco systems and the components of a basic hardcoat
stucco system.
- be able to identify each of the basic stucco systems.
- be able to explain the characteristics of each
of the stucco systems.
- be able to inspect and identify potential problem
areas of a stucco system that is improper and can
allow water intrusion into the substrate.
- understand the complications and impact of water
in the substrate as relates to fungi growth, wood
deterioration, pest infestation and termites.
- understand some various remediation actions that
may be suggested to correct observed defects in the
stucco systems.
- be able to report their findings in a format that
educates the customer and reduces liability for all
parties.
About Kerry Kelly
Kerry Kelly is the owner and chief inspector of American
Property Inspectors of NW Florida, Inc., which was
incorporated as a home inspection company in 1992.
He has been responsible for thousands of inspections,
including over 700 inspections in 2006 of which some
150 were stucco moisture-scan inspections. He has
appeared in court several times as an expert witness
in stucco water intrusion litigation.
His qualifications are numerous, including certifications
by: (1) Exterior Design Institute (EDI) (2) Association
of Walls and Ceilings Industries (AWCI) (3) Stucco-Pro
Corporation (4) Moisture Warranty Corporation, including
court approved certification to perform Dry-Vit class
action litigation inspections. (5) Pro-Lab as a mold
inspector (6) Fla Dept of Heath as a Radon Measurement
Specialist (7) Infrarerd Thermography by Infrared
Training Center (8) National Association of Certified
Home Inspectors (NACHI).
He graduated from Pasco High School, Dade City, Florida
and graduated with a BS in Business Administration
from Troy State University, Troy, Alabama.
Kerry is a Florida licensed real estate broker and
real estate instructor. He was previously a licensed
real estate professional in Hawaii and Illinois.
He is a retired 21 year member of the military,
serving as a member of the Special Operations Pararescue
Teams where he earned Master Parachutist Wings, Master
Aircrew Member Wings, Underwater Swimmer Dive Badge
with several other medals. Kerry flew 84 combat rescue
missions over North Vietnam during the Vietnam conflict.
He and his wife of 48 years, Barbara, now making
their home in Ft Walton Beach, Fl. have 3 children
and 4 grandchildren.
 Rick
Bates, CCI, CEI, REEW, RIAQM of Environmental Education Foundation, on:
What Every Home Inspector Needs to Know About
Indoor Air Quality
A past, present, and future perspective on indoor
air quality and how the home inspector is directly and indirectly
impacted. The top (10) IAQ issues facing home inspectors will
be identified. Points of interest that all home inspectors must
be aware of to provide minimum levels of service while reducing
the potential for litigation will be described in detail. This
presentation is packed with useful information for the inspection
professional with regards to offering profitable IAQ services
and avoiding lawsuits. Components of the new Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment
Model (I-BEAM) training will be introduced.
Mr. Bates is Corporate President of Bates Consulting,
Inc., which he founded in 1987. He has performed over 8,000 structural,
mechanical & environmental inspections in the past 18 years.
He is a Certified Construction Inspector, Certified Environmental
Inspector, Registered Environmental Expert Witness and a Registered
Indoor Air Quality Manager.
Mr. Bates is approved as an expert
litigation witness in structural, mechanical and environmental
cases. He is the past National President of the Housing Inspection
Foundation, past President of the International Environmental
Assessment Association and presently the President of the International
Environmental Education Foundation.
Mr. Bates is the author of
(6) inspection training manuals and numerous inspector training
courses. He conducts both live and internet based seminars and
training courses across North America.
 Gerry
Beaumont, NACHI's National Education Consultant and Education Director
of Inspection Depot
Online Continuing Education for Home Inspectors
Mr. Beaumont is an inspection consultant specializing
in commercial and multifamily property. He is a Consultant to
and Education Director of Inspection Depot based in Jacksonville,
Florida.
He has a very wide ranging background covering all
areas of property management, refurbishment, project management
and property inspection. Education has been an interest of his
for many years which led to him teaching home inspectors up
to NHIE level at a local community college in Massachusetts
between 2000 and 2004, and to be invited to start and chair
NACHI’s Educational Committee.
As NACHI's National Education
Consultant, he travels to Chapter meetings to promote NACHI
education and to run training classes on a broad range of subject
to its members. Born and raised in Great Britain, Mr. Beaumont
has lived in the United States since 1995 and has recently relocated
from New England to Clearwater, Florida.
Mike
Crow, founder and president of the Millionaire Inspector Community
1) Home Inspector Marketing Success Blueprint
2) Redesigning your Brochure
He started a home inspection company with his
father in 1985 and he grew it to nearly $2 million in revenue.
Now, Mike is passing his marketing and business building secrets
on to you.
The Millionaire Inspector Community offers seminars,
educational materials, coaching and mentoring to help home inspectors
develop their marketing and business strategies.
Dan Howard , Residential & Commercial
Property Inspector, on:
Success Secrets that your Competition Wouldn't Tell
If last year was not your best year and the start of this year
even better, you need to be sitting in the first row of this
class.
There are tons of inspectors sending stacks of brochures into
too many realtor offices
that are losing more their business to the "for sale by
owner" sellers. You will never need to leave discount coupons
in Realtor offices again. You will learn the methods
and tools to promote and network your business. Success starts
with the first phone call and ends with a client liking you enough
to tell their friends and relatives about you.
Success is a package. It is impressions, public relations, the
way you work and the way you convince your clients
that you are the best. When you hire a doctor or a lawyer, do
you look for the professional that works on Saturdays and is
$50.00 cheaper, or the "best"?
You will leave this session knowing how to become
the inspector that they say "he's good, if you can get him".
This session can make you more money than your entire
convention costs.
About Dan Howard
Dan is an "old time inspector" with 27 years and close
to 14,000 inspections experience. His experience includes commercial,
industrial and residential inspections, code inspections, HUD
inspections, he is also certified as a radon tester, mold and
allergen tester, pest control operator and lead instructor. He
is also a consultant in the disaster planning and recovery industry.
Dan is author of over 250 published columns on home improvement issues.
He has been host of Home Improvement Radio and a television contributor
on home improvement issues.
Dan has presented courses on Real Estate, Code Compliance, Marketing,
Lead, and many issues relevant to the home inspection industry.
Dan’s presentations, though they vary on topics, are always
fast paced, positive and informative.
Dan will freely tell you the secrets of success that your competition
wouldn’t tell you if they knew them.
Steve Jawitz, P.E., NACHI, ASHI, FABI of All Building Inspection,
Inc.
Inspecting Pools as a Professional Home Inspector
Regarding pool inspections, many home inspectors
disclaim or avoid pools and spas during their routine
inspection of single-family homes. However, I wonder
if they realize that they probably have not avoided
all liability; as an example, do they also disclaimed
the properties (and by inference the pools) protective
fence?
Even those inspectors who are including pools and
spas in their routine home inspection might want
to brush up on some of the pool inspection basics
and touch on some of the advanced subjects during
our four hour class.
In 4 hours we are going to go over the following;
What To Inspect
Pool Barriers
Pool Shells
Circulation Equipment
Pool Ancillary Equipment
What NOT To Inspect
How to Report on ALL of this, what NOT to Report
on and how to reduce your pool inspection liability
Yes, we are asking a lot out of 4 hours, but we
believe we have got the right man that can do all
of this in the time allotted.
About Steve Jawitz
Your instructor is a Licensed Professional Engineer
and a "Working Professional Building Inspector" who
has been professionally inspecting buildings in
South Florida for over 30 years. Most of the over
14,000 single-family homes he has personally inspected
had residential pools and many of the multifamily
residential buildings had commercial pools. He has
learned how to inspect pools (as a professional
building inspector - not as a pool contractor -
different perspectives and different inspections)
through the trial and error, hit and miss, self
taught - on the job training, that 30 years of inspection
experience yields. Years ago, he developed a workable
formula for pool inspection that has been commercially
successful and has withstood years of legal scrutiny.
Bob Ogden, President of Metris Instruments, LLC. Offices
in Los Gatos, CA and Long Island, NY.
Understanding the basics of an infrared thermometer
How can an infrared thermometer become the most versatile tool
in the toolbox?
Understanding the basics of an infrared thermometer.
The first part of this session explains how an
infrared thermometer works and understanding basic functions
such as distance to target ratio, emissivity and more.
How can an infrared thermometer become the most
versatile tool in the toolbox?
The second part of the session attendees will learn
where to use an infrared thermometer in a home inspection
and how to interpolate the data collected to provide
value added services for the customer.
About Bob Ogden:
Bob is President of Metris Instruments;
a 3-year old company that specializes in distribution
of a family of various infrared thermometers, both
hand-held and fixed mount for OEM equipment.
Over
the past 30 years, Bob has held sales and marketing
positions with US Steel Corporation, Laribee Wire
Manufacturing, Amprobe Instruments, Raytek Corporation
and Fluke Corporation.
A 1974 graduate of Salem
State College School of Business Administration,
Salem Massachusetts, Bob has Food Inspection and
Safety Certification and credits towards Level I
Thermography.
Bob resides on Long Island, NY with his
wife and three children.
Carolyn K. Allen, President, AccuStar
Labs
Cutting Edge Radon
How did we get to where we're going? How can we help our clients
understand -- and avoid -- the 2nd leading cause
of lung cancer in the US? With increasing emphasis on tighter,
more energy efficient homes, maintaining healthy indoor air becomes
even more important. Radon is as old as dirt, and it isn't going
away anytime soon!
Radon services fit neatly with other environmental
services in the home.
Come learn a little radon history and about
current research and increasing public concern about this deadly
carcinogen.
About Carolyn K. Allen
Carolyn K. Allen managed radon testing and mitigation in 1989
at several apartment communities for a large property management
firm located in Richmond, Virginia. In 1991 she accepted the
position of Sales Manager for Rad Elec Inc., a Maryland-based
radon testing equipment manufacturer. In 1997 she was promoted
to Vice President for that firm. In 2000 Ms. Allen accepted
the position of Vice President, Sales for Spruce Environmental
Technologies, which is the parent company of RadonAway, the
largest radon mitigation fan manufacturer in the US, and AccuStar
Labs, a radon testing laboratory with an international clientele.
She is now the President of AccuStar Laboratories.
Ms. Allen serves as a Vice President of AARST,
the American Society of Radon Scientists and Technologists.
In 1995 she chaired the AARST International Radon
Symposium. She also participates in several radon
standards committees.
Chris Burton
Moisture Protection
MoistureFree is the nations leading company in solving moisture
intrusion problems in residential and commercial buildings. MoistureFree
has studied the behavior of buildings related to moisture and
has compiled an enormous database of recorded incidences. This
building science data has been used to solve the most complex
building issues and was relied upon to create the most extensive
stucco training program available today. MoistureFree has successfully
trained over 1,000 trade experts.
Bernie Katz, Training Director
- General Manager
Bernie Katz has over 35 years of experience in training and management.
After college, he started his career working for a national ad
agency in New York. He was an account executive for 2 major Pharmaceutical
accounts and handled all aspects of their training and education
for their Representatives and Physicians. Bernie left the fast
pace of New York for a career in Education. He taught at both
the High School and College levels for many years. After leaving
the Education Field, he opened his own advertising agency in
Williamsport, PA. His account list was nationwide, working with
small businesses to develop their advertising and marketing programs.
His staff of over 15 people provided computer services, design
services and implementation of the actual campaigns. Bernie joined
ESA in 2002 to accept some new challenges after he sold his Agency
Bernie’s background in pharmaceuticals and his passion
for the environment provided the foundation for his training
in IAQ. He has been conducting Indoor Air Quality classes for
Environment al Solutions Association for the past 4 years and
has trained over 500 hundred Home Inspectors across the country
in IAQ testing and inspection protocols.
Bernie has also trained many individuals for Radon
testing and inspection. These classes in Radon are
designed to give the maximum knowledge of EPA standards
for conducting appropriate testing protocols for
Real Estate transactions, Home Owner and Commercial
Structure testing. In addition to teaching Mold,
Radon, Allergen and Phase I Site Inspection courses,
he is also responsible for approving and implementing
new course additions for ESA’s technical writing
department. He works with various Laboratories learning
the latest procedures and protocols for testing
and then develops the written guidelines for ESA
trained Inspectors.
Bernie also carries State approved Trainer credentials
from Florida, New Jersey and Texas in Indoor Air
Quality Inspections. His additional responsibilities
as General Manager include scheduling new classes,
overseeing the Marketing and Customer Service Departments
and working with various national agencies, such
as the EPA in developing Protocols for IAQ work.
Dominic Maricic, Founder and President
of Home Inspector Pro, Programmer, Web designer
Increase your business by optimizing your website to
get it to the top of the search engines
The average home inspector has created a website
but has done absolutely nothing to optimize it so that it will
end up on the top of the search engines. If your website is not
on the FIRST page of Google, Yahoo or MSN you will not receive
any business from it. The average person looking for an inspector
will only look through the first 3-5 links returned on the first
page for an inspector. Over the past 6 months Dominic Maricic
has written over a dozen articles for home inspectors and appeared
on NACHI.TV on how to get inspector websites to the top of the
search engines. All the inspectors that have followed the tips
have had a huge increase in rankings; most of them are now in
the top 3 results for their keyword phrases and have reported
an increase in business as a result. You can see an overview
of what will be at the conference in a recent NACHI.TV episode
at http://www.NACHI.tv/episode24
Dominic Maricic used to teach website design (along with math
and computer programming) before founding Home Inspector
Pro 3 years ago. Home Inspector Pro inspection software
is one of the industries leading software programs
and runs on Windows, Mac & Linux. It is currently being used
in 10 countries and in 6 languages. The program
is extremely customizable and has been largely shaped
by the NACHI inspector community.
John McKenna , InterNACHI's Instructor
for the Infrared Certified Training Course and President
of the Master Inspector Certification Board
Thermal Imaging and Building Science
This course is intended to prepare the Home Inspector
to properly use a Thermal Camera
with regards to home inspections. There will
be sections on the theory of electromagnetic
radiation, thermodynamics and building science.
There will also be examples of field use
of the camera and how to interpret IR images.
This is an overview of our main course.
• Extends the Inspector's
ability to inspect the house.
• Help us to find conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed.
• Serve as an additional method of verifying defects suspected
or found by other
means, thus better proving the existence of the
defect.
• Allows inspector to expand our client base beyond the
general public, to
contractors and commercial inspections.
• Give the Inspector a better understanding of other problems
with the house, and
their causes.
• Provide a means by which the Inspector can offer additional
ancillary services for
additional income.
• Protect the Inspector from liability for missed defects
that the client (and their
lawyers) would expect us to find.
About John McKenna
* Certified Master Inspector
* President of the Master Inspector Certification
Board
* 10 Years Experience - Licensed Texas Professional
Home Inspector
(Texas Real Estate Commission, TREC # 4565)
* 25 Years Experience in Residential and Commercial
Construction
* Approved Trainer and Instructor for Mandatory
Continuing Education
(Texas Real Estate Commission, MCE Instructor
# 881050528)
* FLIR - ITC Certified Thermographer (# 33493)
* On Staff With The InterNational Association
of Certified Home Inspectors
* Co-Author of “Thermal Imaging and Building Science” (Approved
in
Several States For Inspector Mandatory Continuing
Education)
* Founder of Infrared Certified Training at http://www.Infrared-Certified.com
* Owner of American Home Inspection at http://www.Texas-Inspection.com
* Approved Advisor For AllExperts.com
Thomas G. (Tom) Valosin, Founder
and Owner of ASKUS Consulting Services LLC
Inspecting Decks, Porches and Balconies
Some inspectors, AHJs' and most homeowners tend
to consider decks, porches and balconies as "add on" items,
in place only to contribute to the enjoyment of the homeowner,
but not an item of major structural concern. Consequently, these
structures sometimes do not get the attention they really need.
In many areas AHJs' don't even inspect them and homeowners haven't
a clue how to maintain them, leaving the home inspector the "last
bastion of hope" for our Clients regarding the safety of
these structures that are an integral part of their "new
home". Each year there are numerous reports of injury or
death due to failure of decks, balconies or porches; numbers
far exceeding reports of death or injury due to structural failure
of the home. This seminar will explain how these structures are
built, both improperly and properly, and how to inspect them.
About Thomas G. (Tom) Valosin
Thomas G. (Tom) Valosin is the Founder and Owner of ASKUS Consulting
Services LLC.
ASKUS specializes in home inspection as well
as associated ancillary services. Tom is a New York State Licensed
Home Inspector, Lic # 16000005194. He is an active NACHI member
and is co-founder and current President of the New York Capital
Region Chapter.
Tom has been a Journeyman in the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners of America and a partner in P.U.S.H.
Associates, (Professionals United Serving Homeowners), an association
of tradespeople who pooled their services and knowledge providing
a "one stop shop" for homeowners construction projects,
including decks, balconies and porches.
Tom is Radon Certified by NEHA, a member of AARST
and is a Certified Indoor Air Quality Technician. He is also
trained and certified by both the TankSure Program and EDR.
Toms' guiding thought, learned from his Dad is:
"All the knowledge in the world does no good if you take
it to your grave; pass it on - teach others"
Following that, Tom and 4 other inspectors formed
CATS of Albany (Certified Adult Training Services), a New York
State authorized Home Inspector License Training and Continuing
Education facility where he is the Senior Instructor.
Tom resides in Middleburgh, NY with his wife
Barbara. They have 2 sons, Bill, a NPS Ranger at the Saratoga
Battlefield and Craig who lives in Australia with his wife Bec
and Toms' grandchildren, Sasha and Jacob.
Drew Finn, P.E. - Finn & Associates
Consulting Engineers, Inc.
How I Did It - 11,000 Inspections
This is what I did to obtain 30% of the area inspections
even though I have eight competitors. This is how
I projected myself so that when people think home
inspector, they think Drew Finn. When I ask a home
buyer how did they come to choose me, they say everyone
they asked recommended me, many say you have one
heck of a reputation! It’s a great position
to be in, and this presentation will show how I
got there and how you can get there too. This will
be a two hour presentation.
The Body Language of a House Structure
This presentation emphasizes how a house acts as
an assembly of parts, not just individual components.
The methodology of structural analysis is emphasized
since there is no way to cover all structural deficiencies
scenarios. Our Procedures and Techniques will be
focused on to first find deficiencies, and then
be proactive to find corroborating evidence to verify
what we think is the problem truly is. We will use
some Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models to emphasize
how a house reacts to loads as an assembly. After
presenting ideas, we will show problem slides, solicit
inputs from the inspectors on what they think is
going on, and where to look next to prove it. This
is a "hands on, how to" presentation,
not a lot of technical jargon. Eventho I have an
extensive engineering background, this is not an
Engineering class. I will use my 25yrs experience
in home inspecting to present from the perspective
of a Home Inspector.
Crack Analysis - Reading Between The Lines
The most costly house deficiency that may be encountered
is a major structural problem. It would reveal itself
with cracks. This presentation will show how to
determine if a crack is important and what’s
causing it. We use diagrams and photos to show what
to look for and what it means.
We need to determine what the crack is telling us by its characteristics.
Other observations will then be tied in to corroborate
what we believe has happened. At this point, we
will know the severity of the crack or will at least have a great
concern which warrants advising the home buyer to consult with
a structural engineer. The most important part is how the inspector
reports his/her findings. The presentation is two hours.
Electrical Inspections: Saving Your NEC
This is a step by step procedure on how to conduct a complete
electrical
inspection. We will explain what to look for
with figures, photos and diagrams. We will discuss
what the implications and reasons for deficiencies
are (i.e. reversed polarity, multi-wire branch circuits on the
same phase of power). We will also outline the vast changes in
the 2008 NEC from child safety receptacles to the requirement
of AFCI nearly everywhere.
There will be a section on how GFCIs and AFCIs
operate. This will help the inspector understand
the "peculiar" results
our test devices sometimes show (i.e. understand
why when a GFCI clicks OFF, the power is not cut).
This is a two hour presentation.
About Drew Finn
Drew has been inspecting homes for 25 years and has completed
over
11,000 inspections.
He has a Bachelors Of Mechanical Engineering
Degree from Drexel University and a Masters of
Engineering from RPI. He has two US patents,
one on a valve and one on a lubrication pump. Drew has over 700
hours of ASHI continuing education. He first developed and then
marketed his home inspection report forms (manual and computer
generated).
Drew is a Licensed Professional Engineer in MA
and a Licensed Home Inspector in MA and CT.
He is a member of the following societies and
associations:
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
International Association of Electrical Inspectors
(IAEI)
National Association of Home Inspectors ( NAHI)
National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
(NACHI)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
|
