House Talk with Dylan Chalk

SimpleWater is an award-winning science and health services company founded at the University of California in Berkeley with the mission of improving your drinking water and long term health. Tap Score is a service for easy home water testing and reporting, created by SimpleWater. Sample Report TapScore Media Coverage Entire TapScore Team John Pujol - Chief Executive Officer John is a water expert experienced in contaminant research, testing and treatment. He has developed several...

Download an infographic of this topic: WATER DAMAGE - Key Takeaways In an effort to make more money, it’s not uncommon for sellers to attempt to take care of existing defects prior to posting their properties for sale. And if those sellers are on a budget—which they often are—poor do-it-yourself repairs may occur. While, as a home inspector, it is not your job to diagnose repairs’ proficiency, it is important for you to draw attention to repairs. Your clients need to know that just...

Hi I’m Gary Smith - welcome back - My next guest is Paul Zak. What a treat it was to speak with Paul. He manages the largest office support services company in the home inspection profession. America’s Call Center or ACC is more than a “call center”. It’s a 60+ employee and growing “Home Inspector Partner”. Whether you are a one may shop or a growing multi-inspector company their approach and commitment to your business success is something they take very seriously. So - - enjoy my...

Our vendor spotlight features James Truscott - over the years James worked as a building inspector in the Dallas Metro - Often his job included testing smoke detectors - sometimes he’d ask a tenant to borrow a broom or mop or walking cane - anything that would help get to the unit in out of reach spots. I’m sure you’ve been there - - if not a stick - you’re carrying a ladder or a stool. In some cases the housing unit was vacant - so...no broom or mop or cane. To fulfill the need - he...

VALUE PROPOSITION 1) What sets you apart? Why should I hire you? Keep reading and listen/watch - - because you want to give the client a "Unique" value proposition. 2) Who is your target audience? If you can't answer this question you can't answer Question #1. 3) What are your client's pain points? How well do you know your client? You should be able to very quickly identify with your client's challenges. 4) How will your inspection service remedy the issues? Once you have a good...

Innovation Competition leads to innovation. If you’re the only inspector in your area it’ll be difficult to improve. And if you’re working in a crowded market, you won’t succeed by doing what everyone else does. Healthy competition encourages change. Customer Service Home inspectors offer similar products - they compete for customers. Improved customer service leads to loyal followers and the best marketing in the marketplace - word of mouth. Complacency Competition shakes off...

My one minute shot of advice and opinion - I called it my "ad-inion"! Thanks for listening - subscribed yet? Please be my guest - it highly appreciated and hope you visit often!

Here are some sample questions a home inspector should be prepared to answer: When most buyers think about questions to ask a home inspector, it’s usually about things before they hire them. Real Estate professional Bill Gassett wrote an article titled “Questions to Ask The Home Inspector After The Inspection is Completed”. Today on Open Mic - Charles and I will answer Bill’s 5 questions, we’ll discuss a few of our favorite threads posted on our Open Group and we’ll hope to share...

Hi I’m Gary Smith - you know the internet has made the world smaller. No doubt about it. The websites you use every day may originate here in the US - or - from any country in the WORLD! We’re in the house today with just such a company. Actually two companies - - both companies originate from Australia but are offered online here in North America. As you may recall a few weeks ago we spoke with Pat Butler and the things he’s doing with Homeworthy. Well - we’re back with Homeworthy - -...

My conversation with Mike Young. Mike is a national 203(k) Renovation Loan Expert. The FHA insured loan helps homeowners purchase and remodel a home and finance the purchase and rehab with a single loan. Mike's team of consultants, home inspectors and contractors are ready to help you take "blah" - to WONDERFUL! Learn from Mike as we discuss changes to the program and learn how home inspectors can get support and consultant training. Join Mike's Team and Contact...

Hi I’m Gary Smith - you know the internet has made the world smaller. No doubt about it. The websites you use every day may originate here in the US - or - from any country in the WORLD! We’re in the house today with just such a company. Actually two companies - - both companies originate from Australia but are offered online here in North America. As you may recall a few weeks ago we spoke with Pat Butler and the things he’s doing with Homeworthy. Well - we’re back with Homeworthy - -...

How well do you know your home? If you’re like most people, you have a vague sense of all the various systems and components and who to call when they don’t work anymore. Did you know you can avoid expensive repair bills by discovering major defects before you buy a home? If only you knew what to look for before you even made an offer! GET THE BOOK HERE: https://amzn.to/2D5YQyd Of course, you’ll get a home inspection once the contract is ratified. Then the inspector’s report turns up all...

Bryan Orr says: The HVAC School is a free, online community that compiles and shares the best, most applicable HVAC/R training material we can find. We source from real technicians who work on equipment everyday to keep the content from getting stale. We publish a weekly podcast, daily tech tips, resources, quizzes, videos and more…. We love to share his knowledge and this episode is no different. The conversation speaks to techs but in plain and simple language fit for homeowners,...

Dylan is Washington State licensed home inspector #365 and Structural Pest Inspector #65540, and a licensed real estate clock-hour instructor # I 4978. He is also the vice president of ASHI Western Washington - 2017. Dylan has made a business out of his personal mission to advocate for home buyers, homeowners, inspectors, and real estate professionals. Honing his talents from carpentry in his youth to construction and remodeling through college, and eventually establishing a career in home...

Inspecting Crawls Spaces - They’re right up there with attic spaces in terms of “places homeowners don’t or won’t enter”. But they’re super important and when drainage is poor water can hide out there and create mold and if the home’s floor system is leaking that bad air can enter. Listen to my conversation with professional home inspectors Charles Buell from Washington state, Dusty Jameson and Michael Conrad from Tennessee and Energy Expert Brent Loya in Florida talk about inspecting...

My Client Wants a Refund - NOW WHAT?! First of all, it’s not the end of the world. If you’re in business long enough - sooner or later you’ll be confronted with this situation. What is most important as it relates to this topic? Priority #1 is to SAVE THE RELATIONSHIP with your client. Do you have a SUPER CLEAR refund policy? Don’t React First - Use THEIR insight as a tool to change YOUR perspective. Don’t communicate with your client when you’re angry. Ask your client for...

Developed by the Department of Energy, the Home Energy Score provides information about a home’s energy use. Similar to the MPG rating for a car, it reports the home’s efficiency on a simple one-to-ten scale, where a ten represents the most efficient homes. The inspection needed to provide the data is performed by home inspectors. Brent Loya has been presented with the Innovation Award for 2018 by the Department of Energy and he and his company IDENERGY helps inspectors become...

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Bryan Orr - he and his dad operate a large HVAC company in FL. Bryan has a strong background in the heating and air business and shared some great tips on the techniques, tools and methods of how a home inspector can effectively inspect and report on a home’s cooling system. I think you’ll learn something - I know I did. He has a simple approach - listen in to my conversation with Bryan Orr. Catch Bryan online: www.HVACRschool.com He mentioned the...

In today's world your inspection calendar is probably totally blank two to three weeks and beyond. The way I see it, you'll know 50K to 100K in revenue is already booked each year! :: Jack Huntress Meet a really smart guy building a product that encourages homeowners to maintain their home and helps inspectors keep their brand alive - long after the inspection. Jack is introducing a concept called "Annual Property Reviews" and believes inspectors are leaving tons of cash on the...

Whether you are planning a 2 man team or growing a large multi-inspector group listen to our pros share inside tips and helpful advice. Reuben's Blog: structuretech1.com/blog/ Catch Chris Murphy: www.houstontexashomeinspection.com/ Keep up with Charles Buell: www.buellinspections.com/ Reuben's Presentation at inspection world (as mentioned in the show) can be found online at ASHI Inspection World Presentations: softconference.com/ASHI/ Follow us:...