Home inspection software and computer system setup

About Home Inspectors advanced computer system

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How Our Unique & Custom Computer Systems Benefit Clients

How does it benefit the customer?

If you were to combine and layout the 300+ photos taken at the inspection site, and you turn it into one giant image, you end up with a 5 ft x 5ft image, which tells you that Rick is indeed taking more than 300 pictures. Most inspectors take only a dozen or so photos and use their tablet or laptop to view them for issues. We know most people are visual and sometimes the photos explain issues better than any words can. Of course you will also find explanations that go with the photos.

The Hardware

2 High resolution monitors are coupled with a computer gaming speed of graphic card that accelerates the editing of all those photos. Other home inspectors are amazed at how we can even take 300+ photos let alone manage all of those photos to corresponding data!

Master of Technology

It was 1987 when Rick Bates wrote one of the first ever computer database driven inspection programs that tracked characteristics by feature, address, zip code right down to the model of thermostat.

The Software

We bought Dragon dictation software at version 1.0.  Today we are regularly using the state-of-the-art version 15! to describe our inspection findings.  Each report is customized with 100+ photos, specific descriptions and actionable recommendations.  Most inspectors use templated reports with check boxes that are lacking the attention to detail and are challenging to understand.

Not many in the home inspection industry have invested so heavily in the computer hardware and software to generate complete, accurate and concise reports that are graphics rich and informative (almost fun) to read.  See our unique “Gold Standard” report

to points to consider when hiring a home inspector girl on computer

12 Points to consider before hiring a home inspector

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12 Points of Consideration Before Hiring a Home Inspector:

  1. Your home inspector works for you.  The choice should be yours.  If any Realtor tells you who specifically can or cannot perform your home inspection that is an illegal act of “Steering”.  Read more about “Steering”
  2. There are major differences between individual home inspectors and home inspection companies.  This is a highly competitive industry with wide variations in pricing when compared to the actual work performed
  3. It’s a blind date and you are paying!  Thoroughly check out any home inspector yourself before hiring
  4. Do not simply look at the number of on-line reviews.  These alone can give a false impression since most are solicited at a time in the inspection process when the client will provide a favorable rating.  As time passes, buyers move in and discover items the inspector missed.  By then it is too late
  5. Be very leery about advertised guarantees, warranties and other programs any inspection firm offers.  Why?  Read the fine print of these offerings and you will quickly understand:  Time limits for claims, high deductibles, arduous processes to attempt to collect are only (3) reasons.  The purpose of most of these programs is to entice you into hiring that particular inspection firm
  6. Did you know that over 90% of all home inspectors are only part time?  There is simply not enough real estate transactions to support all of the licensed inspectors. Many are also contractors
  7. Are you hiring a home inspector to provide a professional, unbiased, independent opinion?  What if the inspector also provides contractor services, i.e. Radon Mitigation system installations after they have performed the testing?    What if the home inspector you hired had previously built or performed remodeling on the home?  Would they disclose the fact that they are inspecting their own work?  You must assess your own level of expectation and convey this to your inspector from the very first point of contact.
  8. Over 75% of the homes in our area have a major issue that will be more than $1000 to correct.  How do we know this? We have compiled the statistical data from more than 11,000 area home inspections
  9. It takes years of experience and ongoing training to be a really good home inspector.  There has been a significant increase in the number of licensed home inspector in the few years.  We watch enthusiastic individuals both young and old enter this industry only to find out that the available inspections are few and far between so they move on.  Best to hire an inspector and inspection firm that is well established and with a solid reputation
  10. Be sure to ask any home inspector if you will get ALL of the photos they take at the time of the inspection.  Many inspectors only put a handful in the report and keep the rest.  Why to they do this? Because you may see something in the photos that was missed in the report.  Get all of the photos – they are part of the inspection and should not have to ask for them
  11. Look for home inspectors and home inspection companies that not only perform inspections but who also are active in trade organizations, perform expert witness testimony, and provide education and training to their industry colleagues and other Real Estate Professionals.  This helps to shows professionalism and dedication to excellence in the field of home inspections
  12. Ask around.  Work of mouth referrals still top social media reviews.  You  may only need a home inspector a couple of times in your home buying/selling lifetime so it is recommended to choose wisely
Seller of home gives keys to buyer of home

Top 10 Home Seller Benefits

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The Top 10 Benefits for Home Sellers

  1.  Be Proactive

    The home inspection industry has been designed around the home buyer.  Why not take the initiative and utilize the numerous benefits buyers have when using a home inspector?  Best practice is to get the most respected home inspector in your area to work for you.

  2. Know what you are selling

    Buyer home inspections are typically done after a contract has been approved.  That is no time to discover new and negative information about your home.  Be prepared and reduce surprises

  3. Prevent renegotiation of your selling price

    By giving the inspection report to the buyer before entering into a contract.  It is common that once a home inspection is performed and any major issues are found that the buyer wants to either have them corrected, get a credit at closing, or worse.

  4. Keep your deal from dying

    Realtors often claim that the home inspector killed the deal…So why not have the inspection on the front end?  The home inspection for the buyer is done at the worst possible time and only fuels buyer feelings of second thoughts and cold feet.

  5. Expedite the closing

    Some popular buyer mortgages, i.e. FHA, VA, USDA require homes to be in a certain minimum conditions and free of even small defects.  Know what they are by having one of our inspections before your home is listed for sale.  This will speed up the closing process.

  6. To repair or not to repair

    You have a contract with a buyer. Then the appraisal for the buyer’s lender is done which finds items in need of repair as mentioned above.  Are you prepared to make those repairs which will cost you time and money?  Do you think the buyer, acting under attorney advice, will make repairs on a property the buyer does not yet own?

  7. No wasted effort

    Your property may be in such a condition that in order to avoid the issues identified above you may choose to not accept an offer that is contingent upon a specific type of mortgage.  You will know this beforehand and no efforts have been wasted.

  8. Your team

    Between our inspection findings and your professional Realtor’s recommendations, you will be making the best choices of what and what not to do in preparing your home for sale.

  9. Mini Report Booklets

    We provide all our seller clients an unlimited supply of  mini-report booklets that can be put out for any open house or showings so that your property stands out from the rest.  We have field testing this process with several variations to know which one works the best to help expedite your sale.

  10. Earlier rather than later

    Since 1987 it was clear that both buyers and sellers would benefit most by having the home inspection done earlier rather than later.  This is like getting a Car Fax report on a vehicle before the purchase.  This is absolutely a “Best Practice” that is finally catching on for those buyers who want to sell their home faster, with fewer showings, less required repairs to make, and for more money since no re-negotiations were needed once the buyer found out what “As Is Condition” really means.

Questions? Give us a call at (607) 684-4167