The Home Inspector

A major advance in the home inspection industry was realized with the introduction of the infrared camera and Thermal Imaging.  Pictures can be seen from HomeSafe Home Services, one of the first national home inspection company to incorporate Thermal Imaging, Link to their site, notice the mice tunnels (sixth picture down, a must see!). Aluminum Wire was used in homes in the mid 1960's to the early 1970's.  Saving on copper and using the cheaper alternative, aluminum was later abandoned in the general wiring of homes. It was discovered the aluminum wire slightly expanded and contracted.  Over time this caused secured connections to become less secure thereby introducing a resistance in the connection.  Resistance causes heat and in some cases enough heat to further cause combustion and a home fire. Aluminum wiring with good "tight" connections do not have this problem and Aluminum wiring is still used to provide electricity to higher voltage applications i.e. electric stove, HVAC, hot water heater, etc.  In these applications proper connectors are used to maintain a good connection. More information on aluminum wire can be found on the Aluminum Wiring Information Site.  Since most inspectors do not check for "loose" electrical connections, Thermal Imaging is a great way to determine connections which are producing heat and may present a future problem. Thermal Imaging besides showing electrical over-heating, also shows insulation deficiencies, moisture intrusion, Insect and rodent activity, structural damage caused by wooden framing members and problems with air ducts especially if the duct system is allowing air to vent into the attic. ASHI, American Society of Home Inspectors "is North America’s oldest and most respected professional society of home inspectors. ASHI’s goals have always been to build customer awareness of the importance of a quality home inspection and enhance the professionalism of home inspectors." NAHI, National Association of Home Inspectors, "established in 1987 as a nonprofit association to promote and develop certified and licensed home inspectors in the professional home inspection industry. The National Association of Home Inspectors strives to promote excellence and professionalism in the Home Inspection industry; to provide a home inspector standards of practice and a code of ethics for home inspectors in the USA." NACHI National Association of Certified Home Inspectors,  "the world's biggest and best inspection trade association." Alabama Licensure (Act 2002-517 enacted in 2002) Requires individuals performing home inspections to become licensed by the Alabama Building Commission who publish an online list of licensed home inspectors. The Alabama Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics (see Home Inspectors Rules and Applications) is adopted from the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. The Building Commission adopted the National Home Inspection Examination to assess minimum competence. The bill also outlines educational and experiential requirements to become licensed, sets license fees and insurance requirements, and defines penalties under which licensure may be suspended or revoked.

A partial list of local home inspectors Please note information provided below was taken from public documents available on the Internet and may change.  Further investigation into certifications and credentials is recommended.

Inspector Name	Company Name & Web Site	Phone#	Infrared Camera	ORG.
Colin Adendorff	Bedrock Home Inspections	264-4104	unknown	NACHI
Richard Carter	AllSouth Home Inspection	451-0259	unknown	NAHI
Joseph Cosgrove	Cosgrove Home Inspections	240-1799	unknown
Robert Dickson	Amerispec Home Inspection	262-7111	unknown	ASHI
David Everist	AAA Inspections	799-2758 (cell)	YES	ASHI
Elizabeth Fralish	Check it Out	398-1578	unknown
Dana Hester	Real Property Consulting	850-4939	unknown
Mark Howard	Home 1 Inspection	315-5354	unknown
Mark Howe	National Property Inspection	300-8572	unknown	ASHI
Sherrill Jeffcoat	HomeInfo	356-7725	unknown
Chip Jones	National Property Inspections	467-8618	YES	NPI
John Knudsen	AccuSafe Home Inspections	221-0876	unknown	ASHI
Dwight Leary	Home Check Consultants	271-6622 866-324-3453	YES	ASHI
Hal Leary	Home Inspections	270-8899	YES
Elbert Ledbetter	A-Pro Home Inspections	514-3326	unknown
Bill Light	Real Estate Inspections	273-9955	unknown
Fred Reynolds	National Property Inspection	221-0200	unknown	ASHI
Yudany Ruiz	Supreme Home Inspections	300-1624	unknown
Stephen Rogers	S & R Inspections	799-4235	unknown	ASHI
Doug Thornton	All Safe Inspections	558-1719	YES
Earnest Vandiver	Indepth Home Inspection	288-3041	unknown
Information provided above is not guaranteed to be accurate and was assembled from a number of on-line sources.  It is recommended all information be verified.  Corrections can be mailed to site Author, Webmaster as identified on the site's Home Page.
Consider to ask the following questions in selecting an inspector. How many years of experience do you have as a home inspector? What previous experience do you have related to home inspections? What are your certifications and education in the profession? Do you carry "Professional Liability / Errors and Omissions" and "General Liability" Insurance? Do you perform repairs in addition to home inspections? (should be no) What equipment do you use while performing a home inspections?  Digital Camera? Infrared Camera and what specialized training do you have in the equipment? How and when will I receive my report and in what format? Is there a sample report I can access? May I accompany you on the inspection? Do I need to be at the home during the inspection? And possibly of less concern, what is the cost of the inspection?   "Do you ever receive more that what you pay for?"  "... get the inspector that is going to find the serious problems that could cost you thousands"

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Author / Editor Jim VanErmen is a: Licensed Alabama Real Estate Broker employed as an Associate Broker with Apex Listing LLC.,
An approved Alabama Real Estate Instructor / Educator, and Co-Founder Central Alabama Real Estate Academy
  RealtyVan.com is the premier local real estate information site now celebrating 12 years of Internet service.  Email Jim at  jimvanermen@yahoo.com
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