Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector's Blog

How I use SendOutCards to grow my home inspection referral business

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:07:32 -0800

This is geared toward Home inspection businesses but the methods are a proven success that can be applied to all businesses.

In the last couple of weeks I've had several request from inspectors on how I use sendoutcards.com to build my business so I'll elaborate here and show you some examples. Some of you are already using sendoutcards and some are not so I've posted a few public samples on google's picassa web . In the interest of full disclosure, I do get a referral fee if you sign up under my name which I would be grateful for but not my intention here. In fact I would incourage you not to sign up if you don't think you'll use it because it would be a waste. But the good news is you can try it and there is no obligation to buy or commit yourself.

I'm big on building referral business because those leads are basically sold and just need to be scheduled. So my primary use of SOC is birthday cards, thank you cards and keeping in touch cards. These go to agents, buyers and sellers I've done business with. Any referral I do get, I will send a thank you card to the referrer and include brownies, cookies or a gift card to express my appreciation. This all garners a lot of extra business for me. I have learned no matter how good you are or how much money you saved them, they forget you almost immediately. But if you keep in touch with a birthday card or thinking of you card they always remember you. It don't make sense to left brained people like home inspectors but let me tell you, it works. People love to be appreciated and it leaves an indelible make on their psyche. Each day after my inspections are complete I enter the names, addresses and birthdays of the agents, buyers and sellers into the data base. Birthdays are pretty easy to get these days off of facebook but usually I'll ask them straight out if they mind if I put them on my birthday card list and they always happily agree. Then I just get the month and day. Once I put that info in I assigne them to a 3 year birthday card campaign that I created. I'll also send the seller a funny "thank you for allowing us to invade your home card" because they are potential buyers. and I'll either send a "nice to meet you" or "thanks for the business" card to the sellers and buyers agents along with putting them on the birthday card campaign. Additionally all clients and agents get assigned to seasonal cards and holiday cards. But by far the birthday cards are most powerful. I think it's because you thought of them and associated yourself with their most important day of each year.
By the way, the cards I send cost 62c plus postage and they're good quality but most of all they do all the stuffing, stamping and mailing. It's insanely cheap and time effective.

For what i'll call "new work" or marketing I also use campaigns. First let me explain about campaigns. campaigns are simply a single card or a sequence of multiple cards that you create before hand and can assign to a contact in your database. I use the campaigns a lot because it's a huge timesaver. Even after you assigne a client to a campaign card you can still edit it with a special message if you want.
I use these campaigns for Fsbo's, Expireds and Builders anniversary inspections to get the pre listing inspections or the builders anniversary inspections. I get the names from a couple locations including MLS and tax records but that's a whole other post. The new construction names I import to the contact manager in January for the entire prior years sales and I assign them to monthly campaigns that go out in a two card sequence 6 weeks and 4 weeks prior to the expiration of their builders warrenty. I get approximately 3 direct inspection per 100 cards and several referral inspections once the neighboors start talking.
On the FSBO's and expireds I go for the pre-sale inspection campaign "selling your house fast with less aggravation" This campaign list some of the benefits and a special package deal I have exclusively for home sellers. All of my marketing type cards say "call from this card and I'll give you $25 dollar discount". None of my cards are slathered with logos or company stuff. They only contain the company name and contact information. Remember, it's very important to keep it personal. They can check out all your professional credentials online or when they call. But logos won't make the phone ring.
OK this is getting to long but I wanted to give you a better idea of how you can use personal cards to grow your business in a fast, affordable and friendly way. again, here are some examples:
Campains and individual client cards.
If you're interested in learning more, feel free to PM me. Or you can go road test it for free at sendoutcards.com

PS: if you have an account with SOC and want to use my campaigns I can "share" them over to you for your own use. If you don't have an account with SOC just start a free trial account and I can also share them to you so you can at least check them out.

Paranormal Home Inspections...are you kidding me?

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:42:31 -0800

Paranormal Home Inspections

OK, this in and of itself is scary. But what scares me the most is to think there may be buyers who actually believe they need this service. Some folks are just not in touch. Maybe I'll become casper the friendly ghost home inspector.

Sad Story - Man thinks he's saving $45 dollars

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:37:25 -0800

OMG! price vs value illustrated. A repeat & devoted client of mine decided to try a cheaper inspector for his 3rd house because it would save him $45 . I pleaded with him and warned of the risk. Well...he just sent me this e-mail and has scheduled me to re-inspect this house that he now owns with all the problems. I feel badly for this man but maybe lesson learned.

Real Estate agents beware - This buyer is upset at his agent because he recommended this inspector.

Here's the e-mail
~~~~~~
I have only been in this home 2 yrs and I have some seriously hazardous situations that the previous owners hid and the home inspector missed. My bathroom is sinking into the crawl space, ceiling is caving in my son's room, exposed wall behind cabinets, tuna cans in the ceiling to catch the plumbing leaks, etc.
I now regret not using Final Analysis. Please contact me ASAP for a re-inspection.
thank you, Tony B*****
~~~~~~~

A card becomes a priceless treasure

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:12:34 -0800

A customer just called me this morning and sadly she informed me that her husband had passed away suddenly just a couple of weeks after their home inspection. Their beloved family dog also died the same week.

She wanted me to know that she treasures the card I sent using SendOutCards.com as it's the last photos taken of her husband and family pet.

I simply snapped a picture of the family as I was leaving. The dog came around the corner to see what was going on so I snapped a picture of him too and put them both in the card (below) along with some cookies. ( I learned at the inspection that they loved cookies)

This is a sad example of leaving a lasting impression but It made me feel good that I sent them this treasured card.

A side note: They had a prior inspection done but they could not remember who or the companies name. They discovered me from similar card of mine that they saw on a friends refrigerator. They have also sent me several referrals to other family and friends. Not because I'm a great inspector, but because I cared and they remembered me for that.

Front of card

Inside Top Preview

Final Analysis Home Inspections

757 495-2300

www.Final-Analysis.com

Inside Bottom Preview

12/02/2008

Dear Steve and Kathy,

I just wanted to send you this special card to say THANK YOU for trusting me with your business. It's now official, I'm the family home inspector. :)
It was a pleasure meeting you and always great working with all your family.
Now...here's some cookies for you. I baked them myself he he ...just kidding. But I wanted to return the yummy gesture.

I wish you and all your family a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.

All the best,

Learn more about these cards here

Win the hearts of your customers through their pets and children

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:39:01 -0800

If you think your customers will be impressed when you send them a card of appreciation with your logo and glamor shot, you should see how they react when they open that card of appreciation that contains familiar faces of the ones they love.

Just by accident I discovered that 3rd party appreciation is very powerful. Often times I take pictures of clients or their house and I put it in a card. Well sometimes I can't always do this so I'll take pictures of their pets or children. I was surprised at the positive reactions I got.

People need you to appreciate them and the cards are perfect for that. But if you take it to the next level and show appreciation for the ones they love, then your a hero for life. It's like proxy appreciation but it's more powerful than direct appreciation. If you think about it, it makes sense. What doting parent or pet owner wouldn't appreciate you showing kindness to their child or pet?

Loved ones are very important to them and they really are appreciative when you remember that. I even send birthday cards to their pets if I know the birthday. I often snap pictures of the pets (they never mind) while I'm at the house and put it in the card and address it to the pet. If you think clients like when you appreciate them, you should see how much they like it when you honor their loved ones. It's a huge hit and garners lots of referrals for me.

I use Sendoutcards.com to do this because it's so cheap, creative, original, easy and they do all the remembering for me. It's been my experience that these personal greeting cards cut through the competitive clutter of fridge magnets, calendars and other worn out commercial gimmicks and it completely circumvents the bombardment of Internet e-mails, pay-per-click, etc.

Here's a couple of actual samples I've sent.

Valentines card from pet to their human, via me

These people actually have a birthday party for their doggie.

To human from their pet, compliments of a little help from me.

I've got tons of kids cards to but you get the idea. I'll often send a mothers day card with a photo of their child. Trust me when I say, this is powerful, THEY DO NOT THROW THESE CARDS AWAY. As fine looking as you may be, they would much rather have a photo card of their child or pet. 3rd party cards like this create a powerful and lasting association between you and the ones they love.

The cold truth about inspecting winterized homes

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:17:02 -0800

Now that the housing market has frozen over and it's January, I've been seeing a lot of foreclosed, bank owned homes. I had 3 inspections this week on "winterized" homes and I've got to say I do not feel comfortable about this and neither should the buyer. When I get a call to schedule an inspection and I'm qualifying the appointment I get to the question, are the utilities on? It's the same answer every time.."well it's winterized but the bank said to just go ahead and de-winterize it." Sounds easy enough, just close all the faucets and open the meter valve right? Wrong! First of all Home inspectors are not supposed to be turning on utilities such as water, gas or electric because of the liability that come along with that. How are we supposed to know what was wrong before or after this property was foreclosed. One of the houses I was supposed to "de-winterize" didn't even have any pipes in it because the copper was stolen by some crack heads. Often times it's the home inspector that first discovers these problems because before the buyer came along no one had a reason to care. The second winterized house I inspected must have been winterized after the water was shut off or after it already froze because as soon as we turned on the city water valve, water came gushing like an overflowing pot out of the top of the water heater tank. This water heater also happen to be the hot water source for the fan coil furnace. So we couldn't inspect the plumbing or the heat on that one. The third house also had fan coil water heat in the attic. We turned the water on and everything was fine for about 5 minutes when suddenly water came cascading out of the attic hatch. You guessed it, the fan coil was either corroded through or it had fractured from the cold.

Here's the problem. It's not as simple as just turning on the water. It can easily take an extra hour to find and close all water valves, find the water main, dig it out, bail out the water, Light pilot lights on furnaces and water heaters, run here, run there, only to find that something is wrong and you can't inspect those systems anyway. I've ben trying to deal with this because I want the work and I want to help the buyer. But I think it's clear that I should draw the line on how much risk and time I should take especially when it almost always doesn't benefit the buyer.

So what should a buyer and their agent do? The banks don't seem to care and just keep shoving that "as is" phrase up every ones nose. I think if the bank gets a viable offer on the property then they should make it and it's systems fully available for inspection so we can at least see what "as is" is. Why should those risk and additional cost be passed on to the home inspector or potential buyer? These homes should be in basic working condition otherwise the inspection is crippled. I think that when an offer is made, it should be contingient on the bank making the property and it's systems fully available for inspection and that includes de-winterization. They usually have all the utilities turned on so why not have it de-winterized at the same time.

What I'm going to do is start telling people that they must have the house de-winterized and recommend they try to have the bank absorb that liability before we can inspect. I'll explain the liabilities and limitations of doing this during the home inspection and the advantages of doing it before hand as it may reveal damages that can be repaired that might otherwise hinder the inspection. I'm also thinking about offering to doing the de-winterizations as an additional service but I will have to factor in the extra time, liability and cost associated with doing this. The won't like it but they will have to be responsible for the extra cost. It's a hard sell but certainly worth it so they can get a full and complete inspection. If they choose not to have the home de-winterized then I will just not be able to inspect the things that can't be inspected and I'll disclose that up front and in the report. Otherwise I may find myself out in the cold.

My business is up by a whopping 48% for 2008, It's all in the cards!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:26:27 -0800

Yes, in spite of the economy I was pleasantly surprised that I almost doubled my number of inspections from the previous year. I knew I had increased my sales but was surprised when I closed the books for 2008 and saw the numbers.
I'll give you an overview here of how I did it but it will probably take more than one post. In January of 2007 I took advantage of the slow time and did two things that changed everything.
1) I spent lots of time optimizing my website to increase my Google/Yahoo rankings.
2) I started sending greeting cards on a consistent basis.
The web site Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was responsible for 18% of my growth and the cards garnered a whopping 30% increase in business.
The SEO is a bit complex but card sending is fun and easy. I think both are criticle but I'm going to talk about the cards here because this is the easiest way to start building your referral business.
I started using a service called Sendoutcards. It's on online greeting card company where you can send real cards to clients and agents. You pick a card from the catolouge, fill it out and click send. They stuff it, stamp it and mail it for about a dollar each and it'll show up about 2 days later. I checked out a lot of companies that do this kind of thing but none of them had the robust features at such a low cost. You can use your own handwriting, signature and include photos, gifts and gift cards into your card. This is not just a greeting card company. I have used it quite successfully as a full on marketing system because it has a built in contact manager and allows you to do full on card campaigns with a few simple clicks. I've always know the power of sending cards of appreciation but just didn't have the time do do it the conventional way. Now It's so easy, I send cards for thank you's, birthdays, anniversary, or just thinking of you. Any reason is a good reason because people love to get a special card.

Just to give you an idea..Typically after each inspection I'll send a sincere "thank you for business" card to the clients, "thanks for the referral" card to agent ( if that's the case and I'll include a Starbucks card or box of brownies), and to the selling agent and sellers I'll send a "pleasure meeting you" card. Now you're starting to see how I'm multiplying a single inspection. But it gets better and better. Usually the first card I'll put photo in it or on the front of it that has something to do with the clients.
This is a real eye opener as I'll usually send this card to the clients and their agent. They are always impressed and not only do they open this card because it don't look like junk mail, but they keep it and hang it in the office or on the fridge because it has their photo in it. Now that I have their names in the contact manager I assign them to a 3 year birthday card campaign and a keeping in touch campaign that I created. I must confess, I had no idea how powerful the simple gesture of sending a heart felt card could be. It has turned my clients into loyal friends and a referral network. It's amazing how the phycology works. I can do the most awesome inspection and save them thousands of dollars and they don't even remember me for this. But They remember how I made them feel when they receive a special card. That my friends is the key, getting them to remember you when they are at work or church talking to friends who are getting ready to buy a house. Or agents who talk in the office.

It's also not limited to inspections. A couple of weeks ago I missed a dental appointment and felt badly because it's a small office. I promptly jumped on the computer and sent them an apology card with a $25 Ruby Tuesdays restaurant card inside and told them to have lunch on me. When I returned for my rescheduled visit, not only was my card was prominently displayed on the bulletin board of their waiting room but the dentist and hygenist both scheduled inspections with me. and get this...they already owned their homes, they just wanted to get an inspection for maintenance purpose. I also believe that subconciously they wanted to return the love because that is the magic that happens with cards. Outside of food, clothing and shelter, people need to feel appreciated and part of that inherant human nature is to return that appreciation, usually it's in the form of a referral. Some one said to me "but that's expensive sending a $25 gift card" But I made almost $900 on these 2 inspections. You just have to have faith and give for the sake of giving without expectations and the universe will return that energy.

I am officially now know as the card sending home inspector, people actually look forward to my cards now and you'd be surprised at how easy it is to get birthdays and take pictures. Poeple love the fun of it all.
Here's some sample cards I have sent for you to look at: Sample cards

I have joined at the distributer level because it's the best value and also pays for my card exspense. This is what I recommend for a business but you can join at any level. There's no minimums, contracts or subscriptions. This is a good company that don't play those mony grubbing games. If you want to try the system you can do so on my dime, no strings attached. I've set it up so you can send a couple of cards and demo the system. You'll see Kody Bateman the owner who will talk you through it. Go ahead and send someone a card, even yourself if you want to see how it looks when it arrives. Just go to SendOutCards.com You'll see my ugly mug at the top of the page, just click the button to send a card and check out the system. I'll have to turn this off in a week or so because I'm worried about someone abusing the system.

If you're serious about using this system for your business and want help, just e-mail me or call. 757-495-2300 I'll be happy to teach you how it works and share the cards and campaigns that I have used so successfully.

Wishing you much success in 2009!

Whats Fair ? Market value vs. market condition

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:21:37 -0700

Lately these days it seems the old addage "all's fair in love war and politics" has become part of the real estate transaction too.

Most every offer to purchase a home will contain an inspection contingency. The contingency will outline the options for seller and buyer, in the likely event that repair issues are discovered during the buyer’s property inspection.

Before we begin to address the repair issues, remember that there is no perfect home. Every house, new or old, will most certainly turn up a list of discrepencies. If you are a buyer searching for a perfect house, you can stop searching. There are no perfect houses.

The purpose of home inspections is to identify safety issues or serious (ie: expensive) problems that are in need of repair, before the buyer complete’s the home purchase. The buyer will use an inspection report to compile a list of repairs that they want the seller to fix, before closing. Since both parties desire to maximize their cash, sellers and buyers are often left to make a decision about which repairs are necessary or reasonable, and which are not.

As a home inspector I see a lot of "round two" negotiations and often I'm asked "what should I expect to get fixed?". In broad terms I look at a house in terms of "fair market condition". Since the industry has "fair market value" I take that a bit futher and try to apply what I think is fair market condition. My guidlines in defining this are the thousands of home I've inspected and looking at what on average is typical market condition for a home that's selling for fair market value. From there you can factor in other variables like, brand new roof or needs a new roof.

The three basic test on the question of what should be fixed are this. 1. Is it broke? 2. Is it on borrowed time? 3. Is it a health or safety concern?

Typically most average homes are in what I would define as "good repair" That simply means that generally speaking there is nothing catostophically wrong and most or all of the systems are functioning as designed. That is not to say that there aren't any significant concerns. A 20 year old roof may be in "good repair", functioning as designed, But that doesn't mean it's ok. So secondly I look at what can have a potential impact on the properties "fair market value". So if you need a new roof and most of the avearge competing homes of that age and market have already had new roofs, then could add to the true purchase price of the property and should be considered. Thirdly there is evrironmental safety and health concerns. A home built in 1940 that is full of asbestos pipe insulation may be of average market condition, good repair and still appraise at full value. But it can obviously impact a families well being and turn into extra cost for abatement so it should be disclosed.

Here are some helpful guidlines for what's fair and what Buyers and sellers should expect when negotiating repair requests?

First, all Buyers should have an independant, professional home inspection and seller’s should only accept inspection reports done by a qualified, home inspector. Sellers are not obligated to accept the opinions of the buyer, the buyer’s friend or cousin, or any non-professional, for that matter.
The Buyer should provide a copy of the inspection report, along with the list of items they want the seller to fix. If the seller hasn’t received a copy of the report, they should ask the buyer to provide it, before responding to the buyers repair request.
The Buyer should not “nit pick”. A request for repairs should focus on major problems and safety issues. The buyer should not ask the seller to fix cosmetic problems, such as a bad paint job or peeling wallpaper. The buyer should have addressed those issues in the purchase offer, during their initial walk through.
If a seller receives a long list of repairs, they can consider offering a home warranty that covers major defects. This insurance can save a deal by easing the buyer’s fear that the home is a money pit. For a few hundred dollars, companies such as American Home Shield, provide an insurance policy at closing, which covers major items and gives the buyer peace of mind.
In a buyer’s market, they often want everything fixed. Sometimes the seller can ascertain inside information about which “big ticket” items are the most important to the buyer, but the seller should always keep in mind that they risk the buyer walking, if they don’t agree to complete the entire list of repairs.
When a seller is presented with a lengthy repair list, they should remember that known problems become material facts. If a seller declines to fix buyer requested repairs, the problems are now “known” and must be disclosed to any future purchaser, in the event the buyer walks and the deal falls through.
If a seller wants to cooperate with a buyer, but is unable or unavailable to oversee repairs, the buyer might be willing to accept a cash credit at closing to cover the expense estimates. Many buyer’s are comforted by the fact they can use the seller’s money and hire their own contractors to make the repairs in a way the seller may not have done.

What Repairs Requests are Deal Breakers? Which are Reasonable for the Seller to Refuse?

Lender Required Repairs-Any problem noted on an appraisal, such as a bad roof or structural problem, is grounds for the bank to refuse to lend money on the property until the problem is fixed and the structure is properly protected. Sellers are advised to make all repairs noted on an appraisal. They affect the buyer’s ability to borrow funds and complete the purchase.
Leaking Pipes-It is not unreasonable to ask a seller to repair water leaks and the damage which the leaks may have caused. Unrepaired leaks raise mold issues and other problems seller’s don’t want to have if the deal falls through.
Water Penetration-Sellers should address water penetration issues. Most are caused by improper drainage of water away from the home. Adjusting the grade or installing a french drain is usually the fix.
Roofing System-As stated in item #1, the seller should expect to repair or replace their roof, if deferred maintanence has caused water penetration issues. If your roof is in good shape, sellers can aleviate problems ahead of time, by providing the buyer with a roof certificate, since most inspectors do not cover roof inspections.
HVAC and Hot Water Heaters-Usually, age is a good indicator of whether the seller should replace these systems. The average life expectancy of a HVAC system is about 20 years, and about 10 years for a water heater. It is not unusual for the buyer to ask for new systems, if the existing ones are on their last legs, but these are big ticket items for the seller to repair, so no easy answer here.
“Tar Paper” Sewer Lines, aka “Orangeburg” Sewer Pipes-These pipes, which are made from tar paper, are famous for collapsing. Generally, they last about 30 years before they disintegrate. While replacing sewer lines is expensive, they are an item most sellers will replace.
Unsafe Decking or Handrails-Sellers should generally fix any items that effect the safety of the occupants, or are matters of local code enforcement.
Galvanized Water Pipes-Many homes built 30 years ago have galvanized, steel water pipes. These pipes become clogged with minerals overtime, which is often the cause of low water pressure. These type of pipes are also prone to rust and leaks. While it isn’t unreasonable to expect the seller to fix leaks, few sellers are willing to replace all the plumbing lines.
Electrical System-The electrical panel should be safe and not overloaded. The breakers should be marked with the name of the area of the home that they service. Sellers, again should expect to repair any safety or fire issues that are found during the inspection. If your home was built before 1960, it is likely the electrical service is Ungrounded, meaning the plugs have only two outlets. Most sellers will refuse to rewire a house, simply because the service is Ungrounded, since it does not cause any problems. A tip might be for the seller to offer to run “Romex” from the electrical panel to any new receptacles that the buyer intends to use for sensitive electronics and large appliances. As a general rule, buyers who require grounded wiring should be looking for newer homes.
Foundation or Wet Basement-These are difficult issues that effect the very structure the home is built on. These homes are best purchased “as is” at a steep discount. Buyers should always think twice about purchasing a home with this type of problem. Problems with or repairs to these systems never go away. These are material defects and must be disclosed to any future purchaser.

3 Things Buyer's Of New Construction

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:31:07 -0700

3 Things Buyer's Of New Construction Need To Know BEFORE Their Builder's Warranty Expires!

Over the years we hear Buyers of New Home Construction repeat the same three reasons over and over again as to why they didn't get a Home Inspection. Unfortunately they realize this after it's too late. Here's what they think:

Reason #1: I Trust My Builder!

The reality today is that most home builders don't even have tools and equipment. The fact is most new home builders are financiers and occasionally job site managers. Who actually builds your new home are the sub-contractors that the builder hires to do the work. So whether your new home is built correctly and complies with the current building code strictly depends on the knowledge and skill of the sub-contractors. And speaking candidly, the quality of the sub-contractors varies greatly. And most sub-contractors are unlicensed and unregulated, so who's looking over their shoulder?

Reason #2: The House Is New What Could Be Wrong?

Even though all of the parts of the house you come in contact with each and every day appear fine, there's a lot more to your house than meets the layman's eye.

Here's the real issue; were the mechanical and structural components of the house put together properly. And truthfully, most homeowners don't have the knowledge or skill to judge that aspect of a new home.

So here's what happens in many cases. You go to sell your new home sometime in the future. The buyer hires a home inspector to evaluate the property for them. And low and behold the buyer's home inspector finds lots of things that were done improperly by the sub-contractors and now the buyer wants you to make the necessary repairs.

So I'll ask you again, why should you pay for someone else's mistakes? Also visit our photo gallery of new construction mistakes.

Reason # 3: The Municipal Building Inspector Inspected The Home!

Here is a True Consumer Safeguard that has sadly gone bad!

Because of the housing boom over the last few years many Municipal Building Inspectors are forced to conduct 40 to 70 inspections daily. These inspections have been reduced from quality checks to "drive by" glances. As a former VA state licensed building contractor, I know this to be true.

Municipal code inspectors are only concerned with safety compliance. They are not concerned with quality, workmanship, adequate design or other things that can have a significant impact on your homes value.

So here's the long and short of the matter: You Need An Independent Evaluation Of The Property By Your Professional Home Inspector To Protect Your Interests!

What is, "as is"

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:29:15 -0700

You Know what "as is" means, But what does it mean in regards to the property your buying. Some people think that because it's "as is" there's no point in getting a home inspection. Not true. As is does not mean you don't have the right to be informed. A Home inspections plays a key role in determining exactly how "as is" can impact your purchase. We're seeing more and more bank foreclosures, short sales, etc. and typically these are sold strictly "as is". Meaning the title holder of the property plans to do nothing in repairs or upgrades. It's what I call the Sergeant Schultz Syndrome. Remember the chubby gestapo guard on Hogan's Hero's who coined the phrase " I - Know - Nothing! "? It was his way of claiming ignorance and shun responsibility. A bank would prefer to remain ignorant of property conditions because they just don't care and don't want to know. They just want to dump the property from their inventory without a whole lot of complications.

So how can a home inspection help? Well you at least need to know what "as is" is. A home inspection put into true perspective what your true cost may be in a property. maybe it needs a roof or furnace. That's fine as long as those cost don't increase the price over market value. Then maybe it's not such a good deal and you can elect to pass on the purchase. Conversely the bank may concede to a price reduction so you can cover these cost. Moreover, I've seen times when a bank will relent and decide to fix certain items because they realize a buyer in hand is better than two in the bush and they now realize form the inspection discoveries that there are things about the property that need to be fixed if they are going to sell it to anyone at all.

A good inspection will also lead you to obtain more specific expertise on suspected problems and associated repairs. Fore example, may you just learned that you have old iron pipes buried in the concrete slab and the bathroom drains are backing up. A good home inspector will disclose this and recommend further invasive inspection by a plumber who will run a camera through those pipes and find that they are collapsed from internal corrosion and it will cost $8,000 to repair. You can either walk away or you can present these findings to the bank and negotiate repair cost.

Final word. It's very important that you hire a competent, thorough inspector who will generate a detailed comprehensive report. A professionally prepared report will give you the leverage you need in showing the bank that there are legitimate, bon-fode issues that need to be addressed. The bottom line...If they stick to their guns about selling "as is", then you can walk away at least knowing that "as is" turned out not to be a sound purchase.

Remember BUYER BEWARE

"CODE RED" Warning, warning Will Smith, ignorance alert!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:21:34 -0700

There's not a week that goes by that someone at an inspection says "well it meets code". It's usually the listing agent or seller that utters these words of ignorance. HOME INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CODE INSPECTIONS PEOPLE! Trust me...that's a good thing. It's a totally different animal. Imagine if you went to buy a car and when you fired it up, it sputtered, popped and spewed black smoke out the exhaust. But "not to worry" the seller says, It just passed state vehicle inspection. You'd loOK at him like he was nuts. Well that's my reaction when I hear those words at a home inspection. Municipal code has nothing to do with a home inspection. After inspecting a $750,000 home today, I was shocked (but not surprised) to see a 1.5 ton AC unit where it should have been 3 tons. But "not to worry" the selling agent says, It passes code according to my husband who's an AC contractor for 34 years as she looks down her nose at me. I just starred at her and she said "what". I said I was waiting for your point. "That is the point" she replied. I said oh, OK, but I'm not sure how that is relavent to this home inspection. You see, even if the house didn't have AC, it would pass code inspection so I'm missing your point in how that relates to an undersized AC unit in a 3/4 of a million dollar home.

I just hate it when someone brings this code thing up because it's a waste of everyones time. It has no legitimacy in a home inspection. Yet low and behold, there's always some ignoramis who just doesn't know better or worse yet is tying to impeach the home inspector by creating this ill construed legitimacy. yes, there's many things that a home inspector hits on that may not pass code, such as exposed electric wires or something, but it's still not a code inspection, it's a safety observation. No different than if your mechanic informs you of the bald tires on your car. He doesn't care wheather it passed inspection or not, He's just letting you know so you can consider the safety implications and the cost of new tires.

Municipal building code inspections exist primarily to make sure builders are constructing your homes to meet minimum building standards of safety and durability for the occupants. On top of that, there are hardly enough city code inspectors to go around. They are also under manned and under paid, but it's better than nothing.

Case in point, I inspect many new construction homes. last week I found serious roof structural framing problems on a $550,000 home. Of course the builder said it passed code. I said ok, but its still going to cave in someday, but even if it doesn't, the buyer will be saddled with this problem when he goes to sell. This is just a sample of the many framing discrepancies I saw on this house. Long story short, the buyer demanded the builder call in a structural engineer to certify it to be OK and a code inspector to pass it, all in writing. The engineer failed it and told them how to retro frame to make it safe. The code inspector said have the engineer approve the repairs and I'll sign off on it. Several thousand dollars and a few weeks later, the buyer closed with a structurally sound roof and the papers to prove it.

I don't think I need to mention that older homes which may have "passed code" in the 40's or 70's have many issues that wouldn't "pass code" today, much less be a popular on a home inspection.

So people, If you think it's OK because it "passed code" then maybe you should go pick up the code inspector with your bald tired car and buy the house yourselves.

Appreciation wins over self promotion everytime

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:13:59 -0700

Giving to get, never gets you far. Giving to give gets you beyond the stars.

In conventional marketing we're taught to market our identity, establish name recognition. But does self promotion work really work when it's piggy-backed with appreciation? No. Remember the old saying " people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"

Kody Bateman, the founder of SendOutCards.com coined the phrase "appreciation wins over self promotion every time" But I found out that it's more than just a marketing phrase. Kody believes in giving just for the safe of giving and the universe will reward you. Well it's true. One core reason why this works is because outside of food, shelter and clothing, appreciation is an inherent human need. It's a powerful human trait that should never be underestimated. Think about it, we all need to feel a sense of purpose. Well I thought I'd take a leap of faith and use this in my marketing approach. Although by definition this would no longer be marketing. I started sending cards using the mindset that I'm just going to start appreciating people purely for the sake of showing appreciation. After all it should be easy enough because I truely do appreciate my clients and prospects. So I continued to send heart felt cards but this time I removed my logo, company name, and a request for referrals. The only reference to my business was the company name in the return address. I even put that on the second line under my name. If there's anything self promotional in there it is perceived as giving to get and that negates or cancels out the heart felt wishes and jinxes the very purpose of the card.

Well something magical began to happen. People started to call, referrals started coming in out of the blue. It worked! You see, people will respond to pure wishes of good will and appreciation. What's more amazing is the human desire to reciprocate. First of all, they remember your name with fondness They want to return the favor of appreciation and do so passing your name along to friends and family. Why? because it makes them feel good. Just like it made you feel good to show them appreciation in your card.

I could tell you many stories of how this has manifested for me but I'll just tell one. Last week I had to cancel my dentist appointment last minute. I did feel bad because it's a small office and I knew they couldn't fill the slot so quickly. I insisted they charge me for the time anyway but they refused and kindly rescheduled me. I immediately went to my computer, logged on to SendOutCards and sent them a nice apology card and included a $25.00 restaurant gift card and said please use this towards lunch for the staff. A week and a half later I showed up for my rescheduled appointment. Imagine how good my smile looked when I saw my card hanging on their waiting room bulletin board for all their patients to see. Whats more, Since I'm a home inspector, both the dentist and the hygienist scheduled an inspection with me. The shocking part is that neither one was a traditional home buyers inspection. The dentist has lived in his home for 30 years and just felt compelled to get a maintenance inspection. The hygienist has been in her home fo 15 years but was embarking on some major remodeling and was compelled to get a pre-contractor inspection. Neither one of these appointments where conventional, but then again, neither was my heart felt greeting card.

"They won't remember what you did. They won't remember what you said, but they'll remember how you made them feel"

Client "Bill of Rights"

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:51:05 -0700

Ok, this is sort of a follow-up on my last blog entry. The American Society of Home Inspectors ( ASHI ) has what's called the Client Bill of Rights. For those of you who don't already know, ASHI is the oldest and most higly regarded, leading organization of the home inspection industry. ASHI has what's called the "Client Bill of Rights". basically it's a condensed version of our "code of Ethics" distilled and reframed to present the top 10 most important characturistics of a professional home inspector. Obviously this respected institution is also concerned about the yahoos in the bid'ness of inspections and tarnishing our profession. It's a proclamation of sorts that says incompetent inspectors hurt everyone in the business including us.

It states that: As a profession, home inspectors have an ethical obligation to the public. This obligation includes integrity, competency, honesty, confidentiality, objectivity and an interest in public safety. Fulfilling this obligation will promote and preserve public confidence in the profession. In recognition of this obligation, we hereby promote and proclaim these rights for our clients. I'll post the first 3 here which I find most interesting. These rest can read at the link above.

I. To be assured the inspector is objective in his or her reporting and will not knowingly understate or overstate the significance of reported conditions.

II. To be assured the inspector’s opinion is based on genuine conviction within the scope of his or her education and experience.

III. To be assured the inspector stays current with the industry’s body of knowledge through continuing education.

Obviusly you want start with an ASHI or NAHI inspector. (I believe NAHI - National Assoc. of Home Inspectors has simular guidlines. ). That's some assurance that your going to get a competent pro. No guarentee though.

If I where a buyers agent, I would make sure my referral list of inspectors where only ones that a proven reputation of professionalisim and competence. Stay away from those inspectors that pay their way to get on an offices preffered list. They should be on the list because they're good, not because they pay. I had a broker ask me last week if I'd like to be on their "preferred sponsor list" and I would get referrals. I said "no thanks" I just send brownies to thank the agents who refer me. He said " if you send brownies to my office they'll get tossed in the trash if your not on our list" I still send brownies and his agents love them! of course they come in plain brown wrapper addressed to the agent. hehe

If I where a listing agent, I'd find the most thorough, competent home inspector in town with the most professional report and hire them to do a pre-listing inspection. Then there would be no surprises when and if a buyers shows up with an idiot for a home inspector.


Web	Sample Reports	Testimonials	Blog

Inspectors are incompetent deal killers

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:52:39 -0700

I'm amazed in this day and age that I occasionally still hear this from agents. It strikes me as unprofessional and a bit ignorant to have this perspective. I hear comments like Inspections are a necessary evil, an issue that needs to be dealt with. It's this kind of bitterness that fosters an issue that may not exist. An agent can't control the inspection process any more than the appraisal or the financing. Let it go baby and the universe will reward you. Chuck your list of "non-deal killers" and let your buyers pick their inspector. Another monkey off your back!

Of course there's incompetent ones out their just like there is agents. But what makes one qualified to judge their competence. Besides it's not an agents your problem if they didn't pick the inspector (and that includes a short list of pre-screened "non deal killers".) If they are incompetent then a competent agent could easily put that into perspective in a professional manner, you can sort out the smoke from the fire and expose the things that matter. Spend energy on selling houses more effectively and don't focus on the things that challenge your ability to do so. A house with real defects or concerns should be supported by it's own evidence which in turn should be reflected in the report. Perhaps you are unwittingly adding to the buyers skittishness by impeaching the the inspector findings. People will take flight quickly at this phase of the process at the slightest wiff of uncertainty. A great agent will not add to that anxiety. This is what I've witnessed from some of the most successful veteran agents I've worked with over the past 19 years. Incidentaly, their buyers keep coming back, again and again.

I was at an inspection today The house was fine but the buyer decided to walk away because it needed a service upgrade. He wasn't interested in re-negotiating any further with the seller. His agents immediate response was "hey, I work for. We can withdraw the contract if you like and go find another house...OR...you could at least ask to have the service upgraded and see what they say and you might still get the house". He thought a minute then said OK, lets do that. I was impressed how she diffused the situation and turned it around. She did not try to change his mind, instead she aligned herself with him, then gave him another place to turn with her reassurance. If she simply tried to talk him out of walking he would have started running ...from her and the deal. Sure enough, the seller said no problem and snapped at the opportunity to upgrade the sevice, almost as if he knew it was coming. It's all about approach, perspective and a positive mindset. Clients smell the fear of uncertainty like the chicken smells the fox.

I'm sure I've been called a "deal killer" but I've never been arrested for being a contract murderer. In actuality I've saved thousands of deals by putting buyers at ease when they have a good house and in so doing have equally saved clients, agents and society millions in losses over the years. Home inspectors are truly the unsung hero's.


Web	Sample Reports	Testimonials	Blog

Whoever gets the first inspection...Wins.

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:36:47 -0700

Sell your home for more money, faster, with less aggravation

I'm surprised that more sellers are not getting pre-listing home inspections. They can just about eliminate the trauma of the inspection contingiouncy by reducing everyone's concerns to nil. "Take the bull by the horns" as they say. Confront that contingoiouncy head on and neutralize while you can. An inspection, is an inspection..is an inspection But.. who ever gets it done first wins. Every Pre-listing inspection I've done has had nothing but possitive results. It just makes the house more marketable. have you ever bought a used car with an expired inspection sticker? Makes you wonder why it's expired and it just feels better to see a current inspection sticker on the window. It's allot about perception. But the lisitng inspection does have very tangeble benefits as well. It gives Sellers & Listing Agents the advantage when marketing their home in a “buyers market”. It provides a selling edge over the competition by assuring the buyer they are getting a house that has been thoroughly examined by a professional. Not to mention it gives the seller advance notice and control over any defects found. You can wait for the home buyer’s inspection but you’ll be at the mercy of their inflated & costly demands, or you can be proactive by taking control of this vulnerability up front by getting your home pre-inspected and certified.

The inspection must be through and the report professionally done. A poor inspection could backfire and A scratchy check list won't impress the buyer.

What is a seller’s home inspection? The actual inspection process is the same as a buyer’s home inspection. Each system is closely scrutinized in an effort to uncover any potential hidden problems so the seller has control over repairs or how the dispositions of problems are addressed. Note: It’s very important that you use a company that’s thorough and provides a professional detailed report. This will give you the credibility and leverage you need in marketing your Certified pre-inspected home.

What are the advantages?

• It's a powerful tool for marketing your home.

• Great sale feature handout to provide the potential buyer.

• Puts you a cut above the market competition

• The computer generated easy to follow; color report is a credible, professional sales tool.

• No more “round 2” negotiations after a buyers inspection.

• No more deals that fall through when the inspector finds a problem.

• No more does the Seller have to deal with inflated repair estimates that costs extra money or even worse, Escrow deductions at closing.

• No more will you spend countless hours and dollars in energy and advertising to save a contract that is "blown out of the water" by surprise defects.

• Many buyers will waive the inspection contingency altogether when buying a certified pre-inspected home.

• It will help substantiate your asking price.

• It will show buyers your good faith effort and attempt at honest disclosure

• It will help protect the seller by relegating disclosure liabilities to the home inspector.

• It will allow the Seller to shop around for the best price to repair (not an inflated price that a Buyer would use for “round two” contingency negotiations.)

• It streamlines the entire inspection contingency process.

• It will allow YOU to decide what items should be fixed and what should not.

What to look for in a marketable sellers / listing inspection package?

• A full ASHI compliant inspection covering all the major systems of the home.

• A termite inspection and consultation by a licensed exterminator.

• Full color photo report following the ASHI standards of practice.

o Public access to report from any web browser.

o Links to your report from any sales listings web sites or directories..

o Featured photos of positive inspection findings.

o The ability to share limited viewing of your report to invited guest.

• Return visit by the inspector to review and confirm repairs.

• Report update showing after repair photos and positive comments.

• Inspection videos included in report where needed.

• Photo slide show embedded into the report.

• Online photo album showcasing inspection photos.

• Inspection certificate and yard sign or rider for display.

• A Sellers warrantee through a credible warranty company. Usually a limited 120 day warranty that covers Structural and mechanical equipment until you close escrow or 120 days.

• Inspector support and consultation until the house is sold.

See more about sellers/listing inspection here

No More stumbling, hunting, pecking and racking your brains

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:57:52 -0700

I remember the loony tune days when getting into something was as easy as saying "OPEN SESAME" but that was BC (before computers). Now things are just a little bit more complicated with all the hoops and hassels one has to go through before they can hit the on ramp and cruise the information highway. Well for all you busy surfers out there with all those web places and spaces, there's a tool that litterly removes the toll booths and acts like a speed pass to get into all those sites quickly. It's called RoboForm. It's been out for years and is the industry leader in password management. I've been using it for almost 5 years now and never had a problem. Not only does it remember passwords and usernames but you can quickfill an entire page of info with one click. I love it when I'm filling our profiles which can be time consuming. You can even transport all your log in data to other computers, even pulic computers. It's very secure. you can even pass word protect it so no one else can get in. It free for up to 20-30 passwords so if you haven't tried it I recommend you do.

RoboForm Toolbar	Logins Menu	Passcard Editor	Identity Editor
Password Generator	Safenote Editor	Save Forms	Options Menu

The RoboForm Toolbar gives you easy, yet secure access to all your passwords. It is the perfect way to access all your favorite web sites as well as fill out online web forms — all in one click. You can even save notes and bookmarks, search the internet, and generate new passwords — all from one toolbar.

Happy surfing,

New homes don't need inspection right?......WRONG!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:31:48 -0700

Many people are under the misconception that new homes don’t need an inspection because after all, they are new and the city municipal inspection should cover that right?…..Wrong!

Experienced home inspectors have learned that all new homes have defects of one kind or another, regardless of the quality of construction or the integrity of the builder. This is because human imperfection prevents anything as large and as complex as a home from being constructed flawlessly. This includes products and materials from factory's as well. When people ask me if I think they should have a home inspection, I ask " did a human touch it? " I know that may be cynical it's the truth and it gets their attention. I've seen too much to think otherwise. You can see some photos of new construction defects here.

A commonly held fallacy is that all construction defects will be discovered by municipal building inspectors. This view is highly mistaken, but not because of professional shortcomings on the part of those inspectors. The purpose, scope, time allotment and procedures for municipal inspections are not the same as for home inspections.

Municipal inspectors inspect primarily for code compliance, not for quality of workmanship. They can cite a builder for improper structural framing or for noncomplying drain connections, but a poorly fitted door, an uneven tile counter top and slipshod finish work are not included in the list of concerns.

Municipal inspectors rarely inspect an attic or a crawl space. They come to the job site with a clipboard and a code book, not with a ladder and overalls. Construction defects in such areas can escape discovery.

Municipal inspectors typically inspect a roof from the ground or possibly from the builder’s ladder. From these perspectives, roof defects are not always apparent. And final inspections are performed before the utilities are turned on, so municipal inspectors cannot determine if or how well the appliances and fixtures truly work. They don’t test outlets for ground and polarity because this can be done only after the power supply is turned on. Nor, without power, can they test the performance of GFCI or AFCI safety breakers.

The lack of utilities also prevents the testing of plumbing fixtures such as sinks, showers, tubs and dishwashers, and of gas fixtures such as furnaces, fireplaces and water heaters.

Those who buy new homes should not fore go the benefits of a thorough home inspection. Just be sure to find an inspector with years of experience and a reputation for thoroughness.

If you're worried about the builder, don't. A reputable, competent builder usually don't mind having their home inspected by a reputable, competent Inspector. Sometimes they're like it when an inspector points out issues created by subs because it take the heat off them from looking like the bad guy.

Web: http://final-analysis.com

Sample Reports: http://final-analysis.com/sample_reports.htm

Your new title - relationship engineer...It's all in the cards!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:53:08 -0700

When it comes to building your business you are not a real estate agent, you're a relationship engineer. Even some of the best and biggest agents don't get all their business because they're the best agents. Their business comes from an extensive network of referrals that for the most part have built up over time as a result of prior sales. Ironically much of these leads are just pure happenstance and are only the results of rudimentary social networks of people talking at at home, work, church and play. Though expertise and experience does matter, it's secondary to what brings in the business. The truth is that most regular people don't put a priority on credentials, experience and expertise. and worse, many people don't even care. Why? because they don't want to try and understand all that complicated professional gobbily gook. It's just easier to get the name of an agent from a friend or use the agent at church or the brother in law.

It's all about building referral networks through relationships. You know this already...heck, that's what ActiveRain is all about. So, you will have to change your identity from real estate agent to relationship engineer. Imagine if McDonald's identified themselves as a hamburger restaurant and not a fast food service company. Imagine if Domino's identified themselves as a pizza restaurant and not a food delivery company. If these guys mis-identified themselves, it's fair to say they may not exist today. Soooo ...your new identity is relationship engineer.

How do you do this? Well it's all in the cards...good old fashioned greeting cards. Though Send Out Cards is indeed a greeting card company, they too have a bigger vision and have identified themselves as a network marketing company. Even though they have a unique and innovative service, how could they compete with the "big companies"? they knew that in order to introduce their service in front of many of people they would have to devise a way for everyone to share the system with friends. So the networking method was adopted. How do they do it? Through cards! A stroke of genius to say the least. Now they have all these people like me out there referring others to it.

My story is simple. Like most others I was looking for an automated Internet solution to send thank you cards to customers. I researched many companies and found only 3 contenders. Or so I thought. But the clincher for me deciding to go with Send Out Cards was the fact that they made it so you could customize them with your own handwriting, photo's, signature and they mail them with a real stamp. But the real biggie was that they had a contact database and reminder system that could be automated for thank you, campaigns and followups. It was a major discovery for me. This is what I've needed for many years. I've always been a big card sender as I know it's good for business. The problem is it was a joke trying to keep up with even sending thank you cards, much less campaigns.

Now that I have seen the results of this system first hand, it has become crystal clear to me that it's all about building those personal relationships. I no longer identify myself as some hot shot home inspector. I am now a marketeer of referrals and relationships, a social net-worker that happens to be a home inspector. My vehicle of choice is greeting cards. I'm shocked at the response I've gotten. My referrals are up 40% in 6 months.

My epiphany...I discovered that you can not treat these cards as a marketing system. It is, but it won't work if you treat it that way because it jinxes the purpose. Here's how it works...People love to be appreciated but it has to be pure, sincere and heart felt. I stopped putting my logos and company info in my cards, my God I even used to ask for referral's but that is the kiss of death because it negates the card as it is perceived as a give to get scheme. "oh he only sent me a card cause he wants my business". No, it must be give to give energy purely for sake of giving. Perhaps it's a "birthday card" or "I appreciate working with you" or "I was just thinking about you and hope your having a great summer". trust me, those referral's will start flooding in because it's human to return a good deed. And when they do, you send them another card with some brownies or a gift card thanking them. So there you have it. This is the secret! It's about building relationships through simple acts of kindness by sending sincere cards to everyone you know. "People won't remember what you did or said, but they'll remember how you made them feel". Becoming a relationship engineer is easy because we all like to do good deeds and Send Out Cards will be the most powerful tool in your engineering kit.

Try it now for free. Think of a friend, co-worker, or client that you just want to send some love to and send them a sweet card. It'll arrive by snail mail in a couple of days and I'll bet they'll call you. It'll make you feel good and it'll make your friend really feel good you did that for them. In this electronic age of e-mails, blogs, and text messeging, getting a card in the mail is still the king of personal kindness.

relashionship engineering - It's all in the cards!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:46:34 -0700

What's the best way to do this? Well it's all in the cards. Good old fashioned greeting cards. Though Send Out Cards is indeed a greeting card company, they too have a bigger vision and have identified themselves as a network marketing company. Even though they have a unique and innovative service, how could they compete with the "big companies"? they knew that in order to introduce their service in front of many of people they would have to devise a way for everyone to share the system with friends. So the networking method was adopted. How do they do it? Through cards! A stroke of genius to say the least. Now they have all these people like me out there referring others to it.

News Flash.... You are not a Real Estate Agent!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:59:29 -0700

When it comes to building your business you are not a real estate agent, you're a relationship engineer. Even the best and biggest agents don't get all their business because they're the best agents. Their business comes from an extensive network of referrals that for the most part have built up over time as a result of prior sales. Ironically much of these leads are just pure happenstance and are only the results of rudimentary social networks of people talking at at home, work, church and play. Though expertise and experience does matter, it's secondary to what brings in the business. The truth is that most regular people don't put a priority on credentials, experience and expertise. and worse, many people don't even care. Why? because they don't want to try and understand all that complicated professional gobbily gook. It's just easier to get the name of an agent from a friend or use the agent at church or the brother in law.

Though Send Out Cards is indeed a greeting card company, they too have a bigger vision and have identified themselves as a network marketing company. Even though they have a unique and innovative service, how could they compete with the "big companies"? they knew that in order to introduce their service in front of many of people they would have to devise a way for everyone to share the system with friends. So the networking method was adopted. How do they do it? Through cards! A stroke of genius to say the least. Now they have all these people like me out there referring others to it.

Winning the Hearts and Minds of Your Prospects

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:11:21 -0700

"Automatically Win the Hearts and Minds of Your Prospects and Customers and Generate a Never Ending Stream of Referrals"

Every small business owner knows that referrals are the best way to get customers. Referrals from customers come to you predisposed to do business with you because a friend or someone they trust referred them.

In fact, over 40% of the small business owners who recently participated in an Internet poll by MarketingBestPractices.com revealed that referrals brought them the biggest returns over other traditional marketing methods such as advertising, direct mail and networking.

Getting Referrals Can Be a Frustrating Task.

From my own experience and conversations with other small business owners, I know that getting people to refer your business can be difficult. Most business owners are too embarrassed or scared to ask for referrals and the majority of customers are too busy to remember to refer you.

It sometimes gets annoying when you receive promises for referrals that never materialize or you give lots of referrals but get none in return. When you don’t have control over the referral process, it can be very frustrating task.

How to Get More Referrals

The number one method to getting more referrals is to simply develop a very close and personal relationship with your customer, so that when the time is right, they will remember and refer your business.

The very best way to develop a close bond with your customers is to keep in constant contact with them on a personal basis using greeting cards and postcards. This is not something new.

The Common Problem With Sending Greeting Cards

Once I learned this little-known technique for getting referrals, I helped many businesses implement a greeting card referral program with great success. But to be honest, it was very hard work. Many of my clients (and myself included) found it very difficult to hand write a greeting card every month. Not only was the sheer volume hard to keep up with, but even choosing the cards and keeping them in stock was a nightmare.

Solution - Send-Out-Cards

Send-out-cards is a on online greeting card company that allows you to send real cards through the regular mail. You use your handwritting and signature and even add photos. They put a real stamp on it and mail it for you all for about a buck. They have a built in contact manager, reminder system. You can create multiple card campaigns to keep in touch with clients over months and years. There is no minimum purchase requirements or mandatory subscriptions. You can even do custom cards like this;

front

inside

It's Just a good old fashioned gretting card store, But its on-line.

Here’s How You Can Use the SendOutCards.com System to Get All the Referrals You Can Handle!

Have you ever wanted to send a card to someone but forget to do it or you simply didn’t have time to do it? Have you ever wanted to send a series of follow up notes to a business prospect or customer, but didn’t have a system to keep track of who and when to send it to? The SendOutCards.com system solves those problems.

When I meet someone at an event or when someone buys something from me I try to get the person’s name and address and sometimes even their birth date or anniversary date. I then put that information into the SendOutCards.com reminder system and when the date rolls around, the reminder tells me to send a personal card to them.

Next, I pick out an appropriate greeting card in the system (it has over 12,000 greeting cards), write a short note to the person, and then I click a button and it gets mailed.

Another extremely powerful way I use the SendOutCards.com system to get referrals is by sending my customers a 12-month follow up referral card program. I usually get an average of two referrals per customer using this system!

Here’s the way it works. I custom developed a set of six very unique referral card designs, which I had SendOutCards.com set up for me in the system. Then I set up a 12-step mailing campaign using a mix of referral cards, thank you cards, and holiday cards.

Now every time someone buys from me I enter their name into the system and attach my 12-step referral campaign to their name and push a button. That’s all I have to do.

At the beginning of each month, over the next 12 months, my customer gets a hand-written, personalized card from me. And the best part about it, is that it only costs me $12 to stay in touch with them for the next year, without lifting a finger.

Not Only Does this System Generate Referrals, But It Closes Sales!

Studies have shown that in most industries, sales are made after 5 - 8 contacts with your prospect. Yet, the vast majority have NO system of follow up. It's because following up has traditionally been a pain in the butt...until now.

If you can enter a name and address and push a button, you can launch an extensive follow up relationship building program with your prospects. Imagine how this system could set you apart from every one else vying for your prospect's attention.

Results of an interesting poll on why people buy. The number one reason why people buy, according to this poll, was because the buyers "liked and trusted their sales person." "Liking" is the single most powerful element in a sales and referral relationship. What better way to establish a powerful relationship of appreciation and trust than with a sequence of sincere greeting cards!

It's Easy It Is to Send a Card with this System!

Sending a card using the SendOutCards system is very easy. All you need to do is follow these three simple steps:

STEP 1 - Login into the system and pick a card.

STEP 2 - Write a note to the person you're sending the card to.

STEP 3 - Preview it and then hit the send button.

No searching greet card stores for an appropriate card. No stuffing envelopes. No licking stamps. No taking the cards to the post office box.

If You Are a Bit Skeptical About Whether the Send Out Cards Referral System Really Works - - Read These Success Stories from
Professional Who Use the System

Real Estate: “We use the Send Out Cards System and it generates us quality referrals every month. One referral that

came from a greeting card generated us $29,380.00 US in commissions!

The system is extremely simple to use; it will save you time and money - it is very powerful.

Over the years we have tried just about everything and spent thousands on marketing, that never produced a dime. This system is simply the best we have ever used."

Real Estate: "I sent a "Welcome to the Neighbourhood" card to the new owner of the dry cleaning store in town. It was a gesture of goodwill only — it was not sent with the intention of generating business.

The new owner called me up and thanked me for the card. He said that I was the only one in town who had made such a friendly gesture. He told me that he was looking for property and was about to look for a real estate agent in the phone book, but since I had been so welcoming - he wanted to work with me.

That one card ended up bringing me over $6,000 in commissions. Send Out Cards really works!"

Mike Poecker, Realtor

Mortgage Broker: “Not only do virtually all my clients call me for their next move, the amount of referrals I have received from them over the last year has doubled.”

John Abbott, Mortgage Broker

Broker: “After adding the Send Out Cards Referral System to my marketing plan, I was able to sendpersonalized thank you cards to clients immediately after completing projects - and something exciting started to happen.

I began getting calls from my clients thanking me — for thanking them, and the referral rates began to climb. The buzz it’s creating is just amazing.

George Marsh, Broker

Scalding hot!

Daniel Rogers - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Final Analysis Home Inspections) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:42:27 -0800

Virginia Beach, VA. 12/27/2007 - After finishing a nice Christmas dinner at my sisters house, I decided to help out with the dishes. OUCH! The hot water tap was so hot that the reflex of jumping back almost caused me to elbow my Mom in the stomach. Of course my warnings of "That's a scald hazard!" where drowned out by family laughter followed by antidote justifications of "Mom's got Teflon hands and teenage shower worshipers need more hot water. But what do I know? I'm just the brother visiting. Experience and expert safety advice seems to fall on deaf ears when it comes to family.

The next day I was back to work inspecting a brand new upper end home for a very nice young professional couple with 2 small girls , two car garage, and a dog. Everything seemed perfect. But unknown to them, danger was lurking. I turned on the hot water tap which seemed to more like a steam vent. The temperature reading was a scalding hot 153 degrees F.

Now I'm not one to be too superstitious, but wisdom and mostly age has taught me to heed the messages I receive from the universe. Are two back to back incidents like this a coincidence? I don't know but I decided I should write about it anyway. It better to be safe than sorry. If I can save one person form getting hurt, it's worth it.

Each year, approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home due to scalding from excessively hot tap water. The majority of these accidents involve the elderly and children under the age of five. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges all users to lower their water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to preventing accidents, this decrease in temperature will conserve energy and save money.

Most adults will suffer third-degree burns if exposed to 150 degree water for two seconds. Burns will also occur with a six-second exposure to 140 degree water or with a thirty second exposure to 130 degree water. Even if the temperature is 120 degrees, a five minute exposure could result in third-degree burns.

Various procedures for lowering water temperature in the home exist, depending on the method of heating. Here are some suggestions:

Electric water heaters. Call your local electric company to adjust the thermostat. Some companies offer this service at no-charge. Hot water should not be used for at least two hours prior to setting. To make the adjustment yourself, start by shutting off current to the water heater, then turn off the circuit breaker to the heater or remove the fuse that serves the heater. Most electric water heaters have two thermostats, both of which must be set to a common temperature for proper operation. To reach these thermostats you must remove the upper and lower access panels. Adjust the thermostat following the instructions provided with the appliance. Hold a candy or meat thermometer under the faucet to check water temperature.

Gas water heaters. Because thermostats differ, call your local gas company for instructions. Where precise temperatures are not given, hold a candy or meat thermometer under faucet for most accurate reading first thing in the morning or at least two hours after water use. If reading is too high, adjust thermostat on heater, according to manufacturers instructions, and check again with thermometer.

Furnace heater. If you do not have an electric, gas, or oil-fired water heater, you probably have an on-line hot water system. Contact your fuel supplier to have the temperature lowered. If you live in an apartment, contact the building manager to discuss possible options for lowering your tap water temperature. Reducing water temperature will not affect the heating capacity of the furnace.

The CPSC notes that a thermostat setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) may be necessary for residential water heaters to reduce or eliminate the risk of most tap water scald injuries. Consumers should consider lowering the thermostat to the lowest settings that will satisfy hot water needs for all clothing and dish washing machines.

Never take hot water temperature for granted. Always hand-test before using, especially when bathing children and infants. Leaving a child unsupervised in the bathroom, even if only for a second, could cause serious injuries. Your presence at all times is the best defense against accidents and scaldings to infants and young children.

More information about water heater safety is available CSPC

Final Analysis Home Inspections

Reports: http://final-analysis.com/sample_reports.htm

Web: http://final-analysis.com

Blog: http://final-analysis.com/WordPress/index.php

Forum: http://www.final-analysis.com/forum.htm

Testimonials: http://www.final-analysis.com/testimonials.htm