Licensing of Ohio Home Inspectors

Thanks all for the comments.  I don't know whether if inspectors are licensed in Ohio you would need to write in a contract that a buyer uses a licensed inspector.  If Dad or Uncle Joe has opinions and shares those with the buyer that's really up to the buyer whether to believe the person or to use a disinterested third party whom is licensed, insured etc. "knowledge of local codes"? Do most  inspectors in our market do code inspections?  If buyers want someone they trust to look at a house for them, they will.  Hopefully in addition buyers  will still use a good inspector (licensed if required by state law) to look out for their interest. I don't believe you can require a buyer to do a home inspection though.

I don't believe licensing in Ohio will change inspections much for most of us.  I think the inspectors most of my clients  use would slam dunk any requirements. 

Missy:  Maybe MI  should consider it, theres no rushing into it.  I think David's entry says licensing of home inspectors was first proposed in 1999 in Ohio....or did I read that in what I've written before about licensing?  I don't know if licensing would give us any more consistancy though, everyone has a different point of view. 

Shouldn't those who want higher standards for home inspectors then get someone in the legislature to propose a bill more stringent licensing?  I kind of think if the bill (this bill or those that have been offered in the past ) would pass then the industry and consumer could work from there to make it tougher.  Then again I am not political.  It would be a start.  I think licensing standards for most fields have progressively gotten tougher even though with some the bar is still low.  

"The unfortunate thing is alot of realtors still recommend companies like the one I used because they are not DEAL BREAKERS, they sugar coat things and make the house sound like it is in great shape when in actuality the home is need of major repairs just so the realtor's will recommend them again! I not saying realtors are to blame I work with a lot of great realtors but with all professions their are bad apples. "

I wonder if that is a small town phenomenon, I sure don't see that in our market. Sellers do repairs based on the inspections. Real estate agents spend hours negotiating repairs for their clients based on home inspections.

I doubt "alot"  of agents sell out their clients in any market, though.

Real estate agents working in the buyers interest are not going to recommend someone "safe."  

Shawn specifically identifies members of NAR, "realtors" as the unscrupulous licensees in his market who are not working in their clients best interest. Strange.

You hear from buyers after the sale when they had a nit picking engineer who has done a zillion inspections and is up on the latest and greatest in home inspection go over the house with a fine tooth comb. You hear after the closing that the inspector missed something. Even when the seller did thousands of dollars in repairs for the buyer, you hear the inspector missed something.  The buyer now owner who has been in the house for four years complains that the inspector missed that the water heater was only going to last three years after closing or did not use his x ray vision to see behind paneling.  Why anyone would use an inspector who would "sugar coat things" is beyond me.  

It's better that deals be broken, there's plenty of houses to buy. Even in a sellers market it is better if the deal goes down if the house is defective and it can not be cured. I think most agents are going to believe that. I believe most deals go together with a lot of negotiating of the "buyers request to remedy" in our market.

I can't believe lots of "major repairs" are glossed over in home inspections in any market in hopes of future business from an agent. The home inspectors client is the consumer.  

The real estate agents would not get referrals from their past clients if they were selling their clients out.  Those real estate agents would  spend their lives dealing with issues after the sale. It could not be worth it. 

It makes a great story though. The competiton is too easy. The competition and "alot" of real estate agents (or "realtors") are in collusion.  Or even just the "bad apples."

Which organization does the current  bill favor?

I am not sure what "The only thing that I disagree with you on is this.. We do not inspect homes per code." I don't believe this entry says anything about 'inspecting per code.'  A comment mentions knowing local code and I think that is incorrect and responded that home inspections on existing homes in Central Ohio are not code inspections.   Thanks for the comment.