Always Learning

Mike Conley has been in the industry for nearly 40 years, with 25 of those dedicated to home inspecting. These days he runs Straight Inspection Service (Anna Maria, Florida) while staying busy with ASHI education programs. He’s teaching three advanced courses at the upcoming InspectionWorld in January 2022. “I’ve always enjoyed talking in front of an audience,” said Conley, who also previously served on ASHI’s Board of Directors, and more recently as the national secretary.

Conley has been teaching for decades, whether it’s the wind mitigation form in Florida or the science of air conditioning and heat pumps. When InspectionWorld returns in January, he looks forward to sharing what he knows as well as learning more, in a real classroom setting—especially after more than a year of lessons on Zoom. “Zoom is not as good as face to face,” he said. “You might raise your hand and ask a question—I tried doing that a number of times and got ignored. That wouldn’t happen in a classroom.”

“Face to face is a much easier learning experience. When you’re talking to someone, body language and facial expression also come into play.”

After such a long time, Conley said he’s very much looking forward to being in the classroom with people again. “During breaks you get to talk to other home inspectors. You get to ask them questions, find out what’s going on in the industry and in their lives,” he said. “There’s a lot of socializing that goes on as part of the classroom that you don’t get to do on Zoom. Some guys I only see once a year and that’s at InspectionWorld. I’m looking forward to it.”

Inspecting Mobile/Manufactured Homes

There are a lot of mobile homes in Florida where Conley works. “If you want to get in that line of work it’s a shame to leave it on the table because there’s money to be made and a demand for knowledgeable home inspectors to look at those properties and determine what kind of condition they’re in—especially if they’re older.”

Conley said some mobile homes were built in the 1950s and ’60s, prior to federal regulation. Those, he said, could be dangerous and be among the first to be destroyed in a hurricane. Fortunately, newer mobile homes are a lot more durable. “The federal government set the guidelines for manufacturing back in the early ’70s and it’s been made stricter over the years with more changes in the ’80s and ’90s, so now mobile homes are pretty well made. They’re a lot stronger and more likely to withstand storm damage.”

But inspecting a mobile home is not the same as inspecting a regular home, Conley said, and that’s crucial to understand. He said inspectors need to know what to look for, including how they’re held down, what kind of strapping they have, and how their electrical and plumbing requirements are met. He’ll review all of this and more in his upcoming course.

The Science of Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps

In another lesson at InspectionWorld, Conley will revisit the science of air conditioning and heat pumps. While he said the technology has essentially not changed since it was invented, the energy used to generate air conditioning has changed. “We’re not using kerosene anymore. We’re using gas, electric, that sort of thing, and the refrigerant used has changed,” he said.

In recent years there’s been much discussion about refrigerants and ozone depletion, and it can be difficult to keep up with what refrigerants are required and what is being phased out. Conley will share all of this and more during his upcoming presentation. “It’s important for home inspectors to know what they’re looking at and to understand the science behind it,” he said.

Inspecting Pools & Spas/Hot Tubs

Swimming pools are among another hot ticket item in Florida where Conley inspects. But while the Sunshine state is second in the US for having the most swimming pools, it’s also tragically second in drownings. “I like to emphasize not only how pools and spas work and how they are put together, but also the health and safety issues,” Conley said. ”A child can drown in as little as an inch of water.”

Continuing Education

While Conley himself will be leading these three courses and is an expert in many areas, he also looks forward to learning new things himself. He said education is a never-ending process—and that’s a good thing. Events like InspectionWorld are a chance to learn something new, or maybe even be reminded of something you forgot.

“You might hear something one year or in one presentation and it goes right over your head. Then you hear it again later and all of a sudden you pick up on it. That’s how people learn,” he said.

People learn from repetition, and they learn from experience. I’m always learning something new. Everyone should be. If you think you know everything, you don’t. There’s no room for arrogance in our industry.”