Getting Out the Word About ASHI

by Marvin Goldstein May 1, 2012

At the end of March, I did a New York City media tour accompanied by Roxanne Pipitone, our public relations account manager from Gibbs & Soell. Visits included CNN Money.com; This Old House; SmartMoney (the Wall Street Journal magazine); and Dow Jones Newswire.

At CNN Money.com, we shared recent ASHI survey results; the distinctions between an appraisal and an inspection; the value inspections bring to homesellers and homebuyers; common misunderstandings about home inspections; the distinct value of using an ASHI Certified Inspector; HUD, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac initiatives; Department of Energy (DOE)/Homescore, and the savebigbread.com website.

Next steps

We expect to see a series of spring housing stories where ASHI can offer insight and commentary. And, we’ve been asked by the video producer to arrange for her and her team to shadow an ASHI Certified Inspector on a home inspection in the New York Metro or New Jersey area. So, please let us know if you have the appropriate home that you can volunteer with buyer and seller approval. (If you are interested, contact us by emailing sandyb@ashi.org.)

At This Old House, we had a great meeting with the building technology editor. We discussed common misunderstandings about home inspections; the value to buyers and sellers of home inspections; distinctions between appraisals and home inspections and the distinct value of using an ASHI Certified Inspector. He told us of an upcoming story slated for April or May featuring an ACI from Ashville, N.C.

Also, he expressed an interest in developing content for the technical areas of the publication, specifically speaking to an ACI who has hands-on experience with the use of infrared thermography during a home inspection. (If you are interested, contact us by emailing sandyb@ashi.org.)

At Smart Money (the Wall Street Journal magazine) we met with a real estate reporter. Besides the previously mentioned topics, we discussed specialty inspection services, homebuyer inspection tips, the top 10 list of items uncovered during an inspection, DOE’s/Homescore inspection and savebigbread.com.

Our final meeting was with the resident real estate reporter for Dow Jones. In addition to the previously mentioned items, we discussed institutionalizing the home inspection process and key industry trends such as specialty inspections. We also discussed that there could be a national story, as it pertains to Dodd-Frank. Dodd-Frank requires that HUD housing counselors advise buyers as to the importance of a home inspection. Furthermore, we discussed the new Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac requirements for appraisers to evaluate dwelling-code compliance and condition. These are items that appraisers say they are not qualified to determine and ASHI agrees. ASHI believes that, as a result of this new requirement, appraisers should use home inspectors’ reports in their appraisal reports.


To Read the Full Article

ASHI offers its members unparalleled resources to advance their careers. ASHI offers training for inspectors at all levels of knowledge and experience, including resources about all major home systems. Members benefit from a vast network of experienced professionals, providing a community for mentorship and knowledge sharing..

Learn More About Membership »

In this Issue

Professional Networking

Grow your professional network, find a mentor, network with the best, and best part of the community that’s making home inspection better every day.