Letter from the President: Silver Linings

We got you, and you got this!

October 1, 2023

It’s no secret many of us are struggling to keep our heads above the water. We are facing a housing crisis. Builders in new housing construction have slowed down, and interest rates continue to rise. Sellers have hesitated to put their homes on the market because they are concerned about finding an affordable home and don’t want to lose their low interest rate on the current house.

The total costs have put homeownership and access to decent housing beyond the reach of many consumers. The added difficulty for all of us is that some sellers will not entertain any offers with a home inspection contingency involved.

At first glance, the local housing market reports that came out in August seem dire. It reminds us of those Bugs Bunny cartoons in which we see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it turns out to be a train bearing down on Wile E. Coyote.

Instead of letting slowdowns make you lethargic or frustrated, view the time as an opportunity to invest strategically in your next growth phase. It’s your responsibility to budget for the slow months, not just with revenue from your last profitable period, but equally with an investment of your time and focus.

What is ASHI doing for me?

We have just introduced digital badging through our partner Accredible, as this is the future wave. Many state professional licensing boards are utilizing digital badging for contractor licensing and other areas as it helps to keep things current and make things run efficiently.

The Education team is working hard to provide live scheduled webinars with different learning opportunities. If you miss any, please catch up by viewing them on the ASHI Edge. They are creating an education-focused newsletter to help inform you of all the education offerings at ASHI.

There are multiple InspectionWorlds (IWs) scheduled for 2024 to allow more people to partake in an in-person live event. For those who can’t make an in-person IW 24, the ASHI Virtual Summit will happen across two days and offer up to 13 hours of ASHI CE in February 2024.

In order to be more accessible, ASHI will also have live chat functionality starting in October to help answer any questions you have in addition to phone and email.

Instead of letting slowdowns make you lethargic or frustrated, view the time as an opportunity to invest strategically in your next growth phase.

ASHI Edge education

We have more than 130 courses and more than 315 hours of ASHI and State CE available, with more to come. There are 15 new interactive courses with up to 62 ASHI and State CE hours. Twenty-eight regulated states have approved ASHI Edge courses.

If a non-ASHI member wanted to take all these courses on the Edge, they would have to pay $7,900. As a member, these are all included in our dues.

We are stronger together.

We continue to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with divergent fields to establish alternative revenue sources for our members to add value to their businesses.

Through our partnership with ICC, ASHI will present ICC B-1 Residential Building Inspector exam prep courses. We hope to have enough ICC Residential Certified ASHI Inspectors to establish a municipal inspector overflow bureau that municipalities can use when they do not have enough in-house resources.

In collaboration with the Chimney Sweep Institute of America, ASHI is looking to offer a Home Inspector chimney certification. This certification allows you to market and get referrals from the CSIA.

NADRA Deck certification course.

Gain valuable leads from the NADRA website to offer our services for deck inspections.

ASHI’s goal

We continue to work to support you, the members, and your needs. Our goals shouldn’t be to grow fast but to grow better. So when you experience slow business, remember that slow, steady growth wins the race.

Addressing false statements seen on social media.

Leadership makes vital fiduciary decisions to protect the Members’ money. ASHI leadership stands strong and conservative with your money, and we are in no danger of closing the shop.

Staying true to our brand

ASHI upholds professional excellence throughout the industry and encourages its members to achieve the highest credentials in the field.

ASHI creates advancement opportunities for its members. ASHI accomplishes this by providing educational resources and events, presenting technical information, and connecting members with prospective clients. By upholding professional excellence throughout its membership, ASHI strives to keep the home inspection industry at a high standard. We will continue to stay true to our brand.


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In this Issue

What Lies Beneath: Sewer Line Inspections

Clay, cast-iron, the dreaded orangeburg, or more modern materials like ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)?

Warranty vs Insurance

A home inspector received a call from an inspection client who complained of settlement issues and a failing foundation. The sprinkler system had been slowly saturating the property’s foundation.

Marketing Minute: 4 Ways to Reach New Customers

In the competitive realm of home inspection, where trust and credibility are paramount, expanding your customer base should always be a priority.

A Lesson Learned

While inspecting a large, single-family home, an inspector determined there were two evaporative coolers on the roof. Because it was Phoenix in the summer, he wanted to get the entire exterior as well as the roof and the attic inspected first so he could finish the rest of the inspection in the cool interior of the house.

Postcards from the Field

To submit a postcard from the field send your photo, caption, name, city and state to: postcards@ashi.org Charles L. Gleich & Associates | Columbus, OH James Brock | Boston Home […]
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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.