O Gets it Right

by Sandy Bourseau May 1, 2005

And don’t confuse your real estate agent’s statements with a formal conditions report,” Suze Orman told readers in the “Money” section of O At Home, an Oprah magazine. She continued, “If you’re buying directly from the developer, please, please, don’t get snookered into believing new means perfect.”

Under the heading “The Formal Inspection: Once you’ve done your bit, it’s time to hire a pro,” Orman writes, “Your agent will be quick to recommend a few inspectors, but be sure to check out their credentials, You can also ask friends for suggestions or consult the Web site of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ashi.org), which lists fully qualified professionals who have conducted more than 250 inspections, participated in 20 hours of continuing education annually, and passed two written exams.”

The article appeared in the spring issue of O At Home, and was based on an interview with ASHI Executive Director Robert Paterkiewicz.

ASHI’s executive director also contributed to Newsday’s April 8, 2005, online article, “Home inspectors who speak their client’s language ease concerns in ethnic enclaves.” ASHI Member Hector Fernandez was featured in the story.

The Dallas Morning News used one line from an interview with Paterkiewicz. Nevertheless, the article, “More of those seeking change become professional home inspectors,” was picked up by the Beacon Journal in Ohio. And, as reported by ASHI Member Robert Blobner, it also appeared in the Tampa Tribune.

Syndicated columnist calls ASHI standards “toughest”

ASHI Member Kenny Hart spotted a Robert J. Bruss column, “Home buyer’s professional inspector saved $20,000,” in his local paper, the Virginian-Pilot.

Bruss, whose column is syndicated nationwide, closed with the following statement: “Although there are several fine home inspection organizations, I’m glad you selected an ASHI member because they have the toughest
standards.”

Bankrate.com notes importance of inspecting newly built homes

“Newly built houses need inspections, too,” Holden Lewis wrote for bankrate.com. “Home inspection isn’t just for buyers of old houses. Some buyers of newly built homes get inspections, too,” he advised. “A trained inspector can examine newly built houses in addition to older homes. The Web site of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, lets you search for home inspectors by ZIP code.”

ASHI appears in Spanish edition

ASHI (along with ASHI.org) was mentioned in the March issue of the Reader’s Digest Spanish edition.

ASHI president on the radio

KMOX Radio in St. Louis, the #1-rated station in that area, taped an interview with Don Norman, ASHI president, on April 8, 2005, for broadcast on a mid-day show’s discussion of home inspections.

On April 10, 2005, Norman was the featured guest on Michael Finney’s “Consumer Talk” program on the #1-rated talk show in the San Francisco, Calif., Bay Area. A summary of the show was posted on the WKOam810 Web site, along with the “2005 ASHI Outlook” press release.

Public Service Announcement (PSA) update

We are off to a spectacular start on the new (for 2005) radio PSA initiative, with many stations opting to use the PSA over 1,000 times in the month of March alone,” reported Lisa Gunggoll, ASHI account manager at Manning Selvage & Lee.
“Highlights so far include stations in major markets such as Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C. In addition, we are seeing airplay already in two of the targeted states: Michigan (with 9 airings) and Iowa (with 84 airings). The latter is especially exciting, since the three stations using the spots are in the Des Moines area, which should help spur interest for our upcoming media tour.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Total Radio Airings = 15,703
Total Audience Impressions = 159,831,750
Total Media Value = $835,903
Total Return on Investment (ROI) = 42:1 (based on the initiative cost of $19,500)

“We have only distributed to approximately 600 of the planned stations in this round and will distribute to the remaining 400+ in September.

“On the TV side, we can expect a significant spike in results with the spot’s inclusion during April in the nationally syndicated program, “Health & Home Report,” which garnered huge audience impressions for us last year. We should start seeing those numbers in June.

“Finally, the Internet version of the PSA has now been distributed and the editors for the targeted sites are being pitched. Preliminary results will be coming soon.”


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