Stay in the Loop

“First Thing” is the ASHI newsletter emailed to all members the first of every month. The December edition was opened by 40 percent of the recipients. That means they received the information on this page a month ago. The highest percentage of click-throughs from that newsletter was to the December ASHI Reporter online. Members had access to it on the first day of the month.

If you have opted out of receiving emails from ASHI, you don’t receive “First Thing” and other email correspondence. We hope you consider opting back in so you receive the full benefits of your membership. Contact ASHI HQ if you need help opting back in to ASHI email distributed through Constant Contact or directly from headquarters. The weekly “Industry News Brief” is from a vendor and must be opted in and out of through that vendor.

All ASHI members are encouraged to send their clients to the ASHI website to fill out a survey (www.ashi.org/customers/survey.asp) on completion of inspection. Results are available to the inspectors online(www.homeinspector.org/membersonly/experiencesurveyresults.aspx). It’s a great way to say thank you to clients because every quarter, ASHI pulls the name of one consumer who wins a $250 gift card to Home Depot and the inspector wins a $50 gift card.

Questions? Contact Sarah Walsh, sarahw@ashi.org.

CE Audit Begins In January

ASHI staff is charged with conducting an audit of Continuing Education (CE) hours every January. 

A list of 300-400 ACIs and Associates is randomly generated from the ASHI database, including at least one member from each chapter.

Members on the list are notified to turn in documentation supporting the CE hours they claimed. Certificates of completion, invoices and certificates of attendance are accepted.

If the documentation does not verify the required number of hours, the inspector is placed on administrative suspension until he or she submits the proper documentation.

Keep your certificates in one place throughout the year so you’re prepared if audited.

If you have questions, contact Sarah Walsh, sarahw@ashi.org.

Order Carson Dunlop’s Technical Reference Guide from the ASHI Marketplace

Developed by Carson Dunlop, the Technical Reference Guide is a handy tool for home inspectors. This pocket guide tells you the age and capacity of hundreds of home heating and cooling systems. It’s available from the ASHI Marketplace. Also available are personalized marketing brochures covering technical topics. Go to the ASHI Online Marketplace.

e-Learning Catalog Added to Online Education Options

Continuing Education (CE) claim forms are being distributed with dues notices. There’s still time and ways to earn the hours required by ASHI and some states. The e-Learning Catalog provides online education at the click of a button on the ASHI home page. It offers 30 courses, two CEs on completion of a module and successful completion of an exam. ASHI member prices: $29 per module or $20 per podcast. Sign in once and every completed module will be registered in your file.

SMART TRACK™ online learning is free to ASHI members and also is accepted by the following states:

Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington.

Access to SMART TRACK recently changed, but instructions appear on the introduction page.

The ASHI@Home Training System also is approved for ASHI CEs.

Your Input is Valued

To publish the Reporter, ASHI depends on members who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences with other home inspectors.

Chapter news and photos, letters and Postcards from the Field are all welcomed.

Inspection-related success stories, safety tips, business and technical articles that are of interest to inspectors are vital to the magazine.

The ASHI Technical Committee reviews technical submissions for level of interest and accuracy before publication. So, we recommend authors submit their ideas for technical articles and request feedback from the committee before writing the article.

Email Sandy Bourseau at sandyb@ashi.org.

Advertise with ASHI

The 2011-12 ASHI advertising rate card now is available.

If there’s a product or service you like, send that information to Sandy Bourseau, sandyb@ashi.org. We’ll contact the company.

Be Social with ASHI

Become a fan, get LinkedIn and tweet with ASHI. All social media can be accessed from ASHI’s home page.

ASHI Calendar of Events

• Jan. 3, 2012, Council of Representatives Meeting, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Jan. 4, 2012, ASHI Board Meeting, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Jan. 4-7, 2012, InspectionWorld, Phoenix, Ariz.
• April 20-21, 2012, ASHI Board Meeting , Rosemont, Ill.
• July 28, 2012, ASHI Board Meeting , Rosemont, Ill.
• Oct. 18-19, 2012, Leadership Training Conference , Rosemont, Ill.
• Oct. 20, 2012, ASHI Board Meeting , Rosemont, Ill.

ASHI Mission Statement

To set and promote standards for property inspections and to provide the educational programs needed to achieve excellence in the profession.

Current ASHI Membership

ASHI Certified Inspectors: 3,506
Associates/Logo: 123
Associates: 1,625
Retired Members: 125
Affiliates: 80
Total: 5,459

ASHI Staff

Virginia Baker joined ASHI in September 2010 as an executive assistant. Prior to joining ASHI, she spent 17 years with McDonald’s Corporation, where she worked in administrative support and customer service representative roles. Virginia left McDonald’s and took a year off to relax, enjoy her grandchildren in Arizona and help plan her youngest daughter’s wedding. Her responsibilities at ASHI include support for the Executive Director, and general administrative support to the ASHI, AEI and TAS Staff. Originally from Chicago, Virginia and her family have spent the last 30+ years in northwest suburban Chicago. Her free time is spent spoiling her three grandchildren, reading and quilting.