News a nd infor m ati on f rom the f ranchi s e f rontli ne s .
January / February 2013
Inside the Insider
From the President
1 ................ From the President
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you and your
families are doing well and that your new year is off to
a good start.
2 ................ Feature
2 ................ Welcome to the Family
2 ................ Anniversaries
3, 4 ........... Highlights
Notable Recalls
Gas Fireplace Inserts – Jotul and Scan gas fireplace inserts are being recalled across North
America because of an electrical shock and
burn hazard. This recall is in cooperation with
both the CPSC and Health Canada.
Recall Hotline: 800-797-5912
Low Lead Ball Valve/Shut-Off Gas Valves –
Valves can crack and cause a gas leak posing
fire and explosion hazards.
Recall Hotline: 855-779-9200
Get more details at www.cpsc.gov and follow
recalls and other news at NPIHome.com
Though I prefer warmer weather, I’ve always liked January. One way or another January signifies a new beginning and that is what appeals to me. Looking ahead to
2013, because both Consumer Confidence and Housing Affordability Index were up at the end of 2012; It is
expected that Home Prices will rise in both the US and
Canada. Naturally, that should be good for the Home
Inspection side of our business.
Roland Bates
President
We are always looking for logical and synergistic ways to expand our business.
To many people “noise pollution” and “privacy” are concerns. Omaha has had
requests for “acoustic testing/inspections.” High school band rooms, recording
studios, hearing aid testing centers, medical doctors and mental health counselors, etc. are concerned about noise levels and/or privacy. We are researching the
applicable ASTM standards, the required training/certification and of course
the testing equipment to perform these inspections.
Silt fence inspection and the inspection of bio-retention gardens are also areas
of interest. Kenn Garder is attending the training for silt fence and bio-retention garden inspections. Ultimately, we need to ascertain the overall demand
for all these types of inspections. Omaha receives some requests, but we need
a broader perspective. If you have had or receive any requests for silt fence,
bio-retention garden or “acoustic testing/inspecting” please let us know. That
is the best way for us to assess the overall demand. Thank you for your help.
If our politicians spent less of our money, our economies in the US and Canada
would be booming. With that said, there are some positive signs that 2013
could be a good year. Check out our feature story for more details.
For all you football fans out there, though I saddened my Packers got beat, I
hope your team makes it to the Super Bowl. And if you are a hockey fan like
me, it was great to see the NHL is going to have a season after all. Please stay
in touch. We love hearing from you.
Feature / Welcome
Page 2
New Home Market
Welcome to the Family
Both the price of existing home sales and the number of new homes under construction
continued to climb through the end of 2012, offering hope for a solid 2013 when it
comes to residential inspections.
»»
The NPI/GPI family is expanding and
we would like to welcome our newest
owners and employees.
According to numbers reported in MarketWatch, the US Department of Commerce is
reporting a 12.1 percent gain in new home starts across the United States, the highest
rate in more than four years.
Competition for developed land near large cities may be part of what is driving up prices
for new home starts, according to another MarketWatch story. Other factors include
low interest rates and improved confidence
following the uncertainty of the election
and the fiscal cliff issues.
CoreLogic, one of several home-priced
indicators, announced in mid-January
that home prices rose by 0.3 percent in
November to put the year-on-year rate at
7.4 percent, the fastest gain in prices since
before the Great Recession. All but six US
states saw improvements in pricing.
Michael Baden
Burlington, CT
In Canada, the average home price was up 1.6 percent year-over-year, according to
CREA. The supply of newly listed homes fell from November to December, and the
country recorded its fifth year of around 450,000 homes changing hands nationally.
Tightening mortgage regulations in Canada in addition to the rising costs are preventing
some from taking advantage of the low interest rates.
Thank you’s
If you want to set yourself apart from the competition, never underestimate the power
of a hand-written note. In the end, especially in the
age of electronics and one-size-fits-all, a little handwritten gratitude makes an unbeatable impression.
Besides that, thank you’ s are not all that difficult. To
save some money, write the note on a postcard. It’s a
couple of sentences that can make a huge difference.
»»
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Employee of
Tom McMullen
Niagara Falls, ON
Happy Anniversary
»»
Congratulations on your anniversary
with National Property Inspections, Inc.
5 YEARS
5 YEARS
10 YEARS
Bob McDonough
Atlanta, GA
Mike Hogan
Hammonds
Plains, NS
Paul Supplee
Williamsburg, VA
Congratulations!
»»
On your new license or accreditation.
Make it a goal to send written thank you’s to customers and referring agents. Here are some tips:
Use smaller notecards. It will make the brief message fill the page.
Tom McMullen
Niagara Falls, ON
Brad McMullen
Steve Quint
Lakeville, MN
The same article predicted that new Qualified Mortgage rules released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would not impact credit availability heading into
2013, opening the way for continued gains in the New Year.
Joshua Fried
Southport, CT
Jim Foster
Cooper City, FL
Highlights
Thank you’s (continued from Page 2)
Keep them handy. There’s no time like the present.
Page 3
Inspector Stories
Stewart Fried of Southport, CT, an NPI Inspector for 6 years, is
selling his franchise to his son, Josh Fried.
Use the six-point formula for success.
Start with a greeting. “Dear …”
From LinkedIn
Write, “Thank you for ….”
If you need help finding out how old an appliance is you can use the website appliance411.
com/service/date-code.php to help date appliances made after 1970. Just enter the correct
brand, appliance type, location, model number and serial number at the bottom of the
website and click Date It!
Write a sentence explaining why you are thankful. “I enjoyed …,” “Giving me a chance to do the inspection will help
grow my business,” etc.
Say, “Thanks again for the opportunity,” or “I look forward to working with you again.”
Fred and Lynne Tonte
Wesley Chapel, FL
End with a salutation, “Sincerely,” and your name.
It also helps to keep a few piles of these plain notecards or postcards someplace that’s quick and easy to access. That can even be
in a glove compartment.
Also remember to send an email and ask for a review with a link
to your “leave a review” page at GatherOpinions.com
Posted by Fred and Lynne Tonte
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Inspectors use a wide variety of online calendars and synching
tools to keep their calendars up-to-date and shared with their
employees. This includes: Outlook, Google Calendar, ACT! with
CompanionLink Professional.
Online Scheduler
Agent Inspection Course
Several inspectors are using online scheduling
as a convenience to customers. Online scheduling allows clients, with the click of a button
from your website or by entering a url online,
to see your schedule and make an appointment 24/7.
The NPI agent inspection course in Florida: “Home Inspection
101 for Real Estate Professionals,” was recently approved for continuing education credits. Contact Bill Erickson for information
on becoming an instructor in Florida and offering the course.
Inspectors in other states or provinces who would like to offer a
CE course in a state not yet approved, contact Bill Erickson for
steps to filing for approval in your area.
Affiliate of the Year
Jackie Riley, Savannah, GA, was awarded Affiliate of the Year by the Savannah Chapter of
the Women’s Council of Realtors. She has also
been appointed secretary for the next year.
Congratulations!
Jackie Riely
Savannah, GA
Paul Duffau, Southeast Washington, likes
web-appointments.com. The site is 100 percent free to customers while allowing the inspector to manage
available appointments, service times and schedule from any internet connection. Web appointments is also economical, offering
a tiered quarterly or monthly payment plan. Inspectors can also
try the site for free for 30 days.
Paul Duffau
Asotin, WA
Please Keep Us Informed!
If your contact info changes, you go on a vacation, have
an illness, or just have some exciting news, please take a
minute to let us know.
Anniversaries / Award Winners
Page 4
Dust Mask Reminder
TinyURL.com
When preparing a flier, presentation or other informational document, it’s common to include a
list of urls for different websites to allow others
to research more information on a topic. It’s also
possible that when directing someone to a website, the url listed is 2-3 lines long, messy and potentially impossible for someone to retype. Sites
like tinyurl.com can help with that.
Just copy and paste the long url into a box, click
“make TinyURL,” or request a custom alias, and
the URL is automatically shrunk to a simple
string of numbers or letters. The tiny urls do not
break in email posting and never expire. It takes
seconds and can save a lot of hassle for someone
trying to use your resource.
Crawl spaces, or other areas where dust and chemicals can lie undisturbed
for years, can be a potential health risk. Because crawl spaces, especially
those with old dirt floors, are not exposed to the elements, including sun
and rain, chemicals, pesticides,
rodent feces and other potential nasty material tends to
hang around until disturbed by
an unsuspecting inspector. To
avoid unnecessary risks, wear a
respirator under these conditions.
In this photo, Fred Tonte,
Florida, uses his “friend” Mr.
Bill in a home with mold
problems as a fun way to address the importance of wearing a respirator. Tonte is wearing a Carbon Filter Neoprene Dust Mast
with Replaceable Liners, available from Harbor Freight Tools for $22.99.
According to the website, it can safely reduce particles experienced while
sanding, cutting concrete, installing fiberglass or painting. It has a replaceable liner, attached ear plugs for noise protection, a nose clip to reduce
fogging of glasses and dual straps for a comfortable fit. He won it at an
AHSI SunCoast meeting.
Always remember, the filter is only effective when it’s used appropriately.
Read the life expectancy, filter capabilities and other directions before purchasing any mask or respirator. Proper fit is also essential and should be
understood prior to entering the crawl space.
Note: When using and or purchasing a respirator make certain the filter(s)
have either a N-95, or P-100 rating and also the mask/filters are NIOSH
approved.
TM
A production of
National Property Inspections, Inc
9375 Burt Street, Suite 201
Omaha, NE 68114
Phone (800) 333-9807