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Who to Choose?
In
the Real Estate Business, it is commonly stated that the three most important
criteria for selecting a property are location, location and location. It can be
said that the three most important criteria for selecting a Home Inspector are
experience, experience and experience. Cost should be secondary. The State of
North Carolina requires a license to be a Home Inspector.
Holding a license does not make a person a good Home Inspector anymore
than it makes anyone successful. The
qualities shared by the best Home Inspectors are experience and the ability to
observe, report and communicate based on that experience.
As a Home Inspector, what we report affects many.
Our work must be neutral, accurate and fair. Homes are like people...none are perfect, but some come
closer than others.
In
order to protect your interest the following recommendations are advisable:
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Call the inspectors yourself; don't have your agent call.
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Call several inspectors (at least 3); ask questions about their
background and experience.
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The choice must be yours and should be based on the
inspector's
experience, insurance and your comfort level, not on price. The best price
is almost never the best deal!
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Discuss Radon
testing. Ask if they use charcoal canisters, e-perms, or a
monitor. Only monitors give you hourly readings, and most record temperature,
humidity, barometric pressure and tampering.
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Insist the inspector send the report directly to you with a copy to your
Realtor.
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If you have questions, call the inspector.
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Review the report with your Realtor relative to its implications and how
it relates to your contract to purchase. You call the shots.
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I
can ensure you of an accurate and impartial inspection. To avoid conflict of
interest, I will neither solicit work nor recommend any repair services. Be wary
of those who do. You can expect prompt service with reports delivered to you
without delay. Take a few minutes to read the balance of this document to
determine if I meet your qualifications to inspect your new home.
Perspective:
Every
inspection must be reported and accepted from a proper perspective.
My perspective is:
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Home ownership is an expensive long-term commitment. The buyer should become as informed about their purchase as
possible. Failure to do so may lead
to long-term displeasure or worse.
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Homes should be compared to their peers in the same price range, not to a
mystical perfection or a new house.
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Construction and maintenance of homes is not a perfect art.
The perfect house does not exist. All
houses have issues, even new houses.
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Most Home Inspectors and their reports are one sided. They only see and report the negative. All homes have two
sides. We strive to observe and
report the positive as well as the negative attributes of a home.
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Observation and reporting of existing issues do not decrease the value of
the home; it only makes for a better-informed buyer and seller.
The value of the home is the same after the inspection as it was before.
The only change is in the perception of those involved based on their
newly acquired knowledge.
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Value and price
are not necessarily the same thing. Any home will be a
valuable purchase provided there is a balance between its peers in the same
price range with adjustments for consideration of existing issues or systems
which may not be functioning as intended. The
best deal must have balance among price, terms, location, neighborhood make up
and existing conditions. If you
think there is a perfect balance, you are dreaming.
What must be sought is an acceptable balance. This acceptable balance will make for a WIN-WIN-WIN deal.
Out of balance will cause trouble for everyone involved.
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Buying a home is often an
emotional experience when it should be a logical one.
The goal of Realtor and Home Inspector must be to reduce the emotional
and stress the logical. Logical
decisions are usually good decisions. Emotional
decisions are often questionable.
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Experience:
Retired
from active construction following 30 plus years and 4,000,000 square feet of
commercial construction. Involved
from the trenches to the board room with projects ranging from a set of stairs
to the top of the waterfall at Stone Mountain State Park, to buildings totaling
hundreds of thousands of square feet.
| Karl
Stimpson Builders Pfafftown, NC 2001 to 2003 Vice
President |
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John S. Clark
Company
Mt. Airy, NC 1995 to 1999
Manager
in their Winston-Salem office. The 8th largest commercial contractor
in NC.
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Chris D.
Hilton Construction Company Winston-Salem
1988 to 1995
Owner/President.
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| Shelco,
Inc.
Winston-Salem 1977 to 1987
Owner/Director,
General Manager, Vice President, Executive Vice President, President/COO (Now
headquartered in Charlotte). Founded
in 1977, today, this company is the largest Commercial Building Contractor in NC
with management hired and trained by Mr. Hilton.
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R & B
Masonry
Rural Hall, NC 1976 to 1977
Commercial
Masonry Superintendent/Estimator
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Hilton
Enterprises
Walkertown, NC 1971 to 1975
45%
Owner/Vice President of a commercial masonry company.
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Mr.
Hilton grew up in construction working with his father who was in the
Construction Maintenance Division of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and built
homes as a second job.
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Licenses Held:
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North
Carolina Home Inspectors License
# 1069
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Has
held license for Unlimited Commercial Building Construction in North
& South Carolina & Virginia
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Memberships:
Involvement:
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Member
Realtor/Home
Inspector
Joint
Committee
of
the
Winston-Salem
Regional
Association
of
REALTORS,
Inc. |
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Former
member
Joint Legislative Committee of the Home Builders Association of
Winston-Salem and the Winston-Regional Association of REALTORS, Inc. from its
inception until the present.
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Former
member
of Moravian Church in America, Southern Province Building Committee for the “Archie
K. Davis Archival Facility” Old Salem, NC.
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Assisted
in review and editing of the most recent zoning ordinance for
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.
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Chairman,
Winston-Salem Storm Water Task Force 1992.
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Chairman,
Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce I-73
Task Force 1991.
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Former
member of Building Committee for Calvary Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC.
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Projects of Note in Winston-Salem:
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Madison
Park Office Complex (Including Piedmont Airlines Computer Center)
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Republic
Square Office Complex
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Sara
Lee Corporate Center Office Complex
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First
Stratford Office Building (First Union Bank)
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Consolidated
Center Office Complex
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Piedmont
Airlines Reservation Center
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Golf,
Pro Shop, Pool and Pavilion Addition, Old Town Country Club
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Wilson
Cook Medical
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Grassy
Creek Business Park
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Summit School
two buildings
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Bob
Neil Mercedes Dealership
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Office
Building 3288 Robinhood Road
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The
Wachovia Scouting Center (Old Hickory Council of the Boy Scouts of America)
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The
Courtyard by Marriott at Hanes Mall
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Restoration
and Renovation of the Historic Railroad Building near Old Salem
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Saved,
moved, restored and gained listing on the National Register of Historic Places
for: The Brickenstein/Leinbach House, Old Salem
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Projects of Note outside of Winston-Salem:
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Bermuda
Run Country Club Addition & Renovation of Dining Area and Bar, Advance, NC
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Thomas
Center Dining & Bar Area Renovation, Duke University
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High
Point Municipal Operations Center
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The
Centre at Hugh Howell (Publix Food Store), Tucker GA (Near Atlanta)
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Hanes
Industrial Park, Nashville TN
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Sherwin
Road Distribution Centers, Greensboro, NC
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North
Ridge Business Park, Rural Hall NC
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Cricket
Inns, Durham NC, Columbia SC and Richmond VA
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Recognition and Awards:
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The
Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit by The Historic Preservation Foundation of
NC, Inc. “For
outstanding achievements in the field of Historic Preservation in the State of
North Carolina."
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Recognized
by the New York Times in an article titled, “Reusing The Old,” January 13,
1991
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Recognized
by The Moravian Music Foundation for rescue of The Brickenstein/Leinbach House
from impending demolition and restoring it to its original grandeur and having
it listed on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States
Department of the Interior.
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Recognized
by the American Red Cross for extraordinary service rendered to victims of North
Carolina tornadoes and storms May 1989.
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Recognized
by the Village of Clemmons for assistance following the tornado of 1998.
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Money Back If Not Satisfied:
If
you are not completely satisfied (after reading our report) with the service
offered, either now or at any time following the inspection, I will refund your
money in full, no questions asked.
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