Any diligent home buyer will serve themselves well by seeking Licensed and Creditable Professionals to Inspect the property of their choice. In your research consider the following:

• At Advanced Home Inspections of Elkhart County, LLC we take the principle of certifications seriously to ensure the peace of mind for the consumer. The Indiana State Licensing board requires all Home Inspectors to be Licensed under the State standards along with 32 continued education credit hours every two years. 24 credit hours of Category one and 8 credit hours of Category two. www.in.gov/pla

• At Advanced Home Inspections these credit hours are well attended at the Great Lakes Chapter of ASHI www.greatinspectors.org As an ASHI member 20 credit hours are required annually. This is the place where education is never as expensive as ignorance. I love networking with other professionals who also have a passion to provide a reliable service to the consumer and build consumer confidence.

• Beware of Inspectors that provide repair or remedy services on the component or system inspected, at Advanced Home Inspections this is a huge conflict of interest. Consider this a red flag when you see it being done by any inspection company. Simply ask the Inspector in your interview with him/her if they provide repair, remedy, or treatment services on the home they will be inspecting for you. 

• In the Radon Measurement and Mitigation field is another area of due diligence. I have witnessed a local company to provide these services to home owners by representatives who are not Certified, which is classified as a scam artist. Do your research and only hire Professionals found on this list: www.radongas.org To become certified is expensive and comprehensive, it is highly unlikely to perform the required diligence to the consumer by anyone who is not certified. Radon gas is not a laughing matter, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer. To read more go to www.epa.gov/radon 

• Septic Inspections: When you hire your septic inspector ask if they open the tank lid and inspect the system baffles. Missing or deteriorated outlet baffles of the septic tank are a primary cause of septic system drainage failure. Missing this component in the inspection can cost you thousands of dollars. Early in my inspection days as I was doing a Whole House Inspection and noticed a peculiar patch of tall rich green grass growing in the back yard. I advised the first time home buyer (my client) to get the septic inspected. So my client asked me to do the septic inspection, turns out the outlet baffle was missing and needed repairs. The representing Agent was upset with me and told me I had no business inspecting that septic for she had the septic inspected two days ago and it passed, I would not have known for the dirt and grass above the septic lid was untouched. Note: It is not unusual to see some variation of grass colors in the septic field drain area, but if the grass is lush green it has tasted fertilizer!