• I am thorough & use modern technology:  Every inspection I do goes beyond InterNACHI's Standard of Practice, exceeding the standard in several areas including inspection of the electrical system (such as an inspection of the internals of the main and sub electrical panels, checking all modern outlets for full functionality including USB outlets, GFCI, and AFCI), and using cutting edge technology including Infrared Thermal Imaging on every inspection to identify home energy efficiency improvement opportunities & possible hidden mechanical issues (such as electrical, insulation, or heating / cooling system issues).  

• In-depth home inspection report within 24 hours of the inspection:  Every home inspection client is provided my cutting edge home inspection report via email the within 24 hours of the inspection.  I use the most cutting edge software available to product an inspection report that is interactive, thorough, and informative.  It can be viewed on any device and scrolled through similar to a social media platform and is essentially a custom interactive website with hundreds of photos of the home (but also downloadable as a PDF).  My reports document all major systems of the house, detail the good along with the defects, and a detailed summary is provided in plain English.  If you have opted to also have my Home Energy Inspection & report done, that report will also be provided the same day as the inspection!

• Value:  I provide overwhelming value to our clients for all of the above reasons.  My pricing is based on the size of the home, & number of bedrooms/bathrooms/garages - head over to my Services page for the basics on my pricing...  To quickly schedule or get a quote on your inspection, book your inspection online or give me a call at 218-409-6263. 

• I am accredited & certified:  I am a Certified Professional Inspector (CPI) with InterNACHI & accredited by ICA to do home inspections within the state of MN.  Beyond InterNACHI's exhaustive CPI Certification, I'm also specifically certified by InterNACHI in the following areas:  InfraRed Thermal Imaging, First Time Home Buyers, Residential Property Inspector, Chimney, Kitchen, Pet Friendly, and COVID-19 (see the certification seals below).  I'm constantly working on continuing education through various home inspection focused, accredited college courses.

• I am experienced:  I have a lifetime of experience of working on homes, mechanical systems, providing world class customer service, and have a degree in complex circuitry.  Check out my story HERE.

• I am friendly:  I am an outgoing person whom is passionate about ensuring homes are safe & comfortable for my clients - which involves pointing out any safety or material defects.  In today's real estate market where often times the biggest financial decision of a lifetime is made in minutes, I love giving our clients a literal professional guided tour of what often will be their new home!

• I am honest & impartial:  Honesty is my bedrock value and serves as one of my guiding north stars.  Every inspection I do is reported on in an impartial fashion - highlighting the good & the bad.  I firmly abide by the InterNACHI Code of Ethics.

• I am prompt:  I answer the phones, respond promptly to digital inquiries, get inspection appointments set up within 1 week of the inquiry, and show up to inspection appointments on time.

• I am clean & respectful:  It is an honor every time a client asks me to inspect a home, and I act like it!  Every time I enter a home I wear clean booties over my shoes, clean up after myself, and leave no trace.  Every client & stakeholder is treated with great respect & empathy!

My clients get home inspections done for many reasons - most commonly for a home they are in the process of purchasing.  

• Home buyers like to get a more in-depth & professional look at a home than they may have gotten in their initial walk through, particularly in today's hot market.  Many home buyers think of a home inspection as an expert guided tour of the home that they are about to buy.  Additionally, 218 Inspect Home Inspections will take the deep dive in all systems of the home - from top to bottom - to identify any safety or material defects.  The client is encouraged to accompany me during most of the inspection (except for when ladders are involved), so that we can walk the house together and discuss any points of interest discovered - good or bad.  In the end, after the inspection you'll receive a comprehensive home inspection report via email from me later the same day.  The Inspection Report will highlight the good & bad with the home - so you know exactly what you are about to purchase and can do so confidently.  From here, see the below FAQ on what to do after receiving the inspection report.

• Home owners often like to have a professional home inspection done to identify any home safety issues, home improvement projects to be done, and the priority of each.  Homeowners often also like to have home inspections done prior to listing their home for sale - so any issues can be addressed prior to the home being on the market, avoiding issues at closing.

• Other types of clients who get home inspections done including:  investors, insurance agents, bank draw inspections, and others.

• Most home buyer clients reach out to me immediately after their purchase offer is accepted, to schedule their home inspection for ASAP - well prior to closing.  Offers are frequently written as "contingent based on the results of a home inspection", allowing the buyer to amend their purchase offer if a large problem is discovered during the inspection.  My goal is to always schedule our inspections within 1 week of receiving the inspection request from the client.

Most home inspections take about 4 hours on site (in addition to a few hours preparing a thoughtful inspection report for you after the inspection).  Larger homes, out buildings (if you want for me to inspect them), or homes with complex defects can take longer.

Clients are encouraged to attend the inspection so that you get the most out of it!  However, if you're not able to attend the inspection, my in-depth home inspection report will provide you all of the info you need.  Being there in person will afford you the opportunity to walk along during the inspection, providing you a professional guided tour of the home, and learning many specifics that are handy for any homeowner to know.  Being there in person also affords you the opportunity to ask questions, and best understand how the home's many systems operate.   Note that clients aren't allowed to climb ladders or join me in crawlspaces during the inspection.

You will receive your cutting edge, in-depth home inspection report within 24 hours of the inspection - you may view it on a device of your choice or download it as a pdf.  

After reviewing the inspection report, you will know many specifics that you need to know about the property such as the locations of the utility shut-offs (gas, water, etc), the location of the main electrical panel(s), heating & cooling shut-offs, the construction materials used in many parts of the house (such as the roof, exterior wall sheathing, etc).  I inform you on the specific condition each system of the house is in - from top to bottom.  I provide a nicely written narrative summary of the house, along with the items in good shape and defects that need attention.  I also love highlighting cool features present in homes, such as historic woodwork & craftsmanship - which is fun for a new homeowner to know about!

For clients that wrote their purchase offer with an inspection contingency:  If there are defects in need of attention identified in the inspection, you will at least know what repairs will be necessary in advance.  Sometimes, clients are able to ask the seller to complete some of the repairs of the identified defects at the seller's cost, or reduce the sale price of the home so the buyer can have the defects repaired.  If a major defect is identified that the buyer isn't comfortable with, the buyer will have the option of of canceling their purchase offer (which is unusual).  

• At this time, we do not inspect homes in Wisconsin - we stay on the Minnesota side of the border.

• I gladly will inspect homes outside of Duluth, anywhere in northern MN.  With that said, I do have a modest service call charge for inspections greater than 15 miles from downtown Duluth.  At this time, I do not inspect homes in Wisconsin.

• My goal is to provide overwhelming value with every home inspection.  My pricing is very competitive and is based on the size of the home, & number of bedrooms/bathrooms/garages & other factors.  Pricing is available on our "Services & Fees" page.  To get a custom quote on your inspection, fill out our Schedule Your Inspection HERE or give us a call at 218-409-6263.  

• Every inspection I do goes above and beyond InterNACHI's Standard of Practice, exceeding the standard in several areas including inspection of the electrical system, and using cutting edge technology including Infrared Thermal Imaging to identify home energy efficiency improvement opportunities & possible hidden mechanical issues (such as electrical, heating, or cooling system issues).  

• Every home inspection client is provided my in-depth home inspection report via email within 24 hours of the inspection.  My reports document all major systems of the house, detail the good along with the defects, and a summary is provided in plain English.  Each inspection report includes many photos of the various systems of the home, including infrared thermal imaging of key areas of the home.  This PDF report can be viewed digitally or printed for your convenience.