NACHI Names California State Chairman

NACHI is proud to announce the appointment of Lyle Standish as NACHI Chairman for California. A 20-year veteran of the contracting and inspection professions, Lyle is the first and only Diamond Certified home inspector in Santa Clara County. For more information (and to introduce yourself) click here.

Home Sales at Highest Level in 7 Months

According to the NAR^®, sales of existing homes rose in January, reaching the highest level in seven months. Total existing-home sales — including single family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops — increased 3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.46 million units in January from an upwardly revised pace of 6.27 million in December. Read more here.

NACHI in the Spotlight

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of our staff, NACHI continues to be recognized across North America in popular publications and products of all kinds. Here are just a few recent examples:

• Timber Homes Illustrated

• Consumer Reports Family Finance Guide

• Pro Lab Mold Kits (available at 50,000 retail outlets nationwide)

Valuable Resource Site

About Homes is a private Internet library for all kinds of useful information relating to residential real estate, as well as a directory of home professionals. The site includes documents, graphics, links, and more. Check it out here.

Final Reminder!

There’s still time to sign up for Inspection Universe in Orlando (March 15-18), featuring more than more than 100 exhibitors, the latest inspection products and services, marketing strategies, continuing education and more. Click here for details!

Major Medical Coverage with No Pre-Existing Condition Clause for NACHI Members

We’re happy to announce two new major medical plans for our members. During a special 90-day open enrollment period starting April 1st, you cannot be turned down as long as you are a member in good standing and work full time. Contact Adam Lehrman at (800) 600-9663 for more information, or click here to learn more.

Join IAC2 - FREE!

IAC2 is a non-profit, certifying body for home and building inspectors who have fulfilled certain educational and testing requirements including those in the area of indoor air quality. Membership is free and there are no annual dues. For more information, click here.

Note: Even if you’ve previously taken a course through a provider other than those in the drop down list, you can still apply for membership by emailing a pre-approval request to fastreply@iac2.org then clicking "OTHER" in the drop down list. This alleviates you from having to re-take a course from an approved provider.

Online Real Estate Encyclopedia Launched

InmanWiki is now the world's largest searchable online real estate encyclopedia where consumers and real estate professionals can research articles, create their own entries and discuss today's hottest real estate topics.

To join the InmanWiki community, simply log onto www.inmanwiki.com, create a login and password, create a profile and you’re done! All registered users have access to all the information posted on the InmanWiki and the ability to create and submit everything from opinions and graphics to videos and RSS blog feeds.

Free FSBO Site Listing for Members

NACHI member Erol Kartal and his wife Lauren have officially launched www.sellbyownerlistings.com, and would like to invite everyone to stop by and add your company to the free service directory. There will never be a fee and you will not receive email from the company. This is a complete home-related services directory, so if you have more than one business feel free to add, but please, no spam! A link back is appreciated, but not required. Click here to check it out!

Attention Florida Members

The Florida Association of Professional Home Inspectors has just announced the launch of their new web site, dedicated to serving the interests of our profession in the Sunshine State. Check it out here.

Free Deck Collapse Study

Our friends at DeckLok Bracket Systems have just published a study on deck collapse occurrences from January 2000 to December 2006, including:

• The percentage of reported collapses that occur during “collapse season”.

• The percentage of people who are on a deck when it collapses that are injured or killed.

• How many deaths since 2000 as a direct result to a deck collapse.

This free PDF report is available to NACHI members by clicking here.

Free Directory Assistance

Tired of getting charged $1.50 or more for directory assistance calls? Simply dial 1-800-FREE411 and get the listing you need for free. It’s just like 411, but because it is sponsored by advertisers, there’s no charge to use it.

NACHI Discount on Homeowners, Auto, Property, and Liability Insurance.

Your membership in NACHI may qualify you for discounts on both your business and personal insurance via a special savings program sponsored by Insurance Office of America and Auto-Owners Insurance Group. For more information, click here.

Automatic Customer Calls From InspectorNOW.com

Each member now has his/her own "Have this inspector call me" button on www.InspectorNOW.com. When a potential client clicks on it and submits his/her call back number the NACHI member is instantly called by an automated office assistant and given the clients call back number. There are no tolls, fees or other charges for this free service.

Note: Your automated assistant uses the phone number you have listed in www.nachi.org/profileintro.htm so it is a good idea to list your cell phone or a phone number where you can be reached quickly.

New Certified Education Seminars Announced

Click here for the latest schedule of NACHI Certified Education Events coming to your area!

Charity of the Month: Inner Peace The Great Outdoors

The United Special Sportsmen Alliance (USSA) is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 charity specializing in sending seriously ill and disabled youngsters on the outdoor adventures of a lifetime. From fishing, hunting and camping trips to water sports, snowmobiling, and horseback riding, USSA works closely with each boy & girl, their physicians and families to tailor outings most suitable to their individual wishes and physical limitations. For more information or to get involved with these terrific kids, please visit www.childswish.com.

Another Industry Leader Joins NACHI

NACHI welcomes Michael Casey, Vice President and General Manager at Inspection Training Associates, as a new member. Michael is a past president of the California Real Estate Inspection Association and of the American Society of Home Inspectors. A CREIA Certified Master Inspector, he has performed over 8000 home inspections during his 18-year career. To learn more about Michael (and to welcome him to the NACHI family), click here.

NACHI Attorney: "Code Certified" Claims Can Lead to Problems

NACHI attorney Mark Cohen has issued a statement reminding members to be cautious in advertising themselves as “Code Certified” or “ICC Certified.” Read more here.

Link Exchange

Would you like your site to be accessible to millions of NACHI.org visitors? Click here to have your site automatically added to NACHI's "Useful Links" page! All that we ask is that you do the same favor for us and add a NACHI link to your site. It's simple, and it's free!

NACHI Member Discount on the “Ultimate Ladder”

The durable, lightweight Telesteps ladder fits in the trunk of most cars, and is ideal for work in tight spaces. Available in a variety of sizes from 10.5’ to 14.5’ with a 300 lb. weight rating, these ladders are now available to NACHI members for a 5% discount with free shipping from our friends at REWCI. Check out the complete line at www.REWCI.com, or call 1-888-845-6597.

Generate More Revenue with Inspector Advantage

Inspector Advantage offers a revolutionary, web-based solution to professional telephone customer service with agents that understand (and can truly sell) your services, freeing up the most valuable asset you have – your time! In addition to special NACHI member discounts, the first 50 NACHI members to sign up will pay no setup fee, enjoy reduced monthly fees, and receive 10 free booked inspections per month for the life of your contract. And getting started costs less than what you probably charge for a single home inspection! Call Stephen Bentley at 1-866-870-7050 or click www.inspectoradvantage.com here or details about this special offer.

Calibration Service – Just $99!

Radon Corporation of America offers calibration services for most makes and models of radon monitors. Our custom designed calibration chamber is one of just several in the United States and is certified by Microbiology Consulting, Inc. We offer 48-hour turnaround from the time we receive your monitor. And for a limited time, we’ll calibrate your test instrument for just $99 and include FREE return shipping. For more information, log onto www.radoncorporation.com, call (877) 24-RADON or drop an e-mail to abitco@cs.com.

InspectVue Software Officially Endorsed by NACHI

“If you are a NACHI member, you need to be using InspectVue!” – Nick Gromicko

Porter Valley’s Insectivore software has been called the most sophisticated report-writer ever, and for very good reason. This affordable easy to use software features scheduling, marketing, narratives & more – and can even be used on your PDA. Other benefits include an 11,000-entry web service that allows enables you to post and e-mail your reports, a complete invoicing system and more. And 7-day/week support is also included. Click here to learn more, call (800) 388-4541 or send an e-mail to info@pvsoftware.com.

Economical Mold, E&O Coverage 

Do you need Mold or E & O coverage? NACHI News sponsor IOA is a binding authority for Lloyd’s of London, offering some of the best, most affordable nationwide protection the industry has to offer. Click here for more information and to compare rates, or contact Rod Morton directly at rod.morton@ioausa.com.

20% Discount on Show Me How Videos

Steve Showalter of Show Me How Videos is offering a special 20% discount offer on his wide selection of training videos exclusively to NACHI members. Have a look at Steve’s wide array of videos here, then simply enter “NACHI2007” in the “Redeem Coupon” window when ordering. For more information, you can also e-mail Steve at info@showmehowvideos.com.

$1000.00 Credit Card System – FREE

NACHI News sponsor Bill Janis offers a fast, wireless system for accepting credit card payments from your customers. No upfront cash, no lease, no application or activation fee required. Even the shipping, installation, training and 24/7 support are free. Check it out here, or call Bill directly at (847) 263-1292.