[donbettyr]

Any good ideas on home inspection people before our 1 year Home Warranty coverage ends??

[Phoneman]

Used Frank D'Angelo a couple weeks ago. He Sent summary report to the Warenty dept. Within two weeks all issues cared for. He takes pictures of everything, roof, attic and all defective issues. Emails you both reports the same day. Mine took three hours. His number is 352.250.7818

[Phanatic Luvr]

Ditto on Frank D'Angelo, although you better book early. He can be very busy and books out weeks in advance.

[baustgen]

Ditto on Frank. You will not believe what he will find.

[villagetinker]

One more vote for Frank, did an excellent job on our house. Call early, as he schedules only 2 inspections per day, and we had to wait about 6 weeks due to schedule conflicts, but he is well worth the wait, spent about 3 hours and went over everything.

[Paulz]

Yet one more for Frank. He has a great relationship with the warrantee department which gets things done.

[russtcc]

What is the charge for his inspections? Thanks..

[asianthree]

You will find the cost is about the same for most inspections. But we used frank the second time and would use him again

[OBXNana]

Frank is great and you won't be sorry if you use him for your inspection. He gets booked quickly, but will work with you for dates.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by russtcc

What is the charge for his inspections? Thanks..

We have a home inspection coming up with Frank.
I wouldn't want to quote a figure; I think it depends upon your model (i.e., square footage, maybe?)

It's so easy . . . Call him and ask what he charges!

[DangeloInspections]

Thank you all for the kind words.....I am humbled and blessed. I love what I do and have met the most interesting and wonderful folks here.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have on inspecting your home.
First, please allow me to first tell you a little about myself and how I do my inspection. I'm 56 years old and am a retired Firefighter from New York. I usually schedule only one or two inspections per day. Most other inspectors book 3 or more inspections a day and are always rushing to get to the next house. I would rather concentrate on your home, not getting to the next one. Also, I am an ASHI Certified inspector. Many are not and I am proud of that credential.

My inspection usually takes 3 hours or more. The smaller Courtyard and Patio Villas sometimes less, the larger homes usually more. In a typical inspection I check the exterior, walk the roof, crawl through the attic, check the garage, all utilities like the A/C and Electric, plumbing etc. Then I put on my inside shoes and check all the inside rooms, bathrooms, etc and finish checking the kitchen and appliances. Lastly, I check your sprinkler system.

I'm always happy to answer any questions and teach folks how to manage your A/C, sprinklers, etc. After the inspection I go back to my office and take an hour or so to compile the report. You will get a full color report, easy to read and understand complete with pictures, etc. I also send the report to The Villages Warranty Department that same day so they can quickly call you to take care of any issues I may find. Both you and the warranty department get the report that same day.

My normal charge is roughly around $275...the bigger homes can be a bit more. Because this is the last chance to get things fixed without opening your wallet, it is no time to skimp on a "cheap, quicky" inspection. When you figure the total inspection time is usually over 1/2 a day or more, and expensive equipment is used, etc. it is justified. When I sometimes spend over 20 minutes in a VERY hot attic finding broken trusses, missing insulation, etc, I sometimes think it is not enough...lol. I find in life you basically get what you pay for and the cheapest is rarely the wise choice.

I know I am not the most expensive, and I also know I am not the cheapest. A couple of weeks ago I was doing an inspection and another inspector drove in and was doing a warranty inspection across the street. I watched him, and he was there for 49 minutes.
I did not see him go up on the roof, he used binoculars. I do not think he went in the attic. I find issues in the attic often, and some of the roof issues I find I would not easily find if I did not walk onto the roof. Being a career firefighter, walking a roof is something I a comfortable with. I walk all over almost every home...there is only one model I know of that this is difficult.

When he was finished he handed the homeowners a checklist. No report, no pictures, and I do not think he contacted the warranty department for them. As he was leaving I waved at him and we met for a couple of minutes. He complained about his job and told me he charged $150.00. I wished him he best and thought, "I never want to be like that". Of course, I would never divulge his name and I know some folks would be happy with his price, etc. The lesson there is that all inspectors are not the same.

While some inspectors do not like warranty inspections, I favor them and most of my work is doing warranty inspections. Since I am in The Villages everyday I know the different models well and know what to look for with certain models. Of course, I do not work for The Villages at all, but I have a good working relationship with all six of the woman in the warranty department, as they get my reports most everyday.

I hope I have answered most of your questions. If not, please feel free to either e-mail me or call me at my number below.
Thank you for the chance to earn your business.

Respectfully, Frank D'Angelo

[DangeloInspections]

Originally Posted by AnonymousInspector

There are multiple associations that home inspectors can be affiliated with apart from ASHI. These include NAHI, NACHI, and localized FABI. All for the most part share the same standards of practice and code of ethics.

There are many factors to take into account when searching for a home inspector.

First, make sure they are licensed with the Florida department of business and professional regulation. There are inspectors even mentioned on totv that are not licensed.

Second, find out how much actual home inspection experience they have, not easily fabricated and unverifiable "construction experience." 50 years of construction exp. sounds great, but could mean they threw cinder blocks around or even less. Easiest way to figure out an inspectors actual experience, find out HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR.. I find it quite comical for home inspectors to say they are the best and have only been in business for a couple years.

Typical pricing should range 250-350 respectfully.

Typical time 2-3 hours.

Please please do your homework and research the now many different home inspectors/companies out there before you hire...

Lastly, no home inspectors "work" for the villages. If they did, they would be called "properties of the villages home inspections" and a total conflict of interest.

I am not going to boast about my own business, my main purpose on this board is to give unbiased info.

-AnonymousInspector

While I do not know the poster above, (as he is Anonymous) I agree with most all of what he/she has posted.

There are many good inspectors here in The Villages. There are a few whom I have run into who may not be. AnonymousInspector is correct in that all Legal Inspectors in Florida have to be Licensed and Insured. My license number is HI-688.

I also agree that construction experience does not in itself make a good inspector. Inspection Experience, Affiliation with good associations and graduating from quality inspection schools like ASHI does.

There is plenty of work here in The Villages for a good inspector. Basically, the good inspectors will stay busy and invite the camaraderie of other good inspectors. I enjoy getting to know other inspectors in the area, as we learn and help each other whenever possible.

While I agree that most of the Home Inspector organizations hold the same Standards of Practice, some of those organizations make it very easy to be "Certified Master Inspector", when in reality some Inspectors do that totally online. It is for this reason I am proud of being ASHI certified.....the standards for this are much higher.

I moved here to Florida about 3 years ago. I was an inspector in NY for years previously. To learn specifically about Florida homes, I went to a Florida ASHI School.

I have never heard any inspector ever say "they are the best". I think one's customers should speak for them.

Respectfully, Frank

[bojodun]

What are his qualifications, rates, time frames?

[wisbad1]

what things did he find? thanks