The Inspection Event of the Century!

Welcome to InterNACHI's Convention!
Over 2,500 inspectors, 92 exhibitors, 40 speakers, education galore, free nachos, one heck of a good time!
 
Saturday, February 4th, through Wednesday, February 8th.
Cutting edge continuing education.  Spectacular speakers.  92 industry exhibitors. 
Spouses get a V.I.P. pass and access to everything including education for only $50.
Children under 18 are free and are welcome to join us.
Visit our convention site at http://www.nachiconvention.com
 
Keynote speaker:  Dr. Bill Merrell of the Merrell Institute.  Certified Master Inspector, a professional designation and the future of home inspections.
 
 
InterNACHI is pleased to announce that representatives of two large and important government organizations have requested and been granted access and attendance to our National Convention this year:  Mick Zelaska from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Gail Pouchet-Melvin, Environmental Specialist, Radon and Indoor Air Quality, Bureau of Community Environmental Health FL Department of Health will be on site from Sunday through the end of the session.
 
 
 
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Featured exhibitors include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Exhibitor Lounge, 8 booths.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Florida exhibit (below), 3 booths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • InterInternational Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI): 1 booth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • And many more...
Plus:  The Florida Exhibit (3 booths) representing all the Florida inspection associations:
Exhibitor Lounge with vendor literature and a home inspection library, right inside the convention hall.
 
 
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  (State approved continuing education where applicable.)
 

Featured speakers and educators include:  

  •   Craig Auberger, Senior Consultant with 1st Inspection Services, on:
Seven Lessons for the Home Inspection Business in the Next Decade.  An informative presentation using demographics and futures leading to successful business practice.  Learn some secrets leading to Twenty-First Century success!  Mr. Auberger has an extensive background in the construction industry.  A founding partner and current consultant to 1st Inspection Services, Craig started working with his father, Earl, in Cincinnati during his high school years, through college and to the age of 30.  He could operate a bulldozer and back hoe like a soldier at the age of ten!  Craig Homes, Inc., his father's company, built over 2,000 custom homes and small office buildings in Cincinnati and the surrounding area.  He saw all aspects of construction, from the problems that resulted to the remedies, leading to him becoming President of the American Association of Certified Appraisers with 5,000 worldwide members and an Officer/Trustee/Consultant for the Appraisal Foundation in Washington, DC creating international standards for the inspection industry.  Mr. Auberger has presented industry seminars in over 150 cities throughout the world and has a passion for "protecting the consumer" through professional knowledge and experience.
 
  •   Rick Bates, CCI, CEI, REEW, RIAQM of Environmental Education Foundation, on:

    What Every Home Inspector Needs to Know About Indoor Air Quality.  A past, present, and future perspective on indoor air quality and how the home inspector is directly and indirectly impacted.  The top (10) IAQ issues facing home inspectors will be identified.  Points of interest that all home inspectors must be aware of to provide minimum levels of service while reducing the potential for litigation will be described in detail.  This presentation is packed with useful information for the inspection professional with regards to offering profitable IAQ services and avoiding lawsuits.  Components of the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) training will be introduced.
Mr. Bates is Corporate President of Bates Consulting, Inc., which he founded in 1987.  He has performed over 8,000 structural, mechanical & environmental inspections in the past 18 years.  He is a Certified Construction Inspector, Certified Environmental Inspector, Registered Environmental Expert Witness and a Registered Indoor Air Quality Manager.  Mr. Bates is approved as an expert litigation witness in structural, mechanical and environmental cases.  He is the past National President of the Housing Inspection Foundation, past President of the International Environmental Assessment Association and presently the President of the International Environmental Education Foundation.  Mr. Bates is the author of (6) inspection training manuals and numerous inspector training courses.  He conducts both live and internet based seminars and training courses across North America.
 

  •  Gerry Beaumont, InterNACHI's National Education Consultant and Education Director of Inspection Depot, on:
Online Continuing Education for Home Inspectors.  Mr. Beaumont is an inspection consultant specializing in commercial and multifamily property.  He is a Consultant to and Education Director of Inspection Depot based in Jacksonville, Florida.  He has a very wide ranging background covering all areas of property management, refurbishment, project management and property inspection.  Education has been an interest of his for many years which led to him teaching home inspectors up to NHIE level at a local community college in Massachusetts between 2000 and 2004, and to be invited to start and chair InterNACHI’s Educational Committee.  As InterNACHI's National Education Consultant, he travels to Chapter meetings to promote InterNACHI education and to run training classes on a broad range of subject to its members.  Born and raised in Great Britain, Mr. Beaumont has lived in the United States since 1995 and has recently relocated from New England to Clearwater, Florida. 

 

  •  Dan Bowers, InterNACHI member and Education Director & Senior Instructor of Professional Inspection Training Institute, on:
Building Codes for Home Inspectors.  As Home Inspectors, when asked “Is this or that up to code?” we usually inform the person asking the question that performing and enforcing code inspections is the job of their local city, county or fire marshal - not us.  As most of you are aware, when we tell the client that something has been installed wrong or is a potential safety hazard and should be corrected, one of the first questions from the buyers, sellers and realtors is often "Is that a code requirement?".  We once more patiently remind everyone that we are not the code inspector.  It is not unusual if something breaks down shortly after we inspected it (even 9 months later) that we get an angry call from a buyer saying “My repair guru says the little green widget is not up to code and any competent inspector should have told me that before I bought the home”. or  “If I’d known that the 38 year old widgets didn’t meet the current code requirements for widgets, I’d never have bought the house or I’d have negotiated a better price with the seller.” or “Since you didn’t tell me that before I bought the house, I want you to pay for bringing my widgets up to code.” Most inspectors that have been in business for any length of time have heard this before.  In this presentation, we are not trying to turn you into code inspectors, just trying to help you be more aware of some common and often overlooked building code violations that can injure the occupants or can have adverse long range effects on the structure.
 
Besides being the Education Director and Senior Instructor with PITI, Mr. Bowers is a full time home inspector and building consultant.  He has been a home inspector for over 25 years and has performed over 10,500 inspections and has trained over 465 home inspectors.  He has AAS degrees in both Mechanical Engineering (HVAC) and Construction Management and a BS Degree in Business Administration with a Major in Real Estate.  He grew up in a construction family that built basements, streets and highways.  He spent 2 years as the National Service Manager for a major distributor of appliances, heating and cooling equipment, 3 years as a factory representative for a large HVAC manufacturer, 8 years as a project manager for a 5,000 houses per year national home builder.  He started doing home inspections part time in 1976 while still building homes and has been doing it full time since 1983.  Mr. Bowers has been an educational presenter for InterNACHI and ASHI and has been nominated twice for ASHI’s prestigious “John Cox Award”.
 
  • John Bowman, Executive Director of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
                Vice President of The InterNACHI Foundation, Inc., Expert Examiner & Consultant NYS Department of State, National Real Estate Consultant with Gerson Lehrman Group Real Estate Council, Founder InterNACHI NY Fingerlakes Chapter, on:
The Past, Present and Future of InterNACHI.
 
  • Valerie Brodeur, CRMI, CIE of Aerotech Laboratories on:
Mold Inspections:  Standards and Certifications
1. Unification of IAQA, IESO and AmIAQ:  What each will do and how they fit in with groups such as InterNACHI
2. IESO standards:  Overview, Development, and Moving Forward
3. CRMI program
History, Future, How to sign up
 
Ms. Brodeur has over five years of analytical laboratory experience which includes environmental chemistry analysis, indoor air quality analysis and two years of project management experience.  She is involved with several organizations including the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), the American Indoor Air Quality Council (AmIAQ), and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO).  Ms. Brodeur is a Certified Residential Mold Inspector (CRMI) and a Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE).  She has been a trainer for the CRMI program through the Aerotech Technical Institute since 2004.  With her background in microbiology and project management, Ms. Brodeur opened and managed the first successful Aerotech P&K service center in Tampa, FL.  Ms. Brodeur holds a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Arizona State University.

 

  •  Robert "Bob" Brown, C.M.R.I.C. of Certified Adult Training Services on:
Advanced Defect Recognition for Home Inspectors - Foundations and Structures.  The outline for this foundation course includes:  Foundation Overview - What role the foundation plays as part of the house, dissecting the foundation and foundations old and new.  Landscaping - How landscaping and grading affect the home and issues that concern the inspector.  Foundation Types - Various materials used in foundations, concerns of these materials and defect recognition.  Foundation Styles - Various foundation designs, underpinning the foundation and defect recognition.  Disserting the Foundation - Detect and investigate problems, find the source where the problem originated, mentally solve the problem, estimate the approximate cost of repair and report your findings verbally and in writing to your clients.  Foundation Quiz - This proctored quiz contains 50-60 foundation based questions.
 
Mr. Brown has over 37 years in the construction industry, mostly in residential construction.  Before the term "home inspection" was coined, he was completing inspections for friends, acquaintances, brokers and realtors.  His extensive experience includes designing, building and patenting a pre-insulated, pre-fabricated wall system which led to him designing and building many custom homes throughout Southern Ontario utilizing this patented system.  He later ventured into the window, door and siding business and soon began redesigning windows, using a new technology he designed that increased the energy efficiency of windows.  Since 1998, he has been heavily involved in the construction industry.  He believes that there is far more to learn in the inspection industry than any 104 hour course can offer.  Along with other experienced trades people, Mr. Brown has launched courses and workshops specially-designed not only for home inspectors, but for homeowners, realtors and the general public.
 
  •  Russell Buchanan, President of HomeGauge, on:
    How to Spot Red Flags When Inspecting a Home – For the New Inspector.  If you have inspected less than 1,000 homes this class is sure to save you potentially thousands of dollars.  Slideshow driven of actual inspection photos, this class will alert you to look for problems that are not spelled out in your Standards of Practice.  It will also demonstrate the method of complete report entry of findings.  This class promises to be controversial and informative. Seating will be limited. (2 Hours) Special Offer: Receive a free entry in the InterNACHI/ProLab Truck Giveaway for attending this class, sponsored by HomeGauge.com.

    Mr. Buchanan is the President of HomeGauge which provides home inspection software and web services for the industry and has many thousands of customers throughout the United States and internationally.  He has inspected over 3,500 homes since 1994.  His ability to find problems along with his commitment to integrity made him the #1 inspector in demand of Western NC.  His reputation with agents earned him the title “Inspector par excellence”.  He has been an instructor at AB Tech College where he taught classes on “Intro to Home Inspections”.  Mr. Buchanan has taught continuing education for agents and has been the featured speaker at Real Estate Investor organizations such as CREIA (Carolina Real Estate Investor Association).

 

  • Jeff Coffey, Coordinator, Community Partnering Program for Disaster Preparedness, Partnership for Response & Recovery, and of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on:
Disaster Housing Inspections.  Mr. Coffey is the Coordinator for PaRR Inspections’ Community Partnering Program for Disaster Preparedness.  He also offers Training/Certification courses throughout the nation.  When necessary, Mr. Coffey also functions as a Field Supervisor on site during federally-declared disasters.  In the latter capacity he manages all field inspectors in the performance of their duties and interacts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Inspection Services Coordinator.  He has held these positions since PaRR Inspections was awarded the FEMA Housings Inspections contract in February 2001.  Prior to employment with PaRR Inspections, Mr. Coffey worked for six years as a Disaster Housing Inspector.  He also served as Team Leader, Trainer and Field Supervisor.  During this period Mr. Coffey was affiliated with Charter Disaster Services, Computer Sciences Corporation and Parsons-Brinckerhoff.  Mr. Coffey began his disaster relief career in 1995 as an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the National Processing Services Center in Denton, Texas.  He began as a Reviewer in the Department of Combined Verification (CV) and subsequently advanced to Team Leader.  Soon after, he transferred to the Inspections Services division to serve as Project Monitor.
 
Mr. Coffey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt University (1981) and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Ohio University (1986).
 
  •  Jeffrey D. Cohen, Esq., CPA, InterNACHI Tax Attorney, on:

Considerations in Selecting and Forming an Entity for Your Home Inspection Business and Operational Issues:  This class will be highly relevant to home inspectors who have been in the business for years as well as those just starting out.  We will discuss reasons for forming a separate entity for your business and explore the different entities available.  We will also discuss operational considerations such as bookkeeping and accounting record keeping as well as income and payroll tax reporting requirements.  This class will show you how entity selection, proper record keeping and tax reporting can help you to reduce your tax liability, reduce your risk of audit and protect your assets from liability.     

Mr. Cohen earned his B.A. from Michigan State University in 1992 and received his law degree from Michigan State University in 1996.  He earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University in 1998.  Prior to starting his own law practice, Mr. Cohen worked for the Big Four accounting firm Deloitte & Touche where he was a tax manager in the Private Client Services Group.  Mr. Cohen's law practice includes personal tax and estate tax planning for individuals and their families, business formation and succession planning, business transactional law and individual and business tax compliance services.  Mr. Cohen is a licensed attorney in the states of Colorado and Michigan.  He is also a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Colorado.  In addition, he is a licensed Registered Investment Advisor and has passed the S.E.C. Series 63 and 65 examinations. 

 

  •   Mark Cohen, InterNACHI/InterNACHI Attorney, on:
An Ounce of Prevention:  How to Not Get Sued, and What to Do When You Get Sued.  Mr. Cohen grew up in Denver, CO.  He earned his BA in economics at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA in 1980 and received his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder in 1983.  From 1983 to 1987 he served as a Judge Advocate (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force.  In 1986, he won the American Bar Association's Outstanding Young Military Service Lawyer award.  From 1987 to 1995, he practiced law in Omaha.  He has authored six articles published in the American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts series, including one on "Piercing the Corporate Veil".  His non-legal articles have appeared in magazines that include Inside Kung Fu and Camping & RV.  He served eighteen months as an Interim Municipal Judge for the City of Boulder and also served on the Executive Board of the Colorado Municipal League.  Mr. Cohen has experience in drafting and reviewing all types of contracts, including home inspection contracts.  An experienced litigator and trial attorney, he has represented home owners, inspectors, and contractors.  His experience has convinced him that a solid contract is the best protection a home inspector can have against frivolous claims and lawsuits.
 
Mr. Cohen is an attorney for both the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the InterInternational Association of Certified Home Inspectors.  His first novel, The Fractal Murders, was a Book Sense top ten mystery pick.  Time/Warner Books released his second novel, Bluetick Revenge, in July of 2005.
 
  •  Tedd Cuttitta Jr., President of HiTor Chimney Sweeps, on:
Inspecting Chimneys, Venting, Fireplaces and Wood and Gas Burning Appliances.  Mr. Cuttitta, Owner and President of Hi-Tor Chimney Sweeps, is fully certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.  He is one of the forty oldest continually certified chimney sweeps in North America and is recognized as an expert in his field.  He has served in various leadership capacities in the sweep industry, including Regional Vice President of New York State Chimney Sweep Guild and a member of the CSIA Certification Committee.  Mr. Cuttitta was a featured expert for CBS Television's "Shame on You" and has been featured in publications including the New York Times and Good Housekeeping Magazine.
  • IAQ/Industrial Hygiene Sampling Workshop.  This eight hour session includes:  Direct Examination Sampling for Mold; Air Sampling for Mold; Air Sampling for Bacteria; Total Coliform Sampling; Legionella Sampling; Endotoxin Sampling; Indoor Allergen Sampling; IAQ and IH Sampling Equipment; Industrial Hygiene Sampling; Pump, Canisters and more; How to Select a Pump and Canister Type; Media Selection; Sorbent Tube Selection; Passive Badges-Different types and why?; Flow rates; Volumes needed and why?; What is TO-15 and why it may be a better IAQ test; TO-15 and its history; Canister and Flow Controller Selection; Various State and Federal Program Requirements; Vapor Intrusion versus IAQ sampling; Use with soil gas testing; Formaldehyde; Sampling Considerations; Sorbent tube versus badges; What do the results mean?; Methamphetamine-Clandestine Lab IH Testing; Various State Programs; Sampling Kits; Data Evaluation; Was the correct method used to analyze my samples?; Is the data/report suitable for my project?
 
  •  Roberta Dulay, InterNACHI's Director of eServices, on:

Web Site Building and Search Engine Optimization for Home Inspectors. Ms. Dulay has over 9 years experience with search engine optimization and online marketing. She will be teaching a hands-on class on web site building for home inspectors, and will also speak on search engine optimization and how to get your web site in the top 10 results on Google.  

Ms. Dulay is also the owner and chief technologist of Grassfrog Technologies, a company that provides free report hosting, free search engine optimization, and content-rich home inspection web sites for InterNACHI members for only $75 plus hosting. Visit www.homeinspectionwebsite.com for more information.
 
  •   Bob Dwyer, Director of Training, Bacharach Institute of Technical Training, on:
Opportunities in Carbon Monoxide Safety:  Learn improved language techniques when speaking with heating contractors about carbon monoxide testing and furnace “tune-ups”.  Learn thorough ways to use your carbon monoxide test instruments to improve your inspections.  Do the buildings you walk into everyday have elevated levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the living or work space air?  If you don’t test, you don’t know!  That is the message.  Who is responsible for measuring the air you breathe?  Everyone in the service business should first evaluate their own knowledge and understanding of carbon monoxide, a harmful and deadly poisonous gas.  Carbon monoxide safety is an association we can all commit to.  When should I call the fire department, gas company, police, mechanical inspector or other authority having jurisdiction?  How do I test for CO in air?  How do I test appliances and other combustion systems?  How much is too much?  How do I check to see if the building pressures are contributing to or causing the problem?  Can combustion and air flow analysis provide efficiency verification as well as safety?
 
Mr. Dwyer is the Director of Bacharach's Institute of Technical Training.  He has facilitated the Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Safety Seminar to thousands of people and has presented his program all over North America, helping Bacharach bring service and experience to hundreds of communities.  Mr. Dwyer has co-authored “Carbon Monoxide, a Clear and Present Danger”, published and released by the ESCO Institute, January 2004 and has written carbon monoxide articles for a variety of trade publications.  His instructional background includes building construction; state, federal and public utility energy programs; combustion and environmental testing; HVAC associations; public education and community response coordination.  Mr. Dwyer is a 1972 graduate of Iowa State University.
 
  •   Joe Ferry, Attorney, real estate agent and InterNACHI's general counsel, on:
Big inspection-industry-changing projects coming down the InterNACHI pike.  Mr. Ferry is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the American College of Life Underwriters and Temple University School of Law.  He is a former Army Officer, a graduate of Field Artillery Officer Candidate School, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and served in Korea as Commanding Officer of the 176th Replacement Company and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky as a member of the Commanding General’s Staff.
 
Mr. Ferry is admitted to practice law before state and federal courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.  He maintains an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he has been a practicing trial lawyer since 1986 and has been InterNACHI’s General Counsel since 2001.  A former executive in the insurance industry, Mr. Ferry is the principal architect of the InterNACHI E&O insurance program through the agency of Towers Perrin.  Mr. Ferry is a popular speaker who lectures widely on a variety of legal and insurance issues.
 
  •  Carl Fowler of 3D Inspection Systems on:  
Methods of Organization for Inspecting and Reporting.  Each inspector has a favored routine for inspecting and a favorite way to report findings, yet no two inspectors can agree on what method is the best.  An inspector's perception of local conditions, both physical and marketplace driven, often dictates decisions about how they collect and report the inspection findings.  Is your operation efficient or are you expending unnecessary energy without additional pay?  Are there more efficient ways to inspect and report?  We will be exploring options for the organization of data collection and reporting of home inspection defects.  Come discover what others are doing and share your favorite tips.
 
  •  Jim Gallant, Co-Founder of ReportHost, on:
Leverage the Internet to Increase Your Business and to Reduce Your Costs and Liability.  We will show you proven techniques using email and ReportHost, the internet-based report writing service, to reduce software, printing and faxing costs.  We will also show you how to verifiably deliver pre-inspection contracts and produce reports that are guaranteed to increase your business.
 
Mr. Gallant is a Co-Founder of ReportHost, the premiere internet-based report writing service for home inspectors, and the owner of All Point Home Inspections in Poulsbo, WA.
 
  •  Andreas "Andy" C. George of Radon Testing Corporation of America on:
Radon Testing.  Mr. George is a consultant for Radon Testing Corporation of America and a member of the Health Physics Society and the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST).  He is certified as a Radon Measurement Specialist by both the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) and the NEHA NRPP.  He teaches the Radon Course for Technicians and Specialists.

Mr. George worked for 33 years with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the Energy Research & Development Administration (ERDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).  He did research in uranium mines from 1967-1973 and supervised the radon calibration facility at AEC/DOE from 1964-1996 when he retired from government service.  Mr. George developed many techniques for measuring radon, radon decay products and their particle size for lung dosimetry purposes.  He conducted the first classic radon survey study in the New York metropolitan area from 1975-1978. 
 
Mr. George was designated as a Fellow of the Health Physics Society in recognition of his contribution to the profession of Health Physics and the Society for Radiation Safety.  He received the U.S. Department of Energy Distinguished Service Medal in 1987 for Meritorious Service in recognition of his scientific efforts in studies devoted to assessing human exposure to radon and radon decay products found in residential buildings.
 
RADON MEASUREMENT OPERATORS COURSE OUTLINE FOR InterNACHI's CONVENTION:
COURSE AGENDA
DAY 1
08:00 Registration
08:15 Course Introduction-Overview and Objectives
08:30 SECTION ONE: RADIATION PHYSICS, RADIATION FUNDAMENTALS
            Atomic structure
            Uranium and Thorium series, 222Rn and 220Rn
            Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation
            Radon and Radon Decay Products, their Properties and Dosimetric Significance.
            Natural Radiation and its contribution to human exposure.
            Comparison with Man-made radiation sources.
            Radon sources
            Radon Half-life and its significance
            Radiation units: dps, dpm, Bq, Ci, pCi/L, Bq/m3, Working Level (WL),
            Working Level Month (WLM), Equilibrium Ratio (ER).
            Particle concentration in air, Attached and Unattached Radon Decay Products.
09:30 Break
09:45 Health risk from inhaling and ingesting Radon  and Radon Decay Products.
           Particle size in air and site of particle deposition in the respiratory tract.
           Uranium mine exposures and results from several epidemiological studies.
           How is lung cancer produced (direct and indirect action).
           Residential studies – Iowa study.   
           Calculation of the number of people in the U.S. that will develop lung cancer from
           Radon and Radon Decay products.
           BEIR Report-National Academy of Science.
           Risk from Radon in the soil and water.
           Radon is class A carcinogen and second leading cause of lung cancer
           Comparative risk
           Government Programs –State Programs
           Action Level
            Interpretation of measurement results (<4 pCi/L or > 4 pCi/L).
10:45 Break
           SECTION TWO: RADON ENTRY AND BEHAVIOR
           Radon in soil and building materials
           Entry routes. Radium in the soil and soil porosity.
           Driving forces and transport mechanisms.
           House induced soil suction
           Air pressure differentials
           Thermal by-passes-Thermal differentials.
           In-house appliances and their typical air flows.
           Stack effect-Greatest in winter
           Wind effect –Rainfall effect and barometric changes that follow.
           Frost effect around the outside of the house.
           Radon entry through different foundation types.
           Evaluation of the radon potential
           US EPA Radon survey findings –three zone areas.
           Some state survey results
           Daily and seasonal variations of indoor radon
           Radon in the first floor versus the basement
12:30 Lunch
13:00 SECTION THREE: RADON AND RADON DECAY PRODUCT  
           MEASUREMENTS, METHODS, DEVICES AND APPLICATIONS
           Overview and Objectives.
           Radon Vs Radon Decay Product measurements.
           Type of radiation used in different devices for measurement.
           Sampling Methods:
           Grab sampling
           Integrating sampling
           Continuous sampling
          Activated carbon Collector Devices- Principle of Detection.
          Gamma counting for charcoal canisters and alpha counting for liquid scintillation
          Vials. Demonstration of several types and tour through RTCA Lab. if course is    
           taken at Elmsford, NY.
          Advantages/Disadvantages and cost.
13:30 Break
13.45 Alpha Track Detectors – Principle of Detection.
Filtered type- Long term application
Demonstration of several types
Advantages/Disadvantages –Cost per exposure
Electret Ion Chambers (EICs)- Principle of Detection.
Short-term Vs Long-term exposure
Gamma radiation interference on voltage reduction
Calculation of radon concentration from the voltage reduction
Demonstration of two different types and Volt Reader..
Advantages/Disadvantages- Cost per exposure.
Grab Sampling and Sniffing of Radon
Scintillation Cell Method- Principle of Detection
Demonstration of different types with different counting equipment.
Sample calculation
Advantages/Disadvantages and Cost.
Grab sample measurements cannot be used to decide on mitigation
                                           
14:15 Continuous Radon Monitors (CRMs) or (CRs)
           Scintillation Cell Type (Several sizes)- Principle of Detection
Pulse and Current Ionization Chambers –Principle of Detection
Solid State Silicon or Diffuse Junction Detectors- Principle of Detection
Advantages/Disadvantages-Demonstration –Pictures and Overheads
Compare Sensitivities of different Radon measurement devices.
Training requirements for their use. Cost consideration.
14:45 Break
15:00 Radon Decay Product Measurement Methods and Devices
           Grab sampling- Kusnetz method for WL measurement.
           Sampling arrangement –Components needed- Protocols
           Principle of Detection     
           Demonstration of sampling and counting technique.
           Sample calculation for the WL.
           Advantages/Disadvantages- Training requirements  and cost.
           Continuous WL Monitors CW) – Principle of Detection
Demonstration of different types ( pictures and overheads)
Advantages/Disadvantages. Training requirements and cost.
Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)
Design and implementation of a QA program
Measurement errors – Precision and Accuracy (Bias).
Responsibilities of Analytical and Residential Service Providers
Record keeping and measurement documentation.
Radon Proficiency Program –Its present Status.
15:45 Break
16:00 SECTION FOUR: PROTOCOLS
           Review EPA Documents
           Short-term Testing for Radon in Non-Residential Real Estate Transactions.
           Single device (depending on State).
           Location- Placement Requirements- Closed-House conditions.
           Examine results and use EPA guidance criteria to determine whether follow up
           measurements are needed.
           Real Estate Testing Protocols (may differ slightly in different States)
           What must be done before, during and after testing.
           Location, placement requirements, weather conditions and test duration
           Use device that is certified and listed by appropriate organization.
           Sequential Testing-Duplicate Simultaneous Testing.
           Single Test Option with a CR that meets special requirements.
           Precision recommendations
           Interpretation of results. Provide guidance.
17:00 Adjourn
DAY 2
08:00 School Testing Protocols
           Test all rooms in contact with the ground and all rooms above crawl spaces. 
Interpretation of results
Retesting recommendations for all situations
More on QA and QC, Control Charts
Show how to make control charts from duplicate measurements
Requirements for device calibration, duplicates, spikes and field blanks
Test Interference by Tampering
Interfering with the Device
Interfering with the House Conditions
           Anti-Tampering Methods and Procedures
           Signature of Non –Interference Agreement (very important).
09:30 Break
09:45 SECTION FIVE: MITIGATION- WHEN IS RECOMMENDED
           EPA Recommendations
           Brief description of mitigation fundamentals
           Brief discussion of mitigation systems
           Sub-soil depressurization – Basement pressurization
           Heat Recovery Ventilation
           Effectiveness of different systems. Cost.
10:15 SECTION SIX: BUILDING INVESTIGATION
           Overview and Purpose of Building Investigation
           Initial Inspection and Investigation
Diagnostic Testing- Air movement under the slab (communication) for sub-slab field extension
           Any additional cost?
10:45 SECTION SEVEN: DOMESTIC WATER-COLLECTION, MEASUREMENT  
          AND CONTROL
          Waterborne Radon and its contribution to indoor Radon
          Water Radon transfer to air, from different uses of water.   
          Federal and State Waterborne Radon Guidelines.
          Water sample collection
          Water measurement methods
11:15 Break
11:30 Brief discussion of Radon removal methods
           Decay storage (not very practical)
           Aeration method (most suitable for treatment of large water supply systems)
           Activated carbon bed system (good for water supplies of <20,000 pCi/L)
           Advantages/Disadvantages of different methods-Cost
11:50 SECTION EIGHT: RADON RESISTANT NEW CONSTRUCTION
           Objective Prevent Radon from Entering Indoors
           What are the Radon Resistant Features.
           Gravel Option
           Perforated Pipe in Sub-Grade
           Collecting Matting
           What is the present status of Radon resistant new construction in the US
           How successful
12:15 Lunch
13:00 SECTION NINE: WORKER HEALTH AND RADIATION SAFETY
           General Safety from All Sources
           When does exposure to Radon and Radon Decay Products Occur?
           When is respiratory protection needed?  
           Exposure Limits

           How to monitor the worker’s radiation exposure
           Calculation of radiation exposure (WLM), from the Radon concentration
           Give examples of WLM in different working situations.
13:30 Discuss Certification and Continuing Education Requirements
13:45 Course Review and Questions
15:45 Break
16:00 Examination for applicants: 2 hours –100 multiple-choice questions.
 
Gail Pouchet-Melvin, Environmental Specialist, Radon and Indoor Air Quality, Bureau of Community Environmental Health FL Department of Health will be on site from Sunday through the end of the session.  She will be administering the State Radon Proctured test.  Any question regarding Florida licensing laws should be directed to her.  She will have literature and handouts.
 
  •  Nick Gromicko, InterNACHI's janitor, veteran REALTOR, and ad agency owner, on:
    How to raise your prices when your home inspector competitors charge less, tips for tweaking your home inspection website so it sells, getting your home inspection phones to ring off the hook, dominating your local market, and retire rich.

  •  Douglas Hoffman of the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors on:

    Mold Free Construction.  Mr. Hoffman has been involved in the construction industry since 1978.  While working as a General Contractor he specialized in commercial leasehold improvements, new commercial construction, new residential construction and residential renovations and remodeling.  For nearly 19 years, he owned and operated two other specialty companies, a roofing company which specialized in commercial roofing applications, specifically roof tile and certified flat deck roofing, and a plumbing company which primarily focused on repairs and service with occasional new construction installations.  In 1996 he became a licensed IAQ Consultant and directed his attention to IAQ Training and Consulting.  He does extensive training in the IAQ Field and appears monthly as a guest speaker on the Susan Bernecker Show called "Health Connection", a local radio talk show in New Orleans.  There he answers questions regarding the health affects and allergens related to mold, mildew and other indoor air pollutants.  Mr. Hoffman is also active in the public speaking arena offering seminars and workshops on Indoor Air Quality and Drinking Water Quality.
The National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI) is a cooperative group of Certified IAQ/Mold Inspectors and Certified Mold Remediators who have successfully completed training and certification in those specific areas of expertise. At this website you will find a listing of those professionals to facilitate your finding a business person who can help solve your IAQ/Mold issues. It is a resource designed for the PUBLIC to easily access an Inspector or Remediator.

Mr. Hoffman is the author of a book designed to provide information for homeowners, homebuilders, and other construction partners regarding the Mold-Free ProcessTM, a process by which the problems of mold and mildew may be controlled and, in some cases, eliminated by decisions made during the building process.  Many of the problems relating to mold and mildew proliferation are a direct result of poor decision-making in the design stages of construction and in the methods and materials used in the construction process itself.  By adhering to the recommendations herein described the occurrence of mold and mildew problems can be substantially reduced and thereby provide a more allergy-free environment for the new homeowner.  He wrote this book with the homeowner in mind.  It's usefulness, explained in the Introduction, explains how this book is timely, understandable, and practical.  It's timely because the increased proliferation of mold issues in indoor environments is alarming and homeowners and homebuilders want solutions now. It's understandable because he takes a "down to earth" and "common sense" approach to decisions the customer needs to make prior to the commencement of his construction process. He uses terms that are easily understood instead of the technical terminology reserved for the construction industry.  And it's practical because, using an easy checklist format, the homeowner is given the ability to begin the construction process with a checklist.  He can make decisions to insure the Mold-Free Process is complied with by the contractor.  How those early decisions are made could affect the health of him and his family for years to come.  He knows this will help the homeowner sort through the maze and have a clear picture of the house they really want to build.  He know this Mold-Free ProcessTM works!
 
  •     Kenny Hart, Master Plumber on:
Plumbing 101:  What you need to know before you inspect the plumbing.
 
There is more to plumbing than hot on the left and cold on the right. In this session, Kenny Hart’s uses a colorful and detailed slide presentation to identify many of the new plumbing materials used in residential piping today. His animations will illustrate basic DWV plumbing systems including those employing air admittance valves. Common DWV mistakes are shown in detail. Water heater installations, basic cross connection control and thermal expansion problems are also discussed during this basic plumbing class.

How a Plumber Inspects the Plumbing

For many, home inspection is a second career.  Electricians that become home inspectors can’t help but look at the electrical part of the home inspection a little differently than a former roofer. Kenny Hart worked as a plumber and HVAC technician for more than twenty years before working a day as a home inspector.  When inspecting properties he no doubt puts more of an emphasis on the plumbing and mechanical systems than the average home inspector. Using digital slides and thirty years of experience Kenny will walk through the plumbing portion of a home inspection and show you what concerns him most during an average day’s work. Start in the kitchen and finish in the crawlspace and learn the tricks of the trade as you go.
 
Inspecting Plumbing.  Kenny Hart is a second generation Master Plumber and HVAC Contractor with more than thirty years of service in the mechanical fields. Kenny is experienced in all areas of the home inspection profession and teaches and writes about the mechanical trades. His writings and contributions to trade journals and newspapers as well as his popular multi-media presentations to home inspector organizations have earned him the respect of his peers. Kenny is a Virginia State Certified Home Inspector, a member of the Virginia Cross Connection Control Association, Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspectors and many home inspector and trade groups including InterNACHI.
     
  •  Russ Barry Hollingsworth of America's Recovery Network on: 

    Debt Collection and Recovery Solutions.  Learn about bankruptcy laws, property management laws, landlord laws, liens, laws on check acceptance for home inspections, "float time" on checks from a debtor to a creditor and how to write a letter that will get the attention of those who owe you money.  Also discussed will be how to get your company a credit profile, the advantages of being a D.B.A., an LLC, a sub chapter S corporation, a sub chapter C corporation, what the liabilities are and what the benefits are of being listed as a company instead of using your personal credit history for your home inspection business.

    Mr. Hollingsworth is Vice President of America's Recovery Network and Chairman of InterNACHI's Sewer Lateral Repair Replacement Board.
     
  •  Jeffery Hooper, Advanced New Construction Instructor for Inspection Depot, on:

Introduction to New Construction Inspections.  Mr. Hooper has over twenty-four years experience in the custom home and light commercial construction business and inspections. He has built over 250 single family homes and 34 commercial buildings in different capacities.  He has testified and provided depositions for a large number of cases involving the Home Inspection and Building Inspection field and Construction Defect Cases.  Mr. Hooper has been qualified in almost all aspects of construction as an expert witness involving these cases.

Mr. Hooper currently owns and operates the home and building inspection company, Architectural Construction Technologies, Inc. in Florida.  Architectural Construction Technologies started operations January 10, 1994 and has since inspected over 3,200 commercial, single and multi family homes for both resale and new construction.  Architectural Construction Technologies provides technical advice and consulting services in all phases of construction related fields.  Construction monitoring and dispute resolution is also within the area of services provided. Clients include homeowners associations, attorneys, corporations and private individuals.

From August 25, 1992 to September 2, 1993 Mr. Hooper was an estimator and project manager for All Claims Insurance Repairs in Hollywood, FL after hurricane Andrew.  He documented and estimated damages including required repairs to homes and commercial buildings for some of the large insurance companies in South Florida (ITT Hartford, USFG, USAA, GEICO, CHUBB).  He personally inspected, documented and photographed 623 homes during this time.  He was responsible for completing over 12 million dollars in repairs.

From January 21, 1978 to August 25, 1992 Mr. Hooper was General Contractor, Supervisor and Project Manager for both single family homes and Jeff G. Hooper, CV page two commercial buildings.  These buildings were located in nine different states.  There were several Architects and Engineers that he performed work for including other General Contractors.

  •  Steve Jawitz, P.E., InterNACHI, ASHI, FABI of All Building Inspection, Inc. on:
Pools and spas; liabilities with borders, circulation and shells.  Mr. Jawitz is a licensed professional engineer, general contractor and building inspector with over 25 years experience.  He has completed over 12,000 building inspections and is a favorite with real estate attorneys in South Florida.
 
  • Gary Johnson of the InterNACHI Foundation on:
Integrating Your Business Plan for Growth.  Many home inspection business owners attempt to write a business plan; however, most end up with incomplete or unfinished ones, or work on the wrong things.  Plans should grow and evolve as your business does.  In this course you will learn the important aspects of what your plan should be and how to make it work for you.
 
 
  •  Jay Keany of Certified Nachi Store on:

A marketing presentation geared specifically for the home inspector.  This four part presentation will include marketing basics, how to get five more inspections per week, the five minute presentation that you should give to all of you Realtor contacts and how to double your contact list in 30 days, and answers to questions you might not even know to ask.

Mr. Keany is a sales and marketing professional with over 20 years sales experience.  He has been involved with the home inspection industry for 18 years, helping home inspectors improve their product and market themselves better.  He is a military veteran, has won political office three times, and been active locally and nationally with home inspection associations.

 

  •  Kerry Kelly of American Property Inspectors of Northwest Florida, Inc. on:

Stucco: Problems & Solutions.  The objectives are for home inspectors to identiy the type of stucco system as hardcoat, EIFS or DEFS, identify those areas that can cause water intrusion damage that are not readily visible, learn the appropriate action to correct the problem and learn how to document the findings in a non-threatening manner and provide disclaimers to aid in preventing potential litigation.

Mr. Kelly is a home inspector and a Stucco Moisture Inspector certified by Exterior Design Institute, Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries and by Moisture Warranty Corporation as a DryVit Litigation Inspector.  He completed over 600 home inspections last year with more than 150 of those being Stucco Moisture-Scan inspections.  He has completed Real Estate Broker training in Illinois and Florida and is a licensed Florida Real Estate Instructor.  As a licensed instructor he teaches contract law, real estate law, home inspection red flags and agency law to real estate professionals in Northwest Florida.  Mr. Kelly grew up in Dade City, Florida and retired from the USAF in 1977 after 21 years of service.  His service career included assignments in Air Rescue Service at six overseas locations where he completed over 500 parachute jumps, SCUBA diving trained with the US Navy and EMT training with the USAF.  He and his wife Barbara make their home in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida where he is President of American Property Inspectors of Northwest Florida.
 
STUCCO INSPECTION COURSE OUTLINE FOR InterNACHI's CONVENTION
Part 1
COURSE TITLE: Stucco – Problems and Solutions
INSTRUCTOR: Kerry Kelly
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar, Informal Lecture
REFERENCES: Material from- Exterior Design Institute,
Association of Walls and Ceilings Industries, Moisture Warranty Corporation.
Part 1A
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this course is for the student to be able to describe, explain and inspect the stucco cladding of a single family residence. The student will learn the differences between traditional stucco and synthetic stucco, learn how to identify the stucco cladding on a single family dwelling, learn the problem areas and how to inspect them, learn the solutions to common problems and know when to refer the customer to a qualified stucco moisture inspector. The student will also be able to reduce the potential for liability and litigation by developing
an adequate disclosure and disclaimer.
 
  •  Brian Kraff of Market Hardware on:

How to land more business from your website.  This discussion will provide an overview of how to build, maintain and market a professional inspection website.  Credibility, marketability, and search engine marketing are some of the topics to be covered.  Brian will show you how other inspectors are using the web to get 5-10 extra jobs a week.

 

  •  Kathleen A. Kuhn, Pres and CEO of HouseMaster, on:
Home Inspection Franchising: How it started and where it is going.  As President & CEO of HouseMaster, Ms. Kuhn is the only woman in this position in the industry and feels that she "grew up with the home inspection industry".  She has seen first-hand the evolution of the industry, from the days in the late 1970s when home inspections were ignored by homebuyers and viewed with skepticism by realtors, to the present when a home inspection is considered a vital facet of the home buying/selling transaction.  Having started a franchise herself in 1985, she learned the business from the ground up.  In 1989, in addition to her franchise, she took over the operation of HouseMaster's largest franchise - AMC in New Jersey - for several years.
 
Ms. Kuhn graduated from Montclair State University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in quantitative analysis and marketing.  In 1985, she left a field marketing position with AT&T to join HouseMaster.  Following ten years of field office and sales experience, she was promoted to a headquarters management position.  In 1985, she was appointed Vice President of Marketing and named CEO in 2000.  In October 2002, she added President to her current CEO title.  In January 2003, Ms. Kuhn became a founding member of the American Home Inspection Association (AHIA).
 
Ms. Kuhn has been interviewed by national magazines, daily newspapers and radio programs.  She has also appeared on television, including Good Housekeeping TV, NBC's Today and CNN.
 
  •  Tom Lauhon, Owner of American Residential Inspections, Inc. and Midwest Inspectors Institute, on:
Techniques for Home Inspecting.  One of the greatest and most common complaints from realtors is that home inspectors seldom look at the same issue and call it the same way.  One says "Not a problem."  The next one says "It's a Honey Do." And another says "Action is required."  Who is correct?  During this pictorial class, we will look at multiple conditions related to plumbing, electrical and heating.
 
Mr. Lauhon has been performing residential and commercial inspections since 1989.  Since 1993, as both owner and lead instructor of Midwest Inspectors Institute, he has been training home inspectors, appraisers and code enforcement officers throughout the United States.  As a result of the high level of commitment to quality education, Midwest Inspectors Institute (ID #6579) became an IACET Approved Provider in 2004.  Mr. Lauhon is an accomplished group speaker with over 2,000 hours of training classes to home inspectors as well as engaging in seminars and lectures on various aspects of home inspections, EIFS and structural defects.  His earned continuing education credits since 1992 include over 1,100 hours of training on topics ranging from mechanical to structural issues.  Mr. Lauhon is a designated expert witness for structural defects and moisture intrusion failures in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri.
 
 

  •  John A. Layzell, President of Synergis Business Solutions, on:

    6 Steps to Massive Results in Your Inspection Business.  You will get more ideas on how you can increase your income in 2 hours than you have in the last 2 years.  Discover the simple strategies that over 19,000 business owners across America have learned in these seminars to increase their revenue and profits dramatically.  Imagine finding that you had tens of thousands of dollars in untapped sales opportunities lying dormant in your business right now?  This event will unlock proven sales and marketing secrets that have made millions of dollars worldwide.  Topics to be discussed: How to increase profits working less hours; stop wasting money on advertising that does not work and have it make you money; work ON your inspection business instead of IN your business; test and measure; apply the 6 steps and 5 proven ways to grow your inspection business; get your best customers coming back.

    President of Synergis Business Solutions, Mr. Layzell is a licensed Action International Business Coach, Consultant, Trainer and Speaker.  He works directly with business owners, helping them build on their achievements to get more out of their business.  Typically, this focuses on generating more income, reducing the hours they are working, improving team relationships and keeping clients longer.

    Prior to forming Synergis Business Solutions, from 1982 he held several senior management positions with Royal Caribbean Cruises in Miami and Los Angeles.  Mr. Layzell has an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Management from NOVA Southeastern University and a Masters in Business Administration from Barry University.
     
  •  David B. Leshner, Snickers & Tootsie of Mold Detection Services, Inc. on:
The Benefits of Using Mold Dogs.  Mold Detection Services, Inc. was founded on the premise of providing only the best tools, technology and service for detecting and identifying mold in any environment.  Mr. Leshner will detail how using certified MoldDogs as a detection method is particularly useful for pinpointing problem areas and accurately inspecting more square footage in less time.  Mold Detection Services utilizes three certified MoldDogs to help them find what the inspector's eyes can't see.  MoldDogs are trained to discriminate scents of various types of microbial colonies in a variety of structures, including attics and crawl spaces.  Scent discrimination enables the MoldDog to differentiate between normal product materials found in the home and alert only on mold.  The dog is certified to detect and pinpoint at least eighteen different kinds of the most common toxic molds.  MoldDogs receive over 1,000 hours of training from the time they come from the humane society to the point that the handler enters the class.
 
  •  Steve Luxton of CMC Energy Services:
Energy Inspections.  As the Regional Manager of the Home Energy Tune-uP(r) program, Mr. Luxton has been recruiting and training home inspectors since 2003.  In addition to being an energy guru, he has been the Technical Director of one of the largest and most successful utility energy management programs in the country for close to 10 years.  He also has written technical manuals and co-authored a magazine article for Home Energy Magazine.  Mr. Luxton recently appeared in a national television program, CBS' Early Show, as an energy expert providing helpful consumer tips on how to save energy. His goal is to help thousands of homeowners lower their energy costs through Home Energy Tune-Up(r).
 
 
  •   Dr. Bill C. Merrell, Owner and Director of the Merrell Institute, on:
What your inspection school never told you.  Emphasis will be on the difficulty and endurance necessary to break into the home inspection business.  Rewarding...yes; Difficult...yes; Impossible to enter the business...no.  He remembers being asked to omit items on a report, with a promise of more work, and being told that if he did not "play ball" he would not be able to earn a living in this field.  He found that was not true, but for some heI can understand how it would be a real temptation. Sometimes doing the right thing might be tough, but in the long run doing the right thing is the only way to do business.  Now with licensing about to enter many inspectors lives, it is important, more now than ever, to make sure that everything performed is within the guidelines of your association's standards of practice.
 
Bill C. Merrell, Ph.D., is the Owner and School Director of both the Merrell Institute and the Appraisal Education Network School.  He has been approved to teach in New York State for over 25 years and has developed and written over 70 courses which are currently approved for use in New York State.  These include courses in real estate, environmental issues, inspection and appraisal, as well as courses that deal with state and federal agencies' guidelines, including HUD, FNMA, USPAP, and REIT.  In addition to writing courses for the Merrell Institute, Dr. Merrell developed courses for New York Institute of Technology, multiple real estate schools and real estate related associations during his educational career.  He also writes a monthly article for the Long Island Home Corner which has a circulation of approximately 350,000 homes and has written over a dozen articles for Suffolk Life Newspapers which has a circulation exceeding 1/2 million homes per week.  Dr. Merrell's background includes real estate brokerage, mortgage finance, general certified appraising, home inspecting and obviously education.  For the last several years, his focus has been on education and courses/programs created in these fields.
 
And a special Certified Master Inspector announcement: https://www.nachi.org/convention2006cmi.htm
 
 
  • Chris Morrell, InterNACHI's IT Director, on:
Web class for home inspectors (bring your laptops).
 
  •   Dr. Lionel J. Nowotny, Senior Inspector Instructor at the Leonard-Hawes, ITA Inspector School, on:
Inspection Challenges: Next Generation Materials, Systems and Methodologies for Modern Construction Practices.  The course will focus on items which may be currently unfamiliar to today's home inspector, but which may be encountered in newly constructed or renovated homes.  It promises to be insightful and a must-have for even the seasoned inspector.
 
Dr. Nowotny is a member of InterNACHI and has also joined NACHIs Education Committee, where he will help shape InterNACHI's educational policies and offerings.  He is a “Distinguished Graduate” of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (1961) and earned a PhD in Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin (1971).  He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy serving on Nuclear Submarines and in numerous engineering management assignments during his twenty-year military career.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer, Licensed Real Estate Broker, Professional Inspector, Mortgage Broker, Real Estate Appraiser and a Property and Casualty Insurance Adjuster.  In the past he has founded several corporations pursuing engineering and real estate related services.  He developed the first operational “Business Incubator” in the City of Dallas and was a consultant to the Puerto Rican Government in economic development in the early 1990’s.  He has been the President of the Texas Mini-Storage Association, Board Member for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and a national Trustee for the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.  His many credentials are a result of his love for learning and teaching coupled with a belief that he lives by: “The more knowledge one has about the overall industry, the more effective he/she will be.”  He has developed a highly effective “Exam Preparation” course for Inspector Licensee Candidates as well a system by which prospective, current and past inspector students can communicate their ideas, questions and concerns.  "We are most fortunate and honored to have Dr. Nowotny teach at next year's convention", says Joe Farsetta, InterNACHI's Director of Professional Development. "Lionel is an industry leader in education, and we are proud that he is joing us at, what will be, the Home Inspection educational event of the century."
 
  •  Robert W. Pearson of Allen Insurance Group on: 
Managing and minimizing your risk as a home inspector.  This presentation details historical claims information, claim development, what causes claims, samples of claims, the 3 w's and report writing and an open discussion. 
 
Mr. Pearson's previous experience as a home inspector gives him a unique perspective in dealing with home inspector insurance.  He started his first inspection business in 1985 and since 1992 has been the manager of Allen Insurance Group's program along with maintaining a home inspection business on the side.  He retired as an active inspector in 2000.  He has a home building business with his son in Minnesota and is an owner and manager of Allen Home Warranty Group.  Mr. Pearson has written many articles on claims management and report writing and is considered to be the foremost expert on home inspector insurance.  https://www.nachi.org/allenbrinks.htm
 
  • Gail Pouchet-Melvin, Environmental Specialist, Radon and Indoor Air Quality, Bureau of Community Environmental Health FL Department of Health:

Ms. Pouchet-Melvin will be on site from Sunday through the end of the session.  She will be administering the State Radon Proctured test.  Any question regarding Florida licensing laws should be directed to her.  She will have literature and handouts.

  •   Michael Rowan, President of Inspection Depot, on:
Systems Approach and Marketing for Home Inspectors.  Mr. Rowan will be giving a full day of classes on these topics and more.  Inspection Depot, Inc., was conceived and established by Michael Rowan, President and Founder of AmeriPro Inspection Corporation, Inc. a home inspection company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.  Inspection Depot is a new, ground-breaking service and supply company created to empower home inspection professionals across the country with proven tools for increasing revenues and improving inspectors’ quality of life.
 
Mr. Rowan began his building and home inspection career in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the mid eighties.  He received a formal, college-level education in building surveying, obtained his Designated Charter of Building Surveying and completed a demanding apprentice to one of Europe’s largest building surveying companies.  Mr. Rowan relocated to the United States and established what has become one of the most successful and fastest-growing inspection companies in Florida.  Not to be content with being a successful home inspector, he assumed an industry leadership role that has lead to his being one of the foremost innovators for the inspection industry.  On his own initiative, he launched and led a three-year project to develop a unique, time-saving Home Guide Report System that is already revolutionizing the way inspectors conduct on-site documenting of their inspections and present the results to their customers.
 
With the founding of Inspection Depot, Inc., Mr. Rowan brings to bear his years of inspection industry experience to tackle the day-to-day challenges of generating more revenue, delivering higher quality customer service and improving inspectors’ quality of life – working smarter, not harder.
 
  •  Barry Stangel, InterNACHI Trainer, Executive Director of Pest Management Consulting & Training Institute, on:
Advanced Inspecting Techniques for Wood Destroying Insects.  Program 1:  Wood Destroying Insect Inspections.  For home inspectors who are currently performing or will be performing wood destroying insect inspections.  The program covers using the NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect inspection form.  We will cover the insect identification and biology of subterranean termites and other wood destroying insects. Course duration: 1.5 to 2 hours.  Program 2:  WDI Advanced Training Course.  For seasoned inspectors that wish to use the WDI inspection as a platform for developing a reoccurring inspection program. Course duration: 1.5 hours.  Also, update on using new technology for wood destroying insect inspections: Thermo imaging & acoustical devices.  These Wood Destroying Insect Inspection seminars focus on inspections with zero liability.  With more than 45 years of experience in the pest management industry, he is recognized as one of the top trainers in the country.  Mr. Stangel is Executive Director of Pest Management Consulting & Training Center in Suffern, NY, a Consultant for the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation and a Master Pesiticide Applicator.  The center provides training classes for state certification exams throughout the northeast states.
 
  • Lorne Steiner, CEO of Porter Valley Software and InterNACHI's Director at Large, on:
Advanced Communication Skills.  Mr. Steiner is a graduate of Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Architecture degree with minors in Computer Science and the legal field.  He is a registered AIA Architect and has been a licensed California Contractor since 1980.  He has designed and built many homes in the Los Angeles area and has won numerous design awards.  Mr. Steiner is also well known in the computer industry having worked with personal computer pioneers such as Peter Norton who he collaborated with to help create "Norton Utilities" and "Norton Antivirus" just to name a few. 
 
Since 2001, Mr. Steiner has dedicated himself to the Inspection Industry.  As CEO of Porter Valley Software, he is bringing together his knowledge of architecture, construction, computers and the judicial system.  He travels around the US, Canada and the UK giving seminars to Inspectors on what it takes to stay in business in our increasing litigious society.  His talks include the effective use of today's available technology to help Inspectors raise their fees, stay out of the court system and increase their professional stature in the community.
 
  •   Dr. Keith Swift, President of Porter Valley Software and InterNACHI's Report Writing Consultant, on:
Advanced Communication and how to Avoid Litigation.  This seminar will include an entertaining and informative Power-Point presentation and conclude with a period of questions and answers.  Mr. Swift is the President of Porter Valley Software and a licensed general contractor, with a PhD in English.  He has been inspecting properties for more than eighteen years and during that time he has accumulated a wealth of practical experience.  In addition, he has published numerous articles on the subject of avoiding litigation and has shared his knowledge with other inspectors at conferences and seminars throughout the United States and Canada.
 
  •  Bob Thompson and  Steve Morton of The Reinforcer on:
Foundation Repair for Bowing Walls and the Use of Their Patented Carbon Fiber System Called The Reinforcer.  Bob Thompson and Steve Morton founded Nationwide Reinforcing, Ltd. nearly eight years ago.
 
Mr. Thompson is a Professional Engineer with a degree in civil engineering from Ohio State University.  His primary discipline has been in geotechnical and foundation engineering for the past 18 years.
 
Mr. Morton is a Professional Engineer with a degree in civil engineering from The Ohio State University. His primary focus was on structural engineering and construction management.  He has worked for design engineering firms as a structural engineer and 10 years with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) as the composite research engineer.
  
  •  Chris Uhland, CEO of SkyeTec, on:
Water Intrusion and Mold Intrusion: A Basic, Step-by-Step Process.  This course is designed to break-down the confusing elements of Mold and Water Intrusion into a fundamental response process for the builder or home inspector.  In outlining the appropriate steps the builder can build a documentation trail and expectation of closure on an issue that currently creates confusion and fear.  The course will outline specifically the personnel, the actions, the communication processes and the documentation processes necessary to appropriately identify and respond to Water Intrusion and Mold concerns.  In addition, the course will educate the attendee on the proper way to communicate their activities and the results of their activities with the owner or occupant of the building in question.  All of which brings all parties to a collective place of closure.
 
CEO and cofounder of SkyeTec, Mr. Uhland gained 15 years of documentation and protocol experience in environmental and healthcare industries before co-founding SkyeTec in 1999.  Since 1999, SkyeTec’s services have grown to include, among other services, the SkyeTec Certification Program to validate builders’ best practices, limit their liability, educate their staffs and homeowners in indoor environmental issue prevention, and offer them online resource management tools.
 
Currently, SkyeTec is the fastest growing, privately-held company in Northeast Florida and has become the benchmark for the indoor environmental industry.
 
SkyeTec
Overview of the Company
    Locations
    Volume
    Service Offerings
 
Current Business Opportunities
    SEBS
    Catastrophic Services
    Re-sales
 
SkyeTec Environmental Building Solutions
    Description
    Where currently servicing
    Isolated Needs
    Ongoing Needs
 
STEP Program
    Description
    Still in development
    National Opportunity
 
Licensing Program
    Description
    Resale Market:  Pilot to be done in Atlanta
 
Customer Base (Sample)
    Single-Family:  Toll Brothers, Beazer, KB, St. Joe, and many small to medium sized local builders
    Commercial Builders/Developers:  Trammel Crow, RJ Griffin, Brassfield & Gorrie,
    Bristol Development, Vestcor Development, Yates Construction
 
Next Steps
    Atlanta
    Interviews
    Availability Data-base
  • Stacey Van Houtan of Holmes Inspection Company on:
Roofing.  Mr. Van Houtan has over 25 years experience in the construction of residential, commercial and industrial projects.  As a building consultant for Holmes Inspection Company he performs residential, commercial and environmental inspections including mold, stucco and termite inspections.  As owner of Vans Home Services he performs commercial building inspections as well as structural, mechanical and whole house inspections, which include testing for radon, mold, lead, asbestos, septic, wells, termites and pool/spa.  He teaches at Professional Inspection Training Institute (PITI) and supervises and manages service repair contractors.  Mr. Van Houtan's educational background is in biology and chemistry from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.
 
  •  Bill Wright of SOS Mold on:
Overview of Mold 101 and Overview of Advanced Mold Assessment for the Professional Inspector.  The course on Mold 101 will provide an awareness and practical working knowledge of indoor air quality and mold as it relates to real estate inspections.  Participants will learn the importance of indoor air quality within buildings; the relationship between indoor air quality and mold; what mold is and what causes poor indoor air quality; the various health problems related to mold; truths and myths of mold and indoor air quality; the techniques which are used to properly remediate mold; the potential liability and lawsuits which can result from improper identification or disclosure of mold; and the procedures used to prevent mold.  The course on Advanced Mold Assessment for the Professional Inspector will provide an advanced knowledge of indoor air quality and mold as it relates to real estate inspections.  Participants will learn current trends and news in mold; what organizations are studying mold and where to find information; how to read and interpret Mold Sampling Data; how to delineate the source of water intrusion; inspecting a dwelling prior to mold remediation; inspecting a dwelling after mold remediation; commonly utilized disclaimers for Mold Testing and Assessment; the procedures used to prevent mold; and reporting mold in an understandable way.
 
Mr. Wright currently operates a successful Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Remediation Company and has been involved in the environmental and building sciences since graduating from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in 1993.  He is vastly experienced in evaluating environmental concerns in properties as well as the indoor air quality of structures.  He has worked closely with clients assessing indoor air levels of mold, pollen, allergens, radon and other contaminants.  Mr. Wright also performs educational seminars (continuing education credits) at local colleges and provides educational and informational seminars.  The seminar topics include, but are not limited to, mold, radon, inspecting, remediation and air quality.
 
Mr. Wright is a member of and holds certifications from InterNACHI, the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO), Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) and the Environmental Solutions Association (ESA).
 
  • Mick Zelaska from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):
Mr. Zelaska will be with us on Monday and Tuesday to explain and promote the HUD inspection programs.  The Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is currently recruiting qualified contract inspectors to inspect over 25,000 HUD-assisted properties annually, in all 50 states and territories, including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Marianas Islands to ensure properly maintained, safe and sanitary housing.  Anyone interested in partaking of these programs should visit with Mr. Zelaska, he will be in the InterNACHI booth in the exhibit hall.
 
  • Plus:  A major manufacturer of hydronic and steam heating boilers/systems will be teaching classes on these systems function, failures and inspection techniques and a major manufacturer of AC, Heat Pump, Forced air heating equipment will be teaching classes on systems, functionality, inspection techniques and common failures.
The best continuing education classes (5 full days).
 
 
In cooperation with InterNACHI, U.S. Inspect is pleased to announce we will be hosting a happy hour reception on the evening of February 4 from 6-9PM in the Crown Hall of the Disneyworld’s Wyndham Buena Vista Palace.  In addition to great food, 2 drink tickets per attendee will be provided for beer, wine, and soda (liquor will be available at a cash bar).  For more information visit: https://www.nachi.org/usinspectcon2006.htm
 
 
Awards
Awards will be given out for recognition and service in the following categories:
 
InterNACHI Member of the Year
The InterNACHI Member of the Year Award program was created to publically recognize a InterNACHI member for superior performance during the calendar year.  This award will be presented to a InterNACHI member selected based on exceptional contributions to the InterNACHI Organization, fellow members, and their individual local community in the following areas:
1. Performs "beyond the call of duty" to improve the service, quality, or image of InterNACHI.
2. Exemplifies professionalism and dediction to excellent service by putting forth the extra effort.
3. Makes outstanding contributions of significance to the InterNACHI organization to fulfill its mission.
 
U.S. Member of the Year
The U.S. Member of the Year Award program was created to publically recognize a U.S. InterNACHI member for superior performance during the calendar year, January 1 through December 31.  The award will be presented to respective members selected based on exceptional contributions to the InterNACHI Organization, fellow members, and their individual local community in the following areas:
1. Performs "beyond the call of duty" to improve the service , quality, or image of InterNACHI.
2. Exemplifies professionalism and dedication to excellent service by putting forth the extra effort.
3. Makes outstanding contributions of significance to the InterNACHI organization to fulfill its mission.
 
Canadian Member of the Year
The Canadian Member of the Year Award program was created to publicly recognize Canadian members for superior performance during the calendar year, January 1 through December 31.  The award will be presented to
respective members selected based on exceptional contributions to the InterNACHI Organization, fellow members, and their individual local community in the following areas:
1. Performs "beyond the call of duty" to improve the service , quality, or image of InterNACHI.
2. Exemplifies professionalism and dedication to excellent service by putting forth the extra effort.
3. Makes outstanding contributions of significance to the InterNACHI organization to fulfill its mission.
 
Chapter Recognition
The Chapter Recognition Award Program was created to recognize annual outstanding chapter achievement.  The guidelines for participation and the accomplishments of recognized chapters may serve as a benchmark against which other chapters can measure themselves. It is our intention that the Award program inspire all chapters to higher levels of activity and excellence. Participation in this awards program is voluntary.  Recognition awards are presented in four categories: (Items 1 through 3 may be issued more than once for each chapter. But only 1 certificate per item per month for each chapter applying and being approved by the InterNACHI Awards Committee.).  Item 4 is issued to one Chapter per year.
1. Outstanding Chapter Programming.
2. Advancing the Home Inspection Profession.
3. Outstanding Member Services.
4. Overall Chapter Excellence.
 
Inventions and Innovations Program
The InterNACHI Inventions and Innovations Awards Program was created to recognize individuals or companies who create new products, ideas, methods, or technologies, or apply existing knowledge in creative new ways to improve the Home Inspection Industry.  Simple requirement - Provides products, ideas, methods, or technologies that are proven to be beneficial to the Home Inspection Professional or Industry.  The InterNACHI Inventions and Innovations Awards are open to individuals and company's based in, or doing substantial business within the Home Inspection Industry.
 
 
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Special deals and door prizes:
 
  PRO-LAB and InterNACHI will be giving away a 2006 Ford F-150 to a InterNACHI member.
 
  • Inspection Software Mini Expo:
 
The industry's top three inspection software companies are offering a joint presentation at the convention.  They will be showing inspectors the very latest in computer report generation.  This presentation is a must for anyone considering an upgrade to their reporting system.  Each company is offering a special InterNACHI show price that you won't be able to beat anywhere else.  Also, these three cutting edge firms have purchased $3,000 raffle tickets for the truck (above).  They will be given out to the attendees of this presentation.  DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
 
  Awards for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, longest drive and closest to the pin being given out at the InterNACHI Foundation's four-person modified scramble.  Hole in One wins $150,000.00 with a chance to win $1,000,000.00:  http://www.nachi.golfreg.com
 

 

  • Bacharach will be offering their Bacharach carbon monoxide test intruments on site for a special InterNACHI Convention show price.  They will also calibrate all the meters sold at the InterNACHI Convention.

 

 

  •  50 Free copies of "See What I See, A Home Inspector's Guide to Success, Be the Best in the Business, Outmarket your Competition, Retire Rich" will be given out.

 

  • HomeGauge is giving away 1,000 $1 tickets to win the truck to people who stop by their booth and one of those tickets will win HomeGauge software.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • ReportHost is giving away a subscription to "Fine Home Building" magazine.

 

  • RTCA is giving away a radon starter kit.

 

 

 

  • ETR Laboratories is giving away an Advanced Environmental Health Scan (a $1,200 value).

 

*Free Report Hosting*
All InterNACHI members already get free report hosting services on www.reportupload.com. Convention attendees: show your registration confirmation and we'll double the number of free reports you can upload every month - for life!

*Free Search Engine Optimization*
All InterNACHI members already get free SEO services on homeinspectionwebsite.com/seo.php, but now all convention attendees (including non-members) can get a live SEO consultation for free, on site at the convention. Stop by the InterNACHI booth and ask for Roberta.

*Free Home Inspection Web Sites*
Grassfrog Technologies will be giving away a free home inspection website (as seen on homeinspectionwebsite.com) on each day of the convention. These web sites include over 60 pages of content, your choice of over 3 dozen professional designs, built-in web site statistics, home inspection order form, content management tools and more. These web sites will be hosted for free on your own domain name (not a folder on someone else's web site that you have to point to with your domain). All Convention attendees may enter in person by stopping by the InterNACHI booth in the Exhibition Hall or by enrolling in the Web Site Building class on Sunday, however you do not need to be present to enter or to win. If you are a InterNACHI member who cannot make the Convention this year, you may enter online by visiting www.grassfrog.com<http://www.grassfrog.com/>; any time between February 4th and February 8th. Note: only one online entry per InterNACHI member is permitted. Winners will be posted on www.homeinspectionwebsite.com, the InterNACHI forums, and also contacted via email.

 

 

 

 

  • This-Home is giving away 1 year free scheduling and payment processing (a $500 value).

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Inspector Sites is giving away 3 months of their service and an Inspector Sites polo shirt (a $150 value).

 

 

  • FREE websites and hosting to all InterNACHI members who attend the convention. 

 

 

  • New Image Software is giving away 2 (two) Inspector FX Home Inspection Software Suites (valued at $1,600 each).  One will be given out as a door prize and the other at New Image Software's vendor booth. 

 

  • BestInspectors.net is giving away 2 (two) XL Pro 2006™ Silver Edition Home and Commercial Inspection Report and Business System (valued at $495 each).

 

 

  • Bacharach, Inc. will calibrate meters or tools for free for anyone who attends the convention.  Stop by their booth!

 

  • Inspection Depot is giving away 3 (three) 1 year subscriptions of Virtual Inspector Online Business Management (valued at $599.40 each) - if the winner has multiple inspectors, they will pay for just the additional inspectors; 1 year of Home Guide Reporting Software (valued at $999); and 1 year of U Manage Desktop Business Management Software (valued at $599).

 

__________________________________
  • Other door prizes galore!
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Allen Insurance Group and Brinks Home Security team up to help InterNACHI members:
 
Allen Insurance Group and Brinks Home Security have formed a strategic alliance that is designed for InterNACHI members.  Qualified inspectors will be able to dramatically reduce their Errors and Omissions insurance cost by signing up with the Brinks Home Security Inspection Program offered exclusively through Allen Insurance.  Stop by our booths at the up coming InterNACHI convention for more details. 
__________________________________
 
 
The InterNACHI Foundation will have Gary & Nick in the dunking booth.
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InterNACHI's mobile educational convoy will be on hand.
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92 educational exhibitor booths.
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   Approved by the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
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The best speakers in the inspection industry.
_____________________________________________________________________________
 
For those that want one, InterNACHI will be taking pictures and producing free magnetic photo inspector I.D.s while you wait (so wear a clean shirt).  Can't wait?  Visit www.nachi.org/sampleid.htm
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FREA, the Nation’s #1 E&O Provider for home inspectors, is pleased to announce they will be the premier sponsor of  InterNACHI’s 2006 Annual Convention to be held February 4-8, 2006 in Orlando, FL.

In recognition of InterNACHI’s growing membership and the diligence and professionalism of the inspectors who belong to the association, FREA proudly accepts Nick Gromicko’s offer of being the main sponsor of InterNACHI’s largest event of the year. FREA congratulates InterNACHI on its phenomenal growth and for providing ongoing education and setting standards of excellence within the industry.

“We encourage all InterNACHI members to attend the ’06 convention which is going to be an event not to be missed” said FREA’s Managing Director, Nigel Bonny. “We always learn so much about the industry when we can get out and meet inspectors face to face.”

FREA is the most reliable E & O provider to the nation’s  home inspection industry, offering the best rates with the lowest available deductible. Additionally, FREA uses an A++ rated carrier admitted in all 50 states.

_____________________________________________________________________________
 
The InterNACHI Convention Committee is also holding separate events during the convention (open to all):
  • InterNACHI Super Bowl Extravaganza:

We will be having a stupendous Super Bowl party on Sunday, starting at 4:00 and continuing through the post game show including a big screen TV, food and cash bar.  Just bring your team spirit!  Gary planned the food, so you know it will be fattening and good.

  • InterNACHI Golf Outing and $150,000.00 contest:
  • Texas Hold 'em Tournament
  • Of course, there will be discounted Disneyland coupons.
  • Need to rent a car from Hertz? 

https://www.nachi.org/hertz.htm

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 
Members should exploit this marketing opportunity: https://www.nachi.org/realtorinvitation2005.htm and invite local REALTORs to attend at no charge as your guest.  InterNACHI is not charging your invited guests if they are licensed agents.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
 
The Convention will be covered by nearly every major media outlet including Wally Conway and Tanya Stokes of WOKV's Happy Home Inspector show on AM960.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
Jeff Judy of Ohio State InterNACHI will be providing and promoting the new attendance platform database for chapter leaders, including training to any chapter leader that wants to learn and use it.  It has been reworked into the MS Access platform that is easy to use.  Get your copy and training from Jeff at the Convention.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
The convention is free to inspectors from PA.  Email us fast-reply@internachi.org for more information about PA..
_______________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
   
The NACHettes will be serving free nachos!
___________________________________________________
 
2,500 inspectors, 92 exhibitors, 40 speakers, education galore, free nachos, one heck of a good time!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
 
Just as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.   Proverbs 27:17.
 
            Members of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) are the most educated and best trained inspectors in the world and InterNACHI is committed to keeping it that way.  Toward that end InterNACHI has taken steps to encourage member pursuit and maintenance of inspection excellence and we have accomplished this without additional charge to members.  We believe that fees, like taxes, deter professional development and that the best way to encourage the continuing education of our membership is by supporting variety, accessibility and affordability in educational options.
 
            InterNACHI members start off by fulfilling certain requirements before they can even apply for membership.  They have access to the InterNACHI University which is free.  InterNACHI’s Ethics Obstacle Course is open-to-all and free.  InterNACHI’s photo web gallery of defects is the largest in the world, open-to-all and free.  InterNACHI’s online visual aid frames library is the largest in the world, open-to-all and free.  InterNACHI’s online exam preparation tool with a pool of over 2500 multiple choice questions and answers is the largest in the world, and free.  InterNACHI’s online searchable inspector glossary is the largest in the world, open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice quiz, which reveals where an inspector may be veering, is self-evaluating, open-to-all and free.  InterNACHI's online continuing education is free.  InterNACHI, far more than any other source, provides educational events around the world, open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI refuses paid advertisements to enhance trust in our information.  InterNACHI's lending library is free.  InterNACHI’s interactive, photo message board, with over 163,000 topics, is the industry’s largest and most popular, very educational, open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI’s online Inspector Examination, with over a trillion different versions, taken over 55,000 times, and which generates a custom inspector-weakness pie chart upon completion, is graded instantly, open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI’s 1-day HVAC, mold, and electrical seminars are open-to-all and free to members.  InterNACHI's message board protects free-speech so visitors can determine the truth.  InterNACHI publishes Dear InterNACHI online which gives detailed answers to specific inspection-related questions, is open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI provides product recall alerts.  InterNACHI publishes What's New, an inspection industry update, online, open-to-all, and free as well as the Inspector's Quarterly newspaper.  InterNACHI’s 1/2 day mock-inspections of actual homes provide true hands-on training and are free.  InterNACHI’s local chapter meetings typically present technical speakers, are open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI provides report review services for free.  InterNACHI operates a mobile classroom which travels across North America providing education to home inspectors for free.  InterNACHI permits all outside/for-profit continuing education providers to advertise their courses to our members on InterNACHI’s websites for free.  InterNACHI maintains a Question of the Day thread, open-to-all, and free.  InterNACHI negotiates member discounts on nearly every continuing education provider’s courses.  InterNACHI’s meetings distribute a wide variety of educational literature to all for free.  InterNACHI’s staff, committee members, chapter leaders, veteran members, special-expertise members, and advisory boards are constantly helping members one-on-one for free.  InterNACHI members typically provide fellow members with free ride-a-longs on actual inspections for free.  Over the years InterNACHI has arranged for third-party providers to offer our members online training for free.  InterNACHI employees some of the world’s leading trainers and makes them available to members for free.  InterNACHI's online roofing course is free.  InterNACHI does not charge for or unduly withhold approval of any organization’s continuing education courses, even those offered by other inspection associations.  InterNACHI’s 48,000+ page website is itself very educational. And coming in 2005, InterNACHI will release a virtual House of Horrors, an online wood destroying insect course, and an occupant hazard recognition primer, all very educational and all free.  InterNACHI's Online Inspector Examination's main purpose, besides testing competence, is to alert members to their weaknesses.  The same is true for InterNACHI's Code of Ethics obstacle course, designed to alert members to possible infractions.  And the same is true for InterNACHI's Standards of Practice quiz, designed to alert members to areas they are over and/or under inspecting.  All three are pre-application requirements and all free.  InterNACHI even has online educational inspection-related crossword puzzles, open-to-all and free of course.
 
            A variety of accessible and affordable educational options encourages and enhances the professional development of all our members, but our most precious educational tool is our spirit of camaraderie.  InterNACHI members continue to pursue, achieve, and maintain inspection excellence in an atmosphere of members helping fellow members.  Please join us at the convention in this spirit.
 
 
            Nick Gromicko
            Founder
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Wyndham/Buena Vista Palace Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 
Our host hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Walt Disney Resort.  Our guests enjoy special privileges - like continuous complimentary transportation to all Disney theme parks so you can leave and return to the InterNACHI convention and your room whenever you want.  Universal studios and Sea World are also just minutes away.  Book your room now by phone and ask for the $169 (normally $235) "InterNACHI" room rate.  Staying at the same hotel as the convention is the way to go!
________________________________________________________
 
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Book a room at the hotel.  Mention InterNACHI and get a room discount.
Visit our convention site.  The inspection event of the century.
Other InterNACHI events.  InterNACHI has events all over the world.
What's New.  Find out the latest in the inspection industry.
Questions?  Email us at convention@nachi.org. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Me free too!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1st Inspection Services, 3-D Inspection Systems, 24-7 Scheduler, American Property Inspectors of Northwest Florida, American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST), AccuStar Labs, Advantage Merchant Services, Aerotech P&K, AI Risk Specialists Insurance, Allen Insurance, InterNACHI Alternate Dispute Resolution Service, Americas Recovery Network, American Home Inspectors Training Institute (AHIT), Craig Auberger, Rick Bacharach, Rick Bates, Gerry Beaumont, Dan Bowers, John Bowman, Robert Brown, Russell Buchannan, Brinks Home Security, BRP Business Risk Partners, Center of the Sun, Certified Adult Training Services, Certified InterNACHI Store, Jeff Coffey, Jeffrey Cohen, Mark Cohen, Tedd Cuttitta, Community Partnering Program for Disaster Preparedness, Roberta Dulay, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Home Energy Tune-Up, Digital Leveling Systems, Disaster Restoration, Dr. Jason Dobranic, Bob Dwyer, Environmental & Analytical Management (EAM), eInspections, , Environmental Education Foundation, EHS Lead Lab, ETR Labs, Family Safety Products, Femto-TECH, Joe Ferry, FindAnInspector.us, F.I.R.E. Service, Flir Systems, Carl Fowler, FREA, Jim Gallant, Andreas “Andy” C. George, Grail Media, David Grammer, Grassfrog Technologies, Kenny Hart, HB Home & Environmental Inspection Service, Hi-Tor Chimney Sweeps, Douglas Hoffman, Russ Barry Hollingsworth,  Holmes Inspection Company, Home Inspector Essentials, HomeGauge, HomeTechOnline, Jeffery Hooper, House Facks, HouseMaster, International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants, IFREC Real Estate Schools, Inspection Depot, Inspection Training Associates (ITA), InspectorLocator.com, InspectorMall.com, Inspector’s Quarterly, InspectorSEEK.com, Inspector Sites, InspectWare, InspectionWise, InterInternational Association of Certified Home Inspectors, International Society of Home Inspectors, Integrated Business Solutions, Steve Jawitz, Gary Johnson, Jay Keany, Kerry Kelly, Russel Kirk, Brian Kraff, Kathleen Kuhn, Tom Lauhon, John Layzell, David Leshner, Steve Luxton, Market Hardware, MBNA, Merrell Institute, MGB Publications, Dr. Bill C. Merrell, Midwest Inspectors Institute, MoistureFree Warranty, Mold Detection Services, MoldReport.com, Chris Morrell, Steve Morton, MSI Best Inspectors,  NACHICredit, NACHIStore, NACHITools, National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), National Home Check, National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, Dr. Lionel J. Nowotny, Olshan Foundation Repair, Palm-Tech Inspection Software, Patriotic Home Inspection, Robert Pearson, Pest Management Consulting & Training Institute, Porter Valley Software, Professional Inspection Training Institute, Rad Elec, Radalink Radon TeleMonitor, Partnership for Response & Recovery, PRO-LAB, Quantem Laboratories, ReportHost, ReportMakerPro, Radata, Radon Testing Corporation of America (RTCA), RE/MAX, Michael Rowan, Safe Home Systems, Safe House Campaign, Scheduleze, SkyeTec Environmental Solutions, Small Business Administration (SBA), SOS Mold, Spectorscope, Barry Stangel, Lorne Steiner, Sun Nuclear, Keith Swift, Synergis Business Solutions, Target Insurance Services, The Reinforcer, The Same Company, The InterNACHI Foundation, This-Home, Bob Thompson, ToolQwest, Unibind, Scott Van Etten, Chris Uhland, Stacey Van Houtan, Whisper, Bill Wright, and Zefon.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The American Society of Home Inspectors ASHI 
INSPECTIONWORLD FORT LAUDERDALE, JANUARY 11-14, 2006 
Inspection World ASHI Convention
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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