The following is an excerpt from an interview with Shawn Foster of Bluewater Inspections, which took place on the night of October 12, 2009 in Hermosa Beach, CA:
Tony: Sean, thanks for agreeing to sit down with me to talk about home inspections. How long have you lived in the South Bay?
Sean: I moved here in 2001. I am originally from Kansas City, but I lived in the Taos area of New York and also in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tony: When did you first take up housing?
Sean: When I was 14 years old, I had a job working with masons doing some wheelbarrows and mixing work. Since then, I have almost been engaged in housing. I did the framing, wiring, painting and all sorts of work on the houses.
Tony: When did you start doing home inspections?
Sean: I have been doing home inspections since 2002. At the moment I have made at least 2500 of them.
Tony: I assume that your business volume is related to the number of homes sold. Last year, slightly less than half the houses sold in 2002 were sold in Manhattan Beach. Have you experienced a similar decline in your business?
Sean: Absolutely! The market has dropped significantly over the years I did. In fact, many of the realtors with whom I worked, moved to other professions. However, I like it, and I just do slack, doing the appropriate work.
Tony: What other changes have you experienced at this time?
Sean: I brought a large reference book with me when I entered the field. It was cumbersome and time consuming. Over the past couple of years, I started using a pocket computer instead. I can go through an hour or so and capture all my notes in my PDA. I can upload my notes when I return to my office and sync all the photos I have taken. This not only makes life easier, but I think the results are even better for my clients. They get a full report with key photos, and a list of all they need to do to improve the house.
Another change is that it currently looks more like a buyer's market. This may affect the motivating factors behind the checks and, possibly, in the household negotiations.
Tony: What is the biggest problem in homes these days, and is it common?
Sean: The answer will be mold, which is a lot. This is not only a physical problem for the structure, but may also be a health hazard to passengers. Fortunately, this is not very common in the South Bay.
Tony: Do you have interesting stories from the field?
Sean: I remember one house outside the gate in Palos Verdes, which the buyer considered. It was amazing how the mold got infected. The potential buyer and his agent waited outside while I checked inside. I went out after a while and went to my car to get a respirator and gloves, when I saw how this house was damaged. I learned later that the buyer had transferred this particular home. He shared with me the fact that it was the look on my face when I went to my car, which pushed him to the complexities inside. I will never forget this place.
Tony: Thanks again for taking the time to talk to me.
Sean: You got it. Thank you.
