LIKE
FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
JOE AND AMY O'DONNELL
ARE A UNIQUE TEAM IN THE
FLEDGLING FIELD OF HOME
INSPECTION
Saturday, June 12, 1999
Byline:
Credit: NICK HARDER:The Orange County
Register
"Most men receive me with more trust than women at first. After a while, though, the
women trust me, too." So says Amy O'Donnell, half of a father/daughter
home-inspection team.
A female home inspector?
"She's really topnotch," says her proud father, Joe. "I used to take her with me inspecting commercial projects and homes when she was just a little one. She really showed an affinity for it. She had that natural mechanical ability that you just can't teach." Father and daughter now operate under the firm name American Inspection in Rancho Santa Margarita.
So, what about this trust factor?
"Well," Amy said, "when I first visit a home and a woman greets me, I often feel like she doesn't really think I can do the job because I'm not a man. Fortunately, this feeling goes away pretty soon as I walk her through the house as I inspect it." Both men and women appreciate that the O'Donnells have homeowners accompany them on inspections.
"If you can show people problems or potential problems in their homes or in the home they're thinking of buying, they really appreciate that," Joe said.
"And that's where they learn to trust you," Amy said.
The home-inspection business in the United States is still somewhat in its
infancy. In fact, home inspectors are not
licensed in most states. Anyone can hang out a shingle and call himself or herself a home
inspector.
The O'Donnells are members of the California Real Estate Inspection Association. National and state trade groups are dedicated to achieving more professionalism. There are other such groups across the country.
That an inspector belongs to a trade group doesn't necessarily make him or her better than one who doesn't. However, it is one yardstick by which to measure, the O'Donnells say. Many of these groups have developed standards, and their members must pass tests to receive certification. Toward that end, Amy went to a school for inspectors in Oceanside.
"One of the best rewards about this job is that we can bring understanding to almost every homeowner," Amy said. "This is especially true of someone who's a first-time home buyer. A lot of times we can take them through the house and show them how it works. Where the electrical comes in, how to turn off the gas, all kinds of things." To find a home inspector, look under home inspection in your local Yellow Pages.