AW Spotlight
US Building Inspectors
Technical Expertise plus Friendly Service
Customers of US Building Inspectors frequently comment on the technical expertise, professionalism, and outstanding customer service that they receive when they call for any type of an inspection relating to a home or commercial property. “People appreciate that we spend extra time explaining what our services entail,” says Patti Neri, co-owner of US Building Inspectors, “It is not uncommon for us to share stories at the end of a day about how appreciative a buyer was concerning the amount of the time we spent with them to carefully respond to each and every question they had about exactly what is covered in a typical home inspection, (i.e. do we check to make sure the house isn’t affected with Chinese drywall? Or mold? Wood rot? Termites? Or other structural issues?”)
Customers buying homes these days are quite often out-of-town, purchasing a home or condo sight unseen, or simply working long hours and are not able to be present at the time of inspection. They rely heavily on our comprehensive, but easy-to-read, detailed reports, complete with an array of photos, so they can have a strong understanding of the items outlined. Providing each customer with straight-forward answers to their questions enables them to make an informed decision whether or not to move forward with the purchase. “We look at every home inspection as the buyer having put a contract on a house not just because of how it looks and feels inside and out, but they’ve also decided on the surrounding area for its schools, restaurants, churches or temples, equestrian events, and/or proximity to family or friends.”
Therefore when inspecting the home, US Building Inspectors realizes that every property will have its positives and negatives, faults and failures, but putting it in perspective is what matters most to the buyer. Anyone can put a damper on a home purchase; but it takes a special talent to “disclose, disclose, disclose” while explaining how faults found within can be resolved. Buyers (and realtors alike) appreciate their ability to find items they were not aware of, but equally appreciate the extra time US Building Inspectors will spend to share how these items can be repaired or replaced – within reason.
US Building Inspectors reaches five areas including (Broward, Palm Beach, the Glades, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties). The latest and greatest information concerning things like Chinese drywall, mold issues, air quality concerns, and new legislation
(that will affect Home and Building Inspectors, and Mold Inspectors in the State of Florida) is their expertise.
“We are constantly in contact with the ‘Who’s Who within the State of Florida’ concerning every environmental issue that can affect the public, so we can have answers to questions most people ask,” reports Neri. Many people inquire about windstorm mitigation inspections, which is a program, set up by the State of Florida, to help homeowners save money on their annual homeowners’ insurance policy. “When it comes to helping a customer save money”, says Neri, “we try to act like a protective, older sibling, and give them options.” Everyone, young, old, first-time buyers, or those who own properties all over the world, appreciate good advice.
“These days a good part of our day is consumed with existing homeowners calling our office about their family being sick whenever they come home.”
This is sometimes referred to as “sick house syndrome,” which can mean the house has hidden environmental concerns, such as moisture in the walls, or underground, Chinese drywall, or even chemically-sensitive customers whose immune system has been compromised. When a family has experienced chronic illness, many times the culprit is — you guessed it – mold! A difficult conversation to have with customers, according to Neri. Many people cringe at the word itself. In fact, not all mold is bad, or dangerous to everyone. Not all mold has smell, color, or is visible. Not all black mold is toxic black mold. One might be able to live in a home with a particular species of mold, and never have an adverse reaction to it, but YOU may come in the person’s home for less than 5 minutes, and experience a scratchy throat, itchy, watery eyes, and tingling in the lips, or respiratory distress. So what one person experiences as a reaction to mold, another may show absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. It depends who is hypersensitive to what. An elevated mold problem should be treated just like a broken air conditioner, in that it needs to be fixed.
Many would rather sweep a mold issue under the rug and spray it with a bleach-and-water solution, or paint over it, rather than deal with it. Eventually, someday it needs to be dealt with. “Today 5% of the people on this planet (perhaps the statistic is more now), are hypersensitive to certain species of mold, and we need to treat every instance as though we are dealing with someone in that 5%,” says Neri. Sometimes unsuspecting homeowners have already tried to find the environmental issue themselves or tried using a contractor or handyman to identify the source of a problem within their home, to no avail, only to call US Building Inspectors as a last resort. “Aggravated and having spent every last dime on those whom have not been able to remedy their problem, we get the call from the desperate homeowner, and end up as their ‘knight in shining armor.’ It’s a good feeling to go home at the end of the day knowing you did a good day’s work”, reports Neri.
Inspecting for environmental issues is what US Building Inspectors does on a daily basis. They can take air quality samples and have the results back within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. People in our community see US Building Inspectors as a “big brother who looks out for them.”
US Building Inspectors does the following types of inspections.
· A complete roof to foundation inspection
· Chinese drywall inspections
· Mold inspections
· Air quality testing, where air samples are sent to a lab
· Windstorm mitigation insurance savings inspections where the homeowner can save up to 45% of their annual homeowners insurance premium
Air quality testing makes up 30%-50% of their house calls these days, due to the seasonal allergens present in the air, along with the burning of the fields out in Belle Glade that affect South Floridians’ immune systems. Many families have one or more whom suffer with chronic upper respiratory infections and the like, and their doctors ask them to have US Building Inspectors take air samples throughout the home to come up with some conclusive answers of what exactly is in the air they are breathing. This helps the doctors help those affected within the family. Home buyers request air quality tests 75% of the time in order to prevent finding out there is a problem in the walls after they close on the house and have already moved in.
Both Tom and Patti Neri, owners of US Building Inspectors, have a combined extensive background in the construction and building industries.
Having been in the inspection business for approximately ten years, both husband and wife have a solid foundation in the building inspection industry. Patti’s family was in the pest control and fumigation business for many years in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, with work-related projects in pre- and post-construction buildings, in both commercial and residential job sites. She worked out in the field with her family, in addition to sales, developing automated computer systems, human resources, and accounting within the office. “I learned the right and wrong way buildings were constructed,” states Patti, “and for many years, I was the only woman on the job site, but was never intimidated by the guys. I learned more than the average bear when out there, and saw a lot of defects and faults that the city and county inspectors took a blind eye to.” At a very young age, she learned the business, and then went on to run the company.
Tom, on the other hand, came from a long background of contractors in Illinois, and moved with this family from Barrington, Illinois, back in the early 70’s to sunny South Florida. His experience paid off well when he changed gears to inspect faults and failures with a trained eye from so many years as a contractor. With their combined experience Tom and Patti Neri have a keen eye for detecting what’s functioning properly and what’s not in the world of residential and commercial inspections.
“The realtors, buyers, sellers, and real estate attorneys really appreciate Tommy,” says Patti. “He’s got that mid-Western way about him displaying undying patience, and has a gift for wording things just the right way so as not to instill fear or anxiety in the Buyer, while balancing the fact that the Buyer has hired us to be an unbiased, independent expert and deserves the truth. It’s an art to be able to talk to the buyer about issues without making them feel like they’re buying a mistake.” She adds, “We don’t want the Buyer to call us, or their realtor, after the closing, with words of despair. We believe in telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth….but it’s all in your delivery.”
“Most contractors and builders use us when buying a home for themselves. They trust us,” says Tom. “They know we inspect homes on a daily basis, not build them. There’s a big difference between building a home, and inspecting one. We have many tools to assist us in ensuring the systems of the home are functioning as the manufacturer intended. A huge difference!”
US Building Inspectors takes extra time making sure that their customers understand the results of the building inspection by speaking to them in layman’s terms, not talking over their heads or using intimidating lingo.
Digital pictures are also included in the report at no additional cost. We have had people tell us, “This is the most comprehensive report I’ve ever seen.” Having an easy-to-read report with clear photos turns out to be a time and money-saver for all involved. When the handyman or contractor understands exactly what he needs to fix, the repair goes more quickly and nothing is lost “in the translation.”
Tom and Patti Neri belong to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. They are also both Certified Mold Inspectors and Certified Mold Assessors. They look for mold and test the air quality, but are not mold remediators. That’s not our area of expertise. We’ll find it for you and explain what needs to be done, but we know our limits.
Many mold remediators “came out of the woodwork” after the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 with no expertise or licensing. That will all come to an end soon, says Neri, when the industry becomes regulated.
Their biggest frustration in the business is to come in contact with those solely looking for the lowest price. She warns customers who are looking for the lowest price (and nothing else) that you get what you pay for and end up oftentimes buying a home with many unexpected projects and costs. It’s all for the sake of saving a buck where they shouldn’t. Buying a home is probably the single largest investment most of us will make in a lifetime. If you spend the money for a good, solid inspection, you will go to the closing with peace of mind.
With US Building Inspectors, you get a thorough, honest, detailed inspection as Tom and Patti Neri have a passion for “getting it right the first time.”
The Neri’s are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Kimberly and Chelsie. They are about to become grandparents for the first time, expecting a baby grandson in August. Meanwhile, they are also the proud owners of many pets and exotic animals.
They are also involved with the organizations Women in Distress and Kids in Distress. They believe in giving back to our community in the volunteer work that they do.
One thing is for sure…having visited with Tommy and Patti Neri, at US Building Inspectors, I discovered they are a terrific, local, family-run business with lots and lots of heart! Give them a call today and tell them you read about them on AroundWellington.com. You too can experience some of the best quality customer service I’ve experienced in a long time!
US Building Inspectors
1199 Polo Club Road Suite 105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-784-8811
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