Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Hazard.
Craig, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story begins in a kitchen. At the very early age of 15, I started as a dishwasher at a member only club and after completing high school, I went right into culinary school. I love cooking! It’s one of my passions. The attention to detail, the variety of foods and the organized chaos of a kitchen gave me so much fulfillment. While all of this was fun, I had a family and knew that the restaurant business consisted of long hours and lots of weekends. This is where the story shifts. I wanted to be there for more spiritual interests and for my family. My wife, who is my biggest supporter and is also a Realtor, aided me in coming up with the idea to work hand in hand with her. I decided to look into becoming a home inspector and went straight to school to become certified. Once I received my certification, I knew I was going to give 100%. While the gloominess of being in crawlspaces and running into cob webs in attics frightened me just a little, I was up for the challenge. I left my profession of 17 years as a Chef and turned my attention to detail into performing home inspections. As a Chef you have to be very detailed oriented and know how to deal with stressful situations to survive in the kitchen or you are out of a job quickly. That’s what gave me an advantage in transitioning into the home inspection field. As a Chef, I was also good at multitasking and showing customer service, this too gave me a competitive advantage to develop a very successful home inspection business. I find pleasure in helping others make one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
Has it been a smooth road?
Getting started was a bit rough around the edges. Putting down a chef knife and picking up a flashlight and inferred thermometer has humbled me completely. Trying to educate myself with no real guidance has been a true challenge, but I’ve gotten up to speed quickly with the standards of practice and codes that are ever-changing. I remember early on at the start of my career, I was up late, writing reports to be clear on defects founds so that the client would know exactly what the problem was and not bombard them with a lot confusing terminology. Clients and agents don’t want complicated information that aren’t clear, or not easy to understand. However, my reporting style has become one of my biggest strengths which helps the client make the best educated decision possible as to whether or not to invest in the purchase of their home and it helps the agent to negotiate clearly.
Please tell us about the company.
Our company’s goal is to put our clients at ease with an unbiased, professional assessment of the condition of the house. We understand the real estate transaction process and provide consistent and quality inspections each time. We also adopt and follow a nationally, accepted set of inspection standards. If we are known for anything, we are known for our reporting style. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, if that is the case, a video must say a million. As part of our practice, we capture pictures and videos to reveal defects that are being reported on. We also stand out by using drone technology.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade? As the housing market continues to increase, home inspections will continue to increase with it. Even with the coronavirus scare, it hasn’t slowed down my business. Clients need to know if their potential homes are in decent condition before purchasing. Even though home inspections are completely voluntary, most people will not purchase a home without booking an inspection first.
Pricing:
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Condo/Townhouse Under 4K sq ft – $325
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Single Family Under 4K sq ft – $350
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All Property Types 4K to 6K sq ft – $500
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All Property Types 6,001 to 9K sq ft – $750
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All Property Types 9,001 to 12K sq ft – $1100
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All Property Types 12,001 to 15K sq ft – $1450
Contact Info:
- Website: qualityspecinspection.com
- Phone: 770-713-1746
- Email: qualityspecinspection@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/qualityspecinspection
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/qualityspecinspection/
- Twitter: Realtor
- Yelp: Realtor
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/qualityspecinspection
Image Credit:
Craig Hazard Photography
www.instagram.com/craighazardphotography
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