NAME COMPANY PHONE NUMBER
Ed Beard 447-8980/750-3609 (Mobile)
Going by the FAQ I was sorely tempted to use Michael Young. In any case
I asked my realtor for recommendations. I selected Ed because he has had
close to 20 years experience. He was really thorough. He generated a lot of
notes and was extremely helpful in giving house maintenance tips. Walking
behind him and badgering him with questions was no problem. He spent about
3.5 hours inspecting our 1600 sq. ft. house. He was able to give me an
appointment within 4 days. For a house of our size he charged around
$140 for the house and termite inspection.
Suresh Venkateswaran (suresh@sennai.sps.mot.com )
Larry Foster Foster Inspections and Construction (282-3113)
He was very thorough, spending around 3 hours to inspect our home and
gave clear, reasonable explanations of the possible problems the home
has. He charges quite a bit, but we felt is was worth it.
Terry McCrory Central Texas Inspections (443-3505)
Terry took over 2 hrs to inspect the 2000 sq ft house I'm about to buy.
The guy was meticulous, gave me maintenance tips and took the time to
explain stuff to me. Cost was $183.
Paul MacLean New Day Inspections (345-7157)
Has been in business for many years in Austin. I have known him as a
friend and would trust his judgement. He is fair in his dealings and
thorough in his work.
Don Rogers Capitol Inspection Services (472 7100)
I thought he was thorough and he didn't mind me following him around
and asking him questions while he worked. Nice guy.
Bob Welborn Texas Home Inspection (445-5934)
I can highly recommend Bob Welborn, 445-5934. He did a great job for me.
Michael Young McComis and Company Inspections (892-3130)
I had Michael do a couple of inspections. This is NOT someone who just
waltzes through a house for 30 minutes only to produce a paragraph or
two. Michael spent MINIMALLY 6 to 7 HOURS on each of the older homes in
which I was interested and produced REAMS of documentation. He is very
personable and doesn't mind a bit if you follow him around all day.
Michael is very familiar with the soils in various Austin neighborhoods
and doesn't blink an eye when donning his coverall's before crawling
underneath pier/beam houses to check out what's going on behind (beneath)
the scenes. He really saved my a-- on one deal! Michael's inspections
don't come cheap, but I found that they were worth MORE than their weight
in gold!
I have learned that Michael strikes fear into the hearts of real estate
agents when they see him arrive. Allegedly, Michael has become known
as "the deal killer" by various real estate peoples :-). As long as
Michael is around and available, I won't buy another home without him.
[Lance Hartmann (lance@hartmann.austin.ibm.com)]
When I read Lance's recommendation, I knew this was the person I wanted
to inspect my house. We've used Michael twice and have been pleased
with the results. In both instances his inspections were very thorough
and lasted 4.5 to 5 hours. At the end of each inspection, Michael
provides a 6 (long) page report with repair items highlighted. The fees
vary for the type of inspection required, e.g., add some money for a pier
and beam foundation, zoned heating, spa, etc. The first inspection was
$220, second was $200. Best money spent on my entire real estate
transaction!
The only "negative" is he's *very* busy and making an appointment within
the typical allotment of ten days allowed on the standard real estate
contract can be difficult. I enthusiastically recommend him.
[Jim Carson (jcarson@tivoli.com)]
Ed Wood Longhorn Inspection Service
We used Ed to do our termite inspection. He seemed pretty thorough and
his name is easy to remember :-)
Ben Wright III Biv Inspection Service (312-0601)
I'd HIGHLY reccomend this guy. I was on the selling side
of this guy and he amaised me what he found on my own house!!!
I've also used him on a refinancement. GOOD MAN!
jcarson@netcom.com