About Bill Hawkins
I do home inspections through Hawkeye Inspection Service LLC. I hope you will take a few minutes to look around my website. These pages will give you some insight into why I believe I can provide you more value for your money, and help you make a truly informed decision about the property you are considering purchasing. Or selling.
Take your time, and, please, feel free to give me a call. I’m more than happy to discuss your specific situation, answer any general questions you may have about the inspection process or even questions about your personal home. No cost or obligation.
Objectivity
Let’s face it, most of us like to think we can do about everything. After all, how hard is it to see faults in a house? Why not do your own inspection? Because your home is an emotional investment. Why do you think Realtors® uses all that flowery language…” Cute as a bug!”…”You’ll simply fall in love…”? Because buyers AND sellers become emotionally entangled in the property they are working with. How do I know this? I’ve done it myself! I missed serious issues with the house I live in because I drove up, saw an old country farmhouse, and ‘fell in love’ with it. You NEED an unbiased person that is NOT invested in the property to OBJECTIVELY review it for as many defects as can be reasonably found. You need that information to make a RATIONAL decision. I can provide that information for you. Unless you are an exceptional person, it will be very hard for you to do that.
Experience
I have over 45 years of experience in the construction field. I am a card-carrying union carpenter. I have done everything from spreading waterproofing tar on the outside of basement walls, to managing multi-million dollar projects. Through it all, I have learned what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what kinds of things get overlooked during construction, wear out from age, or just plain fail on buildings. No offense, but your kid sister’s boyfriend probably doesn’t have the experience or training to know what to look for.
Freedom from Conflicts of Interest
Almost ALL real estate transactions are a ‘commission’ sale. The seller pays the listing agency an agreed-on percentage of the sale price of the home, which is split between the listing agent, and the buyer’s agent. Like it or not, YOUR Realtor® is being paid by the seller of the house. So do they really work for you? Think about it this way, your agent recommends three or four inspectors. A critical home inspection report could cost them the sale if you back out because of the information in the report. SO, is there a possible conflict of interest by your agent recommending the inspection be done by a person they recommend: a person that could cost him literally thousands of dollars? Maybe, maybe not. But that kind of real-world dynamic happens daily between realtors and home inspectors.
I subscribe to the ideals and the pledge of the Independent Home Inspectors of North America, which says, “I will not actively solicit real estate agents for referrals.” What does this mean for you, the client? You will get a report from me, that is NOT dependent upon me getting my next job from your realtor. I don’t ask realtors for referrals, and therefore don’t have any reason to hold back anything from my clients.