Bound Brook, Nj - 6 August, 2005 -

For nearly the past decade, single women have been buying more than twice as many homes as single men, the National Association of Realtors reports. Women need to make smart investments and when the investment is real estate they need to hire a professional home inspector, suggests Kathleen Kuhn, president and CEO of HouseMaster the most experienced name in home inspections and the only female CEO in the industry. “When shopping for a home, female intuition can only take us so far we need the experience and knowledge of an expert,” states Kuhn. “Women are buying more and spending more on homes than men, and they need know what repairs they will be facing and how to maintain their home's major systems. Going along on a home inspection before purchase is a vital introduction to home ownership.” Since 1997, single women have made up about 20% of all home buyers, versus 8 % of single men buying homes. Married couples make up the majority of homebuyers, at 62%. Kuhn, the lone female executive in a field that is historically dominated by men, recommends women hire an experienced and reputable inspector, who is properly trained and adequately insured. ( HouseMaster requires that all inspectors carry Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance and are trained by the National Institute of Building Inspectors (NIBI).) Kuhn suggests women ask five key questions when looking for a home inspector: 1. Do You Have Insurance? Make sure your inspector is covered by E&O insurance. If the inspector does not carry E&O insurance then you may be left in the lurch without any financial recourse should the inspector miss a visible structural or other serious, costly problem that was within the scope of the inspection. Keep in mind that even if an inspector is licensed, or is a member of a national home inspector trade organization, that does not guarantee that they carry this policy, so ask up front. 2. Do You Have Access to Ongoing Training? An inspector who has constant access to ongoing training and technical support results in a higher quality inspection. It's important that inspectors are up-to-date on the latest residential construction issues. Likewise, if an inspector should come across a unique problem, they should have resources and a support team to help them answer these questions. 3. Are You Certified? Always ask if your inspector is certified by a reputable training institute which requires annual re-testing, like NIBI. 4. Will I Receive a Written Guarantee? Ask if the inspector will back up his report findings with a written guarantee. This way you can be confident the inspector is committed to doing the best inspection possible. After all, why trust an inspector that won't trust himself? 5. Can I Come Along on the Inspection? “Customers should always tag-along during their home inspection,” says Kuhn. “At HouseMaster , we encourage our customers to be there so that they get the most benefits from their inspection. Our inspectors are patient and trained to explain their findings in clear and professional terminology.” Inspectors will give maintenance advice and demonstrate to the buyer how to operate many of the systems in the home, which makes the inspection a good investment in the buyer's time. “Buying a home is the probably the first big investment a woman will make on her own. And just like selecting a husband, she wants to make sure she is both informed and selective,” quips Kuhn.

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