HomeTeam featured in The Beaumont Examiner

HomeTeam was recently featured in an article called “Protecting your home investment: Beaumont inspection company honored for achievements,” which published in The Beaumont Examiner March 14. The article discusses Curtis Carr’s achievements as a HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisee as well as promoting home inspections and the defective drywall issue that’s problematic in SE Texas. View the full article below!

HomeTeam featured in Louisville, KY YouTube series

Louisville, Kentucky franchisee Brian O'Rear is being featured in local realtor Mitch Thomas' video series on YouTube. In this first video, Brian explains his background, how he puts his team together, and what makes a great home inspection team. This is the first installment in a weekly series, so keep an eye out for more updates!

Local HomeTeam Inspector Appointed to TREC Inspector Advisory Committee

Texarkana owner/operator tapped for six-year term with Texas Real Estate Commission

Greg Eakin, owner and operator of HomeTeam Inspection Service in Texarkana, was recently recognized for nine years of hard work and dedication to the home inspection industry in Texas with a nomination to the Texas Real Estate Commission’s Inspector Advisory Committee. This committee draws six home inspectors from the over 3,000 registered inspectors across the state of Texas. Eakin is the second HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisee to be named to the committee, joining Curtis Carr who was appointed in 2007.

The TREC Inspector Advisory Committee provides expertise in correcting and updating the “Standards of Practice,” oversees state approved continuing education providers and classes, and enforcement for home inspectors across the state of Texas. This year, over 100 applicants applied to the prestigious position and Eakin was one of only three named to the state committee.

“I am honored and excited to be given a seat on this committee,” said Eakin. “At HomeTeam, we strive to present the most professional inspectors and provide the highest level of service to Realtors. Being appointed to the TREC is proof of how much we care about every inspection we perform.”

Establishing a successful second career after working in the manufacturing industry, Greg has served Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas for the last nine years and has brought a new level of customer satisfaction to the home inspection industry in the area. Greg and his team of inspectors are prepared to inspect everything in the home from pools to structural and mechanical systems. In addition, they also can perform testing for radon, lead paint and carbon monoxide within the home.

To get the job done faster and more thoroughly than their competitors, HomeTeam never sends an inspector to a job alone. No matter how small the inspection, clients always get at least one master and one supporting inspector. Over the past 20 years, HomeTeam has proven its methods are superior with an impressive track record and a growing base of satisfied customers across the United States.

Franchisee Profile: Michael Henry, franchisee of Bellevue, Ontario

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Location: Bellevue, Ontario

Something Interesting About Michael’s Story…
Having had a bad experience with home inspection in the past, Michael was impressed with HomeTeam Inspection Service before he became a franchisee. He appreciates the fact that the HomeTeam inspectors are, as suggested by the name, organized into a team, facilitating quicker yet more thorough inspections. As a HomeTeam franchisee, Michael underwent extensive training and earned a certification as a home inspector in order to become a qualified member of his own home inspection team. He now takes a very active role in his business, personally inspecting homes along with a team of licensed professionals, including a heating and cooling technician.

What Michael Did Before HomeTeam…
Prior to becoming a HomeTeam franchisee, Michael worked for 21 years in the printing industry. After a while, he decided he wanted to start his own business and began looking for opportunities to do so. Franchising seemed like the right choice since it offers him the kind of business where he can work out of his home and be his own boss, while having a solid infrastructure upon which to base his business model. These prove to be valuable assets in a down economy.

How Michael Specifically Found Out About HomeTeam…
Michael found HomeTeam after researching franchises online. He had experience with bad inspectors in his own home in the past, so he had a good idea of what to look for in an inspection company. The team-based inspections and superb organization of HomeTeam proved an immediate draw.

Why Michael Became and Loves Being a HomeTeam franchisee…
Michael says the best thing about being a HomeTeam franchisee is the great support system HomeTeam has in place to help its franchisees. Corporate frequently calls to help out with the business aspect, while a technical advisor is always one call away to make sure the inspection process is carried out properly. He’s also been able to work with his wife, who helps out on the accounting side of the business, and has a readymade part-time job for his 14-year-old son, once he’s ready to work.

Franchisee Profile: Colin Conroy of Pompano Beach, FL

Location: Pompano Beach, FL

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I was working for a car-rental agency in Australia where I met my wife. I moved with her to Pompano Beach in Florida and have been there ever since.

Q: How did you learn about HomeTeam? A: After moving to the States, a friend invited me to open a home inspection business with him in Cincinnati. As part of my due diligence, I explored the company’s competitors, one of which was HomeTeam. Initially, I thought the concept involved team-based inspections which made them stand out, as I had always thought of an inspection service as a one man job. I began looking into franchising opportunities and saw they had 10 locations available on the Florida coast where I was already living. Since I was looking for a big business and not just a single franchise, this was perfect.

Q: What are some career milestones for you? Is there anything unique about your business?
A: I’ve been among the top three franchises for HomeTeam all 14 years that I’ve been open, and the number one franchise five times. My locations were the first to reach 2,500 inspections a year and we were also the first to do a $42 million home. I’ve really embraced the “One call does it all” mentality by sending four people on every inspection: a licensed roofing inspector, a licensed termite inspector, a licensed heating and cooling tech and one other, often myself. I also have over 50 specialists I can call on, ranging from sea wall divers to elevator technicians, so I can meet any need a client may have.

HomeTeam featured in Tacoma Business Examiner

HomeTeam was featured in the Tacoma Business Examiner in an article entitled “Franchises looking to military for owners,” which published front and center on the February 7 edition. The article discusses that HomeTeam fully engages military vets as they have a numerous vets as franchisees already. He also notes that HomeTeam matches new veteran owners with mentors to give them more tools for success. HomeTeam also plans to open a six locations to the Seattle/Tacoma area in the near future. The full article is embedded below:

Franchisee Profile: Mike Kalkhoff, Franchisee of Metro Detroit, MI

Opened: 1994
Location: St Clair, Macomb, Oakland, Wayne & surrounding areas in Michigan

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Mike Kalkhoff opened his first business, a renovation and building company, while working for the US Navy as a heating and cooling specialist on military ships. Then, in 1994, Mike decided to use his years of experience and try his hand at a different segment in the industry: home inspections. Since opening his HomeTeam Inspection Service franchise in Southeast Michigan 17 years ago, Mike and his team have become a trusted source of quality home inspections throughout metro Detroit.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I was doing research on different companies on the internet—things that would mesh well with my skill set and professional background. When I discovered HomeTeam Inspection Service and learned more about how they did their business, I knew it was a perfect fit.

Q: Why was this brand the right fit for you?
A: As a heating and cooling specialist for the US Navy, I worked on military ships for 4 years, from 1973 to 1977. As a result, I knew that having extensive knowledge of heating and cooling systems, as well as my building and renovation skills, would benefit my ability to inspect homes. I think my customers appreciate that I have vast knowledge and experience of heating and cooling as well as renovation and building. It’s easier to identify issues when you know how to fix them.

Q: How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?
A: Back in the late 1990’s I used to write a column for the Grosse Pointe News called “Ask the Inspector.” People could ask me questions about issues in their homes, and I’d answer them. I’ve become a resident expert in this subject for the community, and I like being the go-to guy for any issues they’re experiencing or questions they have as homeowners. “ONE CALL DOES IT ALL.” I’m certified by the Macomb County Board of Health for Well and Septic, I provide testing for radon, pests, lead-based paint, asbestos, and other environmental concerns. I’ve also been a member of the Women’s Council Board of Realtors, promoting knowledge and growth within the industry since 1994.

Q: What have been some career milestones for you/your business?
A: The tagline I’ve always used is, “if you don’t inspect, you may regret.” I’ve brought to light the importance of home inspections within my community, and saved my fellow citizens from avoidable issues that can lead to costly, long-term damage. Also, since 1989 I’ve been a licensed realtor and a licensed builder for over 30 years. I don’t practice real estate but I can handle that angle of the business professionally and in a way that follows the code of ethics, to leave the house the way it was, to respect the person’s property, to get lock box numbers, etc. I can be the go-to guy for foreclosure properties so a realtor doesn’t have to go there. I have developed a service where I can blow air into a house to check for leaks in the plumbing—giving realtors and homeowners another tool if they get stuck in a bind and can’t get the water turned on.

Q: What are your future goals? Development plans?
A: I just recently expanded the business and brought on an additional inspector about a year ago. For now, I’m focused on making my HomeTeam Inspection Service the best it can be.

HomeTeam Featured in the San Antonio Business Journal

HomeTeam was recently featured in the San Antonio Business Journal in an article called “Alamo City earning reputation as a good market for franchises,” which discusses HomeTeam’s expansion plans for the San Antonio market. Ranked #6 for remodeling activity, San Antonio is a hotbed for business in the home sector, and HomeTeam is moving in.