HomeTeam Inspection Service mentioned in the Daily Herald

Daily Herald reporter Deborah Donovan compiled an article to help Chicagoland area residents prepare their homes for the upcoming harsh winter weather. The article is entitled, "Weatherize your home for a warm and cozy winter." She spoke with HomeTeam Inspection Service franchise owner Ed Miehlke for some tips that home owners can use to prepare their homes now for a cold, brutal winter. Click here to find out his tips.

Weatherize your home for warm and cozy winter

By: Deborah Donovan

Ray Grimm takes saving energy in the winter seriously. He sets his programmable thermostat to lower the temperature in his home until 5 p.m. when it's time for him to think about coming home from work. Wonder if his kids noticed the house was a little cool after school?

Grimm is president of Carol Stream company he calls Air. Water. Energy., which deals in heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electricity.

To get tips for keeping your home comfortable while saving you money during the coming winter, we chatted with Grimm and with Ed Miehlke, owner of HomeTeam Inspection Service based in Lake Zurich.

(Read More)

Mold in your home, how serious is it?

Learning that mold is present in your home can be scary, but before you panic there are some things that you should know.

Mold (fungi) is present everywhere - indoors and outdoors. There are more than 100,000 species of mold. At least 1,000 species of mold are common in the U.S. and are found in moist or damp areas, as all molds need water to grow.

Mold is often confused with another fungus, mildew. Mildew is the black residue on your shower curtains and the funny smell coming from clothes that sat too long in the washer. Mold is the fuzzy or slimy stuff that sometimes grows on your counter fruit. It also appears as irregularly shaped spots of black or gray on a wall or ceiling, which is much harder to throw away than a rotting orange!

Just like mold on fruit, mold growing in a house gets its energy from organic matter. Like mildew, it is attracted to moisture and breeds in damp environments. Therefore, if a home has been exposed to any sort of water damage, it may have hidden mold. Common areas where mold hides include:

• Backsides of dry wall
• Wallpaper or paneling
• Top side of ceiling tiles
• Underside of carpets and carpet pads
• Inside walls around pipes
• Surface of walls behind furniture
• Inside ductwork
• Roof materials above ceiling tiles

Most types of mold that are routinely encountered are not hazardous to healthy individuals, however there are household molds that are toxic and can cause neurological problems. Common symptoms in individuals living in a house with mold are:

• Itchy and watering eyes
• Chronic coughing
• Headaches or migraines
• Difficulty breathing
• Rashes
• Fatigue
• Sinus problems
• Nasal blockage
• Frequent sneezing
• Depending on the amount of exposure and a person's individual vulnerability, more serious health effects - such as fevers and breathing problems - can occur but are unusual.

Mold should be cleaned as soon as it appears. Persons cleaning mold should be free of symptoms and allergies and need to wear gloves during cleaning. Small areas of mold can be cleaned using a detergent/soapy solution or an appropriate household cleaner. Once the area is cleaned, it then needs to be thoroughly dried and any sponges or rags used need to be disposed.

If a house has a severe mold problem, more likely than not that there will be a musty scent in the affected area. Some surfaces may look smudged or blotched and should not be touched.

If you suspect that your home or potential home is contaminated with mold call a professional home inspector to inspect and test the house for mold. If the home tests positive for mold, caution should be taken. Even in the event that mold can be cleaned up, purchasing mold insurance would be a wise investment to minimize financial and personal harm that could occur if mold does not get properly cleaned up.

Team with the Leader

Go with the leader in professional home inspections, HomeTeam Inspection Service. The home inspection industry is one of the highest growth businesses in franchising.

One of Your Best Franchise Opportunities

Entrepreneur Magazine has consistently ranked HomeTeam Inspection Service at the top of the industry from 1994 thru 2007. Additionally, Income Opportunities, Black Enterprise, Success, Business Start-Ups, and Franchise Success have recognized HomeTeam Inspection Service as one of North America's Best Franchises.

Although we have hundreds of franchises in the United States and Canada, attractive and exclusive territories are still available. Our objective is to assist each franchise in becoming #1 in their market, just as we have become #1 in the industry.

Looking for the Bigger Picture?

As a HomeTeam franchise owner, you can operate in this booming industry but not do all the inspection work yourself. Instead, you build teams of inspectors who are scheduled to go out and work in North America’s homes. You are a manager of the business, and your role includes the recruiting, training, and motivation of your staff, and the marketing and planning responsibilities within your franchise.

At The HomeTeam, many of our most successful franchisees are not the inspectors in their businesses but the managers and marketers. They are people from all walks of life who had a dream of controlling their own destiny and realized what a fantastic opportunity HomeTeam has for them.

You bring to us the people and management skills. You also must bring a driving desire to be successful and a commitment to executing our industry-leading marketing program. We give you the tools and support you need to utilize your strengths. That’s the HomeTeam difference!

HomeTeam Inspection Service mentioned in the Topeka Capital-Journal

HomeTeam Inspection Service Hidden Finds winner, Vicky Trembly, was mentioned in the Topeka Capital-Journal. To view the brief online, please click here. The mention is under the "Names" category.

Vicky found a tree growing out of a coffee can supporting a house! In the tree's defense, Vicky said the house has been standing for over 100 years.

Maurie Blick, owner of HomeTeam in Topeka, KS is awarding Vicky T. Congratulations again Vicky!

Home Team Inspection Service Franchise Benefits

Aside from potentially faster growth from the outset being a major advantage of investing in a franchise, Home Team Inspection Service offers distinct benefits to investing with them. They offer one of the most powerful marketing systems in the real estate inspection industry.

Support and communication from the HomeTeam corporate office is paramount in maintaining confidence and consistency with our franchise owners. Our support program includes unlimited support, regular updates to the marketing program, continuing education, regional and international meetings, and much more.

Marketing Tools

A distinguishing feature of The HomeTeam Inspection Service is our unique year-round marketing system. This complete marketing system will give you the competitive edge you need to dominate your market. Brochures, publicity releases, newspaper & magazine ads, mailing campaigns, etc. will be made available to you.

Training and Continuing Education
The HomeTeam Inspection Service training program has rightfully earned a stellar reputation in the industry. During our comprehensive two-week training course, you will be taught to successfully operate a home inspection business.

In addition to extensive classroom training, you will gain actual hands-on experience. During your training, you will perform home inspections, first as an observer, then as a home inspector. We will also teach you how to use our entire marketing system, including how to make compelling presentations to referral sources in addition to powerful programs designed for the real estate professional and homebuyer. Additionally, we will train you to use our TeamWorks© proprietary computer and pocket PC software used during the home inspection to aid in gathering information used in completing professional home inspection reports. Regional and international meetings will help you stay on top of your inspection business. These meetings allow great networking opportunities with other HomeTeam Inspection Service franchise owners.

Team Concept
Our team approach to home inspections allows for higher productivity than our competition.

Reduced inspection time. The ability to perform a residential home inspection in about half the time of the competition is a very important part of our powerful marketing system.
Increased productivity and revenue. Performing inspections faster allows time to perform more home inspections in one day. Our marketing system will help you fill those extra spots in your schedule. More inspections per day equal more revenue.
Improved inspection quality. With a team of expert home inspectors working together at every home inspection, your client will receive - and perceive - the best quality inspection in the market.

Comprehensive Approach
The comprehensive HomeTeam concept is unique to the home inspection industry. Clients and Real Estate Professionals alike appreciate our timely, narrative reports.

HomeTeam Inspection Service Named to 2011 Military Friendly Franchises® List

Showcasing its commitment toward providing job opportunities to military veterans, HomeTeam Inspection Service was recently featured in the G.I. Jobs 2011 Military Friendly Franchises® list.

Created three years ago, the list honors the top 7 percent of franchises doing the most to recruit American veterans as franchisees and comes on the heels of U.S. Census Bureau figures showing there are more than 2.4 million veteran-owned businesses across the country.

HomeTeam Inspection Service, a 175-plus unit home inspection franchise, was among six brands in the real estate category and was one of two home inspection brands to top the list.

“We feel this honor is a testament to our continued support of veterans becoming franchisees,” said Greg Haskett, vice president of shared services for HomeTeam Inspection Service. “Veterans are a driven group of people who are a good fit for the long-term success of a franchise.”

Criteria for the list include a brand’s ability to fit the veteran’s need to know what type of franchise to pursue, which gives the best financial incentives and training, and which franchises have the highest number of veterans in the franchise system. Each of the brands highlighted on the Military Friendly Franchises® list have the common bond of putting priority on the recruitment of owner-operators with military experience. Through the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program, HomeTeam Inspection Service offers a 25 percent reduction of the initial franchise fee for military veterans.

“The incentives we offer are just one way we can give back to the men and women who have fought for our country,” Haskett said. “These people are making unbelievable sacrifices every day, and this is our way of saying thanks.”

Ingrained with a strong sense of discipline, determination and motivation, the men and women who make up the U.S. Armed Forces have all the skills required to successfully operate a HomeTeam Inspection Service unit. With a low initial start-up cost that lends itself to a greater opportunity to secure lending, HomeTeam Inspection Service has experienced continued brand growth.

“We always want the right fit, but the right fit is expanded for our brand because you don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to get started,” Haskett said. “We believe military veterans see the low investment risk, the ability to work out of their home and the system that can be followed as reasons why they can benefit from joining the HomeTeam Inspection Service family.”

HomeTeam announces winner of Hidden Finds contest

HomeTeam Inspection Service recently concluded the Hidden Finds contest in which Facebook fans submitted pictures and stories of unusual things found during a home inspection.

Vicky T. of Topeka, Kansas, won the contest with this photo of a tree in a coffee can full of cement holding up a house!


Vicky said of the picture, "To be fair, the house was still standing after 100 years."

Congratulations to Vicky who won a $400 gift card for her entry. For more contest and information on HomeTeam, like us on Facebook.