A Thorough Guy Home Inspections

Holy smokes, "thorough" doesn't even begin to describe Mike. As suggested by every other reviewer on here, Mike was early to the site. I was 10 minutes ahead of the slated time, but he beat me to the door. Since this was a loft conversion in a secure building, we sat outside and he explained what an inspector does and does not, well, inspect. Once the groundwork was laid, the selling agent rep let us inside and Mike got to work. The property in question was a 1070 sq ft, 2 bd / 2 ba unit on the second floor of a 5-story converted office building. Mike left nothing unturned, overlooked or otherwise untouched. He took pictures of every item worthy of discussion (more on this later) and checked every outlet, faucet, the heat pump and the appliances for basic functionality. In all, he was, um, "a thorough guy". After he completed the process, he retired to his truck to print the report while I waited in the building lobby with my realtors. Mike then returned in roughly 20 minutes with (1) a bound summary report containing pictures that he specifically wanted to discuss (2) a CD containing the report which would also be emailed to my agent (3) a Homeowners Handbook with tips and basic overview of the systems contained in homes/condos. I've never seen anything like this and most likely you haven't either. He accepted his own Angie's List coupon but then discounted the price further because the inspection took less time than anticipated. His ethos is to charge for his time and because the unit I was buying had little wrong with it, the time savings equaled a deduction in $ for me as well. Who does this? Mike does. It's a throwback to honest business practices where the client comes first. Remember when that idea wasn't so novel? Further, Mike provided a cooler of snacks, beverages and even an iPad with built-in wireless for use (if you choose) during the process. Again, who does this? Mike. I cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone seeking a home inspection.

There are too many positive things to describe the service Mike provides. He'd respond to your questions via email or phone very swiftly, with helpful information about his service. He's neat, clean (as well as his truck) and very polite, professional. He arrives early and takes what he does very seriously. Very impressed with his efficiency toward a complete, thorough inspection and reports that he writes and prints in his truck right after his inspection. It's valuable that he's capable of using technology that helps him to deliver his reports and explain his findings and recommendations immediately. Apparently he's extremely good at putting many detailed findings together in a short time. And yes he's also smart about bringing extra thoughtful service that other people probably wouldn't think of: Snacks and various beverage in a cooler. Even those are being put together so neatly. It's just overall, he's very pleasant and you feel you could trust him. We are very pleased with Mike's service. He's very special.

The company name says it all. Mike was punctual, professional, thorough and a real gentlemen. He responded to ALL questions I had, which were quite a lot, well after his report was complete and he even stated to me after my last email that if I had any further questions please don't hesitate to ask. Mike had a completed print out of the report right there on site indicating his professional ability and understanding g of having a home inspection completed expeditiously. His report about the house helped me make my decision to purchase.

I had called him at 9:00 AM and i was late a minute. But my buyer had opened the house. By the time, I was there, he was on top of the house on the roof. Prior to that he had talked to my neighbours to know more about the house and figured there were electric fires. He spent a good half hour on the roof identifying the splits in shingles etc etc and asked me to do a roof inspection with a disclaimer. He then went around the house inspected electrical wiring, water meter, all external things, then inside the house. He spent last 1 hour writing a report and explaining it and walking throught problems

It went fine. I was very happy with him. I found him through a friend and this was my first time using him but I would certainly use him again.

I planned to use Mike for home inspection service primarily after going through this list and also a published article in 'angies magazine.'I am very impressed how methodical and punctual Mike was.After going through several websites that 'advised' on home inspection, I asked if I could tag along with Mike through his inspection process and he was cool (!!!!) and welcomed it. I had a bunch of questions on the sprinkler system and other items which is not his 'scope of work' but he did walk me through it patiently.He even had the report printed and had the bound copy handed it over once the inspection was done...after half an hour.He meticulously walked through the report and had made good suggestions of what I need to focus on.All said and done...... he is very easy to work with, meticulous and committed to the name he carries 'A thorough Guy'..Great job Mike... Keep it up !!!!!!!

The entire experience was great. From initial contact to follow-up questions after-the-fact. Mike is thoroughly professional.

He was there on time (early in fact!) and was already performing the inspection. He was very thorough and checked out the house very well. He was accurate on the time the inspection would take. After the inspection was done he assembled a folder containing the report, reference photos, and ways to improve and protect your home. Everything was done extremely professionally. The inspection was a real asset for our home buying experience. Mike showed us all of the areas that are not to current code. Using this info we are able to prioritize the things that need to be done immediately, and those things that we will work on (this was our own assessment). Inspecting the home before purchase is own of the most important steps in home buying. Do yourself a favor and hire "A Thorough Guy" for a complete, courteous, and professional inspection.

We were looking for a meticulous home inspector and Mike delivered. He started the inspection by giving us thorough briefing on what he was going to do. After completing a nearly 3 hour inspection he provided a physical walk through of the major issues and then led us through a detailed printed report of all findings complete with photos and recommendations. At every step Mike was informative and clearly in command of standards of safety and building codes. Unfailingly polite and punctual, Mike even brought a client care kit with snacks, measuring tape, notebook and a Nintendo DS to keep us entertained while he completed his work. We just couldn't have been happier with the whole experience from start to finish.

Mike arrived early and chatted with me outside the property before we began the inspection. He reviewed our agreement and the scope of his services. We then made the most of our time by inspecting the exterior of the property prior to our appointment time with the seller. After completing the inspection, Mike returned to his truck to compile a report and print it out for me. We spent about half an hour reviewing it where he was kind enough to compare the photos he took on my property with printouts he had of comparable but proper installations. Mike picked a great name for his company. He really is incredibly thorough. We spent three hours reviewing every detail of a 1600 square foot townhouse. As a commercial construction professional, I searched long and hard for the right home inspector and I know I found him in Mike. He has been blessed not only with knowledge and skill, nut also with incredible patience. He can communicate effectively and professionally with anybody no matter what their background or experience. I am convinced that the $300 I spent on the home inspection with Mike saved me at least $25,000 in extra work I would have had to perform on the property but had not budgeted in my offer. At the end of the day I was not able to reach a reasonable agreement with the seller based on the inspection report, canceled my escrow, and walked away from the property. The only way I would have been able to make this informed decision is with the information Mike provided me. Buying a home is an emotional process, and for me Mike was able to provide an unbiased, professional reality check I needed to bring me back down to earth and realize exactly what I would be getting to. BOTTOM LIKE: Do not pass up the opportunity to have Mike perform a home inspection for you. It could be the best $300 you ever spend!

A thorough guy, is just that: very, very, thorough. Neither my father (who as bought and sold 3 homes) nor I have never seen a home inspector so efficient, thorough, informative, and professional. The report he generates is a binder choc-full of pictures of potential issues, the significance of problems found, as well as a general homeowner maintenance guide (he gives you a PDF copy of the report too!!). It can serve as a guide for your home maintenance for years to come. A thorough guy is a great resource for any first time or seasoned home buyer - I would definitely recommend him to others.

Mike answered my call promptly and we communicated both by phone, e mail and fax. He was almost immediately available and did an absolutely incredible inspection (and I've bought and sold 5 houses, so I know). He took photos and was able to e mail me the report the next day with the photo illustrations since I live in another state. I was able to take the PDF report and send it to a plumbing contractor to get a bid for repairs. We had plumbing, roofing and leak inspectors and Mike's inspection was the least expensive even though he spent a couple of hours.

Not a bad thing to say about Mike. He is a true professional. Every aspect of what he doe -- literally from first call to emailing the inspection report -- is completely professional and courteous. There is no real point in re-hashing all of the reviews here. They are all true (when I am positing this, he as all A review, no negatives at all). He is really just an A+ professional, the kind you can envision the "old school" workers of earlier generations being. Just quickly: he was prompt in returning calls/emails; he was 10 minutes early; he was dressed professionally and entirely prepared for the task at hand; he did not rush -- on the contrary -- he was entirely, completely thorough; he documents everything he finds with writings ad pictures; he explains it all to you on site; he offers to explain it to you after you receive the full report. Honestly, there is nothing that I could even nit pick about the experience; he even brought lite snacks and drinks for us while we wait in a little cooler. I cannot recommend him more highly. If you are in the market for an inspection. Use Mike.

Mr. Okamura arrived early for our appointment and utilized the time prior to my arrival to inspect the lot. His business is well-named because "a thorough guy" is exactly what he is. His inspection was incredibly detailed and his report (provided in a neat binder before he left the property) included dozens of pictures and precise notes. His identification of the issues/ repairs required to protect against liability before renting this property out was invaluable, and had we been purchasing this home as a primary residence we would have known exactly what repairs were needed (and been armed with ample documentation) to negotiate with the seller before closing. Mike was detailed, professional and personable and his extensive knowledge accumulated over years of experience in this business are a tremendous asset. He followed through by e-mailing some additional information that evening that I requested during the inspection. My experience with "A Thorough Guy" was top notch. Thank You Angie's List! This connection alone made those membership dues a wise investment.

I appreciated Mike's professionalism. He was very flexible as my walk thru date changed more than once. A copy of his report was available right away with photos attached. I would definitely recommend his services.

Mike is so knowledgeable! Very objective, and as his company name says, a very thorough guy! He was nice and patient when explaining the report (even when I asked dumb questions). I was impressed that he brings his computer & printer with him, so when he is done with the inspection he has everything printed & put into a folder, with pictures & all, and gives you the file on a CD (which is great cuz then you can email it to professionals if work needs to be done on the property!). I highly recommend him!

Very professional, very thorough. Excellent service

I was very pleased with Mike's detailed inspection and the time he took to patiently review the findings with me (a first-time homebuyer). Mike met with my realtor to start the inspection, and I arrived several house later to discuss the results with Mike. He provided printed and PDF copies of his report, containing close to 100 photos taken during the inspection. I especially liked how he used an album of photos of proper installations (and the like) to illustrate problems. For example, when describing problems with the roof and with the water heater installation, Mike showed me pictures from the inspection, and then pictures from his album so I could see what the problems were. While professional ethics did not allow Mike to recommend specific people or companies for additional specialized inspections, he did describe the type of professional I should look for, such as a geotechnical analyst. Mike's written and verbal reports helped me make my decision regarding the property in question. I will definitely use Mike again when I need another home inspection.

We called Mike to do a home inspection based on the stellar feedback from all the other Angie's list reviewers. He was on time (early even) and was extremely thorough. It took longer than he had expected being that there were many small issues in need of attention. His report included detailed photos and descriptions of the issues he observed. These photos were taken in such a way as to highlight exactly what he was trying to point out. For example, when showing some cracks in the pavement outside he held a ruler against the pavement to illustrate how much the pavement was offset, creating a clear tripping hazard. For other pictures, his hand was in the picture, pointing to the issue of reference. He provided a copy of his report at the end of the inspection (after taking time to complete it is his truck) and he verbally walked us through the report. He had pictures available to show contrasts of "in code" versus "out of code" ways of doing common repairs/ construction or managing saftey concerns. This helped ensure we understood the feedback he provided and the concerns he had with issues on which he had commented. He also clearly stated when he was drawing our attention to some items that were within code at the time the house was built but for which codes have since changed. Thus, such issues are not "defects" with the house per se, but would benefit from being updated. For our house purchase, we were aware we were buying the house "as is." Thus Mike's report has provided us with a working list of repairs that need to be assessed or addressed. It has been of huge assistance as we contact the appropriate repair person and discuss with them the types of repairs we need or issues that we'd like to have further evaluated.

Went very well. Mike is a thorough professional. His detailed and efficient report is something that sets him apart. He will also explain every aspect of the process he follows and his report.He will point out in detail all his findings - termite/dry rot damage, code violation, structural problem, repairs required et al. Good thing is that unlike other inspectors, he does not decide what is trivial and what is not. He lets the client decide that. He prints out the report with color pictures in his van. Fast, professional and accurate defines Mike. Overall, very satisfied with his service.

I thought he was excellent. He came fairly well recommended on Angie's' List. My experience was consistent with the reviews I read. He was prompt, professional and through. He gave a report highlighting everything he found. The only thing I didn't like was that he wasn't as forthcoming as I had hoped about in which things I should be more more worried about. He didn't feel it was his place. He felt like he should disclose them and not rank them. I tried to see if he could give me estimates on the cost to repair them. He told me he wasn't allowed to do that professionally which I understood.

There really isn't too much more to say that isn't already covered in the other reviews. Mike is a top notch inspector and will no doubt be my "go to" guy for any inspections in the future. His report was so good that when I was talking to some general contractors to get repair estimates, I showed them the report and no less than three times they remarked, "wow this guy is thorough" without knowing what Mike's company name is called. They even said that they had never seen such a good report before. Home buying is an incredibly stressful experience, but if you go with Mike, you will at least have the peace of mind that if there is a problem with the property, Mike will find it, document it, and tell you the best way to fix it.

We found Mike through Angie's list. We were inspecting a home that had fallen out of escrow and had one of the better inspections I'd seen to that point already done. We decided to get our own inspection for peace of mind. Mike went through and found additional problems, he clearly went above and beyond a great job. He is flat out amazing at hoe inspection. If you are serious about buying a house and want to know what your getting into, Mike delivers at a very reasonable price.

My husband could not take off from work for the home inspection appointment so I was a bit worried about having to explain all the details to him. However, Mike explained everything so well to me after he was done, and he documented everything in writing according to rooms and took pictures that it was easy for me to explain all the findings to my husband later that evening. We feel confident now that the home we are purchasing is right for us and we thank you Mike for his professionalism!!!

Mike was very professional and prompt. He actually is "a thorough guy." He has performed two home inspections for us. In our first inspection, he found a lot of issues with the home and did not sugarcoat the problems. Needless to say, we did not buy the house. In our second inspection, he found minor issues and we are going to proceed with the sale. Mike provides a binder with color pictures of all the home's issues and explains them to you. We are now using it as a checklist of things to repair.