SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PROPERTY INSPECTIONS

From my daughter: 1929Mike was phenomenal. Time crunched, he found room in his schedule for us and was professional and courteous from beginning to end. It is clear that *we* were his customers - not our realtor. Mike was straight-forward and honest, he helped us parse out what needed immediate attention (what to triage) and what could wait. He was also empathetic of our budget and would cite various solutions for different price points. Independently, our contractor, realtor, and the listing agent commented what a great inspector we must have worked with. While I hope to be in this home for a long time, I would definitely use Mike again and would recommend him without hesitation.

I have used Mike as a home inspector for the last 2 properties I have purchased (5 inspections total). I would never consider hiring anyone other than Mike to inspect my future home purchases. Mike is knowledgeable, reliable, experienced, and brings a peace of mind upon which a price cannot be placed. In the past, I have both closed and walked away from properties after one of Mike's inspections. He has accompanied me to foreclosures and provided advice and contractor recommendations. Mike was thorough with me in person and in the written report. I still feel like the most I learn during the home buying process is when I am privileged to walk through a home with Mike. Mike is timely and in the 5 inspections he has run for me, always gets me the inspection report via email within 24-48 hours. He has followed up with me on issues in properties with further advice over the phone and helped me to get in touch with contractors that would give me a ballpark estimate on what the work would cost should I move forward with the close. He even worked with a structural engineer on my behalf to determine if a property was pushing the threshold to close. I ended up walking away from that property because of potential issues in the structure of a second story addition as well as foundation structural issues. The first property inspection for which Mike was hired was a 2 bedroom condo in an old renovated 12 unit brick complex. Mike identified some issues with the masonry on the parapet wall which the developer would not address. Because of the potential cost, I did end up walking away from the property. No less than 1 year later I saw loose fallen brick on the sidewalk in front of that building from the very wall Mike identified. For the property most recently inspected, Mike correctly identified asbestos wrapped pipe, improper electrical in an attic renovation, and an improper installation of a drainage tile system. All of these issues are currently being addressed by contractors on the property and each was well documented in our inspection report. I felt confident in closing on the property because I knew the work that absolutely needed to be done before I felt safe moving in with my family. Mike even called a couple of weeks after the inspection to make sure the close was running smoothly and to see if the sellers were giving us any issue with the items brought up on the report. When I am purchasing a property, I want to be as involved and informed as I can be. Using Speaker of the House has always brought me to a new and more confident understanding of the property I am interested in buying. Mike and his crew have become part of my home buying team and I will still use him to inspect construction projects I plan for my current property, I recommend him emphatically and without reservation.

Full disclosure: I did NOT hire Speaker of the House. I am selling my house, and Speaker of the House was the inspector hired by a prospective buyer. I was not present for the inspection. I have received a copy of the inspection report. In my very biased opinion, it includes items that are not material defects. For example, it was noted that my house has no exterior outlets and that one shower has two knobs (one for hot and one for cold). These were indicated as "safety concerns". Really? That seems a stretch. It was noted having two knobs would allow someone to turn on hot only and cause scalding. Having a single knob and turning it all the way to the hot position would do the same thing. Of greater concern, it seems the inspection frightened my buyers due to the "major plumbing issues" - one leak in a crawlspace and a leak from a bathtub. In particular, for the bathtub it was noted (quoting directly from report): "Plumbing behind & below the older 2nd fl. tub, needs to be checked by lic. plumber; much water leaked through the 1st fl. BR ceiling after this tub was filled and drained. Quantity of water likely shows this isn't merely due to overflow drain." This was incorrect. I had a licensed plumber come out. He repaired the link in the crawlspace and the tub leak - which WAS due to the overflow drain. The ENTIRE cost of these fixes was under $250. This includes replacing the overflow drain because the inspector damaged it when he over-tightened the screws. So, as a result of this inspection, my prospective buyers backed out and I have not sold my house. I realize inspectors need to be thorough, but in this case I think the findings were badly communicated and made out to be much more "severe" than they actually are. All for "major plumbing issues" that cost under $250 to fix.

Mike was able to point out problems and items that were safety hazards or not up to code, while also helping us understand what was normal and to be expected in a house of that age. He was funny yet professional, and gave us some very solid advice on where to prioritize our home repairs upon closing. As first-time home buyers, we really appreciated his expertise, thoroughness, and no-nonsense approach. At the end of the inspection, he even volunteered to come back over once we rip out the walls of the semi-finished basement so he can finish our foundation inspection! Ultimately, his keen eyes and insistence on getting certain safety issues resolved allowed us to negotiate some immediate repairs and additional credits from the seller. THANKS, MIKE!

Jonathan led the inspection, showing up a few minutes early to start with pictures and assessment of the accessible areas of the outside. Mike was able to join him for about an hour, which was great. It's always beneficial to have more than one set of trained eyes inspecting. Mike found a couple of significant concerns in the areas he inspected that he pointed out and explained to us thoroughly. Thankfully Jonathan didn't find anything too major, but gave us a brief explanation of what he did find before he left. The report was professional and very thorough. I've reviewed the report with a few people since and have received comments that this was a very well done inspection, which is something I had believed myself but was happy to hear from a third party. In addition to making recommendations for properly licensed technicians to assess and repair certain items in the report, they were able to give us some ideas of how we might remedy the problems so that we could be more informed when talking with contractors. I would recommend Mike and Jonathan to anyone looking for a home inspector and would use them again in the future.

I was referred by a friend to Mike, and he managed to fit us into a crazy schedule (March 2013). Mike and Johnathan also made themselves available before and after the inspection at just about any time of day. Jonathan did most of the inspection, but Mike also came by for about an hour. I found them to be very thorough and honest. I don't feel they were overly pessimistic or alarmist like you hear some inspectors can be. They took time to explain some issues that concerned them, and they also pointed out various items they thought were done well - "a good detail not always seen." Overall, I felt I was capable of making an informed decision on our purchase after reviewing their report. The report is as thorough as the work they do, and it includes pictures - it was very helpful when negotiating repairs/credits prior to closing. I also shared it with the HOA, who subsequently decided to use reserves to make repairs to the building that were suggested in the report. I would not hesitate for a single second to refer friends and family to Speaker of the House.

Mike is amazing. We had him inspect two houses for us (first deal fell through) and were extremely satisfied with his inspections. We have been happily residing in the second house for three years now, steadily making home improvements based on things he found in his inspections. He is very professional, honest and trustworthy. My real estate agent was impressed enough to start recommending him to other clients. If I ever move again (hope not to!) I am going to have him come inspect our house again to see what we have to fix prior to sale. Highly recommended.

They were very efficient and responsive. Their attention to detail was good overall but not totally excellent. There are just couple of items that they missed in the antique.

Would use him again. Very thorough.

We found Speaker of the House on Yelp.com and contacted Mike (owner) to complete an inspection of a house that we had made an offer on. The house is a three flat with a different type of heating systems for each floor. He had originally quoted us $550 which was a comparable price after comparison. Mike was about 15 minutes late in arriving to the house because of a closed road that he had to detour around. He was so embarrassed about being late that he actually discounted our price by $50 bringing it down to $500. I was definitely not concerned about the 15 minutes and believe that his concern was exactly how a person should do business. Mike had brought an additional person with him to help with the inspection. It took about 3 hours and, I have to say, it was VERY thorough. He even did me a favor and mentioned to my husband (rather than to me) that there was a dead rodent in the basement. He said that he figured that would freak me out (which it would have!) Not only did Mike and his extra do an extremely thorough job at inspecting the building, he also had a 14 page detailed report, including pictures, sent to my email the very next day. This report was instrumental in receiving cash back at closing for repairs on the major issues of the 126 year old building. I would suggest Mike with Speaker of the House to anybody and everybody who is purchasing a home. *Although Mike did arrive 15 minutes late to our appointment, he more than made up for it with the discount in cost which is why i did not mark him down on punctuality.

Mike from Speak of the House is a fantastic home inspector. He came as a recommendation from my real estate agent. Professional and extremely detail oriented. Mike himself lives in an older home and you can tell he is passionate about rehabs and care of older buildings. He looked at and explained everything he saw/found. He walked me through the report afterward and even gave me referrals for contractors for work that needed to be done. I ended up calling him a few times for clarification and advice about the negotiations and every time we spoke he was extremely patient and helpful. If you want an inspector who just checks a box and moves on - that's not Mike. He expects quality craftsmanship and will let you know where corners have been cut and where a job has been done correctly. Knowledge is power, and being a first time buyer, I greatly appreciated knowing everything I could about the building/unit before my purchase. Mike did not hold any punches. He pointed out the good, the bad, the ugly, the things that could wait and the things that needed attention sooner. He really helped put my mind at ease that I knew what I was getting into with the condo purchase. I would recommend Mike to anyone looking to buy a home - especially if it is older construction.

Mike actually inspected 2 condo properties for us. The first deal fell through but he found many things wrong with the place that we never would have noticed because we were too busy oohing and ahhing over the pretty windows (which turned out to be pretty crappy). On the second property we definitely wanted Mike back. He does pick out a lot of things. It will make your head spin with the detail he goes into. From what I know, Mike is originally an electrician so he is real good in pointing out the electrical issues. This is good since electrical stuff has the tendency to kill you if it goes bad. The inspection report is very thorough and it will make you think twice about wanting to buy the property. The report will scare you. But it is beneficial to know all the potential repair costs of your new home. However, if you're gonna spend that much money to buy a place you should have all the facts. I think he caught most things and he gave good suggestions. One big thing he missed was that he thought the floor hardwood splitting was due to the building settling. It was actually due to the floor box being very crooked which caused the kitchen island to put a lot of weight/pressure onto the floor. Other than that, he was spot on. I enjoyed learning a lot from Mike. He is quite the character. Good guy. Would highly recommend.

Mike Massart did the inspection and did an excellent job. The inspection itself was very thorough and well done. He gave me some tips on how to set or clean things. He went above and beyond. Even the developer said he was a good inspector. I would recommend him.

Mike inspected our would-be condo--inside and out, even on the roof. He caught some important issues (like 1 electrical outlet that may not have been grounded well), but completely missed the biggies -- and we are now dealing with building issues every day. It's quite the nightmare. What bothered me about mike is that he spends a lot of time pointing out minutia -- things that, honestly, as a homebuyer I don't care about (like the brand of the circuit breaker casing, what kind of can lights are installed, etc.). The major things that have led to 2 years of leaks into our unit, he completely missed.

The experience was great from beginning to end. Mike and his colleague arrived early and were already surveying the grounds (in the rain) when we arrived. I then accompanied him on the 2.5 hour inspection. The team was very detailed and both men were careful to explain in detail everything they were doing and finding. Mike exceeded my expectations in this regard. He not only explained each of the deficiencies but took the time to explain things that would not necessarily show up in the inspection report. As a first-time homeowner with little experience dealing with home maintenance, I really appreciated this and learned a lot. I got the detailed inspection report early the next morning and, again, he took the time to include suggestions and advice that were very helpful and outside the scope of his responsibilities. After reading through the report I contacted him on several occasions to discuss a few of the items. He was always very quick to respond and spent as much as I needed to help out. Overall, a great experience and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mike to any buyers.

I was able to book an appointment in under 3 days notice. Mike was professional and polite on the phone, and punctual, professional and thorough for the appointment. He went through the entire condo with a fine-toothed comb, pointing not only the obvious things that need to get fixed, but issues which might cause me a problem down the road. He also reviewed the recent work which had been done on the unit. He also could explain about the plumbing, electrical, etc. in terms I could understand, without being condescending (I dislike it when contractors/construction-related workmen assume that because I am a woman, I don't know anything about this kind of work. I've been a DIYer for over 20 years). He was able to give me some professional advice about ways I could save myself a lot of money when doing renovations. For example, I mentioned I wanted to install a dishwasher, and would like to eventually re-do the bathroom. For the kitchen, he told me that installing an 18" dishwasher instead of a 24" dishwasher would only make me lose 1 cabinet worth of space (instead of 1-1/2) and would also save me a lot of money because I would not have to reconstruct an entire stretch of cabinets, just have work done to remove one, huge money-saver. In the bathroom, he was able to tell me that I could get the tub reglazed (a cost of $200-500 depending on how much I wanted to glaze) and extend the life of the tub by several years, instead of paying thousands of dollars to put in a whole new tub or a tub liner. I appreciate an inspector/contractor who's helping me look out for my bottom line, but is telling me there are quality alternatives, not being cheap. He had emailed me my inspection report in under an hour of completing the job, and followed up with me to ensure I'd received it, and to find out if I had any further questions after reading it. There were no surprises between what he'd told me as we went through the condo, and the final report. In total, I felt like he really knew what he was talking about, that he was looking out for my best interests, and that I got my full money's worth for the job. Mike was pleasant, engaging, and professional, but he was also funny, no-nonsense, and a pleasure to deal with. I'd readily recommend him to anyone looking for a good inspector, especially other first-time home buyers like myself. On a side note about his prices: I called around to several inspectors for a quote before deciding on him. For a 1 BR place, most quoted me $250 with a couple running upwards to $300 or more. I chose Speaker of the House based on previous reviews I'd read, and I was not disappointed.

He was really friendly and explained things simply and thoroughly. I recommend him highly. We basically went through every area of the condo and common areas and talked about potential problems and what their solutions might be. I left feeling confident that I was getting a good deal and was able to ably re-negotiate on short-comings he found.

Mike was on time, both for our appointment and with the delivery of the final maintenance report. Not only did he document the results of his inspection, but he also provided a list of contractors who could help us to complete our maintenance projects. I found Mike's candor to be refreshing, and he was more than willing to take the time to explain the root cause and implications of issues that he found on our property, e.g., cracks in the foundation and mortar. I wouldn't buy or sell a house without having Mike involved.

ED MASSART GAVE ME A TRUE EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT PROBLEMS TO LOOK FOR IN A HOME, INSIDE AND OUT, AND WHAT THINGS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT. HE DISTINGUISHED CLEARLY BETWEEN THINGS THAT WERE IN FAILURE OR ABOUT TO FAIL, THINGS THAT COULD BE CHANGED IN THE FUTURE, AND THINGS THAT WHILE NOT FITTING TO CURRENT CODE, MET CODE WHEN THE HOUSE WAS BUILT (25 YRS AGO). HE ALSO RECOMMENDED SPECIALISTS TO EVALUATE SPECIALIZED SYSTEMS (CEDAR SHAKE ROOF AND BASEMENT WALL MOVEMENT). HE CAME ON RELATIVELY SHORT NOTICE, WAS EXTREMELY THOROUGH, COMMUNICATED THE RESULTS QUICKLY (VIA EMAIL) AND THOROUGHLY. WE WERE EXTREMELY IMPRESSED AND HAPPY WITH THE SERVICE, WHICH ALERTED US TO PROBLEMS WE WERE THEN ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE SELLER.

MIKE MASSART WAS PROFESSIONAL AND SPENT THE TIME TO EDUCATE ME DURING THE INSPECTION PROCESS, WHICH TOOK ALMOST 3 HRS. I APPRECIATED THE DETAIL AND METICULOUSNESS OF HIS SERVICES, SINCE IT GAVE ME A REALISTIC SUMMARY OF THE HIDDEN PROBLEMS WITH THE MAJOR SYSTEMS OF THE BUILDING.

ED MASSART WAS SUPERB. HE DID AN EXTREMELY THOROUGH JOB OF INSPECTING THE HOUSE I WAS GOING TO BUY, WHICH WAS A 25 YEARS OLD. HE WAS VERY PUNCTUAL, EARLY EVEN, AND TREATED ME WITH COMPLETE RESPECT. HE EXPLAINED EVERYTHING HE WAS DOING AND FINDING AND SUGGESTED POSSIBLE FIXES. HIS PROFESSIONALISM WAS OUTSTANDING AND I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE PLEASED WITH THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE. I HAVE USED THIS COMPANY TWICE NOW, AND WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE WHO IS PURCHASING A HOUSE. HE MADE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY STRESSFUL TIME, EDUCATIONAL AND EVEN FUN. HIS PARTNER KEN JACOBSON INSPECTED MY FIRST HOUSE AND WAS EQUALLY GREAT. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT COMPANY.

MIKE WAS VERY THOROUGH AND DETAIL-ORIENTED. AFTER THE INSPECTION, WE HAD SEVERAL PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM, AND HE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE TO OUR FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS. RETURNED CALLS VERY QUICKLY.