America's Home Inspections LLC

Met Rick the inspector at the property, he arrive promptly and explain the process to me. He was extremely detailed and provided a substantial amount of knowledge on the condition of the home. He is is the latest ethnology, very professional, competent and trustworthy! We had a very smooth experience from start to finish. The inspection process is really complex but Rick gave my husband and I peace of mind and was very willing to explain each step of what he was doing. The report was about 50 pages with more than 200 photos. He emailed the report right from the kitchen counter of our new home. My experience was amazing and the entire process far exceeded my expectations. He was highly recommended and I’m really grateful that we went ahead and used him. I will continue to recommend him to anyone looking for a home inspection and will use him again for any future home purchases! Also shout out to his office staff— they were so helpful with the online order process through their website. They made the process of ordering inspection radon and termite super easy!!

The inspection was very thorough, from the basement, to the first floor, to the attic and on the roof. It took about 3 hours. At the end, Rick went over all of his findings with us using his laptop. Then he sent us the complete report on our computer. He took many photos of each area of the house which were included in the copy he sent us. He wrote about his findings in each area and coordinated that with the photos. It was well worth the money we spent.

Rick was very detailed and provided an excellent report along with recommendations for improvements and upgrades.

Client of mine performed the service so I'm not positive of cost, but they did a whole home inspection for my client. Inspection was comprehensive and fair to both the seller and buyer. Also, their report was detailed and was easy to refer back to when we were doing our remedy request.

Overall they did a nice job. The inspector actually got up on the roof, and considering how steep my roof is this is quite a feat. The inspector was very thorough and provided a detailed report when he was finished including pictures. The inspector really took his time with the house and was able to walk me through all of the major concerns. Overall I was very pleased with the experience. The only two things that were less than stellar: - Punctual: While ordinarily it is a good thing to be early, not when things need to be tightly scheduled. The inspector was over two hours early which meant that the seller had not yet disabled the alarm system at the house and numerous calls were made to realtors, police, etc. - Payment: The provider offers the option to pay using PayPal, but this was a complete nightmare. The paypal invoice was not correctly entered or was not charged correctly or some other error was occurring that was not allowing me to pay by paypal. Thought the provider sent me a link to pay this way, when I clicked on the link it said that this invoice was not due. I don't usually carry checks on me, nor do I frequently walk around with $400 in cash so this hiccup necessitated me going to the bank to get money before the inspection report could be released. I didn't knock off any stars for this, however, because it's possible it was simply a glitch on paypal's end. Additionally, the inspector was incredibly understanding and offered to come to the bank with me so that we could release the report quicker and close out the sale.

Although we did not have time to pursue it here is the intial text of the BBB complain that we filed against Mr. Shaffer. We also took a moment to call the columbus PD fraud dept and file a police report regarding his fraudulent behavior. Last I looked he had at least removed the fraudulent membership logos that he was no longer affiliated with. COMPLAINT ACTIVITY REPORT Case # 70092643 Better Business Bureau serving Central Ohio Consumer Info: Finisterre, Mr. Kevin Business Info: America's Home Inspections, LLC 2271 Sutter Pkwy 545 Metro Pl S Ste 100 Dublin, OH 43016 Dublin, OH 43017-5353 - 614 209-6737 614 766-9579 Location Involved: (Same as above) Consumer's Original Complaint : On March 29th 2011 I was delivered a home inspection ($335) report that I feel was not of quality. The electrical examination of our home was done very poorly and some items of concern and of safety hazard were omitted. When I called to contact Rick Shaffer Owner and person that did the inspection he became VERY defensive and backpedaled as much as possible. He in essence began trumpeting how much better his service was that others. He implied "I take pictures" so everything is ok... and side stepped the whole issue. We called an electrician to come look and multiple times he said the wiring was "illegal" and stated "your home inspector didn't say anything about this?". I contacted Rick Shaffer again after this visit and he got extra defensive again. I told him per his "NAHI" national association of home inspectors inc membership , their standards dictated in section 9.2.8 that he should have caught our issue. http://www.nahi.org/web-nahi-standards-of-practice.pdf . He told he very aggressively "I bet I take more pride in my work than you do" when I suggested even if he don't follow the standards at least take some pride in his work. At the very least he was certainly not following the NAHI code of ethics. http://www.nahi.org/web-nahi-code-of-ethics.pdf I feel he has put the safety of myself and my family at risk due to the level of trust we had in him. I called NAHI and found that he has been "illegally making use of their logo" on both his website and on his deliverable report. He has not been a member since December of 2005 and the NAHI will be sending him a cease and desist letter. During his process he frequently mentions his accreditation and implied that NAHI was the reason he was so trustworthy and why his work was so good. It is completely 100% fraudulent because he is not even a NAHI member and additionally he is certainly not following their standards even if he was a member. Consumer's Desired Resolution: I would like a full refund because this gentleman has misrepresented himself as NAHI certified and he is NOT. His poor judgement and seemingly good bill of health for the home has jeopardized the safety of myself and my family as well of that of my property in general. The things that he missed *SHOULD* have been presented to the seller of our home as something to be fixed BEFORE we purchased and moved in. His 'opinion' was valued as professional and backed by NAHI as well as the other certifications and accreditations he claimed. Simply put he simply misrepresented himself and his company. When I told him I was going to file a BBB claim he simply smirked and said "I will rebut it". This gentleman is VERY defensive and unapologetic for his lack of care in his work. I would not recommend him to anyone. BBB Processing 07/05/2011 web BBB Complaint Received by BBB 07/06/2011 kg BBB Member or MIP Complaint Validated by BBB Operator 07/06/2011 Otto EMAIL Send Acknowledgement to Consumer 07/06/2011 Otto EMAIL Inform MIP Member of Complaint 07/06/2011 WEB BBB RECEIVE BUSINESS RESPONSE : I believe on Friday, June 24th, 2011, I received a call from Kevin Finisterre regarding an inspection I performed for him on property 2271 Sutter Parkway in Dublin. His concern regarded electrical issues. I assured him that all accessible outlets are tested and we remove the faceplate on electrical panels to ensure the breakers and wiring safety, as photographed in the report. At the time of the inspection, Kevin was present and asked questions throughout. He also was grateful and complementary for my thoroughness, detail reporting and experience. Home inspectors are not electrical specialists, but generalists and comply with industry standards. We do not perform load/calculations to determine if the supply meets the demand of the household, as noted on page 38 of the inspection report. Kevin stated that he had to have an electrician come to the property several times to confirm the wiring was illegal. However, when I asked him to provide me documentation of the electricians certifications and findings, Kevin declined to do so. I also indicated that the best source for electrical history would lie with the previous owner as they had 24/7 interaction within the property over many years and the home inspector observes what is current within the few hours of the inspection. The homeowners paid for a 1 year warranty and Kevin should more than likely look into this avenue. The standards of ASHI Code of Ethics 7.2b and NASHI Standards of Practice 9.2.8 and we met those standards and requirements. I take pride with every property inspection and with great detail, documenting throughout the process, backed by photographs of every room, electrical, plumbing, roofing, appliances, etc. I stated that I wanted to provide assistance with his electrical concern but Kevin was not satisfied with any response and threatened to 'ruin my company'. He used explicit language and became very aggressive and personally attacking. I stated that he had crossed the line when the conversation turns unprofessional. He continued to harass and threaten me on my personal cell phone and business office staff throughout the day. My counsel takes aggressive threats and business slandering very seriously and will not hesitate to take legal action if necessary. Kevin's claims of fraudulent affiliation / membership with ASHI and/or NAHI are false. For many years, I have had dual memberships with both organizations and my reports are certified with ASHI. Lapse in membership dues in not in any way a reflection of fraudulent affiliation or membership. I understand Kevin is frustrated and this was another means of attacking my business and integrity. I truly believe more is resolved with professionalism and respect. Much of my business is referral, and one of Kevin's friends highly recommended me to him. I make myself very available to clients before, during and after the inspection, providing professional assistance, answering questions, recommendations and re-visits to the property on occasion for clarification. Unfortunately, Kevin was unable to stay professional and lacked documentation for me to provide further assistance. It is obvious that he is looking for a free inspection and that by threatening and harassing me and my staff, he hoped I would agree to refund his money. I reiterated that according to my Inspection Agreement, which he signed at the time of the inspection, there is an arbitration process to follow

the main concern is the quality of the inspection. after we moved into the house we found out the following: 1) it is possible that the seal wasbroken in 2 big window in the family room 2) one of the cabinet door was broken 3) the phone jets of the whole house do not work 4) one of the compartment divider in the fringe was missing 5) the 2 way switch in the dinner room was not wired properly The inspector, who is also the owner of the company, visited my house. After the review we came to the following common understanding: 1) it is possible that the seal was broken in 2 big window in the family room confirmed, the seals of the windows were broken. The inspector overlooked it.2) one of the cabinet door was broken confirmed, the door was broken at the time of inspection, the inspector overlooked it3) the phone jets of the whole house do not work according to the inspector, it is out of scope of inspection4) one of the compartment divider in the fringe was missing according to the inspector, it is out of scope of inspection 5) the 2 way switch in the dinner room was not wired properly we did not touch this topic, Maybe it is out of scope also. but it is confirmed and I got it rewired by my own, it is working now. However, do not write off this inspector just yet. He has demonstrated passion about his work, and he promised me this incident will stay in his memory bank for long time. I am sure he would do better job going forward… a nice thing about him is that during his visit, he fixed the oven door of the range, which he over looked during his inspection…

He showed up on time and was ready to get to work. We discussed how long it would take and how we could fit the inspection and report into my work schedule. He was very willing to make adjustments so I could be present for the report but still attend an important meeting at work. When I returned, he had everything ready for the report with lots of pictures included. He walked me around to the areas of note and pointed out a few things that I would need to know for maintenance and/or remodeling, as well as showing me where filters that needed replacing were located and some small, but inexpensive upgrades I could make to improve energy efficiency. It was a much better experience than I was expecting (I guess I watch too much HGTV), and went a long way to calming my nerves about buying a new home.

I remembered submitting a followup report, however, it was not there. Don't know whether it was rejected or I failed to submit at all. Anyway, our initial impression with the inspection was very good, and I gave an all-A rating in my previous report. However, I've found quite some problems after I moved in. Here's an example - Almost as soon as I moved in the house, I found out that the house has two separate parts of attics with different entrances and not connected at all - obviously Rick inspected only the one with the entrance in the garage and missed the other. (Maybe such design of the house is really unique?) There are a couple of other problems on windows, doors, etc. maybe minor, but the costs add up. Especially he failed to spot a broken pocket door, which is really difficult to fix. I hate to rate him low, since he already helped us get quite some credit. But after finding more problems by ourselves, we really feel that his work has some distance to perfectness, especially for an aged house.

When we arrived, Rick already started. He told us that he didn't like to be disturbed while he was working, and would answer our questions after the inspection was done. He checked thoroughly, and answered our questions with patience. On the evening of the inspection, he sent us the report in PDF. He pointed out that the AC was very old and might go out of service at any time, which helped us to get some credit from the buyer. The only problem for us was that we were not prepared for his work style and missed asking some questions - we expected to follow him all the way through inspection and being educated at the same time. He answered our phone calls and email for our additional questions after the inspection.

Rick Schaffer, the owner/inspector, was already at the home when we arrived. He completed a very thorough inspection of the home over an approximate four-hour period and provided us with a comprehensive report on his findings, accompanied with color photographs of any defects he found. Throughout the inspection, he answered questions we had and took time to explain areas of concern. Overall, I was very pleased with his inspection and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to others.

We met Rick when he spoke at the Columbus Housing Partnership First Time Home Buyers class. I was there when he did the inspection, and he did a very thorough job, taking time to explain things to me and answer my questions. I'm still not completely sold on the usefulness of a home inspection, but we did it for peace of mind. We have a great report with pictures and detailed descriptions for our records, so it was worth it.

MR. SCHAFFER ACTUALLY DID 3 INSPECTIONS FOR ME. THE 1ST HOUSE HAD SOME CODE VIOLATIONS SO I ASKED HIM TO RE-INSPECT WHEN I WAS TOLD THE REPAIRS WERE FINISHED. THERE WAS A NEW PROBLEM AND AN OLD PROBLEM. I ENDED UP WALKING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. THE 3RD INSPECTION, ON A DIFFERENT HOUSE, REVEALED ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS AND I FELT CONFIDENT NOT REQUIRING ANOTHER INSPECTION. MR. SCHAFFER WAS ON TIME, PERSONABLE AND WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I COULD THINK OF. HE TOOK HIS TIME AND DID A VERY THOROUGH JOB OF IT.

THE OWNER, RICK SCHAFFER, CONDUCTED THE INSPECTION. HE WAS THOROUGH, PROFESSIONAL, DETAIL ORIENTED, AND VERY WILLING TO SHARE HIS EXPERTISE. HE CAREFULLY INSPECTED THE ENTIRE HOME IN AROUND 3 HOURS, AT THE END OF WHICH HE PRESENTED A DETAILED REPORT, IN FULL COLOR WITH COMMENTS AND COLOR PICTURES! WHILE MY WIFE AND I ARE NO EXPERTS IN HOME INSPECTIONS, MR. SCHAFFER'S PROFESSIONAL MANNER CREATED A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND TRUST. WE WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND HIM AND HIS COMPANY TO OTHERS.

HE DID A GREAT JOB!!! VERY PERSONABLE AND EFFICIENT.

PERFORMED INSPECTION FOR NEW HOME PURCHASED IN THE AREA. RICK L. SCHAFFER. REPORT WAS TIMELY, COMPLETE, WELL ORGANIZED AND (RELATIVELY) AFFORDABLE.

RICK WAS VERY PUNCTUAL. HE IS PROFESSIONAL WITH MY CLIENTS (THE HOME BUYERS). A COMPUTER GENERATED REPORT IS GIVEN TO THE BUYERS WHEN THE INSPECTION IS COMPLETE, ALONG WITH A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WAS FOUND DURING THE INSPECTION. RICK EXPLAINS IN EASY TERMS WHAT HE DOING THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF HIS INSPECTION. HIS REPORT IS VERY THOROUGH AND INCLUDES PICTURES AS WELL AS TEXT.

HE CHECKED ALL MECHANICAL ITEMS, ROOF, ELECTRIC, PLUMBING, TERMITE, ETC. HE MISSED MAJOR ELECTRICAL AND ROOFING PROBLEMS. THIS COMPANY TOOK AWAY OUR NEGOTIATING POWER WHEN PURCHASING OUR HOME. HIS MISTAKE COST US $3000 IN REPAIRS. DON'T USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU ARE EXPECTING THEM TO FIND POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH YOUR HOME.