home inspection – School of Professional Home Inspection

How to Determine if You Have a Load-Bearing Wall

Removing or altering these walls without proper support can lead to serious structural issues and costly repairs.

By JJ Greive, 1 yearJuly 12, 2024 ago

Spring Cleaning and Maintenance

Be Careful Pressure Washing Vinyl Siding As the season transitions and homeowners prepare for spring cleaning, attention naturally shifts to the exterior of the house. Amidst the array of tasks, one often underestimated chore is the maintenance of vinyl siding. While renowned for its longevity and low upkeep, vinyl siding Read more

By JJ Greive, 1 yearMarch 21, 2024 ago

Uncategorized

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding?

The question isn’t can you, but should you?Vinyl siding moves/expands/contracts with the weather more than other types of cladding. Vinyl siding, known for its flexibility with temperature changes, requires unrestricted movement horizontally after installation. Usually, the panels overlap, it’s recommended they do so by approximately half the length of the Read more

By JJ Greive, 1 yearMarch 21, 2024 ago

Field Training SOP students

Embracing the Adventure: The Joy of Home Inspection

As a seasoned home inspector and passionate instructor, sharing this adventure with my students is one of the highlights of my career

By JJ Greive, 2 yearsMarch 20, 2024 ago

students Testing

Student Resources

Student Links Inspection Testing System – call us for a password Facebook SOPHI Students Group Vocabulary Terms and Definitions used in Class Student Study Guide Review podcast

By JJ Greive, 3 yearsAugust 13, 2022 ago

Electrical Safety

1.4 Million Electrical Panels Recalled Due to Thermal Burn and Fire Hazards

Square D Plug-on-Neutral panel Recall Date: June 16, 2022 When working in a trade like home inspection you need to keep up all the time with the latest building news. Thanks to Charles Buell for bringing this to our attention.A few days ago the Consumer Protection Safety Commission released this Read more

By JJ Greive, 3 yearsJune 22, 2022 ago

National Inspection Education

MONTANA – Inspection Fundamental Training Course

As a complement to your education, we are happy to offer support to get your Home Inspection business up and running as soon as possible. It is our mission to prepare you for success in this lucrative marketplace, even beyond the classroom.
Have more questions? Be sure to read our FAQ, or call us, we love to talk about home inspection careers.

By JJ Greive, 4 yearsMarch 13, 2022 ago

National Inspection Education

COLORADO HOME INSPECTION TRAINING

The School of Professional Home Inspection offers one of the most rigorous programs in the country: the Fundamentals of Home Inspection. This hybrid course allows students to attend in person or join live via Zoom, combining flexibility with real-time interaction. Direct access to experienced instructors and peers creates a dynamic Read more

By JJ Greive, 4 yearsFebruary 24, 2022 ago

Academy Testing

Online Quiz System / Study Guide -It Works!

We do a lots of practice electronic quizzes, by the time we finish class, our students have answered approximately 800 practice questions! We believe this is important since most of us haven’t had to take tests in years. By practicing these tests are students sharpen their knowledge and prepare themselves Read more

By JJ Greive, 5 yearsMarch 16, 2021 ago

students

This is Why We Teach!

We just wrapped up our twenty first Home Inspection Fundamentals class (whew!) and I was going over our student’s exit surveys. Thank you for choosing SOPHI Greg. was a pleasure to have you in class. What would help to make this class more effective? “I wouldn’t change a thing. I can’t Read more

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsAugust 5, 2019 ago

plumbing preventive maintenance

Septic System Maintenance

Septic systems can be a great alternative to traditional sewer systems. They are more economical, highly efficient, and simply designed. If you have a septic system, make sure you know how to properly maintain it. Absorption Field Never drive over the absorption field with cars, trucks, or heavy equipment. Always Read more

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsJune 24, 2019 ago

Home Safety HVAC insulation and ventilation Moisture Intrusion WDO Wood destroying insects

Mold Prevention For Your Home

Mold growth in the HVAC system is due to the mold spores contained in the constantly circulated air. These spores embed in the dust, and finally combine with condensation (due to the AC coil or humidity) and quickly grow.

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsJune 18, 2019 ago

Deck inspections Exterior

Summer Home Prep Checklist

We are on our way to the season of sun, fun, and warm evenings under the stars. That’s right, summer is afoot! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we treasure our summers. We are able to spend the day on our deck or patio, tend our garden, and bask in the Read more

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsJune 5, 2019 ago

Moisture Intrusion WDO Wood destroying insects

Why You Need A Proper Vapor Barrier

It is code to have 6 mil black plastic vapor barrier in a crawlspace, we will often see no plastic or clear. The clear plastic will grow plants readily, below we found a home with the plants taking over. The vapor barrier will help prevent structural pests by reducing the Read more

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsApril 29, 2019 ago

congratulations students

Congratulations Marc

I want to congratulate Marc, a SOPHI certified home inspector. I look forward to seeing you in the field! Nice Job! Marc Yang – Elite Home Inspection 425-575-0891 Elite Home Inspection Services https://eliteinsp.com/

By JJ Greive, 6 yearsMarch 29, 2019 ago

Academy defective products Electrical Home Safety Uncategorized

Interested in Becoming a Home Inspector? Class Begins February 26th, 2018!

Interested in a Home Inspection Career? School of Professional Home Inspection (SOPHI) is your first step toward becoming a Licensed Home Inspector, offering interactive and informative course material taught by experienced professionals who truly value your long-term success, even beyond the classroom. Whether you plan to join an established team Read more

By JJ Greive, 8 yearsFebruary 5, 2018 ago

plumbing That don't look right

How To Reset a Toilet

Have you seen water around the base of toilet? Is the vinyl flooring have stains bleeding through? Does the flooring feel soft or spongy around the toilet bowl? I look at a lot of toilets, and it is amazing how many of them leak. Often these leaks are very small, but over time Read more

By JJ Greive, 9 yearsMarch 26, 2016 ago

Uncategorized

House in Port Orchard WA, Explosion kills 2

Propane Dangers A home in Port Orchard had a terrible explosion a few days ago, what a tragic story. It is too early to tell the cause for sure, but that home was heated with propane and they do not suspect a crime. This brings up some important points about propane dangers. Read more

By JJ Greive, 10 yearsFebruary 24, 2016 ago

More Great Reviews

Steph B.

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value,
JJ and Suzanne are awesome teachers! I highly recommend to anyone looking to learn the ins and outs of Home Inspection! I really enjoyed this class! Thank you for being so patient and thorough!

Brandon B.

Suzanne and JJ are great! It was a pleasure to take this class. They have great insight into local practice that is very useful in this market. I have been on well over 300 inspections as a real estate agent and learned a ton from them. Highly recommended if anyone is interested in persuing home inspection training. It was like a firehose of information coming at you but they took the time to answer all questions and help explain things in ways that were understandable. Even though it was a long class it was bittersweet to finish it. I rather enjoyed showing up everyday to learn something and didn't feel it was overwhelming or a chore. They made it enjoyable and easy to follow along with. Thank you guys so much and I am sure I will be talking again with you!

John T.

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value
I attended the Home Inspection Fundaments course after finding the School of Professional Home Inspection on the department of licensing website. JJ and Suzanne were both great teachers and have a lot of great stories that really give you insight into the types of issues you will encounter as a home inspector.
I had a construction background going into this, but there was still so much for me to learn. This school gave me a great foundation (pun intended) for what I needed to know to pass the National Home Inspector Exam. My only advice to anyone who is planning to take this course is to take as many notes as you can and keep them organized. Study after hours. Take the practice quizzes that JJ provides to all of his students. Get lost on Google and YouTube for hours at a time learning about all the different systems in a home and construction materials/methods that are no longer acceptable by current standards. Open your mind and get excited about learning all of these new things and it will help you excel.

Best of luck to anyone just beginning this journey.

Thanks again guys!

Ryan F

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality
I dislike schooling with a passion. Never has been one of my strong suits. This course offered by JJ and his wife Suzanne feels more like sitting around the dinner table with your family than it does a classroom. You get the joy and laughs while great information is passed around. Questions, no matter how silly you may feel they are, get answered in a way easily understandable. The content of the course is pretty thorough and in depth. You get to learn about the standards the state has, industry standards adopted by multiple outfits, varying business models and practices in use today by others and they have access to dozens, if not hundreds of real estate agents, inspectors, contractors, etc that can answer questions or help point you in the right direction. I wouldn't hesitate to sign up for this class if you were serious about getting the best shot at getting your License.

Thank you

Zachary M.

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value
JJ & Suzanne offer an extremely high level of knowledge both in what is required and what can be expected of a Home Inspector. They are great teachers and it is clear that they are doing something that they love...Helping people. They also gave me a clear idea of the other opportunities that Home Inspectors have to serve their communities like becoming a Structural Pest Inspector as well. I really appreciated learning about all the things that they learned the hard way... All of those real-world experiences that they shared were priceless. I also appreciated learning some of the ins and outs of working in the different areas around the Puget Sound. It was a complete package of knowledge that I would not have gotten from a national chain school. Thank you JJ & Suzanne and hopefully one day I will be on your extensive list of mentors for new Home Inspectors!

Dillon M.

I was worried the 120-Hour Classroom Hours crammed in 12 days was going to be grueling but it was everything but. I was genuinely surprised at the all around quality of every aspect of JJ and Suzanne's class. They exerted extreme hospitality throughout the entire duration of the class and always made sure we were comfortable and in the best position to learn. As a licensed professional and tradesman, I felt satisfied with their knowledge base pertaining to my specialization and in return, gave me confidence that everything else I was learning was proper and sufficient.

I do not believe any other Home Inspecting Course will be able to match what JJ and Suzanne have to offer and I am so sure of it, I'd be willing to bet a whole first year's worth of pay from the money I will make Home Inspecting against anyone that'd say otherwise!

Andrew K.

This was the best experience of my life! Very professional but relaxed environment. The information I learned in the time I was there was amazing. Money well spent!

Tim K.

JJ and Suzanne are by far the best home inspection instructors around, they prepared me for the test and ho to do a professional home inspection as well as setting up my business. I was successful my first year out thanks to them. Highly recommended!
Tim, AAA Home Inspections

John J.

The SOPHI instructors (JJ and Suzanne) were not only helpful in training and preparing our class for the State exam, but with my own launching into the home inspection business. I was impressed with the professionalism and patience shown to their students and clients. In between their busy personal and professional lives they have shown me that they truly care about their students and are willing to go beyond typical learning situations in order to help their students succeed.