NEW YORK STATE REPORT
WRITING IS VERY SIMPLE-
Please follow our policy that there are 3 types (Narrative,
Checklist, and Combination)
WE MANDATE THAT YOU USE THE H.I.F. FORM WITH
ADDENDUMS FOR MODULE 5- You can use the H.I.F. form as part of your actual Home
Inspection Career. It is straight forward, and if is not a difficult 6 page form
to understand. It also assists you, since the client understands simple. Complex
confuses clients.
Greetings to Module 4 and Potentially Module 5
Students/Grads:
We require that you all use the form I
developed, referred to as the H.I.F. form, which is an abbreviation of Housing
Inspection Foundation Form.
I also want to clarify something for all the
students, if you want to be thought of in a positive light by your clients.
There are 3 uniform types of reports,
acceptable to NYS Home Inspectors.
-
The NARRATIVE
STYLE
-
The CHECKLIST
STYLE
-
The COMBINATION
REPORT
The
Narrative is just that. It is a report, and written by you in a
narrative style.
The
Checklist is very restrictive because it only allows you to check a
box. Nothing more and nothing less.
The
Combination Report is a Combination of a Checklist with additional
lineage which will allow you to explain yourself, and further it also allows
you to add narrative sections to the report. These narrative (add-on)
sections are referred to as addendums.
I made this information quite clear during my
lectures in Module 4, but it seems that some students are unwilling to accept
my word for this. They would rather adopt the National Concept which
Marcia Spada wrote in the Home Inspection Manual.
I prefer that you adopt
The Combination Report, which
is used as part of Module 5 since every New York State Home Inspector uses one of the 3 reports.
For MODULE 5 YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE THE
H.I.F. FORM. (WHICH AGAIN IS A COMBINATION REPORT) FURTHER, KNOWING THE
H.I.F. FORM IS A COMBINATION REPORT, YOU MUST USE IT AS PART OF THE MODULE 5
PROGRAM. I HOPE YOU PRACTICE MULTIPLE TIMES PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF MODULE
5. GET USED TO WRITING REPORTS. ONCE IT BECOMES SIMPLE TO FOLLOW, YOU HAVE
MASTERED THE FORM. IT WILL THEREFORE NOT OVERWHELM YOU. IN MODULE 5 WE
REVIEW THE REPORTS FOR CLARITY AND QUALITY AND YOU ARE GRADED ON YOUR ABILITY
TO WRITE REPORTS. YOU MUST PASS EACH REPORT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT IN
MODULE 5. 40 HOURS IS JUST PART OF MODULE 5. THE REPORT WRITING PART IS
JUST AS IMPORTANT. I BELIEVE OUR STUDENTS HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE FROM WHAT THEY
HAVE LEARNED IN MODULES 1, 2, 3, AND 4 IN ORDER TO SUCCEED IN MODULE 5.
I AM COUNTING ON YOUR ABILITY AND YOUR
DESIRE TO SUCCEED. IF YOU BECOME OVERWHELMED, IT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU
DID NOT PRACTICE, AS WAS TOLD TO YOU AT LEAST 10 TO 15 TIMES THROUGHOUT THE
COURSE.
Bill C. Merrell, Ph.D. - Office: 631-563-7720
Address: 1461-16 Lakeland Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716
For E-Mail Communications:
For Web Site Communications: