During over 35 years of construction and property inspection experience, Melanie Moore has learned a thing or two about what makes a house tick. Now she wants to pass on her knowledge to Realtors.
Moore is now accredited to teach continuing education classes covering home inspection topics to real estate agents in Tennessee and Georgia. Her offerings include nine classes totaling 19 CE credits in Tennessee and nine classes totaling 27 CE hours in Georgia.
The classes for agents licensed in Tennessee cover residential electrical inspections (three CE hours), avoiding the aggravations of home inspections (two CE hours), managing home inspections (two CE hours), common home defects (two CE hours), lead safety (two CE hours), residential structure inspections (two CE hours), HVAC basics (two CE hours), mold (one CE hour) and radon (one CE hour).
Moore says she designed each class to arm Realtors with information that will make them more knowledgeable when representing homebuyers and sellers.
During “Radon and Real Estate Transactions,” for example, Moore covers the essentials of radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer, and how a homeowner should handle it.
“A lot of people don’t understand what radon is or how to get rid of it, so they imagine the worst,” Moore says. “But radon is like a cavity – it’s easy to fix but it can kill you if you don’t take care of it.”
Moore offers many of the same classes to agents licensed in Georgia. In addition, Georgia agents can take courses focused on green homes and home energy options and audits.
“These classes will help Realtors understand what home inspectors do and enable them to spot major issues with a home,” Moore says.
Moore is available to teach her classes wherever groups of agents can assemble, including an office, local meeting space or – she jokes – her dock.
She wants to keep the classes small, however, to allow her and the participants to interact one-on-one.
“I want agents to get to know me, and I hope to gain their trust so they’ll use me when they need a home inspection,” she says. “I also hope keeping the classes small will help the participants enjoy something they might normally dread.”
Moore owns and is the sole inspector of Full Disclosure Home Inspections, which operates in Tennessee and Georgia. She has inspected over 5,000 homes during the 11 years she has been a licensed home inspector.
During this time, Moore says she has observed a gulf between Realtors and home inspectors, with some agents not understanding everything a home inspector does or does not do. She hopes the classes she teaches will help to close the gap.
“Home inspectors are not there to create issues. We are there to observe, disclose and explain issues to the client so they can make an informed decision,” she says.
“I believe a knowledgeable home inspector can provide a buyer or seller with information that can only help them make the right decision as they take on one of the largest monetary transactions of their lives.”
As vice president of the Home Inspectors of Tennessee Association, Moore has chaired an annual continuing education events for home inspectors in the state. Through this endeavor, she says she has learned to simplify the process of registering for and taking a class.
Moore is asking individuals or groups interested in scheduling a class to contact her at either 423 255-1300 or mmoore@fdhomeinspection.com.
During Moore’s more than three decades in construction and property inspection, she worked as a heavy crane operator, spent nine years with a geotechnical firm inspecting, soil and steel and concrete at job sites, and worked as a builder and developer.
Her work on projects in Chattanooga has been extensive. Now she wants to help Realtors as they do their part to create communities within the city.
“These classes will not only help agents maintain their license but also make interacting with home inspectors easier,” she says. “They will also help agents to understand a home and its systems while listing or showing it.”