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Critical house details: Behind the Business with RI Real Estate Inspection Services in Warwick, RI
Certified Master Home Inspector (CMI) Allen Potter owns RI Real Estate Inspection Services in Warwick, RI. Before starting his business, Allen worked full-time in the construction industry and was a licensed real estate agent, and belonged to the National Association of Realtors. “I've been involved in real estate and property management in all aspects of real estate since 1979,” Allen said.
In 1999, Allen’s nephew, Greg Dantas, owner of a Rhode Island real estate company, suggested Allen try home inspections due to his construction background and knowledge of real estate. “I took his advice, and it's worked out great,” Allen said. He formed RI Real Estate Inspection Services, LLC in 2013 and hasn’t looked back.
“I love my job. My experience as a Realtor has been a huge advantage to the clients and Realtors that I work for because I know both sides of the transaction and what they're dealing with. Being a former Realtor has been a huge help, especially for first-time home buyers, and they're nervous about purchasing a home.”
Allen shared that RI Real Estate Inspection Services has “a reputation of being extremely thorough.” He said, “Our reports are very detailed. It's very rare that a client or a Realtor has any question or needs further explanation on anything. I think that's where the Realtor end of it comes into play, having been on that side.”
On average, RI Real Estate Inspection Services performs 300 to 350 home inspections per year. Allen's wife, Dianne, also works in the business. “She handles all the photography, so that I can focus on the nitty gritty of the home. And it works out well because we cross paths consistently throughout the inspection–double checking all areas of the home. It is perfect checks and balances.”
When asked why home inspections are important in home-buying, Allen told a story of buyers forgoing a home inspection. “A young couple was buying a multi-family house, which was a big undertaking for first-time home buyers. They were scheduled to have an inspection, and at the last minute, the seller said that they had too many offers. If the buyers wanted the house, they would have to waive inspections, which they did. A month or so later, they called me because they were having issues with the roof. I inspect the roof with a drone. We found that there were three layers of shingles. By law you're limited to two, but there were three layers of shingles. There were active leaks into the upstairs unit. I went into the attic, and approximately one third of the roof rafters were rotted, and they were just ready to let go. Now the new homeowners had to come up with money to repair the roof, which they weren’t prepared to do. Even in competitive markets, I always recommend having a home inspection.”
Allen especially enjoys helping people who are buying homes for the first time. “Many first-time buyers have no knowledge of what they're getting into in buying a home. I show them the facts of what is encountered in an inspection and put their fears to rest. If we do find something wrong, I can rely on all my other backgrounds to properly explain what we found, ways of correcting it, whether it's a concern now or something that needs to be addressed in the future. And they always seem to appreciate that. It’s a nice feeling when you help them along in part of the process.”
For more information about RI Real Estate Inspection Services, check out their BBB Business Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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