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June 22, 2007
Home Inspectors Must Now Be Licensed
Maryland has found enough money to fully fund a home inspector licensing program, enabling the state to launch the program this past April--six years after the General Assembly voted to strengthen regulation of the profession. The initiative requires all home inspectors in the state to be licensed by next year, an effort that entails 48 hours of an onsite training course but not an examination at this time; those who fail to do so face criminal charges of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 penalty. The program is designed to protect home buyers and residential inspectors, says Elwood Mosley, executive director of the state Real Estate Appraiser and Home Inspector Commission--which will offer a service that will enable prospective home buyers to search for licensed professionals in the state. Maryland Association of Realtors President Ilene Kessler supports the licensing initiative but is uncertain how it will impact the industry.
Posted by S. Germain at June 22, 2007 11:00 AM