Harmony Home Inspections, Inc.

Dave has been great to work with in the past! He\'s professional, helpful & my clients are happy with his service

I would highly recommend *** *** of Harmony Home Inspections for a home inspectionI have referred Dave to many of my home buyer clients over the yearsHe is always accommodating, mindful, consistent and courteousI know he is committed to obtaining added education in his field*** is one of the most knowledgeable home inspectors you will findMy clients appreciate his vast experience, expertise, and willingness to go the extra mile to address any of their questions or concernsI have used him when my family members have purchased homesI would strongly encourage anyone looking for a excellent home inspector to give *** a call

*** was awesomeHe was really thorough and he made me feel confident in going forward with this purchaseI would highly recommend him

Provided exactly what we, as the buyers, were hoping to see in an inspection reportMore than enough detail to make an informed and correct decision on the purchase of the homeCouldn't be more pleased - and wish we had someone like him when we purchased our first home many years ago

[redacted] always conducts a very thorough inspection; goes over and above the quality and detail of most others in the profession. He is always available for after inspection consultation if needed, yet writes comprehensive yet easy-to-understand reports for homeowners. Further, he is always on time, polite with clients and patient with realtors.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/10/05) */
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please accept my sincerest apologies for the lateness of this reply-as it was a mere oversight due to my schedule. I regard any complaints as of a serious nature, and I have been communicating with my insurance company...

regarding this alleged complaint. I have worked very hard to maintain a blameless reputation-with both my commitment to excellence in the skills of my trade, and in being professional with my clients. This is evident, in my reputation in the Revdex.com over the years that I have been in member.
With regard to the alleged complaints being presented to me by this client, he did not even make contact with me, but rather chose to spread accusations to his real estate agent. Thus, the agent forwarded his email to me-which also included is dissatisfaction with alleged cover-ups on the part of the seller. The procedures to which I adhere to are the ASHI Standards of Practice, which state that the home inspection is a visible inspection-and relates to conditions at the time of inspection. In every inspection I do, I adhere to these standards and make every attempt to test all systems within the home. However, drain piping on the upper level was compromised in this inspection, and I was unable to consequently test related faucets. I communicated this to the client at the inspection, and my report reflected the compromised drain piping issues. In all of my reports, it clearly recommends repairs prior to closing. Although my communication was clear at the time of inspection (to my client), my only omission was that I did not articulate (in his report) that I could not test the faucets-due to compromise drainpipes on the upper level. To test them would clearly have caused water damage-due to defective drain piping. The client's accusations revolve around alleged leaks that apparently developed from supply piping (upper-level). The client did not reach out-or provide an opportunity for me to review any damages he is alleging. This is a violation of my inspection agreement, and I remain willing to resolve this matter; however he has chosen to make slanderous statements that are not true. It is clear to me that all he wants is money, and is using my business (and insurance) to make up for suspected items covered up by the seller. I have no assurances of his accusations, because he has apparently already performed repairs and has made no motion to allow me to review any of the alleged damages. This is a most unfortunate situation, because all of my statements regarding support to my clients are true-and I have a long list of satisfied customers. If you require any further information (including character reference from the client's real estate agent), please do not hesitate to contact me. I take my reputation seriously-and I think that is obvious in my ratings with both the Revdex.com and other associations to whom I belong.
Respectfully submitted.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 13, 2014/10/30) */
I would like to respond to each item that the inspector presents. I did contact my real estate agents about the issues first, as they were always the point of contact between myself and the inspector. The inspector was recommended by my agents and they even made the appointment with the inspector. I felt it was best to inform them as they are staking their reputation by recommending him. I also take issue with the inspector calling my statements slanderous, as they are completely true. I stated that I was upset with the service provided and that he didn't catch the issues mentioned in the following reply. While the inspector is arguing whether or not he should have found them, he has never claimed to have found and noted the problems.
Next, in his response the inspector states that he follows the ASHI Standards of Practice. The standards require inspection of walls and ceilings, specifically for evidence of water damage. There was evidence of water damage on the first floor bedroom wall (bubbling of the paint), the wall inside of the hallway closet on the first floor (staining of the wall), on the exposed drain pipe in the basement and in the basement bathroom (water damage to the ceiling, small hole). All of these should have been noted in the inspection. He also missed a fully corroded pipe that shows moisture in the basement as well as a leaking kitchen faucet on the first floor, a kitchen faucet on the 2nd floor in need of repair, a leaking refrigerator on the 2nd floor and a toilet that is constantly running on the 2nd floor.
The issue with the drain piping was not on the 2nd floor as he states, it was on the first floor (coming from drains upstairs). He continues to state that the reason he did not catch it was because there was a bucket underneath the bathroom sink so he could not test any of the plumbing. It is true that he said the bathroom sink leaked, but did not mention it was not tested for that reason--either in person or the report. Regardless, there were no such apparent issues with the bath tub and the toilet. ASHI standards state that faucets must be tested. Again, he should have tested those items per the standards he claims to follow. Even if they weren't inspected, there were still the pre-existing signs noted above. This seems to be the major point that the inspector would like to concentrate on, because him saying he made a verbal statement can't be disproved (although his pattern of dishonesty should carry weight). The truth of the matter is that whether the bathroom was tested or not, there were the numerous signs of water damage that he did not include in the report, nor is he claiming to have verbally communicated.
The inspector goes on to mention that I did not allow him time to re-inspect before making repairs. I had to have my water turned off while the repairs were being made over a holiday weekend. I don't think it is prudent to go without running water so an inspector who missed multiple things could take another look. There are remaining issues including a corroded water pipe (fully visible) with moisture evident and water damage in the basement bathroom that wasn't noted in the report and have not been fixed. I have evidence of all repairs that were made and that are still needed. I feel this evidence is best viewed by a 3rd party due to the lack of good faith shown to date by the inspector.
I would also like to address the inspector's statement that I am just trying to get money. I am open to other resolutions, but seeing that his inadequate work cost me money, it seems like the most appropriate way to resolve the issue. If I had known of the issues, I would have either negotiated a lower price or not purchased the property. Then I had to spend money to fix these issues (and re-do work that had already been done due to damage). Regardless of the financial outcome, I think it is only fair for someone to stand behind their work if they want to be recognized for their reputation. I think it is irresponsible as a consumer not to report issues like this so that others can avoid what I am going through.
I have no doubt that he has a long list of satisfied customers. First, the line of work is likely to lead to regular false correlation between work performed and the outcome. Even if work is not performed correctly, the only way that the customer knows is if the items were not properly tested is if they ended up being a problem. Also, everyone makes mistakes from time to time--it could be that he is normally a great inspector. I take issue with the fact that he has been dishonest ever since the issues have been brought up. He went as far as to state that there was tape across the bathroom door like it was all out of order and that he didn't test anything. I have a list of people (including the agents) who can verify that this was not the case. I also have numerous people who witnessed all the damage and can verify my statements as well as pictures, while he feels everyone should just believe what he says with zero proof.
Again, I would like to stress that the report is the output that is paid for and should have all the results of the inspection. Also, he claims that my agents would provide character references for him. I found this odd since they expressed their disappointment in how he is handling this. I contacted my agent, who stated "He asked if I would be able to answer any questions if someone from the Revdex.com contacted me regarding the complaint. I said I would. There was never any request, nor did I volunteer, to provide any character references."
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2014/11/08) */
Dear Sir/Mdm.,
This is a follow-up reply to my client's most recent statement-involving issues that are unresolved and alleged damages. Amid all of the confusion, I still maintain my regret that my client feels that I have fallen short of my commitment in my services. The initial statements from my client (in 1st submitted statement) was that I had "missed several issues in the home". Again, of those issues that my client claims I missed, the plumbing issues were related items that I was unable to inspect due to compromised drainage issues; the drain piping defects are included in the client's report. My client has chosen to take advantage of one flaw in my service to him: that what I had expressed to him verbally (i.e., that I could not test faucets etc. due to drain piping issues) was not transferred into his report. In his statement, my client has accused me of lying-by stating that I did not tell him this at the inspection. The standards to which I am accountable (ASHI Standards of Practice) do not require me to test given components when impending damages could occur. Consequently, this is why I could not test related items. It is also unfortunate that the very things I did express verbally are being denied. However, I have learned from this-and will make every effort in the future to document (in writing) all that I communicate at the time of my inspections.
Dispute resolution is a matter I take very seriously-and I would have preferred that my client would have contacted me directly (as I had also communicated to him and requested him to call me if any issues occurred). Not once did the client initiate communication to me; only once did he respond: to a voicemail message that accompanied my attempt to reach out to him (when I learned of this situation through an email he sent to his agent). The tone of his communication (from the start) was accusatory. I knew in the conversation that we had on the phone - that there was a significant disagreement over the facts. I would have given him priority and would have gone over to the property if he had called me regarding the situation. However, not once has he given me the opportunity to be involved in both reviewing the damages (prior to repairs) to verify, but also to demonstrate the promises that I make to all of my clients-and that is ongoing support. So I must ask this question: who is being dishonest here, if the courtesy to review damages is not even extended to the one accused? I still cannot figure out why my client hasn't extended this invitation to me. If he claims I have missed something, then why have I not even seen pictures of it? And why (in his email to his agent-where I learned initially about this situation) did he place equal blame on the seller for apparently covering up damages-and yet this client is placing blame upon me for not seeing a cover-up?
I do think that the client's expectations of what the inspection involves are inaccurate - as I can only disclose what is visible at the time of inspection. In my years that I have been registered as a member with the Revdex.com, I have performed over 2,500 inspections. This situation has marked the 1st (and only) complaint registered to your staff during that time. I have done my best to describe what was visible at the time of inspection - as well as the limitations that I encountered in this inspection. I respectfully submit this letter to your consideration and I hope that it will be judged fairly.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 17, 2014/11/20) */
Again, I would like to outline the inaccuracies in his statements. First, since he continues to make dishonest comments about what was told to me at the inspection, I deem it necessary to once again deny that it was said. I think it is comical that he boasts of performing 2,500 inspections and then claims that he just learned that he should include everything in his report. I would assume that is one of the first things an inspector would learn. After all, the ASHI standards do say the report is written communication.
In an effort to make this complaint as clear as possible, I would like to refer to my previous communication. There were numerous signs that were in place whether the water was run or not. There were a number of other issues not related to the water at all. All of the issues, or signs relating to the issues, were 100% visible without testing.
The inspector complained about not contacting him or letting him come to inspect the damage. After the quality of work originally provided by the inspector, I have absolutely zero interest in obtaining his opinion on anything or even speaking with him, much less allowing him in my home. His insurance company has pictures of the majority of the damage and I'm sure he has seen them. Also, I will repeat that my agents recommended him, made the appointment with him and also received the inspection report from him. I think a reasonable person would see that by contacting my agents it was informing him. They were always my point of contact for the inspector.
I don't believe I have any misunderstandings about the inspection or the output. On my previous communication, I went through and pointed out the standards that were not followed.
Finally, I appreciate his willingness to come to a resolution. I would like to refer him to the original complaint. I will consider the situation resolved as soon as the inspector takes responsibility for the inadequacies in his work and pays for all damages.

The Harmony Home Inspections provider did a good job on my recent home inspection. They are very respectful and professional without any hidden cost. The home inspection report captured all issues encountered on my house. I strongly recommend Harmony Home Inspections for home inspections

Our inspector was super friendly and explained everything that he saw very well. Great value for a such a thorough and fine review. The report we received was very clear, easy to read, and well documented with photographs. Our inspector was recommended by a family friend and worked out great. Radon inspection was a 72 hour process, our inspector came prior to the home inspection to set up the radon test. We discovered radon and followed his recommendations. Really enjoyed meeting and getting to know our inspector. Again super friendly and knowledgeable person who is a veteran and expert in the field of home inspection. Though we did not require thermal imaging services, the inspector also can provide that service. We would recommend and use Harmony Home Inspections again.

This is the second time we've used harmony home inspection. I have nothing but positive things to say about Dave and the way he does business. Very professional and knowledgeable. He was able to fit us in on short notice too, which was great. I will recommend him to anyone looking for a great inspector.

[redacted] of Harmony Homes Inspections in Minnesota is a fantastic inspector! Dave is easy to contact and always arrives on time. He works very hard to education his clients to help them make informed decisions. He is calm in the worst scenarios and helps the client to focus on the issue at hand. [redacted] reporting system allows clients to access their home report on line anytime with ease.
I always learn something new about buildings from [redacted] with each inspection he preforms. He is a positive, intelligent, dependable person. I have relied on [redacted] for the 7 years I've been a Realtor in Minnesota to provide honest and complete information to my buyers and sellers.
I look forward to every opportunity to work with [redacted]