Ohio Property Inspection Services was founded in 1997 by Daytonian John Helmick (grew up in Cedarville) after he and his wife bought their first house in Philadelphia where they moved after John received his Ph.D. from Miami University. John was urged by his REALTOR® in Philadelphia to start an inspection business. After being home over the holidays and speaking with a few REALTORS®, John got a perspective on the state of inspections in Dayton which helped shape the OPiS way of business.
OPiS is a FULL-SERVICE real estate inspection business, where ALL inspections are performed by OPiS licensed inspectors. Not only does OPiS perform whole house inspections, but they also can handle any of your individual inspection needs such as structural, roof, termite, radon, well quality-quantity, and septic. If you need any type of real estate inspection, call OPiS and we can get it done for you!
John says, “The unique thing about OPiS is that we started the business understanding the whole real estate transaction from all of the different party’s viewpoints. We understood from the beginning where we as inspectors fit in to the transaction and where we can really add value not only our client, which is usually the buyer, but also to the seller and both of the REALTORS®.”
Being a great home inspector not only applies to the actual inspection trade skills but also to the art of knowing how the information that is being provided about a home is going to be taken and used by all of the parties involved in the transaction. John says, “This is what has really sets OPiS apart from other inspection companies. We understand our role. We are not so prideful in thinking that we are the end all of all home expertise where we make mountains out of molehills and scare people. We help our clients keep things in proper perspective as to what defects are actually major defects in a home and which things are just normal maintenance items that go along with owning a house.”
John goes on to point out that, “Buyers usually have so many different things going on in their heads when they are going through the home buying process that an artful inspector helps simplify findings so that panic does not ensue about any of the inspection findings. This is easily accomplished by helping the client see the big picture and we help them gain a proper perspective. Great REALTORS® are very good at giving their clients peace of mind about the new home they are buying and we are just part of the delivery system of this peace of mind!”
John also says many times that, “There really is nothing wrong with a house that can’t be fixed, even if it means renting a bulldozer and starting over! Helping people understand that a drippy faucet is not the same as needing a $10,000 roof is key. A lot of homebuyers do not realize the difference – especially when they are already stressed about having put offers on eight different houses and now they finally won a contract on a house that they want really, really bad.”
Some buyers tell the OPiS inspectors, “Please don’t find anything bad!” which sets the stage that, yes, ok – be assured that OPiS is going to perform a thorough inspection, but you are in good hands because we will help you understand our findings and what they mean in the big picture! This is how Peace of Mind is delivered OPiS style.
REALTORS® who understand this too can really help the OPiS inspectors set the table with expectations of a home inspection. John says, “Having a REALTOR® that understands the workings of a house and the difference between normal little things and the defects that affect the habitability of the house can really help the OPiS inspectors provide the best service because the buyers already know what to expect from a home inspection. A home inspection is not a negotiation tool to get the price down more on the house by giving the seller a list of 22 different little maintenance items. When buyers know this ahead of time, this allows the inspection to provide a lot more value because the buyer is not focused on the little things and they are focused on learning and understanding their new home.”
To see the difference an OPiS inspection can make, schedule your next inspection and SEE the Difference! 937-766-9251. www.opisinspections.com johnhelmick@opisinspections.com
