How I Accomplish This Amazing Feat

Forgive my raging here, I am a huge fan of some of my gear and what these things can do for me. Personally I use a Power Mac G4, and an iBook. I always use the latest software and OS available so I won't get into what versions I have. If you haven't tried a Mac, I highly recommend it. They are far easier to use, no secret codes and c/ etc. and can do more things more easily than any Intel based box I've ever seen. Because of the architecture, they also do most things at least 3 times faster than a same speed Intel box. My PowerMac keeps up quite nicely with a 1200 megahertz Pentium. Try a Mac and you'll never go back.

As I do my inspection I do work from a basic checklist, this helps a bit to keep things organized a I go along and helps to avoid skipping something. As I find a problem or something to report upon, I note this into a Visor and take a picture with the Nikon 9500 digital camera. I use the Nikon because it has a physical zoom lens, not digital ( I don't need a camera to digitally zoom a picture for me, I can do that is the computer if desired in a 1/2 second ) wide angle capability surpassing most, built in flash a very nice exposure compensation feature and seems to take a very good clear. It also fits nicely in my tool belt or pants pocket. By the way, Adobe's Photo Deluxe is not only a nearly useless piece of fluff but does a lousy job sharpening pictures, this is one of the many things that Graphic Converter does so well. I always a mode that takes a fine picture that will fill a computer monitor or print at any size you want, especially if you use a good image editing program like GraphicConverter to re-edit it.

Anyway, Once the inspection is complete and I return to my home office I quickly and easily download the images into the computer to have them ready to import in the final document. Then I fire up FileMaker Pro. In FileMaker Pro I of course have a stationary document which is pre-formatted etc. and has all of the usual stuff in place. One of the big keys to speed is to use glossaries which are pre-done parts, they can contain text, graphics, formatting styles or whatever, like mini documents. There are a couple ways to use glossaries, one is to use the pull down menu and let go when you get to the one you want, then the program pops it in wherever your cursor was. Anyway, there are many things which you see time and again such as sinks that need caulking etc. for which you can use a - canned description -. One difference between this method in the computer and using a generic checkoff list is that I have hundreds of Home Inspection glossaries at last count and that would make for one heck of a long check list to hand someone, I once calculated that this would take a 180 page check off list for a 3+2 house. In addition I can and do modify the descriptions individually as necessary for clarity and accuracy and of course dictate specific descriptions for unusual situations (surprisingly often). I might pull through the menu to - shower caulking - and then FileMaker Pro inserts:

Repair needed - the shower needs to be cleaned and re-caulked or re-grouted, particularly at the wall and floor joints and around escutcheon plates.

To save further trouble when typing, I have a FileMaker Pro Script (simular to a self made mini-program for automating repetitive tasks) which I have made to go and clean up the report when I am finished. This removes all extra blank spaces and paragraphs and makes sure that Repair needed is bold and red like it is supposed to be and things like that and then starts to check spelling, saying to me - Time to check spelling now - (yes, out loud). FileMaker Pro comes with many macros which you can also copy and paste or modify to do what you want a macro to do, It can also watch you do something and record the actions and make a macro for you.

When all of the words are finished and the report cleaned with the photos in their appropriate locations the report checked over once again for accuracy. Lastly of course the report sent it out for delivery, often times faxing or E-mailing it immediately (from the computer of course).

One last comment and then I will stop raging about software and hardware. If you can get cable internet access do it, DSL is very good, and if not you might want to check out Digital satellite if you cannot get anything else. I'm with Media One and I can download over 6 megabits a minute. Speed is way cool.