Troy Walton

Troy Walton, Certified Master Home Inspector
 
I.                   Introduction
 
It is the purpose of this report to better understand the career of Troy Walton who has dedicated his life to bettering the home inspection industry through his commitment to excellence in the inspection field and in providing superior care to his clients during the home inspection process. 
 
II.                Preparatory Training for Home Inspection
 
Troy began life with a father who was a brilliant mechanic. His father served in World War II as a personal flight mechanic for Army/Air Force Brigadier General Crabb in the Pacific Theater. His mechanical ability and technical intelligence did not fall far from the tree. Troy was always trying to discover how things worked. Troy was forever taking things apart to look inside. His driving desire to learn came from a need to understand the workings of the world around him. Troy watched homes being built during the 1970’s. As a construction boom was underway hundreds of homes were built around his neighborhood. He then worked in construction during and after High School under a custom home builder and developer, Roger Webb. Roger was an excellent teacher and built a fantastic home. Troy worked with Roger for three years during High School and during summer, full time. 
After High School, Troy had a desire for personal growth as he applied himself to all forms of subjects in Community College. Anything he did not understand, he took a class in; Social Science, Philosophy, History, Art, Math and Sciences.   He decided that a broad education was the way to go after meeting so many people that had degrees and did not use the degree they studied for. Many of these people did not know what they wanted to do and were wandering aimlessly trying to find their way.   After about two years of classes, Troy found that understanding a little about everything helped him to form common ground with others; this built a solid foundation for his future success.   
His desire to grasp knowledge and curiosity ultimately led him to a career in retail. Troy found that retail was all about other people’s needs and helping them. Troy found this very fulfilling. Troy worked in the retail camera and electronics industry for a number of years and rose to the top of his field. Troy learned a great deal about the business and business in general. A strong leader, the owner and founder of Camera World of Oregon: “Jack” Jung D. Shin taught Troy a great deal about business and business practices. Jack had built a 50 million dollar a year empire and had tied up a large percentage of the camera industries inventory nation wide through mail order and retail. Troy recalls working for Jack was like working for your dad, but the payoff was worth it. Troy’s gratitude, admiration, and respect for Jack are immeasurable. He recalls that this was the best education he ever had received. 
Troy left the Camera Industry to start a career in Engineering. Soon after leaving the Camera Industry, Troy discovered his passion. A perfect job that combined all of Troy’s unique skill sets into one job, a home inspector. Troy combined his technical and mechanical understanding, his strong communication skills, his construction background, business skills and people skills and his passion to help others into a focused skill set that were a perfect fit in a career as a home inspector. To this day, he feels that home inspection was his destiny.
 
III.             Formal Training
 
      Troy began his formal training by learning from someone who had done it. The American Home Inspectors Training Institute was the largest home inspection firm in the country for over ten years. They sold the inspection business and began teaching others what they had learned. Troy took a 300 credit course in home inspection and received his Certification in 2003. At the time, Siding issues were also all the rage due to the LP Class Action Law Suit. Troy became Certified as a Siding Specialist to help make a difference and to protect home owners and buyers from the Siding Contractors and Installers. A number of times contractors bid jobs for replacement when repair was all that was required. Troy Received His Master Home Inspector Certification in March of 2007 and became the only Board Certified Master Home Inspector in South West Washington. Troy has been through trainings, and continues to educate himself in the Home Inspection Process. Troy is currently studying the GREEN Building Process, to become a “Green Inspector.”
 
IV.             A Better Home Inspector
 
Troy founded Superior Home Inspection in 2003 with a desire to change the perceptions of home inspection providers among the public and Realtors at large.   His goal to achieve this was to provide accuracy and professionalism, especially through serving the consumer.   To this day, stories of home inspections gone bad or home inspectors that are not helpful after the job are too many to count. After over 1800 home inspections, Troy’s business is successful today because he cares. People will always need help during a Home Inspection. It is not just a job, or about business, or about making money.   It is about people. Troy believes you cannot make everyone happy all of the time, but you can try, and that this is better than not caring. Some people take a detached view of a home inspection, but others need the assurances that all is well as they understand the issues arising from a home inspection. They do not have the knowledge or understanding of a problem. Thy may be overwhelmed with moving and job change.   An inspector’s job is to help them by educating them and showing them ways to solve a problem. It is not just reporting an issue. Troy is better equipped to deliver the information as a skilled communicator to his client or realtor than most home inspectors that come out of the construction fields.  With Troy you get a lot more than a home inspector. You get a friend!
 
V.                A Better Industry, it has Been a Time for Change!
 
 
The industry currently has numerous associations, standards of practice, and little unity on any issue.   Troy worked to help pass a Home Inspection Bill in the State of Washington as a Legislative Advisor in 2008. During this time, it became clear that agendas were all too common.   Troy worked hard to protect the home inspection business, while protecting the consumers from inspectors that did not have proper training or credentials.   This is a fine line since home inspections are typically not exhaustive and they have limited liability because inspectors are typically generalists, not specialists. Consumers are only best protected by better inspectors, not by rules and regulations that make it impossible to make a home inspection business profitable and a desirable career opportunity to pursue. Finally, after many trips to Olympia, Washington to speak with Senators, the bill was passed and found acceptable among most home inspection associations and inspectors. There is still a lot of work to do to build bridges between businesses that see each other as competitors, instead of colleagues.  
 
VI.             Today
 
Today, Troy lives in Vancouver, WA with his wife Cathy, and his three sons, Elijah, Isaiah, and Japheth. He and His wife are Home School Advocates and work diligently to educate their boys.   We give thanks to God every day that we have been given such a sobering responsibility in raising future servant / leaders.   This is our Quest.