Alyssa Guerra

Through articles, newsletters, and social media posts, Marketing Content Editor Alyssa Guerra provides risk management education to home inspectors nationwide. A Gonzaga University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in English and minors in Spanish and journalism, Alyssa's passion for communication enables her to write engaging and clear content across mediums. A former "Harry Potter" fan club president, she is a fervent reader, podcast listener, and someone who also enjoys exploring Utah with her husband and corgi.

Aerial view of waterfront homes and homes by the beach.

Waterfront Home Inspections: Managing Risk in Paradise

By Alyssa Guerra / July 1, 2025

Summer’s here, and you’re probably wishing you were “knee deep in the water somewhere.” Maybe you’d rather be “sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away.” Maybe you’re kicking back with an iced tea or lemonade at your beach home and “wastin’ away again in Margaritaville.” Or perhaps you’re dreaming about…

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Old, wooden hatch to a small crawlspace, showing signs of age and crawlspace safety concerns.

An Inspector’s Guide to Crawlspace Safety

By Alyssa Guerra / June 15, 2025

It’s your first crawlspace of the day. You consider the host of potential dangers and crawlspace safety concerns that await you, and your heart races. Suited up and armed with your flashlight, you face the entrance, ready to explore the dark, inner recesses of another property. Crawlspace Safety for Home Inspectors Inspecting homes is a…

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A tall, modern skyscraper set against a blue sky with clouds, like what an inspector might see before starting apartment and condo inspections.

Apartment and Condo Inspections: Multiunit Inspections with Multifaceted Risks

By Alyssa Guerra / May 1, 2025

People involved in the real estate industry know 2021 was a year to remember. Between stimulus checks, low mortgage rates, and the sharpest supply drop seen in decades, houses across the United States sold for record highs, writes online business publisher Kiplinger. According to Kiplinger’s article and data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR),…

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Three pieces of differently colored paper stacked on top of each other, like separate contracts for separate services.

Why Inspectors Need Custom Home Inspection Contracts: The Power of Separate Contracts for Separate Services

By Alyssa Guerra / April 15, 2025

You wouldn’t bring a fishing pole to a basketball game. You wouldn’t wear a raincoat to a forest fire. Nor would you use wedding invitations to collect RSVPs for a business meeting. So why would you use your standard pre-inspection agreement for a standalone ancillary service, like a mold or radon inspection? Not all pre-inspection…

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An antiquated library bookshelf swings out, acting as hidden doors in walls to reveal a secret dark room on the other side. As inspectors might see when inspecting houses with secret rooms and passageways, these spaces can be tricky to find.

Home Inspection Secrets: Inspecting Houses With Secret Rooms and Passageways

By Alyssa Guerra / April 1, 2025

Be honest: How many of us had the same childhood fantasy of pulling a lever and finding hidden passageways in houses?  Imagine: You pull a book from a seemingly unexceptional bookshelf. Or maybe you trip a wire while walking through your childhood home. Alternatively, you move a picture frame off the wall, exposing a Big…

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An aerial view of a higher square footage, luxury property with multiple stories, as one might see while performing big home inspections and inspecting huge houses.

Managing Risk During Luxury and Big Home Inspections: Does Higher Square Footage Mean Higher Risk?

By Alyssa Guerra / March 1, 2025

In 2023, a home inspector was hired to perform a luxury, big home inspection at a nearly 8,000-square-foot property. The home sold for more than $10 million. A year later, the client sued their inspector for breach of contract, negligence, and violating the Unfair Trade Practices Act. They cited 17 errors and omissions, all either…

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An assortment of tools one might use to perform home inspection repairs. Can home inspectors do repairs? We explain why they shouldn’t.

Home Inspection Repairs: What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Do

By Alyssa Guerra / February 15, 2025

One inspector was evaluating an HVAC unit and determined it was relatively new, about three to four years old. But the air handler coils were dirty. The inspector recommended cleaning and maintenance to extend the unit’s functional life, estimating about $450 in home inspection repair costs. Eight months later, after the client had purchased the…

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Demonstrating the differences between arbitration and mediation, where mediation is more open to disagreement, a mediator sits at a table while two individuals lean over the table arguing.

What are the differences between arbitration and mediation?

By Alyssa Guerra / December 15, 2024

If you don’t know the differences between arbitration and mediation, they could catch you off guard. That’s what happened to one home inspector, whose client wanted to rescind their purchase a year and a half after buying the property. Their complaint? The air conditioning unit was too noisy. Sound ridiculous? The buyer’s counsel would agree.…

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A group of inspectors seated at a home inspector education and home inspector training event, ready to take notes and fill their home inspector continuing education requirements.

A Home Inspector’s Education and Home Inspector Training: The Value of the Learning Curve

By Alyssa Guerra / November 1, 2024

Home inspector continuing education goes far beyond licensing. A home inspector’s education can impact how you do your job, how clients and agents perceive you, and sometimes your insurance coverage.  We asked your peers why the learning curve matters and where new inspectors can seek opportunities. Why is home inspector continuing education important?  A home…

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As if locating clogged sewer drains after the home inspection, two people insert a sewer scope down a drain while watching the scope’s footage.

Clogged Sewer Drains After the Home Inspection: An Inspection Agreement Success Story

By Alyssa Guerra / October 15, 2024

The following story of clogged sewer drains after the home inspection is a real claim from our archives. To protect the insured’s identity, all identifiable characteristics—including names, associations, and locations—have been omitted or removed. How many times have you returned home from the grocery store, only to realize you left a crucial item back at…

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First person point of view of someone using a calculator, pencil, paper, charts, and a computer, possibly calculating and asking: How much does a home inspector make? What is the average home inspector’s income and what type of inspectors make the most money?

How much does a home inspector make? Questions About Home Inspectors’ Income

By Alyssa Guerra / September 1, 2024

Money is on the minds of people considering a new home inspection career. Whether they’re inspecting for someone else or going solo, new inspectors worry how their new adventure will affect their families’ livelihoods. Wondering what to expect, they often ask: If questions about home inspectors’ income are holding you back, we’re here to help.…

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Canvas sign hanging on a business window that reads “Yes, we’re open.” Implies someone is looking for home inspection leads and curious how to get work as a home inspector.

How do home inspectors find work? Tips for Marketing, Finding Work, and Managing Risk

By Alyssa Guerra / July 1, 2024

When navigating how to get work as a home inspector, sometimes the simplest methods generate the best home inspection leads. In 2023, Philip Dancer of Dancer & Company Inspections of the D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area was shopping with his family when he received a surprising email. It was from a stranger and was so…

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