Stephanie Jaynes
Marketing Director Stephanie Jaynes simplifies complex insurance and legal concepts to help home inspectors protect their livelihood and avoid unnecessary risk. Her articles have appeared in publications like the ASHI Reporter, CREIA Inspector Magazine, and the InspectorPro Blog. She’s been a guest on NACHI TV, Spectora Spotlight, The ASHI Online Learning Center, The Successful Home Inspector Podcast, Today’s Home Inspector, and the Home Inspection Authority Podcast. Stephanie received her Bachelor of Arts from Mills College with a major in creative writing and a minor in journalism. She has also earned her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation from The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys trying new recipes and taking walks with her husband and sons.
Shortly after moving into their new home, some buyers had the carpets cleaned. They noticed a spot in the primary bedroom that looked different from the rest. Pulling the carpet up, they noticed a raised section of the floor which was causing depressions on either side of a bowed floor joist. The buyers told their…
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Welcome to the Inspection Insider. Here, seasoned home inspectors share their technical expertise and experience to help you improve your own inspections. In this post, Uli Sommers of Sommers Home Inspections in Oregon discusses premature roof failure. Since 2013, Sommers has applied her two-decade remodeling background as a residential home inspector. She has served in…
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Welcome to the Inspection Insider. Here, seasoned home inspectors share their technical expertise and experience to help you improve your own inspections. In this post, retired inspector Tom Lauhon discusses crawlspace ventilation. As a home inspector of 36 years, educator at the Midwest Inspectors Institute for 30 years, and prior member of the Examination Board…
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Imagine this: You pull up to your inspection, and the real estate agent is late letting you in. When they finally arrive, they’re frazzled and eager for you to be done as soon as possible. “You should be done in 30 minutes, right?” they ask without looking up from their phone. After some back and…
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Welcome to the Inspection Insider. Here, seasoned home inspectors share their technical expertise and experience to help you improve your own inspections. In this post, Lisa Alajajian Giroux of HomeQuest Consultants in Massachusetts shares how spray foam insulation can lead to roof defects and claims. Alajajian Giroux is a former ASHI President and the 2026…
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Welcome to the Inspection Insider. Here, seasoned home inspectors share their technical expertise and experience to help you improve your own inspections. In this post, Jonathan Hallmark of Hallmark Inspections, LLC in Texas shares how a client’s desire for electrical upgrades turned into a claim. He then utilizes his 10 years of teaching and 20…
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“Welcome to your very own cabin in the woods! Escape the hustle and bustle and surround yourself with the peace and quiet of nature,” read the tiny home’s Zillow listing. With a fresh, robin’s egg blue exterior and buffalo check furnishings that screamed “farmhouse chic,” the “cabin” looked warm, trendy, and inviting. To the typical…
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The following is a real home inspector E&O insurance claim from our archives. To protect the insured’s identity, all identifiable characteristics from this claim—including names, associations, and locations—have been altered or removed. Wantonness. Gross negligence. Breach of contract. These were the three counts a former inspection client brought against their home inspector in a lawsuit.…
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“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” If you’re trying to grow your new home inspection business, this Isaac Newton quote may prompt you to ask: “How do I find some giants!?” If you’re an experienced inspector wanting to leave a mark on the industry, you may think:…
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The following is a real errors and omissions (E&O) case study from our home inspection insurance archives. To protect the insured’s identity, all identifiable characteristics from this “bats in the attic” pest claim—including names, associations, and locations—have been altered or removed. One night, as the Peterson family got ready for bed in their new home,…
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Why would a local home inspector want to get involved with their community? Everyone needs to feel like they belong. Feeling connected to others and a part of something larger than ourselves is vital to our well-being, writes Samantha Stein Psy.D. for Psychology Today. Our communities can offer us emotional support, practical help, reduced stress,…
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The following home inspector and missed leaking roof story is a real errors and omissions (E&O) case study from our archives. To protect the insured’s identity, all identifiable characteristics—including names, associations, and locations—have been altered or removed. Why do remodels always take longer and cost more than expected? If you asked one recent homebuyer, she’d…
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