Not only are JD Johnson and his wife, Kate, fabulous, honest, lovely people, but they own and operate the most professional, and I believe most successful, Property Inspection business on the Emerald Coast, Beach To Bayou Property Inspections.
I recently caught up with JD online for this week's SoWal Scene Q & A.
When I was in the real estate biz a few years ago, you had just moved to South Walton to open Beach To Bayou Property Inspections. I think it was around 2003? Where did you move from and why South Walton?
My wife, Kate and I moved to SoWal in October of 2002 after each doing about 10 years in the Atlanta metro area. We were married on April 28, 2001 and five months later 9/11 changed everything. Like most folks who live in the southeast (I lived 5 years in BHM, before being sentenced to ATL), I had vacationed along the Emerald Coast and dreamed of living in paradise – but just couldn’t figure how to balance the ying and yang of work in the corporate world and living at the beach. Kate and I were attending a wedding in Destin the weekend after 9/11 and the re-evaluation of our priorities allowed us to embrace the dream of relocating to “The Beach”.
At the time, I was working as an executive for a start-up company that wanted to be the largest company owned appraisal and home inspection firm in the US; so I knew what home inspectors did and that it was not difficult to enter the market. After doing a little market research in the area, I found there were no inspectors in the 30A / SoWal area – so from a marketing perspective it made sense. Of course, once you spend any amount of time on 30A, it is easy to see how appealing the beauty, attitude and lifestyle is, especially compared to ITP (Inside The Perimeter) of Atlanta.
After setting our sails and deciding to take the leap of faith to eject from our hectic lives in Atlanta, it took us a year to disengage and make the move. After arriving, my blood pressure dropped 30 points and we didn’t return to Atlanta for 5 years.
What services do you offer at Beach To Bayou?
Beach To Bayou is professional service offering pre-purchase and listing inspections on homes and condos. We are also certified to perform Indoor Air Quality (mold) sampling. This past year we expanded our offering to include New Construction Punch Out Inspections, and that has been a blessing to us. Over the last 15 months, we’ve performed a ton of inspections at various newly released projects, like: Bella Riva and Waterscape on Okaloosa Island; Redfish Village and Andante, here on 30A; and The Condos of Carillon, Tidewater, and Palazzo in Panama City Beach.
You have several accreditations and affiliations that set you apart. What are those?
Until state licensing takes effect in 2010, there are no standard requirements for home inspectors in Florida. Literally, ANYONE can claim to be a home inspector. Since the day we decided to start a home inspection business, we (Kate and I work together and I credit her with the majority of our success) have always tried to be the best in the market. Part of that is offering accreditations that demonstrate our dedication to providing the best service. I maintain Certification with the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI).
Both of these professional associations require ongoing annual education (20 hours), a standardized, proctored examination and a review of inspections. There are only a few inspectors from Pensacola to Panama City who meet these criteria, and I am proud to say that all the inspectors that work with me have meet these stringent criteria. I tell folks, if they elect not to use Beach To Bayou for their inspections, at least get someone with similar credentials – without licensing, professional affiliation is the only benchmark to judge professionalism.
You get to see a lot of properties – any fun inspection stories you want to share?
Having inspected over 3,000 properties, I have A LOT of interesting tidbits that I could share. I have been fortunate to have seen so many beautiful homes, and work with so many interesting people; I don’t know where to begin. I will say that if you can imagine it, I have most likely seen it. I’d be happy to share some stories over a couple of Captain & Pineapples :).
You were here right before the run up in real estate happened – what are your thoughts on the whole thing? How was your business affected then and now?
Like everyone in the real estate business, we’ve seen change. Obviously the resale market has slowed down significantly along 30A from its wide open spree a few years ago, but the market is coming back.
We’ve been doing a lot of work in WaterColor and Rosemary, plus we’ve been blessed with new construction work that kept us going fairly strong. I guess the most interesting change I have seen is in the people. In today’s market, Buyers want to know every minor defect, especially if the sale is ‘As Is’. I guess they are looking to gain a negotiating advantage over the already beat up Sellers.
Our clients are usually professional agents who have a solid reputation and want to ensure their discerning Buyers are protected. We don’t see that changing. Good Agents care about their reputation and recommend us as their first choice. When Buyers contact us and say that “so and so” recommend us – that is the best marketing we can get and we do our very best to ensure the Agent’s recommendation is not taken lightly.
The last call any Agent or home inspector want is from a recently closed Buyer who says “I just moved into my house and the home inspector missed ________.” We are thorough to protect ourselves, the referring Agent and the Buyer.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off in South Walton?
My wife is my best friend, and when we have time off, we usually spend it together.
Kate is a very active volunteer with the Children’s Volunteer Health Network so I help her with her projects, and I am active with the Seaside Chapel, so that keeps us busy. We try to get some beach time once a week and I like to fish, but am not very good at it. We both enjoy kayaking, but too often have to remember what brought us here and make time to enjoy SoWal!
Thanks JD!!
