HouseMaster Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Bound Brook, NJ - HouseMaster, the first and one of the largest home inspection franchisors in North America, is proud to mark its 30th Anniversary as the authority in home inspections “done right.” HouseMaster is using the start of the home buying and selling season to celebrate this milestone and reflect on the evolution of the home inspection business over the course of the past 30 years.

“We are very proud of achieving this milestone,” said Kathleen Kuhn, President of HouseMaster. “For 30 years we have been committed to helping consumers make informed real estate decisions and advancing the need for comprehensive training in the home inspection industry. As the first franchisor in the business we've long been the standard bearer for quality and integrity in both the home inspection and franchising industries. With 385 franchisees and almost 2 million inspections performed, we are still raising the bar and looking forward to another 30 years of success.”

Founded in 1979 by Kenneth T. Austin, HouseMaster was the first home inspection franchise operation in the United States. Within a few years, HouseMaster expanded to 12 states. By 1993, the company grew to 175 U.S. offices, and opened its first international office in the Winnipeg, Manitoba Province, of Canada. In 2002, HouseMaster's current President Kathleen Austin Kuhn assumed control of the company which was acquired in 2008 by Sopra Capital, LLC a private equity and management firm focused on the acquisition and development of established franchise brands that are poised for growth.

In commemoration of this achievement, HouseMaster is reflecting on some of the ways in which the industry has changed since its inception 30 years ago. Never in history has there been such incentives for first-time home buyers. The following comparisons are illustrative of the scope of those changes.

• Mortgage Rates (30 Year Mortgages):
  1979: 10%
  2004: 5.01%

• Percentage of Forclosures:
  1979: .25%
  2009: 13.7%

• Average Price of Homes:
  1979: $65,867
  2009: $252,400

• Percent of Homes Inspected Prior to Purchase:
  1979: 2%
  2009: 77%

• Number of HouseMaster Franchises:
  1979: 1
  2009: 385

More information on HouseMaster and its 30 years of industry expertise can be found at www.housemaster.com.

About HouseMaster: Headquartered in Bound Brook, N.J., HouseMaster is the oldest and one of the largest home inspection franchisors in North America. With more than 370 franchised areas throughout the U.S. and Canada, HouseMaster is the most respected name in home inspections. For over 30 years, HouseMaster has built upon a foundation of solid leadership and innovation with a continued focus on delivering the highest quality service experience to their customers and providing HouseMaster franchisees the tools and support necessary to do so. Each HouseMaster franchise is an independently owned and operated business. HouseMaster is a registered trademark of DBR Franchising, LLC.

For more information please visit www.housemaster.com or call 800-526-3939.

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