Daren Carper

Hello, Daren Carper here, owner of Spotlight Inspection.

I started working in the real estate industry in 2007, first as an agent, then later as a managing broker. That was when I found my love for houses and building science. When working with my own clients, I’d examine the condition of each house while touring to try and find major issues, but when we only had about 20 minutes in each house, there often wasn’t enough time to explore the details.

It was during my time as an agent that I was introduced to home inspectors and what they do; I was immediately hooked. Houses are fascinating to me: how different materials perform (or don’t), the technology developments that have happened over time, and just general building evolution in construction. I get a kick out of being a house detective. Every day I get to use my knowledge, deductive logic, and various gadgets to find hidden problems. It is awesome and fun!

I pride myself on communication and “bedside manner.“ I’ve worked with many fantastic—and some not so fantastic—inspectors over the years, and communication is critical. Most inspectors have good technical knowledge about houses; the standout ones are also great at communicating their observations (both verbally and in their written reports.) Every house has issues, but I help explain and prioritize everything I see. That means not sugar coating big issues, but also not being an alarmist about minor and common things. Without this perspective, inspections can end up being overwhelming and scary. People can be scared away from good houses, or even worse, end up buying complete money pits without realizing it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope we can work together soon!

Jim Fielder

Hello, 

My name is Jim Fielder. As the newest member of the Spotlight Inspection team I thought I would tell you a little about myself.

I have been in and around the construction industry for most of my life. As the son of a
roofing contractor and consultant, I got started early in life on the jobsite working with my
father in various trades in the industry. Later on, I worked in the lumber and building materials supply industry. This gave me extensive knowledge of the products (good and bad) used in building modern homes.

I have spent the last 7 years working in real estate. I was a buyer's agent and a project manager for a real estate team. The importance of having good home inspection made me interested in home inspections as a career. I found myself looking forward to inspections: learning how systems had been maintained, how the products that were used, and seeing the quality (or lack of quality) of home repairs. I liked it so much that I took a job with a company that does inspections for home insurance companies, looking for pre-existing defects and baseline information before issuing their policy.

When COVID showed up it complicated things. Working as an employee and not being an
essential worker left me needing different work. Going back into real estate as an associate
agent with Redfin was a great option. That is where I met Daren (owner of Spotlight Inspection.) He was willing to take the time to help me and mentor me through the process of getting my Washington State Home Inspector licence. He helped me choose the right school, buy the right tools, and attend A LOT of shadow inspections with him. With his help and guidance, I am ready to apply my years in the construction industry to the home inspection process.

I look forward to meeting you in the future!

Thanks,

Jim