We were lucky to catch up with James Ruediger recently and have shared our conversation below.

James, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

A home may be the largest purchase we ever make. It is very important to know what you are buying and this is why a home inspection is so important. The problem, however, is that many people believe a home inspection is something you only do when you buy a home and often times it is very expensive. I created Galaxy Property Inspection so buyers, sellers, or home owners could get a high quality home inspection at an affordable price. My inspections start at $250. I want the inspection to be an enjoyable process so I always encourage clients and agents to attend the home inspection to learn about their home and to give them the opportunity to ask as many questions as they need to ask in order to make an informed decision about the home. In the past three years, I have personally performed nearly 1100 inspections as people have come to know my customer service skills and the high quality of my inspection reports, without the fear factor that many people experience when they go through the home inspection process. The success of Galaxy has been due to all the positive feedback from clients that has spread across Nashville, TN and Central, PA; for this I am truly appreciative.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am an Army veteran having served two tours, one as an enlisted soldier, the other as an officer. In my last assignment in the US Army, I was a med-evac blackhawk pilot. I received my Bachelor’s degree from Penn State and my Master’s in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University where I received the Distinguished Scholar Award for the highest GPA in my field. I am also a published author. I worked for many years in corporate America but I knew that someday I wanted to open my own business. With my extensive background in home appliances, combined with my knowledge of building, electrical and plumbing, it was an easy transition when I became a home inspector.

My company is focused on the home inspection. Other companies offer many ancillary services, but I keep my business focused on the home inspection and I study every day to ensure I am competent with building codes and maintenance information that will help my clients. Galaxy provides termite letters for a small fee of just $40 when done with a home inspection. I may add additional services in the future, but my goal is to stick with the home inspection because when purchasing a home, ensuring the homeowner knows exactly what they are buying is paramount while maintaining a low price for the client. The world of real estate can be rather cut-throat at times and competition is fierce. The best thing I can do for myself and my clients is to always provide a high quality inspection report no matter what obstacles I find in front of me.

I am very proud of the Galaxy brand. My car (the Galaxymobile), is known all over the city and I love it when people text me pictures of the car when they see me out around town. I am a bit of a Star Wars nerd and that is how I came up with the name; Galaxy. If you see me on the road, feel free to beep to say Hello.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

While I still own Galaxy in Nashville, I recently had to move back to Central PA where I opened my second branch. I just adopted a 9-year old girl who came from a rather traumatic background. Although I was incredibly successful in Nashville, Central PA is home. This is where my family lives and it was important to me that she had time to get to know her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all the friends and family that we have in this area. It was a tough decision, but I believe it was the right decision. She has bonded with my mom which is a great thing. My wife, Jodie, and I grew up in central PA and we know hundreds of great people in this area. This will be a good environment for my daughter and while building my business in the greater Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster area will be difficult, the end result will be better for her.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

There is nothing quite like being a home inspector. I see some crazy things when conducting an inspection and I tend to post all the craziness on social media. People can really make you laugh sometimes with the decisions they make. I have found some crazy items such as a tanning bed in a crawlspace, foundations that are fortified with Walmart bags, plumbing held together with zip ties, and I even found a full size casket under a home. I will never see it all and that is what makes this job so much fun. When I post on social media, it usually makes people laugh. We have all done silly things at our home and its fun to share the silliness on social media which is how I have built a large audience and it’s how I capture the attention of clients and realtors.

When building a business, you must find your niche. I found mine in helpful maintenance tips and humor. As a teacher, I have always said that if you aren’t laughing, you aren’t learning. Hopefully by posting the funny items I find during inspections, some people will laugh but also think twice before making the same mistake in their own home. I try to stay away from politics, religion and life advice as these areas can turn off potential clients. Every person who sees your profile is a potential customer.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.galaxyinspection.com
• Instagram: galaxypropertyinspection
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyPropertyInspection

Image Credits
Zoe Toll, Rachael Putney, Stacie Reese