Competent Home Inspectors

There are many "home inspectors" listed in your yellow pages.  You're buying a home and you're wondering which one to choose.  If you know several people who have bought homes recently, word of mouth can work.  Did they have a home inspection?  Did they feel the inspector did a thorough roof to basement job?  Did the inspector explain how filters are changed, where cut-off valves are, and the like?  If word of mouth isn't a good option, call several inspectors who are members of national organizations like The American Society of Home Inspectors, or The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, and ask them to describe how they work and what they charge.