One thing I know for sure,” says Paula Camarena, owner with Pillar To Post Home InspectorsTM, the largest home inspection company in North America. "Don’t skip your home inspection ever. We saw a lot of that in 2020 when the housing market went crazy over COVID. Sadly, we later saw many cases of Buyer’s Remorse after people in a hurry to win a big skipped the home inspection.”
The Huntington Beach resident is in her sixth year of serving homebuyers, sellers and REALTORS® throughout Orange County.
The housing market experienced significant growth from 2020 to 2024. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the national sales market became slightly tight in 2023 after being tight during the previous two years. The supply of existing homes for sale increased from 2.7 months in 2022 to 3.1 months in 2023, and the inventory of existing homes for sale increased by 4% during the same period. For Camarena and other women like her, it’s not a stretch to say they are still trailblazers in an industry where women are significantly underrepresented.
But home inspectors make up only a small portion of the overall construction and building inspectors category, and when that’s considered, the numbers are even more telling. According to the most recent figures, women comprise two percent of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and four percent of the International Association of Home Inspectors.
Prior to joining Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, Camarena was in the technology field for 20 years. She also earned an MBA in 2013. However, she wanted to pursue a business opportunity that closely aligned with her personal experiences in buying and selling investment properties. As a homebuyer, she knew the importance of understanding the condition of a home and any potential future costs that might need to be addressed. That’s when a friend suggested she consider being a home inspector.
“What I find important in the Pillar To Post system, is the constant innovation. I don’t think being a female in a male dominated industry is a barrier anymore,” Camarena said. “I think being willing to learn new things and evolve with new technologies is the game changer in any business.”
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors’ innovative technologies and business model provides an exceptional home inspection with unique and innovative features that are all delivered within a seamless brand experience. All developed pre-pandemic and ready to be utilized when the pandemic struck, the new features further highlight Pillar To Post Home Inspectors’ standing as a visionary in its industry.
With Camarena’s extensive education and intuitive approach to business, she has demonstrated repeatedly her ability to go outside the box, protecting her clients from future liability. “I am so excited to be able to do what I am passionate about and that is being of service to those I work with,” she said.
Camarena shared one inspection that gave her a delightful story to tell, even though it was somewhat harrowing. “I did get stuck in an elevator in a beachfront home, and no one was there,” she said. “I eventually figured out how to get out, but I did have a little bit of a panic attack.”