What's it like for a woman to be working in a predominately male-dominated field" while many women find themselves in positions archaically advertised to those with a Y chromosome, that certainly hasn't stopped them from making a name for themselves.

As we wrap up women's history month, Valley News Group chatted with Coree' Rivers of Pillar to Post about the importance of home inspections and the barriers of gender boundaries in construction- adjacent work being broken.

VNG: What drew you to the field initially?

While I've officially been in my position since October I've been in the real estate world for three years. I'm a homeowner and have had a few orioerties where I've received a home inspection repot, didn't quite know what to make of it and then moved on. Joining this industry I/ve learned so much more about structures of a home and how they play into each other. while most reports have the technical aspect down, there was a bit of the customer aspect missing that I was Most Interested in. How can we translate this into layman's terms so people truly understand the report?

VNG: What type of training or education did you have to become an inspector?

Pillar to Post requires rigorous three - month training all day, every day. We're essentially learning how to build a home from scratch so inspector s know specifically what to keep an eye out for. There is a proctored exam, you need to pass initially and then like so many jobs, there is a continued learning as you progress through the field.

While most people utilize home inspectors from a buyer's perspective before they put an offer om on a home, it's so crucial to make it a yearly goal. After all, you don't wait until your tooth is in massive amounts of pain to go to the dentist, you go yearly for your annual checkup. We do the same but for your home - we'll check the roof, electrical, foundation, etc. to help you maintain it.

VNG: What's the thing you witness repeatedly in home inspections?

In hotter climates, especially like the Valley, condensation from constantly running an AC unit builds up and ducts can start to sag which causes further issues. Exterior cracks are not unusual but can mean different things depending on the direction of the line. There are things a lot of homeowners wouldn't even recognize because they don't have the training . After all, every home is different and we try and make the process as easy as possible.

VNG: As the market is incredibly hot and competitive right now, why should ebru homeowner utilize home inspection services?

There is a lot of pressure to buy right away now because of the competitiveness, but that decision couldn't be worse, Lots of byers are looking for the feel a home gives them, picturing themselves in the house and not giving too much attention to the technical.

How can we translate a home inspection report into layman's terms so they can understand it?

Something a buyer could fall in love with (i..e the deck) could be ultimately be the biggest burden down the road because it wasn't looked at properly. Home inspectors come in with a totally unbiased perspective. We're looking at the house with fresh eyes, with out the needs or wants of either the buyer or seller motivations.

VNG: What does it mean to be a women in a predominantly male dominated industry?

It's an awesome opportunity nut there is a bit of insecurity in the field. After all, home inspection is very aligned with construction and for decades, there has always been a bias that men are better at construction and they innately just know how to fix things. But honestly, there is no substitution for being prepared. If you can explain the problem and back it up, customers welcome that. I also make it a point to always follow up with my customers and ensure they're satisfied with the services. It's personal, white glove service touch that goes a long way.