I had met Alan G. twice previously through professional networking events over the last 2 years. He was in leadership roles then and still is today. When I found his company on Homestars and all the favourable reviews, it made it easier for me to decide to hire him.
Alan arrived early for my inspection - I arrived a few minutes late - and upon my arrival proceeded to point out all the major and minor concerns he found on the outside of the house. Although I was told the house was built in 1980, he pegged it at being built in the late 60s to early 70s. We'd soon find out who was right and who was wrong.
We then moved inside to the basement and worked our way - room by room, floor by floor - up to the attic. Every step of the way, Alan basically gave me a live narrative - good, bad and ugly - of the house I was considering purchasing as he took pictures of every concern along the way. Using a reference book (for furnaces, I assume) Alan was able to tell me the exact year the furnace was built - 1974! He was correct about the age of the house. He also had a nifty moisture meter that allowed him to detect the presence of moisture behind some drywall that looked recently patched over.
To top it all off, Alan accommodated our tight deadline to remove our inspection condition and delivered our completed report within just a few hours. I can't say that he'd do this for everyone, but it was very much appreciated.