We had a great experience with Roger at Merrell Inspection Services. He was friendly, jovial and kept a somewhat stressful inspection process surprisingly enjoyable. We were being financed by an FHA 203k loan, doing a total renovation on a basically unlivable house; the process was totally new and a little bewildering. Roger was the first inspector to see the house before we were even approved, and it was great to work with him through the whole process from start to finish. He was very flexible and when we needed to delay (as happens with different projects dependent on weather, supplies, etc), he helped facilitate that. He gave us feedback on what needed to be done which was really helpful since the list was loooong. We were concerned that working with the inspector might be difficult for us since we were doing a lot of the work ourselves AND working with a contractor but he was very reasonable and helpful. I should add that we were very proactive with our paperwork and were the main communicators between the contractor, inspector, and lender for the duration of the project. Our renovation was extended by over six months and he was great about checking in and communicating with the lender to make sure everything went smoothly. Even though his schedule seemed very full, we were able to make appointments easily and he responded in a timely manner to any queries. To be fair, we have no experience with other inspection services, so our 5/5 review is based solely on this one experience. Our house is lovely, and we are so happy we struggled through with the FHA 203k loan. Totally worth it, and thanks to Roger we were able to navigate it pretty smoothly. Would work with him again! In reference to the negative reviews, I'm happy to say that was not our experience at all. We didn't pick Merrell Inspection Services out of a hat, he was recommended by our lender with flying colors as they had worked with him for years with no issues (and he specifically had experience working with the FHA 203k loan/renovation process). read more

I have worked with Roger Merrell for well over 10 years on projects ranging from simple FHA Manufactured Home foundation inspections to FHA 203k Rehabilitation purchase loans over $350,000. With over 20 years of experience in his field, his work for the Dept. of HUD and the FHA, professionals in my industry have come to rely on Roger's knowledge, honest work, strict adherence and unparalleled understanding of federal compliance standards and his seamless and timeliness processing of the mounds of 203k paperwork to keep our customers safe from predatory contractors, inexperienced underwriting and unsavory property sellers; all while expediting the process for our end user. With collaboration on well over a dozen projects in the past few years, my borrowers and I have only seen the best from Roger and benefited immensely from his vast and knowledgeable exposure to everything one might imagine can happen out there in the world of property rehabilitation. My colleagues and I would ponder to think that if any entity is unsatisfied with any of Roger's work then they must have been on the receiving end of an outcome that they did not agree with because of Roger's "By the Book" adherence to federal compliance and procedure did not produce their desired result. I've personally seen one of his home inspection reports save a buyer from purchasing an unsafe, money pit type property that could never qualify for a 203k rehab loan within their budget instead of telling them and the seller what they wanted to hear just to get the transaction closed just a couple of months ago. "Needless to say, they didn't get the house..." and Roger saved them from years of misery and a losing situation! Roger is relentless, honest, can probably write "the book" when it comes to standards, compliance and procedure. If you want it done correctly and done the first time, true professionals know where to turn to. With 22 years in lending, construction loans, rehabs, property flipping and investment properties myself, I have yet to work with better! read more

We are real estate agents and have worked with Roger Merrill for many many years. There are 26 approved inspectors in Washington State that can do what Roger Does! What I have found with doing the 203K is that General Contractors who do not have the financial capacity to last at least 60 days of a job, should not be on my list of contractors. Banks do not move quickly, and if we are at the wrong lenders we can have nightmares. HUD compliance inspectors are different than most in that they are up to date on minimum property standards. Often people are upset that they can't afford all of the glitter they want by the time they fix what is needed and they do not have the money for the granite counter top. The last two houses we have sold and fixed up with Roger's inspection report came in $45,000 over what was paid on one in appraisal finished, and the other we sold for $167,000 and before it closed we got a new appraisal of $ 185,000. I anticipate a lot of fixers being put on the market this year. I would not attempt to sell any of these without Roger's expertise. He does get busy, but that only says that he is in high demand. PS - well respected with HUD too! Tom Phillips read more

I am a GC that had the unfortunate misfortune of working with Roger Merrell. He has delayed our 1st payment by over two weeks. He turned in his report 9 days after the inspection was done. Then he lied to the bank stating I said the job was done. I told him it was 95% and he knew that. He said "no problem" we will do a final at the end. Now he wants HIS money before sending in the final! He is charging $200.00 for the second inspection! All other inspectors charge $150.00. Totally unprofessional and we will NEVER work on a job he is inspecting again, ever! So for those contractors out there who are taking on 203K loans, make sure you are at the clients house when the inspection is completed. Roger completed an inspection and I had to contact him to find out what the results were. The incomplete work he stated was based on client comments and were not even on the bid. My overall impression is small residential inspections do not challenge Roger and he gets a little lazy in doing them. When challenged about his work he becomes indignant and obstinate. This is not an attempt to smear Roger, rather we are letting future contractors working with him to be aware of our experience. read more

Another Happy Customer!! I have been working with Roger Merrell for over 8 years from simple home inspections to 203k HUD rehab loans (which are not always easy transactions to execute). With his vast knowledge of HUD guidelines and the rehab process he is always a great resource! As an inspector, he is involved in the transaction from the very first "feasibility study" to reviewing bids and follows the work until the project is completed. He always goes above and beyond to make sure all parties involved have full knowledge of the project ahead. He is knowledgeable and responsive. The feedback I receive from clients we have referred is always positive. Not only do our buyers like working with him, our underwriting staff is always pleased when Roger is on the project. He has been the preferred inspector for our company for over 15 years. Our underwriting staff and our buyers can always count on him to be thorough and honest!! We will continue to rely on his knowledge and professionalism during these difficult transactions!! read more

I have worked with Roger Merrill for several years as our companies preferred 203k consultant. He works deligently with the buyers and buyers contractor to fullfil the borrower expectations and meeting the requirements of FHA property standards. He has always been honest and ethical in his dealings with our company. Roger has been a wonderful source of knowledge and assistance in the 203k program, which can be a challanging loan type. He makes my job easier and I feel fortunate to work with him. His knowledge of the 203k product is exactly what you have to have to complete one of these loans. Our company also has a preferred General Contractor list because so few contractors are experienced in the 203k product. As a company and a loan officer, if you do not do this program a lot you will be frustrated. We have found that if Roger says, "that is not the house for the buyer" we have learned to trust that decision. We are very experienced at 203k loans and we would not consider using any other consultant than Roger Merrill. read more

As a loan officer working with lots of first time homebuyers, 203K rehab loans, and manufactured homes, I have worked with Roger on dozens of transactions. He is one of the most knowledgeable inspectors in the area. As a cost consultant for 203K loans, there are so many regulations to follow and he tries to make it as simple as possible for borrowers and contractors to get the bids correct. I have seen contractor bids come in over and over again incorrectly and it is his job to make sure the final reports are compliant and correct. Not many inspectors have the patience for this kind of work, but Roger always seems to get the job done. I continually recommend Roger to my clients and he comes through. In fact, I just recommended him to another first time homebuyer who needs a full inspection plus a specialty HQS inspection that only a handful of inspectors know how to do. If I was buying a home for myself, Roger is who I would use for the inspection services - no question about it. read more

We just purchased our first home and it was in need of some repairs. Roger was suggested to me by our lender and I couldn't have been more happy. Our first inspection was very thorough. As a new buyer I had no clue what to expect. Roger took the time to sit with me and my agent (since it was his first time doing an fha rehab on a manufactured) and explained everything and answered all our questions. I was very impressed with the time he put into his inspection and into his report. It was full of pictures and detailed descriptions of all repairs that were needed. I had a couple contractors come and bid the job and off of Roger's report knew exactly what was to be done. I would highly recommend Roger. He shows up on time, does a very thorough job, gets all paperwork in on time and even takes the time to explain anything you have a question about. It was a pleasure to work with him :) read more

I have known and worked with Roger Merrell since 1997. He knows and understands HUD, and guidelines of the 203K loans better than anyone I have worked with. His knowledge and expertise has helped many of my clients reach the dream of homeownership in a home updated, or remodeled, to suit their needs. Whether it was a purchase or a refinance, I value Roger for the time he spends with the borrowers and contractors to educate them on the process. These loans can be really simple or very complex, and I know when Roger is our consultant the project will be completed to HUD standards, and the expectations of our clients. Roger always returns my calls and answers questions at any point throughout the process so I can get back to my client. His knowledge of the industry and these loans are beyond compare and I completely trust Roger with my family and friends as well as my clients! read more

There is no question that the 203k can be a great way to purchase and remodel. However, if things go awry there is no protocol for managing fraudulent and or shoddy contractors and there are in my opinion far more bad contractors than good. Without Roger Merrell's experience and help there is NO WAY I could have completed my 203k job. We had to fire the contractor for the very reasons listed above and Roger patiently and on his own time helped mitigate what would have ended in a financial disaster for my family. Thanks to his expertise we were able to complete the job correctly. He was flexible with our situation and went above and beyond to insure that we were able to complete the job to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend his services! read more

I have worked with Roger Merrell on 203K projects as both a contractor and client an have found him to be very experienced, knowledgeable, and timely. I completed my first 203k home renovation for one of my clients this last year and Roger took the time to answer my questions and help me understand the ins and outs of the program. We are currently working in our own personal renovation and Roger has again been super to work with. He is quick to respond to messages, quick to come out to complete inspections, and has draw information to the bank the same or next day. I hope to do more 203K renovations in the future and look forward to working with him on them. I highly recommend Merrell Inspection Services. read more

I have been working with Roger Merrell for over 15 years as a Lender and have nothing but respect for him and what he does! Roger is one the most knowledge and ethical HUD Consultants we have! Roger has gone above and beyond what is needed to help protect the borrower, lender and even the contractor in a lot of cases. He makes the 203k process a lot less stressful and you can be assured that it will be done right and to guidelines. When a question arises regarding the 203k program he has the background and knowledge and can be trusted. I very highly recommend Merrell Inspection Services as a consultant for your 203k and inspection needs! read more

My fiancé and I recently closed a 203k rehab loan with Roger as our inspector/liaison. From start to finish Roger was focused, dedicated and upbeat. If we had a question about the process, which is confusing, Roger was quick to get back to us with the answer. His knowledge of the entire industry is amazing. He really cares about his clients and will go above and beyond. Without Roger, this process would not have been a smooth experience for my fiancé and me. If anyone asks me to refer them to an inspector, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Roger Merrell! read more

Roger Merrell was an excellent choice as our home inspector. He is as professional as you can get and very knowledgeable about the whole process. Roger explained in detail the repairs that needed to be done and why. Not once did we feel pressured to breeze through this. Roger listened to our concerns and got to know what our expectations were. I would highly recommend Roger Merrell to anyone needing a highly qualified, skillful and attentive inspector who takes the time out to talk over the issues concerning your remodeling project. read more

Roger ROCKS!!! I was concerned about getting into a 203K and most everyone told me that it was going to be a nightmare but Roger helped me navigate through the process and kept it painless (its a remodel not a trip to Bora Bora, painless = Woohoo! As good as it gets!). He was always quick with responses and knew what was happening or needed to happen. Thanks again Roger - If I hear of anyone looking to do a 203K I will be giving them your info. read more

Working with Roger Merrell was a great experience, especially as a general contractor who is new to the Seattle area. He was very professional, sympathetic to my client's needs, and helped keep a complicated project on pace by telling me plainly what worked and what didn't, managing to cut through a lot of red tape. I feel extremely fortunate to have worked with Merrell Inspection Services. Ohbi 1 Construction Amrik Ohbi read more

Roger is clearly an expert in his field. He is knowledgeable, thorough, and single-handedly saved my 203K. He was understanding of my issues with my contractor and took extra time to help me get the project back on track. He will hold you accountable for your resposibilties but also go to bat for you if necessary. Roger is a good person and a great inspector. I highly recommend him to any new homebuyer considering a 203K. read more

Thirteen years later, and the feeling still lingers. It was truly an awful experience. Every time I open Yelp to leave a review, that memory comes flooding back. If you look at my history, you'll see I only post reviews for places that leave a positive impression--unless the service was exceptionally bad. Unfortunately, this was one of those rare cases. read more

Roger is by far one of the best construction professionals I have ever dealt with. Not only is he your advocate but he actually understands construction. As a FHA consultant he understands every aspect of the project and has been a blessing to our family and home. We will never use another consultant as long as he is available. read more