Question 1

What does "Certified Home Watch Professional" mean?

Accepted Answer

The Certified Home Watch Professional (CHWP) designation is an individual credential awarded by the National Home Watch Association (NHWA) — the industry's governing body and standard-setter since 2009. It is the highest professional certification available in the home watch industry and is held by only a select group of practitioners nationwide. To earn the CHWP designation, a candidate must be a principal or employee of an NHWA member company in good standing, complete the full NHWA Home Watch Boot Camp training (which includes hands-on inspection walkthroughs, region-specific curriculum, and the Home Watch Business Basics course), pass the official NHWA certification examination, and maintain the designation through continuing education credits every two years and a recertification exam. The CHWP designation is an individual credential — separate from a company's NHWA Accreditation. A business can be NHWA-Accredited without any of its staff holding the CHWP. That distinction matters: it means the person actually walking through your home has been personally tested and certified, not just the company they work for. At A-Z Home Watch Solutions, both owners — Artie Fink and Doris Fink — hold the CHWP designation. Having two certified professionals on every account is rare, and it means your property is always in the hands of someone who has met the industry's highest individual standard.

Question 2

What is the NHWA Home Watch Boot Camp — and what does it mean that Doris Fink is an instructor?

Accepted Answer

The NHWA Home Watch Boot Camp is the most rigorous and respected training program in the home watch profession. Run by the National Home Watch Association, it is the required training pathway for anyone pursuing the Certified Home Watch Professional (CHWP) designation. Boot Camp is an intensive two-day, one-on-one program conducted either in-person or virtually. It covers hands-on home watch inspections (live walkthroughs of real properties), the full CHWP curriculum built on NHWA Best Practices, inspection protocols, and a Glossary of Terms developed by leading home watch professionals across the United States and Canada, regional and climate-specific training tailored to the challenges of the local market (critical for Florida properties facing hurricane exposure, humidity, salt air, and seasonal vacancy), Home Watch Business Basics covering pricing, client reporting, proper documentation, and business operations, and concludes with the official CHWP certification examination. Boot Camp instructors are hand-selected by the NHWA from among the most experienced and respected active home watch professionals in the country. Doris Fink, co-owner of A-Z Home Watch Solutions, is an official NHWA-sanctioned Home Watch Boot Camp instructor. She is listed on the NHWA's national instructor roster at homewatchbootcamp.com, where she is described as "a leading voice and force in the Home Watch industry, whose diversified background brings her own individual take on training and education." What this means for you: when you hire A-Z Home Watch Solutions, your property is being watched by someone who doesn't just meet the industry standard — she helps set it, teaches it, and ensures the next generation of home watch professionals understands it. There is no higher level of expertise available in the home watch industry.

Question 3

Why shouldn't I just use a property management company to look after my home when I'm away?

Accepted Answer

It's a reasonable question — property management companies are familiar, established, and often already involved with your community. But home watch and property management are fundamentally different services, and choosing the wrong one for an unoccupied home can leave you underprotected. Property management companies are primarily designed to manage occupied rental properties — handling tenant relationships, leases, maintenance requests, and HOA compliance. When they offer "home watch" as an add-on, it is typically not their core competency. Their staff are usually not NHWA-certified, their inspections are not standardized, and the documentation is inconsistent. Professional home watch — as defined by the National Home Watch Association — is specifically designed for vacant and semi-occupied homes. It is a dedicated, structured visual inspection service with a certified professional (CHWP) performing every visit, a standardized checklist tailored to your specific property, photo-documented digital reports after every single inspection, fast response to issues with clear protocols for emergencies, and full insurance, bonding, and NHWA accreditation. There is also a liability difference: if a property management employee enters your unoccupied home and something goes wrong — a slip, a broken item, an unreported leak that causes damage — a property management company's general liability policy may not cover the scenario the same way a dedicated, NHWA-accredited home watch policy does. For a second home, vacation property, or seasonal residence, the right choice is a company whose entire purpose is protecting vacant properties — not one for whom it's a secondary service. A-Z Home Watch Solutions does one thing, and we do it at the highest certified level available: we protect your home while you're away.

Question 4

What is a home watch service and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Home watch is a scheduled visual inspection of your home — interior and exterior — performed on a weekly or bi-weekly basis while you're away. A certified professional walks the property looking for obvious issues like leaks, pests, storm damage, HVAC failures, and security concerns, then sends you a photo-documented digital report after every visit.

Question 5

What is the NHWA and why does accreditation matter?

Accepted Answer

The National Home Watch Association sets the professional standard for the industry — vetting, insurance requirements, a code of ethics, and ongoing education. Accreditation is the single most meaningful credential in home watch. Anyone can call themselves a 'home watcher.' Only accredited firms have been independently verified.

Question 6

How much does home watch cost in Northern Palm Beach County?

Accepted Answer

Home watch visits start at $50 per visit across our Northern Palm Beach County service area — Jupiter, Singer Island, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, and Tequesta. Your exact price depends on your home's size, the inspection checklist, and your visit frequency. We provide a free, no-obligation custom quote.

Question 7

How is home watch different from house sitting?

Accepted Answer

A house sitter physically stays in your home. Home watch is a scheduled professional inspection with documented reporting, full insurance, and a written checklist. For most high-value second homes, certified home watch provides far stronger protection and accountability than a house sitter ever could.

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