Worthy Recognition

When Dee Goldstein saw her name flash across the screen at the awards ceremony at this year’s InspectionWorld, she thought there had been a mistake. She turned to current ASHI National President Lisa Alajajian Giroux and said, “Is this a prank?” “Lisa said, ‘No. Get up there.” Then David’s name appeared as well, and it was revealed that the prestigious President’s Award was going to not one but two people this year, including a non-member. “I was speechless because it’s always gone to a member before,” Dee said. 

But Dee, like David, is part of the ASHI family, and has been since the 1980s. The Goldsteins have dedicated years of work, including volunteering, helping inspectors be the best they can be. The President’s Award recognizes outstanding service to the association.

Choosing the Winners 

Past ASHI National President Scott Johnson told David he was giving the President’s Award to Dee months before the formal announcement. “It’s the longest secret I’ve ever kept from my wife,” David laughed. But, he didn’t know he was receiving the award, too. In fact, he’d been talking with Johnson about who would get another ASHI Award—the Ironman Award—as he wanted to recognize the SOP committee he chaired for its members’ many years of effort to update the ASHI Standard of Practice. He was surprised to later learn he was also getting an award. 

“It’s absolutely an honor to be given any award and to be recognized for the work you’re doing,” David said. “I’ve always been of the belief that you don’t go into something like that looking for any kind of reward at the end. You do it because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s also something you truly believe in. I know that my SOP committee members feel the same way.” 

The SOP hadn’t been updated in a decade, and it took more than five years to redo the standards, David said. That’s a long time when you consider the many changes that occur over a decade. “I could not possibly have accomplished that without the efforts of every one of the committee members. I was thrilled to have all of them helping and participating and giving of their own time and talent and expertise. I think we all understand the impact that this is going to have and will have going into the future,” he said. 

He said a number of regulated states have adopted the ASHI SOP, and a number of other regulated states have adopted it in some form. He’s hopeful that these states will look at the new SOP and adopt it as well.

The SOP committee had ASHI representatives from all over the country, which was important to ensure a diverse geographical representation, David said. “We had a tremendous wealth of knowledge, and everybody was willing to share. We had individuals from both regulated and unregulated states on the committee, so that also brought different viewpoints. As with any committee, there were times when there were disagreements, and that’s healthy. Everybody on the committee realized the value of the work they were doing. I can’t compliment and thank my committee members enough.” (See the May issue of the ASHI Reporter for an article on the Ironman Award recipients).

While Johnson wanted to recognize David for his efforts organizing and managing such a successful committee, he also wanted to recognize Dee for her decades of commitment to improving the profession. He called Dee a “heart of ASHI.” From Dee’s perspective, ASHI is family—something she noticed again when she stood up in a room full of people to accept her award. Looking around, she saw people she’d known and worked with for decades. “I have six brothers naturally, but ASHI is like dealing with a bunch of brothers a lot of the time. I want these guys to look good and be successful,” she says. 

She’s been helping them present their best selves as part of the ASHI Store now for 15 years, from making sure their branding is consistent to getting them professional swag. She has an eye for detail. “I love putting things together. That’s where my joy is,” she said. She started out doing the clothing line for ASHI, but her access to suppliers all over the world meant she was also a good source for everything from customized pens and sticky notes to vehicle signs and more. She helps inspectors get the best shipping rates and products. “I’m a very good shopper, and I love helping people out,” she said. “They’re my family. Sometimes I care more than they do about what I send them. And sometimes I have to say, ‘No, you’re not getting that,” she laughed. 

Work-Life Balance 

Neither Dee nor David plans to move on from ASHI anytime soon, though they do look forward to spending more time on other hobbies. Dee in particular likes walks on the beach and gardening with her grandchildren. These days, David enjoys spending much of his time teaching and doing expert work. “I still teach at a lot of seminars and conferences around the country,” he said, in addition to inspecting. He recently taught at KREIA (Kentucky Real Estate Inspectors Association) in March and often teaches around the country as well as in and around their New Jersey home base. 

David, also a past Ironman Award winner, is among the oldest second-generation home inspectors in the industry. “My father was one of the first in the country to be doing this. I grew up in it,” he said.

David started in the mid-1970s after going with his father on inspections. The industry was just getting started then. “It was not anywhere near as involved as it is now. The tools were certainly different. I remember enjoying watching what he was doing. I was a teenager then,” he said.  

In 1988 the couple started their own home inspection company—AMBIC Building Inspection Consultants, serving the Garden State and Pennsylvania. 

Dee also spends a lot of time volunteering as a group facilitator for middle school children with Good Grief, an organization for children who have lost parents or siblings. Most recently, Dee and David have been helping install a labyrinth at a Good Grief memory garden. David helped to put a roof on a wishing well as part of the project. “They figured as a home inspector I must know how to do things, so I was ‘volunteered’ to put a new wood roof on the wishing well,” he said. Dee echoed, “If you give a home inspector a job, it’s going to be done to perfection. It’s beautiful.” 

The couple also hopes to travel more and simply enjoy life. They each started their personal businesses when they were in their 20s. “We were fortunate to have David’s parents as our mentors,” Dee said. “They insisted on us doing things right the first time.” She advises anyone starting out in the profession to find a strong mentor. “That’s one of the benefits of ASHI. 

Get a hold of one of these seasoned inspectors and let them guide you. That’s something the internet can never give you,” she said. 

Meet The Goldsteins

David Goldstein served as a national officer in ASHI and on the Board of Directors, as well as the president of two state chapters. He is a New Jersey, Delaware, and New York Licensed Home Inspector, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Licensed Building Inspector, Plumbing Inspector, Construction Official, and Sub-Code Official and formerly licensed as a Fire Protection Inspector. He is also a NJ certified Pest Control Applicator and Radon Measurement Technician. Goldstein served as a subject matter expert and on the Board of Directors of the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI) for 17 years and was president of the EBPHI.

Diana “Dee” Goldstein runs GEMmarketing, specializing in creating and refining marketing for home inspectors, business start-ups, and nonprofits. She started her career in the home inspection profession in 1983, creating the marketing program that turned a small, family-run company into a 12-inspector, million-dollar company. In 1988 she and David refined the lessons learned from their successful company and created a home inspection franchise system, which grew to 30-plus offices in the US and Canada. In 1997, Dee became the cofounder of Inspector Education Institute, a post-secondary vocational school licensed by the New Jersey Department of Education; she has taught the marketing portion of the course to more than 1,000 students and is a frequent speaker at home inspector continuing education courses throughout the US, including InspectionWorld. She is a member of the Professional Products Advertising International, Advertising Specialty Institute, the New Jersey Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. 

What is the ASHI Store? 

For more than 40 years, the ASHI Store has been a trusted partner to home inspectors who want to look professional, work efficiently, and stand out in a competitive market.  The ASHI Store provides durable, field‑ready clothing designed for long days on the job, plus high‑quality promotional products that help clients and agents remember you. The ASHI Store’s bestselling inspection essentials—bright, high‑output flashlights, dependable respirators, ferret cameras, and precision moisture meters—are also selected to support accuracy, safety, and confidence during every inspection.