OUR TEAM

Highland Home Inspections, Inc. has been in business since 1989

Born out of a love relationship with the 100-year-old farmhouse Rick Belliveau bought after moving to Maryland, Rick combined his electrical engineering knowledge, US Navy submarine experience, and natural teaching ability to conduct pre-purchase home inspections for friends and relatives. He attended the Property Inspectors Training Institute course and quickly pursued the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) membership and certification while doing many more inspections on a part-time basis. The growing demand for his inspections resulted in a career move from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to a full-time inspections service. HHI now averages more than 2,000 inspections a year.

Over the years, Rick has grown the company to include 7 full-time and 2 part-time certified, licensed home inspectors as well as 2 offices; one located in Highland, Maryland, Howard County and the second in Prince Frederick, Maryland, Calvert County with both offices having full time-staff to meet our clients needs. In addition to pre-purchase home inspections, HHI offers pre-listing, maintenance and light commercial inspections as well as radon, mold and deck inspections.

Highland Home Inspections has been in business since 1989

Rick Belliveau

Rick is the owner of Highland Home Inspections, which he began in 1989. He is a 1978 graduate of Clarkson University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduating, he served as an officer in the Navy on a nuclear submarine. After a five-year tour in the Navy, he joined the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel where he worked for 13 years testing and evaluating submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Rick enjoys theology, reading, watching movies, traveling and working on his house. With over 30 years of inspection experience, Rick has seen just about everything; however, his love for what he does enables him to approach each inspection with new interest and enthusiasm. Rick and his wife Marcy live in Highland.

ASHI Certified Home Inspector | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI

J.D. Pyle

J.D. joined Highland Home Inspections in March 2015, bringing with him seven years of professional home inspection experience. When asked about a favorite aspect of his job, he immediately responds, “I love meeting new people every day in the field; no two days are exactly alike.” Prior to becoming a home inspector, JD worked three years in professional kitchens as a chef; he holds an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Stratford University and a B.S. in Nutrition Science from Kaplan University. In his spare time, JD enjoys cooking, traveling, brewing his own beer and spending time with his family. He and his wife Cheryl have three children and live in Frederick County.

Associate Member | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI

Dan Floyd

Dan joined the Highland Home Inspections team in 2016 after working five years in residential construction, remodeling, and carpentry and nearly ten years in sales and management. For Dan, home inspections is a natural fit with his expertise in home construction and extensive customer service skills. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, running, and spending time outdoors. A Howard County native, Dan and his wife Sarah have three daughters and live in Dayton.

Associate Member | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI

Andy Vergara

Andy joined Highland Home Inspections in the summer of 2017. He is a proud U.S. Navy veteran, where he served as a Nuclear Reactor Operator on board an aircraft carrier. Andy has nearly two decades of experience working in power plants and utilities generation facilities overseeing various aspects of operations, construction, and heavy equipment installation and commissioning. Andy is also a licensed First Grade Stationary Engineer, Universal Stationary Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technician, and holds an Associate’s in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, a B.S. in Computer Science, and a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Andy and his wife Janet have two children and live in Owings Mills. When he is not inspecting, Andy and his family enjoy traveling the country in their RV.

ASHI Certified Inspector – American Society of Home Inspectors | Additional Languages: SPANISH

Mike Burns

Mike has been working as a home inspector in the Greater Baltimore-Washington area since 2015 and joined Highland Home Inspections in 2019. In addition to being MD licensed and ASHI certified, Mike holds a Level 1 Infrared certification. He enjoys interacting with his clients, explaining house conditions and issues, and making sure their questions are answered and concerns addressed. Previously, Mike worked as a “punch-out” man for two residential construction companies, identifying and correcting issues during all stages of construction. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maryland in 1979 and draws on 30 years of professional experience in Christian ministry and higher education. He enjoys boating, fishing and hunting. Mike lives in Eldersburg with his wife, Lori. They have four grown children and five grandchildren.

ASHI Certified Inspector | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI

David Deans

We are thrilled to welcome David Deans to the Highland Home Inspections team. David has a passion for helping people, a gift for working with others, and really likes meeting new people. Our clients find David to be a clear communicator and a good teacher. These traits, along with a solid housing knowledge base, make him a great inspector. David enjoys outdoor hobbies including fishing, kayaking, and hiking but quality time with family and friends is what he loves most. He and his wife, Debbie, have lived in Montgomery County since 2010 where they raised their two kids. David and Debbie have also lived and/or worked in Howard, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties, making them very familiar with homes and communities across much of our state. David is an ordained pastor with over 20 years of experience in full time ministry and is still active serving our local community and beyond in various ways.

Danielle Betz

Danielle is the newest member of our team, bringing a strong background in real estate and residential construction. Since graduating from the University of Houston, she has been a licensed realtor and more recently hands-on managing residential builds and renovations. A native of MD, Danielle is passionate about helping others and sharing her knowledge to improve lives and homes alike. When she’s not inspecting properties, Danielle enjoys flipping houses, caring for her farm animals, tackling her latest DIY project, and going on adventures with her son.

Andre Hackman

We’re delighted to welcome Andre Hackman to the Highland Home Inspections team. Andre brings a broad background of experience and expertise to the team. After starting his early career in manufacturing and IT, he moved to supporting research teams and teaching at the university-level for the last 3 decades. Drawing from that experience, he applies analytical thinking and attention to detail which are skills that translate naturally into the world of home inspections. Andre is passionate about helping clients understand the condition of their homes along and enjoys the variety and problem-solving that each inspection brings. Outside of work, Andre enjoys beekeeping, adventure motorcycling, and DIY projects on his Maryland farmhouse. He and his wife Shelly have three grown children and live in Reisterstown.

Debbie DeSena

Debbie maintains the office and has been with Highland Home Inspections since the summer of 2012. She has experience in real estate, a background in industrial sales, and a degree in Chemical Engineering. Debbie is excited to serve, quick to respond, and friendly and intent on excellent customer service. She grows a diverse vegetable garden and enjoys raising chickens. She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Ellicott City with their three daughters.

Julie Lewis

Julie started working part-time in the office during the summer of 2017. She enjoys scheduling and providing excellent customer service, and has a Master’s degree in Management from The Johns Hopkins University. She has over 15 years of experience in office management and also works as the Operations Manager for a local IT company. Julie lives in Elliott City and enjoys spending time with her husband, Bill, and their three children, especially cheering on her kids during their soccer games and swim meets.

Retired from Highland Home Inspections

Barry Hoskins

Barry has been with Highland Home Inspections since 2000 and is our most senior inspector after Rick. He is highly respected and sought after by many realtors and previous clients. Formerly an art teacher at River Hill High School, he is an outdoorsman with experience in all kinds of outdoor sports including biking, camping, and white water canoeing and rafting. His interests and knowledge are so wide and varied that everyone finds something in common with him. Barry’s teaching experience makes him an exceptional inspector with first-time home buyers. He is our go-to guy when it comes to identifying which type of animal might have been in a house based on what it left behind. Barry and his wife Linda live in Carroll County and have two children.

Mike Shepherd

Mike joined Highland Home Inspections in 2017. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Information Systems Management and has 40 years of federal service as a systems engineer. Mike brings a wealth of technical skills and lifelong experiences in home repair and renovation. Mike has resided in Maryland since 1981, where he met his wife Paula and raised their two children. His hobbies include travel, hiking, and carpentry. Complementing his technical skills, Mike’s extensive travel abroad has given him the social skills needed to work well with people of many cultures.

MAIN OFFICE

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PO Box 156
Highland, Maryland 20777