About HOI — Your Peoria-Area Home Inspector
I'm Chase Owen, owner of Heart of Illinois Property Services — a family-owned home inspection and indoor environmental testing company based in Peoria, Illinois. I graduated from Bradley University in 2014 and have spent more than twelve years working in central and northern Illinois real estate. Every inspection I deliver is built on the same standard: thorough on-site work, written documentation backed by photographs, and a clear digital report you can share with your agent, lender, or contractor.
The "family" in family-owned isn't marketing language. I treat every home I inspect the way I'd want my own family's home treated — looked over carefully, explained in plain English, and never rushed. Buyers, sellers, agents, landlords, and homeowners all get the same level of attention from me, whether the property is a 900-square-foot starter home in Peoria Heights or a five-bedroom farmhouse outside DeKalb.
I built this business around three principles: be thorough, be honest, and be easy to reach. After your report is delivered, you can call me directly and walk through any finding — a thermal image, a moisture reading, a radon number, a lab result — until you're confident in your next step.
Client and Family Focused
Meet Chase Owen, Head Inspector
I founded Heart of Illinois Property Services after more than a decade in statewide Illinois real estate. As a 2014 graduate of Bradley University, I've worked across residential transactions, property management, and renovation oversight — experience that translates directly into knowing what matters at an inspection and what doesn't.
Beyond the credentials, I invest in continuing education every year. New construction methods, evolving radon mitigation standards, updated lab protocols for mold and indoor air quality, and changes in InterNACHI standards of practice all factor into how I perform each inspection. My goal is to give every client an inspection that reflects current best practice, not the same checklist I might have used a decade ago.
My Approach to Inspections
Every inspection begins with a careful on-site walkthrough. I document findings with photographs, and where appropriate with thermal imaging, moisture readings, or air and surface samples sent to PriorityLab for analysis. Thermal imaging is included with every home inspection at no extra cost — most inspectors charge for it separately or skip it entirely.
Reports are delivered as clear, photo-documented digital files. Home inspection reports are typically delivered the same day or the next business day. Lab-based reports for mold and Particle ID testing come back from PriorityLab in approximately twenty-four hours after the lab receives the sample. Radon reports are generated immediately when I retrieve the monitor at the end of the forty-eight-hour test window.
After delivery, I make myself available to walk through findings on the phone with you, your agent, your lender, or your contractor. There's no pressure, no upselling, and no rush — and when a finding calls for follow-up, I'm happy to point you toward qualified local professionals to complete the work.
What Clients Say
I'm grateful to hold a 5.0-star Google rating across 32 reviews, with recurring themes that reflect how I try to work:
Thorough, photo-documented reports. Clients consistently describe my reports as detailed, clearly written, and supported by useful imagery.
Plain-English explanations. First-time homebuyers in particular note that I take the time to walk through findings without jargon.
Available after the report is delivered. Several reviewers mention follow-up phone calls to discuss the most important issues uncovered during inspection.
Repeat clients. Investors and homeowners who manage multiple properties have come back for additional inspections, including rental property work.
Schedule flexibility. Clients note that I work with the buyer/seller calendar rather than against it — important when transaction timelines are tight.
To read all current reviews, see Heart of Illinois Property Services on Google.
Credentials & Certifications
I maintain current certifications across each service line I offer:
InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Quality Consultant
IRI Mold Certified
IICRC-trained for moisture-related inspections
Illinois EPA-licensed radon measurement professional
Angi Super Service Award recipient
Lab analysis for mold and Particle ID samples is performed by PriorityLab under the direction of Dr. John Shane, PhD — an independent third-party laboratory whose chain-of-custody documentation supports the integrity of every result I deliver.
Where I Work
I serve an eight-county area across central and northern Illinois: Peoria, Tazewell, Fulton, Woodford, Ogle, La Salle, Lee, and DeKalb counties. I also routinely travel to Bloomington-Normal, Galesburg, and Champaign, and take projects on the edge of the service area when the schedule allows. As a rough guide, anywhere within a two-hour drive of Peoria is in range.
If you're not sure whether your property is inside the service area, call me at (309) 712-4189 or send a contact request with the address — I'll let you know quickly.
Why Heart of Illinois Property Services
A few things set me apart from larger franchise inspection companies and from one-trick radon or mold contractors:
Family-owned and locally accountable. You speak with the owner, not a call center. I perform or directly oversee every inspection.
Full testing menu under one roof. Home inspection, radon, mold, and Particle ID indoor air quality testing are all available — usually in a single visit — so you don't have to coordinate three different vendors.
Investor and rental-property friendly. A meaningful share of my work is recurring inspections for landlords and real estate investors who need consistent, photo-documented reporting across multiple properties.
First-time buyer friendly. New buyers regularly tell me that having someone explain findings in plain English made the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling prepared.
Independent lab partnership. PriorityLab provides accredited, chain-of-custody analysis for every sample I send off-site.
Thermal imaging included. Every home inspection includes thermal imaging at no additional charge.
Twelve-plus years of central Illinois real estate experience. Local knowledge of housing stock, soil conditions, basement construction patterns, and the kinds of problems that recur in this region.
Ready to Schedule
If you're ready to book an inspection, you can use the Online Inspection Scheduler on the Services page, send a contact request, or call me directly at (309) 712-4189. For real estate transactions, please share the property address and your closing or contingency deadline so I can prioritize the calendar.