Choosing a Reputable Contractor

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reputable contractors; fixer-upper; contractors; do-it-yourself; investment property; home renovation project

With the number of foreclosed or bank-owned properties floating around out there, we often speak with folks who are preparing to embark on a renovation project.

Unfortunately, with a rise in remodeling comes a flood of disreputable contractors looking to cash in. We do our best to protect people by providing referrals to reputable contractors, but there are plenty of people out there we don’t get a chance to talk to.

If you know someone who is about to undertake a major renovation project, we urge you to share this excellent article published by the Federal Trade Commission, “Home Sweet Home Improvement.” It includes a PDF guide your friends and family will find helpful.

The guide covers:

• The types of home improvement specialists
• How disreputable contractors operate
• Questions to ask contractors
• How to check references
• Understanding payment options
• The “Home Improvement” loan scam
• …and several other useful points

Here’s the link to the article on the FTC website:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro20.shtm

Also, you can download the PDF file directly here:

Click to access pro20.pdf

Do you need a referral to a contractor or two? Are you in the market for a property to fix-up and call your own (or use as an investment property)? We’d be happy to help. Give us a call or shoot us a message today: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-422-7626 or Kevin@HanleyHomeTeam.com – http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

Why a Pre-Sale Home Inspection is Good Protection

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home inspection, listing your home, pre-sale home inspection, sell your home

Yes, it’s true– your buyers are going to have to pay for an inspection, so why should you? The truth is, there are many good reasons to spring for your own home inspection before listing your home. Here’s why:

Ignorance isn’t a good defense. Many sellers are afraid they’ll discover defects they’ll have to disclose to buyers when the time comes. While it’s unethical and illegal to omit known issues from buyers, the truth is that understanding these issues up front can save you a lot of time and money:

First, you’ll have the opportunity to fix the problems before listing the home. Second, condition issues will help you price the home accurately for sale. And third: Buyers who are informed of condition issues up front will be much less likely to pull their contract than those who get nasty surprises down the line.

You’ll have your own estimate for repairs. When it comes to estimated repair costs (or price concessions), which would you rather have? Only the buyer’s inspection report, prepared for the buyer, or both your inspection report and the buyer’s? It’s also an issue of repair quality: Some inspectors will propose high-end fixes while others may propose more modest, but reasonable repairs. It’s handy to know the range!

You have a credible tool for negotiating issues. Again, when it all comes down to the buyer’s inspection, you won’t have one point of view on the topic. It’s also nice to present buyers with your own home inspection report as a show of good faith. It starts things off on the right foot when you say, “Listen, I’m sure you’ll want to have your own inspection, but before I decided to list my home, I wanted to know what any potential issues might be. Here’s what I found.”

It helps protects you from non-disclosure accusations. It’s hard for a buyer to say you tried to dodge repair or maintenance issues later when you can prove you paid up front to have your own inspection done. “He knew about this, but didn’t tell me!” is a tough case to make when you’ve invested in home inspection protection.

We’re happy to connect you with home inspectors we use and trust! Drop us a line today: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS, Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners 904-422-7626