Contractor -- When is the right time?

[Carlos O'Neil]

Hello BP Forums!

I am new to real estate investment (here in Texas) and had a question about when is the right time to locate and engage a contractor.  I felt that finding a contractor would be a crucial piece and sought them out before I had deals lined up so I knew who to call, but later I felt like I was wasting their time since I didn't have a real project to assign them to at the moment.  Now, ironically, I have a project and my contractor contact is no where to be found.

Your thoughts?

[Alex Huang]

In my opinion, there is never a wrong time to locate and network with contractors. You are absolutely right that they are a CRITICAL piece to a smooth and successful investment. I've literally loitered around the Home Depot contractor's desk a few times and just approached people and asked for their contact info. I'd ask for some pictures of their work and use that initial interaction as a filter. 

I'd save the ones I liked and then message all of them when I had a project ready for bid.