Newbie Investor & Eco-friendly Contractors

[Christine Lai]

First of all, glad to finally be a Pro member on BP. Looking to purchase a multi-family home (2-4 units) in central Florida using an FHA 203k loan to jump start my REI journey. I'm bracing myself for the rehab process and working with contractors as being the most challenging part of this process. Are there channels to find reliable contractors experienced in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or along similar lines with investor/budget-friendly prices? The draw periods of aligning HUD inspectors to cut that check after a period rehab is what concerns me the most - paying a good quality contractor on time so are there any suggestions to play this out more efficiently (out of pocket, maybe)? And during inspections, are there particulars to pay extra attention to in terms of damages whom many have had bad experiences in?

[Jaysen Medhurst]

@Christine Lai, my guess is that in the Venn diagram of contractors approved to do FHA and also LEED-certified the overlap is zero. Additionally, you will be adding no value to a small MFR by getting it LEED certified. Vet your contractors well, take the time now to understand the fundamentals of building science, and be clear about what you want done, why, and what you're willing to compromise. There are going to be compromises.

As far as education, check out Matt Risinger on YouTube, Fine Homebuilding magazine, Green Building Advisor, and follow

Steve Baczek on Instagram.