Finding out of the area contractors for a reasonable price.

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Finding out of the area contractors for a reasonable price.

Joe S.Pro Member
Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes

Finding out of the area contractors for a reasonable price. So I have two properties out of the area that I am under contract to purchase. The first property a general contractor bid three times the material.

I’ll let him know that I would have to pass on buying a house if that was the only option I had. He let me know he had plenty of work. This was the referral by the property manager so I cannot rely upon the property manager to find me someone to rehab the properties.

  If somebody has cracked this code please let me know. 

I found a local guy number of years back by way of craigslist that actually rehab several properties for incredibly competitive price. He has since retired and moved out of the area.

 I’m a little nervous to try to find somebody off of craigslist for properties out of state. How does someone crack the code?

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Will Fraser
Real Estate Broker · Salt Lake City & Oklahoma City · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
5y

Hi @Joe S., I picked up a nifty trick from @Jason Hartman's mom from his podcast and I'll share a version of it here:

Google something like "general contractor in ____________(the town you need) and check out late in the 2nd page and 3rd page of search results.  Get somewhere between 3-8 of these to work up a quote for the same scope of work.  

These folks are not the SEO optimizers or the business kings that the Page 1ers are sure to be.  However, they are page 59 slobs to be sure.  You'll have a higher shot (especially in sizable markets)  of finding a contractor who is rock solid, but hasn't hit that SEO king status yet OR some other contractor that fits the bill for you.

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  • Will Fraser
    Real Estate Broker · Salt Lake City & Oklahoma City · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    Hi @Joe S., I picked up a nifty trick from @Jason Hartman's mom from his podcast and I'll share a version of it here:

    Google something like "general contractor in ____________(the town you need) and check out late in the 2nd page and 3rd page of search results.  Get somewhere between 3-8 of these to work up a quote for the same scope of work.  

    These folks are not the SEO optimizers or the business kings that the Page 1ers are sure to be.  However, they are page 59 slobs to be sure.  You'll have a higher shot (especially in sizable markets)  of finding a contractor who is rock solid, but hasn't hit that SEO king status yet OR some other contractor that fits the bill for you.

    7Reply
  • Joe S.Pro Member
    OP
    Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    @Will Fraser Man that’s awesome! I would’ve voted for that post 50 times ,but they limited me to one.

    4Reply
  • Jason Moss
    Specialist · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2016 · 16 posts · 8 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Will Fraser:

    Hi @Joe S., I picked up a nifty trick from @Jason Hartman's mom from his podcast and I'll share a version of it here:

    Google something like "general contractor in ____________(the town you need) and check out late in the 2nd page and 3rd page of search results.  Get somewhere between 3-8 of these to work up a quote for the same scope of work.  

    These folks are not the SEO optimizers or the business kings that the Page 1ers are sure to be.  However, they are page 59 slobs to be sure.  You'll have a higher shot (especially in sizable markets)  of finding a contractor who is rock solid, but hasn't hit that SEO king status yet OR some other contractor that fits the bill for you.

    Yes you can definitely go this route but be sure to still do research on their company and make sure they are legit. You could also do this on maps.google.com so you can see all their Google reviews while you search for the contractor in your area. Scroll down to atleast the 10th guy down and start looking for someone reputable. A lot of contractors have plenty of work right now simply because of supply and demand. 

    2Reply
  • Mark Shaver
    Specialist · Boston, MA · Member since 2020 · 125 posts · 40 votes
    5y

    Teaser: Please don't hack Google!

    @Will Fraser wrote: "Google something like "general contractor in ____________(the town you need) and check out late in the 2nd page and 3rd page of search results. Get somewhere between 3-8 of these to work up a quote for the same scope of work. These folks are not the SEO optimizers or the business kings that the Page 1ers are sure to be."

    SEO optimizers are on any page of Google.

    Let's send a query to Google "". We are interested in how many websites have the linguistically incorrect title "sell my house fast Oklahoma City," which is written exclusively for SEO:

    The percentage of SEO headlines drops drastically on page 10, because Google has exhausted wholesaler sites in Oklahoma City. Starting on page 11, Google gives up pizza delivery sites, etc. But while the results page will have wholesaler sites on it, you can see from the headlines that they are doing SEO.

    Contractors build websites in order to get visitors from search engines. You'll have a hard time finding a non-SEO contractor's website on page 2 or 3 of the Google search results.

    Will Fraser wrote: "You'll have a higher shot (especially in sizable markets) of finding a contractor who is rock solid, but hasn't hit that SEO king status yet OR some other contractor that fits the bill for you."

    If you want to find a contractor who is not invested in SEO, you can use a better Google hack. Go to Yelp.com and look for contractors who don't have websites. These contractors are guaranteed not to spend money on SEO and websites.

    But if you need a good professional, then feel free to start looking for one of the first pages of Google. In the 21st century, most professionals have websites. And the lack of a website and related SEO is a sure sign of a novice professional.

    2Reply
  • Matthew Paul
    Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    5y

    @Joe S. The home remodeling market is on fire right now .  Contractors have no reason to bid low . 

    1Reply
  • Forrest Faulconer
    Real Estate Agent · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2020 · 471 posts · 462 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Joe S.:

    Finding out of the area contractors for a reasonable price. So I have two properties out of the area that I am under contract to purchase. The first property a general contractor bid three times the material.

    I’ll let him know that I would have to pass on buying a house if that was the only option I had. He let me know he had plenty of work. This was the referral by the property manager so I cannot rely upon the property manager to find me someone to rehab the properties.

      If somebody has cracked this code please let me know. 

    I found a local guy number of years back by way of craigslist that actually rehab several properties for incredibly competitive price. He has since retired and moved out of the area.

     I’m a little nervous to try to find somebody off of craigslist for properties out of state. How does someone crack the code?

    Precisely what @Will Fraser said, Bravo! Honestly, a lot of the people I have used for certain work here and there cannot even be found online. As frustrating as that may be, these are the type of contractors who do not have the desire or time to market online, but instead find enough work through local connections to keep them going. I was looking for a good tree trimmer, ran into some guys and got a card, lost the card and could not find them online. Oh well..

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Mark Shaver:

    And the lack of a website and related SEO is a sure sign of a novice professional.

    Nope. It certainly isn't. I would bet you that up to half of the really great contractors in a given area DO NOT have websites. Why? Because there are a lot of older Contractors who don't care for websites and since they are super busy, really don't need a website. I was one of those.

    3Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Joe S.:

     The first property a general contractor bid three times the material.

    Nothing wrong with that! It's always been at least double, so no reason nowadays with the boom it shouldn't be 3x.

    Remember on top of the materials he's gotta add his labor costs (not just salaries) and then all other overhead. Oh and then there's profit unless you want someone to work for free.

    As a long-time GC, there are few things more annoying than people who want cheap contractors......you will ALWAYS get what you pay for.....

    2Reply
  • Mark Shaver
    Specialist · Boston, MA · Member since 2020 · 125 posts · 40 votes
    5y

    Teaser: "How your own website makes you a client-friendly professional."

    @Bruce Woodruff wrote: "I would bet you that up to half of the really great contractors in a given area DO NOT have websites. Why? Because there are a lot of older Contractors who don't care for websites and since they are super busy, really don't need a website. I was one of those."

    Okay, I accept the bet. I will argue that a contractor without a website is unlikely to be good.

    Let's begin:

    Image source via Pixabay.com

    What is a good contractor

    A good contractor is at all times a customer-friendly contractor. In the 21st century, it means that the contractor has a website:

    1) The contractor publishes a calendar of past/ongoing/future work and vacations on the website. This will allow potential clients to see upcoming work breaks. The contractor also shows their dead and high season times.

    2) Visitors can sign up for website news. Each month the contractor raffles off "1 free repair consultation, live or by Zoom" among subscribers.

    3) The contractor publishes photos, videos, and estimates of repairs made in the portfolio. Subscribers can comment on the repairs or ask questions.

    4) The contractor publishes articles and videos with tips for potential clients.

    5) The site has a forum where visitors can ask questions of the contractor.

    6) The contractor regularly organizes live streams on YouTube. Potential customers can watch the contractor work.

    7) ...

    The bottom line

    The informative website makes the contractor accessible to both local and out-of-state virtual investors.

    The website is first and foremost a place where a contractor posts all the information about himself. And only secondly, the website is a marketing tool. So even an elderly contractor who is overworked should have a website. If, of course, he wants to be customer-oriented.

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    5y

    Sorry Mark - None of your 6 reasons to have a website are factually correct, but merely your opinion. If I were a young guy just starting out, it might make more sense, but any established contractor worth his salt will already have plenty of customers, mostly acquired by word-of-mouth. 

    In fact, all of your items would require a LOT of time to implement. No working contractor has that much extra time after a full day of field work and an evening full of office work. That would mean hiring a media manager or such to run the website.

    I would say the only reason to have a website would be to show off your projects with a photo page.

    YMMV

    1Reply
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