All Forum Posts by: Kerry Smith

@Roy C. - My pleasure Roy, I hope it helps you find a contractor you can trust. What kind of investing are you in to up in Raleigh?

@Account Closed - Ha, so you are! I'm pretty sure that 1.5 hour drive from RTP would be a deterrent to working in Fayetteville. Great point on the disciplinary actions. I assume you can "vet" your GC by contacting the board directly? I agree on the referrals, they are your best bet. I'm unable to attend REIA meetings in Fayetteville, and had nowhere else to turn other than Google, Angie's List, or Craigslist at this point.

We are in escrow on a 4-plex in Fayetteville, NC, and I have been searching around the internet and BP looking for a reputable GC to use in Fayetteville, NC. I spent a lot of time reading Angie's List reviews for my area, and while some of the GCs had fair reviews - Overall the customer feedback and the GCs responses to negative feedback read more like an episode of Judge Judy! Not wanting to get involved in any drama, I continued my search.

I stumbled upon the North Carolina Licencing Board For General Contractors. They have a "roster" of all of the licensed GCs in the state. Here is a link to their site: http://www.nclbgc.org/

The roster itself is a .pdf that can be downloaded at http://www.nclbgc.org/roster_fr.html

While this roster says little about their quality of work and craftsmanship, it does say that they are licensed in their trade. It is a good starting point for new investors to begin their search for the golden unicorn of real estate investing, a "good contractor!" 

If you are reading this, and you are not from NC. I'm certain that other states have a similar licensing board, and a "roster" of state certified GCs as well. Start Googling!

Good luck!

BP Nation,

We are in escrow on a 4-plex in Fayetteville, NC, and we are looking to force some appreciation through rehabs on the units. Does anyone have a solid contractor they can recommend in the area? 

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

@Dev Horn - You've made me realize that I do not actually need a "squeeze" page per say at this point. Our business is not currently leveraging a direct marketing campaign, so no point in having a true squeeze page. What we do need however is a professional looking website that reflects our business' ethics and standards. I will definitely spend some more time on the "About Us" page and flesh out our team a bit with names, backgrounds, and photos. Thanks Dev!

@Jared Rogers - You're right about the email. As soon as I read your response I thought "duh" and went to the Google Apps for Work site and signed up for a business email - piece of cake. I took a look at your site, and I really like the layout and information you've provided your customers. Spot on!

@Todd Heitner - Awesome tips Todd! I definitely need to drop a picture of me and my wife on the About Us page. You and @Dawn Brenengen are both right about the stock photo, it is out of place.

After reading your response, I went back and completed the Wix SEO wizard and updated the page title. I still have some tweaking to do on it, but it is much better than it was SEO wise. 

Good idea on the Contact Us page, I'll see if I can add an actual form for to fill out.

Thanks for the feedback - Back to work! 

I've been working on a simple squeeze page for our business. We do not currently have a direct marketing campaign in place, but we are planning to use this website for lead capture in the future. 

I'd like to garner some feedback on the site from other BP members. I used the guide @Brandon Turner put together located HERE. Awesome guide Brandon!

Tear it apart - What am I missing that other lead capture sites have?

Here is the site:
http://www.patriothomebuyers.com/

@Aaron Montague - Awesome response Aaron, thanks! 

I agree that the Cap Ex and Repairs may be a tad high. You know what it's like being a novice investor, it's a mix of analysis paralysis and paranoia! I'll take another swing at the numbers.

I'm working with an agent who is an MFR investor himself and knows the neighborhood/property well. I know the units are metered separately, but I will ask about the water and sewer specifically.

Thanks again!

Awesome response Bill. I definitely understand and empathize with your frustrations. I've been a moderator on various web based communities since becoming active on the internet in 1994. 

It is painful when people repost/rehash questions regarding information that was posted only hours or days before. You'd think everyone would know how to use the search function right? Unfortunately some people are either just not that good with their computers and the internet, may not even notice the search box, or as you've stated they are simply lazy!

Anyway, I really appreciate your knowledge and insights. I look forward to getting to know you better and following you here on BP.

Now get over and tear apart my 4-plex deal...

All the best!

@Bill Gulley wasn't trying to ruffle your tail feathers Bill, they are already ruffled...and when you say things like "I'm not going to go there," in response that's passive aggressive for - I'm going there. 

Bill, you've got a ton of education, training, and real world experience, but the "yours truly" approach to your postings is quite counter culture to Bigger Pockets and the inter-webs as a whole. You are not "hurting anyone's feelings," you are however coming across as haughty and unapproachable.

I think @Wayne Brooks has the right idea. I'd stay vigilant and get the LTV below 80%. Once you can refi out of it, you should be much closer to cash flowing!