If they blink at you or there is a moment of silences while you hear them furiously googling, then that CPA is not for you.This election is going to be key to your particular question as most of your remodel ($24,000 indicates that it is mostly improvements, not repairs) will most likely technically be improvements. 

Three answers for you:1) You are being dialed by an auto-dialer that will dial multiple numbers at once and connect your call as soon as someone on THEIR end is available... but if no one is available, there is no one to talk to you... so it will hold you in silence until someone is available.2) Many newer systems are actually listening for you to say "Hello"... and they won't start their pre-recorded greeting until they hear it.  

They always seem to go MIA or radio silence when I request a receipt.

Radio silence from Matt.

Silence is a brief time free of distractions.

Then came the big radio silence for 3 weeks during marketing, where they didn't communicate ANYTHING.

The new officer has routinely ignored important emails, has provided wrong information on a number of occasions and, despite of our early requests for what else, if anything, was needed to close, she went into radio silence for days.

However, if you had disclosed the transaction in the beginning and provided the lender with adequate safeguards, they, either by written acknowledgement by the lender or by their silence, can constitute acceptance of the deal and when rates increase, they will be in a very difficult position to call the note at that time.

Or total radio silence?

---Silence.