Buffalo Rehabbers: Best advice for securing reliable local contractor partnerships?

[Shaun Ortiz]

Focusing 100% of my time on Buffalo means I need to build a trustworthy ground team. My biggest challenge from my previous attempts was finding reliable contractors who actually show up and finish.

For those of you successfully doing volume rehabs in WNY, what is your single best piece of advice for securing a reliable general contractor or a strong network of subs (plumbing, electrical, HVAC)?

Are local REIA meetings still the best source, or have you found better success networking directly through local supply houses or hardware stores? I'm looking for quality, long-term partners, not just the lowest bid.

[Drew Sygit]

@Shaun Ortiz you've got 3 options:

1) Work with big companies that have paid salesmen who don't mind doing free bids.
- THeir bids though will be the highest as someone has to pay for the additional overhead.

2) Work with Class D contractors that are desperate and will do free bids.
- Good luck getting them to show up on time, stay on schedule, NOT hit you with multiple price increases, do quality work and will actually come back and do warranty work.

3) Pay someone like @Matthew Irish-Jones enough to do a bid with the understanding they will credit the charge back to you if you buy that property and hire them to do the work.

Good luck:)