Property Manager · New York City, NY · Member since 2013 · 34 posts · 10 votes
Where is the best source to find the best contractors and vendors in your area? Where do you go for referrals?
To start the discussion, I'll say that you can go to Yelp and Angie's List for smaller properties. For bigger properties, BlueBook is supposed to be a good catalog of companies but you have no idea if they are a good company or not. For the bigger companies, there is not much info out on them since their clientele list is so much smaller so there naturally will be less info out there on the companies.
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
8y
I start with my local real estate club for referrals on someone they have personally used that had a good price. I also keep a list of contractors when someone in my club sends out a recommendation for a contractor or handyman.
Next place I have had good luck is at Lowe's and Home Depot. If I need a plumber I go to the plumbing section and ask the person working in that area.
I have occasionally have tried some one on Craigslist under the services section. I start with small low cost jobs and built up trust with the person. This is where I found my go to handyman that I use all the time.
I start with my local real estate club for referrals on someone they have personally used that had a good price. I also keep a list of contractors when someone in my club sends out a recommendation for a contractor or handyman.
Next place I have had good luck is at Lowe's and Home Depot. If I need a plumber I go to the plumbing section and ask the person working in that area.
I have occasionally have tried some one on Craigslist under the services section. I start with small low cost jobs and built up trust with the person. This is where I found my go to handyman that I use all the time.
Interesting ideas. Why would going to Lowe's and Home Depot work? I think some of them are actually contractors who can't get jobs. So their referrals wouldn't be the best, I'm guessing. But I might be guessing wrong. How did they turn out?
I hate referrals because I have found them to be the same as throwing a dart in the yellow pages. The quality of the referral depends upon how anal the person is but even then, I've gotten referrals that have turned out really badly.
Interesting ideas. Why would going to Lowe's and Home Depot work? I think some of them are actually contractors who can't get jobs. So their referrals wouldn't be the best, I'm guessing. But I might be guessing wrong. How did they turn out?
I hate referrals because I have found them to be the same as throwing a dart in the yellow pages. The quality of the referral depends upon how anal the person is but even then, I've gotten referrals that have turned out really badly.
I got this idea from someone else that flips houses full time and the few times I have used a referral from a Big Box store it has worked out well for me. I have only had to do this at my VRBO since it is an hour away from where I live and where I can get referrals from other Real Estate investors.