We were very unhappy with Ryan Poske and Bildwise LLC

We were very unhappy with Ryan Poske and Bildwise LLC

Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes

We hired Bildwise for a renovation of our 1965 single-family home that included complete electrical rewiring and updating, roof replacement, light kitchen and bathroom remodeling, new flooring, new interior paint, and masonry repair. The total cost for the renovation was $96,000. We were very unhappy with the timeliness and quality of the work on this project as well as the quality of our communications with Ryan Poske (CEO at Bildwise and our primary point of contact). We hope that future potential clients of Bildwise will benefit from our experience and proceed with caution.

Our contract specified that Bildwise would not cease work for more than 30 consecutive days and that the project would be completed within 6 months of the closing date of our home purchase. At the time that we signed, Ryan and his construction manager estimated that the project would take about 3 months. The actual completion time was over 15 months, including at least two periods of inactivity that lasted longer than 30 days. Ryan offered various reasons for the delays, including difficulties in obtaining permits, scheduling subcontractors, and obtaining supplies; even making allowances for these factors, we found the delays to be extraordinary.

While we were pleased with some of the subcontractors (e.g., the roofers, the fireplace repair crew, and the carpet installers), there were numerous instances when Bildwise and its subcontractors did not complete tasks in a workmanlike manner. Some specific examples include careless installation of vinyl flooring in our kitchen, resulting in irreparable damage; leaving an exposed nail in remodeled kitchen cabinetry that scratched our new range; installation of bathroom sinks with improper plumbing connections; and multiple instances of failure to remove cigarette butts, food trash, and construction waste from our property. We had to request correction of multiple other items that we did not feel were finished with sufficient attention to detail.

We were told early on that Bildwise’s preferred form of communication was the messaging function in their web-based client portal. We found that many of the messages we left in the portal were incompletely answered or not answered at all. We held an in-person meeting over 6 months into the project to express our concerns with the timeline and to request weekly check-in calls. To his credit, Ryan complied with this request; we felt that communications somewhat improved after that, even though progress on the project ultimately did not. However, there were also multiple instances when one or both of us felt dismissed or disrespected during our written and verbal exchanges with Ryan. In our last conversation with him, Ryan accused one of us of "nickel-and-diming" him when we questioned the charges for tasks he had volunteered to complete outside the scope of the project, falsely stated that we had delayed the project for weeks by not signing paperwork, and refused to discuss or even acknowledge the extraordinary delay in completing the project and its impact on us.

In conclusion, we were very unhappy with the timeliness and workmanship of Bildwise's work on this project as well as with our communications with Ryan Poske. Please note that the opinions expressed in this review are based on our personal experience and should not be taken as a definitive statement about the overall performance of Bildwise LLC. Should Ryan Poske respond to challenge this review, as I have seen him do elsewhere, you may find yourself wondering whether our expectations for this project were typical and reasonable. In that case, we encourage you to learn more about Ryan Poske and Bildwise from other available sources, including word of mouth, other online reviews, and Indiana's public court records.

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
11mo
Quote from @Darren Finney:

I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.


I think they finally flamed out. they were good for me until they were not on my last project.. 
See this reply in the discussion

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  • Henry ClarkPro Member
    Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y

    Recommend you remove post.   Talk with your attorney about why.  

  • Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Henry Clark:

    Recommend you remove post.   Talk with your attorney about why.  

    Hi Henry,

    After checking in with you, I stand by my post and feel it is important to continue to share it. I think it's a shame that fear of litigation often prevents consumers from sharing information with each other. I do very sincerely appreciate your concern and advice, though. Take care. 

    Jen

  • Henry ClarkPro Member
    Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y

    @Jennifer Brown;  normally I would either seek more info to help out on a posters question or give some direction on your Real Estate Investment path.  

    Instead, I decided to take 15 minutes assuming I was in your shoes and looking for someone to manage a project in that location.  Searched four sites and came up with a different decision than your original decision to go with them.  It was easy and decisive.  I did not look for others since that is not my objective.

    In doing the above review, I see you went to some of the same sites and made the same post as you noted above. Thus, I understand your objective on Bigger Pockets is not to learn more about REI or to help others on BP. Understand you are doing reviews in various forums and posts to help people with your reviews of their businesses.

    My roommate right after college in Houston.  We would get bored doing the same thing every week.  We started taking the Houston phone book which was huge and by category and just flip pages and put our finger down without looking for a selection.  Could be for a restaurant, night club, music venue, etc.  We probably had more bad or not bad, but average experiences than if we had asked for recommendations.  Definitely went to some places we would never have ever gone to.  Plus, lucky just to make it back out the doors.  I am responsible for all of those experiences based on the selection process I took.  We actually enjoyed the experience (shout out to Johnny Reno and the Sax Maniacs), but it was just a bar, just a meal, just a new music group; not your house; so, your level of disappointment was immensely greater than ours.  

    If you ever need help, info or assistance on an REI matter, please use BP. I truly enjoy the diverse sets of experiences, learning from failures and successes online, and different ways to approach a decision.

  • Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes
    3y

    Your points are well taken. I would normally research and speak with at least three contractors before making a hiring decision. In this case, we had a renovation loan that required us to identify a general contractor and plan the entire renovation before closing, so we had to move fast or lose the deal. We were having trouble getting anyone to get back to us, so we used some sort of matchmaking service that was recommended to us by our lender, which is how we got referred to Bildwise. In the end we did not feel like we had a lot of choice because we really did not want to lose the contract to buy the house.

  • Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2020 · 81 posts · 13 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Jennifer Brown:

    Your points are well taken. I would normally research and speak with at least three contractors before making a hiring decision. In this case, we had a renovation loan that required us to identify a general contractor and plan the entire renovation before closing, so we had to move fast or lose the deal. We were having trouble getting anyone to get back to us, so we used some sort of matchmaking service that was recommended to us by our lender, which is how we got referred to Bildwise. In the end we did not feel like we had a lot of choice because we really did not want to lose the contract to buy the house.


     I’m sorry this happened to you. I just found this thread very helpful in not choosing them to contact for my future project. I had been referred to them by BP but yea, nvm. 

  • Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes
    2y

    I am really happy to hear that this information helped someone. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.

  • Real Estate Coach · Hampstead, NC · Member since 2016 · 93 posts · 39 votes
    11mo

    I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.

    • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
      Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Darren Finney:

      I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.


      I think they finally flamed out. they were good for me until they were not on my last project.. 
    • Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Darren Finney:

      I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.

      Thank you so much for the validation! Take care.
    • Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 11 votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
      Quote from @Darren Finney:

      I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.


      I think they finally flamed out. they were good for me until they were not on my last project.. 
      I’m sorry to hear that! I hope everything turned out OK.
    • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
      Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Jennifer Brown:
      Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
      Quote from @Darren Finney:

      I unfortunately had a similar bad experience with Bildwise back in 2017.  Sorry to read that you went through this.


      I think they finally flamed out. they were good for me until they were not on my last project.. 
      I’m sorry to hear that! I hope everything turned out OK.

      we just move on.. We do a lot of volume so this was just one deal.. but for many investors who might only have one deal going on to get wrapped up in Bildwise in ability to execute then blame everyone else for their problems I can see that really huring other folks.
  • Real Estate Coach · Hampstead, NC · Member since 2016 · 93 posts · 39 votes
    11mo

    @Jay Hinrichs @Jennifer Brown yep that was my very first flip back in the day!  I survived but I ended up doing a lot of stuff myself and I used the timeline clause in their contract to get the final bill reduced.

    Looks like they've rebranded as Handy Home Pros now. Seems like the same modus operandi though..."We vet general contractors then pair them up to property investors that have rehab projects."

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