All Forum Posts by: Fred Twum-Acheampong

Hey Fred — welcome to the more active side of the community! A few things that have worked for me and other remote investors:

Tap into local investor networks – BiggerPockets forums, Facebook REI groups, and even local property management companies often have "preferred vendor" lists they're willing to share.
Use investor-friendly property managers – Even if you plan to self-manage long-term, hiring a PM for their local contractor network can pay for itself.
 Ask for referrals directly – Sometimes other investors will give you their go-to people if they trust you. Asking brokers, inspectors, and title companies can also lead you to solid contacts.
Test them on small jobs first – Before you hand off a whole rehab, give them a minor repair or project and see how they communicate, show up, and finish the work. That will help you build a core team without big risks.

Sounds like you’re already aware of the pitfalls — just focus on slowly vetting and then rewarding the good ones. It’s a bit of trial and error, but once you nail down a couple of trustworthy contractors, the rest gets so much smoother.

Hey, welcome to posting and glad you're jumping in!

You’re spot on—online reviews can only go so far, especially when you’re remote and need people you can trust. What’s worked best for me is getting referrals from local real estate agents, property managers, or even other investors in the area. Honestly, investor Facebook groups or local BP meetups have led me to some of the best people I’ve worked with. Word travels fast in this business, good or bad.

Also, once I find a decent contractor, I always ask who they work with for things outside their scope—subs, inspectors, supply guys, etc. That helps build out the vendor network fast with people who are already used to working together.

If you’re in multiple markets, try keeping a shared vendor list and tagging who referred them, what projects they’ve done, and how they did—helps a lot down the line.

Looking forward to learning from your experience too!