All Forum Posts by: Chad Clanton

Unfortunately this is fairly common across the board. I had one talking with me for three days before cutting bait for my inspection business. I've never had one go that long, but he may have been a little slower on the uptake than some others. If someone accepts credit cards for their business, just remember that in the case of misuse by someone who pays remotely liability can fall on the business owner.  Any payment over the invoiced amount should be considered suspect in my opinion.  Thanks again for posting this, the more informed everyone is the better! 

I had the same attempted scam down here in Texas, sadly it's pretty common. If you run a card remotely and come to find out it's stolen, you're on the hook. The scammer has their money, the card owner gets their money back, but you're stuck. Definitely be careful.

Guru pitch, scam, who knows? Some are one, some are both, and some turn out to actually be fairly useful. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pay to play when it comes to information, especially when you're talking significant funds for something which all too often turns out to be general knowledge after you've learned a little bit. Seems like everybody and their brother's got a special tour now. Evaluate what you expect, don't get tied up financially, and go with your gut is my best advice. Good luck!

@Alfredo O., I second Jeff's comment. If you're security conscious, which it seems you are since you're asking, I'd think in terms of concentricity and redundancy. It's quite possible to bypass various types of intrusion detectors (for those skilled in doing so), but less likely with redundancy and overlap. For instance, motion detectors, window/door magnetic switches, glass break detectors, security lighting, timed interior lighting, interior/exterior cameras, backup power, etc can be combined to the extent of your preference and budget. There are even home insurance credits which you can get if your property meets certain security requirements. If you'd like to discuss it further feel free to shoot me a PM; take care and have a good evening!

I'm a fan of wire transfers, but do your due diligence to ensure it's going where you think it is.

The two ends of the spectrum are extreme regulation and almost total deregulation. An extreme regulation environment can be a tough bar to entry, while near total deregulation allows anyone to do whatever they want with few consequences for poor work or even outright malfeasance. I've lived in something akin to both, and frankly I prefer to tip somewhat more toward regulation than deregulation. At least that way you have a better idea of what you're going to get when someone does work for you. 

Hi @Miles Stanley, it's awesome that you're getting things started! Here's a blog post I did a while back on vetting contractors, hopefully it'll help you out some in your due diligence. Good luck and let me know if I can help you out with anything. Take care and good luck!

Not a problem, good luck!

Simplisafe security system - a decent wireless system runs I think $300-500, plus $15-25/mo for monitoring. You can take it out and put it in your next place, and the next, etc. If your local police are reasonably reactive, it could probably save you some potential excess damage/theft. They also typically come with a siren or two, so may help. Personally, I'm a fan of security systems during rehabs (keeps former contractors you've had to let go out as well), but that's my preference. Good luck!

@Stephen Loguidice, I'm not familiar with the New York inspector standards of practice, but here they are from the New York Licensing Website. Home inspectors are required to conform with the Standards, and may be held liable if not. As to the details, you should be able to find the Standards and reporting requirements, possibly as well as points of contact at the link above. Hopefully it'll help somewhat in your research; best of luck!