-This is a transcript from Go Gaddis Radio to listen to the episode click here-> https://on.soundcloud.com/j8wNP
Welcome back to GoGaddis Real Estate Radio right here on AM 920. In this segment, what happens when you choose the wrong contractor to work on your home? And, is it possible that somebody showing a home somewhere in the United States would open the refrigerator and drink milk? And put the milk carton back in the refrigerator.
I say no flipping way. But it could be that I'm wrong. My name is Cleve Gaddis. You're listening to Go Gaddis Real Estate Radio. Our goal is to help you know everything you need to know about buying and selling homes. But really our goal is to help you make better decisions. What's so interesting is you don't need me or any other real estate professional to tell you when you find a house, whether or not that house is right for you.
You'll know that on your own. But you do need a real estate agent, a good real estate agent, to help you understand things about that home that might not be as functionally pleasant when you live in the home. Or, that could be problems when you go to sell your home. So if you are looking for someone who will help you buy or help you sell and tell you the truth, whether you really want to hear it or not.
As an adult, you deserve to be armed with the facts. Just work with a Modern Traditions Realty Group agent. You can find us by calling 770 497 0000. We can connect. In fact, we want to connect with you. It's easy. Go to gogaddisradio. com. You can get a school chimp report. You can find out how to sell your house for 28, 000 more.
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I'll bet you have heard some horror, horror stories, maybe from a relative or a friend or a neighbor. That's where I heard the horror stories from. Um, horror stories about working with a Contractor on home improvements. Now we have worked with a contractor. I have worked with a contractor over the years and my home and I've always had good luck, but I also am in real estate and this contractor does a lot of work for me and my clients.
And so maybe that keeps him headed in the right direction, but you hear about missed deadlines and you hear about, you know, shady or shoddy work. You hear about excessive cost overruns, not accounted for. There are a few guidelines. I think they can help you avoid these headaches. Reginald and Peachtree Corners.
Says he's thinking about making some home improvements and he wants to know if I have any steps that he can take to work with and choose the best contractor. Although I would say to choose and work with the best contractor. If you're considering making home improvements, too, to your home, these are some great steps to take to make sure you're selecting the right contractor, because it is so important.
And once you choose them, and once they start, man, it's hard to go back. Number one, ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers for referrals. I'm not saying just because a contractor did good work for someone else means they would do good work for you, but it certainly, in my opinion, increases the chances of that.
You can also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there's any complaints filed against them. You should ask to see the contractor's license. My suggestion would be that you ask them to provide proof of insurance as well. It would be a shame for them to do something messing up your home only to learn that they had no insurance.
We had a situation one time where a home inspector not working with our client did an inspection on a building. that was being purchased and missed something very, very significant. There was some significant settling on the slab, the basement slab. And because the home inspector did not have insurance to do commercial building inspections, and this was a commercial building, turns out the client was left high and dry.
So you want to make sure that they have insurance to do what they say they can do. You want to ask for references of customers who had projects similar to yours. I think this one is huge. Who have you done work for? It's similar to mine that I could call to have a chat with if they don't want to give you the information.
I think that might be your answer as to whether or not you should use them. Make sure you get written estimates. This is a must. And if you're anything like me, you can't just take the estimate and assume everything is correct. You actually have to compare it to your notes. You have to sit down and think through it to make sure that the estimate is not missing anything.
And then assist on a contract for the work to be performed. Don't just do it on a handshake or a verbal or an oral agreement. Make sure the contractor gets a building permit. Uh, I, I don't know if Atlanta is... Is it's more common for, for contractors not to get building permits or less common, but I would say compared to other major metro areas, it is more common for contractors in metro Atlanta not to get permits.
I have no scientific basics basis for what I'm saying. I just know that it's very common for contractors to finish kitchens, refinished kitchens and contractors to finish refinished basements. or finish basements and not get a building permit. I think that's a shame. I would suggest you consider setting payment terms in conjunction with completed stages of the job.
You know, we'll do this once all everything has been demoed and we'll pay this amount once all the floors have been installed and the walls have been built back. We'll pay this much when the cabinets are put in, this much when the countertops are put in. Certainly that's probably more payment. Uh, ranges, payment requirements than would be in there, but it makes sense to just pay only for the work that has been done.
And certainly I would not pay for any work that's incomplete. Uh, I have found that to be a bad, um, decision every time I paid for work that is, is not been completed. Even if it was with a contractor that I trusted, you know, sometimes you still get confusion on what's been paid for and what has not. You might want to ask the contractor to post a bond to assure.
Payment to all subcontractors and suppliers for any sub work that they sub out or require subcontractors to sign a lien waiver when the payments are received. You want to make sure that anybody doing work on your home doesn't have the ability to put a lien on your home and, and hold you up. And then before you sign a contract, make sure that the written contract contains all the terms of the agreement.
Make sure that all verbal or oral promises are included in the written agreement. Be sure. That the materials you select are what you want, or that are selected. When writing a contract, limit your down payment to no more, or limit your initial payment to no more than 25 percent of the contract price. And, never sign a partially blank contract.
I say that's the same for real estate, standard purchase and sale agreements in real estate. If there's blank spaces on it, you don't need to be signing. When you sign a contract for home improvement work, For more than 25, you have three days to cancel said contract. I grew up teaching people to sell vacuum cleaners door to door in Atlanta and South Carolina and North Carolina and all over the Midwest U.
S. And in that type of direct sales environment where there could be some pressure by the contractor to sell, you get three days to basically rescind the contract. You should also keep a file with all papers related to the home improvement. You should. Keep the contract, any change orders, the plans, the specifications, the bills and invoices, the canceled checks you should keep, lien releases from subcontractors and material suppliers, and the warranties.
And then make sure you thoroughly inspect everything before you make that final payment. And you might even want to hire a home inspector to do that. You could connect with one who is with Pillar to Post by going to Pillar to Post by visiting PillarToPost. com, putting in your zip code, finding a good home inspector in the area.
Or... You can go to the Georgia Association of Home Inspectors website, which is G A H I dot org. G A H I dot org. Also put in your address and get a list of home inspectors in your area. This segment of the show is brought to you by the law firm of O'Kelley Sorohan. They have 26 full services, full service offices throughout metro Atlanta.
They specialize in residential real estate closings, including home purchases, and refinance closings, and corporate relocation. Contract review and title insurance matters. They can be reached by calling
770 497 1880. If you are listening, or if you are within the sound of my voice and you live in Metro Atlanta, and you're thinking of selling your home anytime in the next six to 12 months. I suggest you don't delay. Go to GoGaddis Radio. Go there immediately. On the top toolbar you will find a button that says 28, 000 more.
Click on that. Go to that page. Enter just a little bit of information. We don't sell your information to anybody. We're not going to spam you. We're going to follow up with you, and we're going to set a time for me, and you, and whoever else involved in the sale to talk, and we will work through two things.
Number one, our customized maximum value plan, which is like an appraisal on steroids, and number two, and this might be the most significant of the two, we will explain to you how we can provide you up to a 15, 000 budget. To make some cosmetic improvements to the home to make it shine. So the first buyer who sees it, wants to see it go to go get us radio.
com. Again, click on sell for 28, 000 more. I have shown homes all over Metro Atlanta for years and years and years. I can't even imagine doing something that was inappropriate in a home seller's home. And now, most of the homes I showed were before there were video cameras all over the place. But a Canadian real estate agent, and this is from the Washington Post, early August, a Canadian real estate agent will have to pay more than 150 times 15, 000.
So 150 times that amount for taking a swig of plain milk. So a home surveillance camera caught this agent drinking milk straight out of the container at a house he was showing. It fined him 20, 000 Canadian dollars or approximately 15, 162 U. S. dollars. The agency also ordered... The agent paid an additional 2, 500 Canadian dollars, almost 1, 896 in enforcement expenses.
Records also show, the agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, he apologized for the very unfortunate and what he said is very uncharacteristic decision he made and action he took. He says he's never done this kind of thing before, nor will I ever behave. in this way again.
The incident occurred in July of 2022 in the city of Camp Loops before potential buyers were scheduled to arrive at the house for a viewing. That day the homeowner left the house ready and clean with the lights on and went back and looked at the ring doorbell camera and realized a real estate agent had taken a sip for himself.
We're going to take a quick break when we come back. In our Neighborhood Spotlight, we're featuring Princeton Crossing in Tucker. Also, the Brady Bunch home sells, believe it or not, for a loss. And what neighborhoods are featured on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Stick with us. We've got those subjects and more.
We'll be back.