When There Are More Remodeling Scams Than Oranges, Exercise Due Diligence When Hiring Your Orlando Contractor

When housing values are down and employment is a bit shaky, Orlando homeowners often stay put rather than sell. They tend to remodel rather than relocate, especially if they like their home and if their house only requires some renovations to make it what they want.

In Central Florida, where they are more scams than oranges, even remodeling is risky business. They area is overrun with contractors who do just that - run, after taking the homeowner's deposit. Greg Dawson of the Orlando Sentinel colorfully describes the remodeling landscape: "The Atlantic Ocean may be next door, but in terms of consumer protection, Central Florida is the Wild West, a lawless frontier where black-hatted con men rip off homesteaders and laugh in the face of feckless sheriffs who don't even care enough to form a posse."

This is a special concern at a time when many homeowners need to replace faulty Chinese drywall, or buy foreclosed property. Especially at risk are older homeowners, or those in rush, especially after a disaster. The contractor can make a good case that the deposit shows good faith - and allows him to buy supplies. Unfortunately, what often happens is that the contractor often disappears or does a shoddy or incomplete job. The State of Florida technically has laws on the book to protect homeowners, enacted after Hurricane Andrew provided a field day for contractor scams, but the laws have few teeth and are seldom enforced.

Dawson advocates using contractors who require nothing down, and in fact, provides a list in his article cited above. But, there are other things a savvy homeowner can do to protect himself against fraud.

• Use a contractor you know. If you don't know anybody, ask for references. When you ask for references, don't just ask "did he do a good job" or "did he finish the job.? Also ask, did he come on time? Did he come consistently? Did he communicate with you? Did he leave a mess for you to clean up? People often gloss over the details if the project was done basically ok, so make sure to probe.
• Beware of contractors who claim to be in the neighborhood, have supplies left over from another job, offer discounts if you buy today, etc. These are common scam tactics.
• You might even consider using contractors offered through Sears, Lowe's, Home Depot, or some other large company. You might pay more but the work will be guaranteed by the big boys.
• If you use a contractor from Angie's List or some pre-screened list, still be careful! Just because the person is on the list does not guarantee he is trustworthy.
• Having said that, check if the person has a telephone listing and physical address. Fly-by-night contractors often advertise on flyers and have no permanent listing anyway. Also, check the Better Business Bureau for comments.
• Aside from references, go with your gut. If the person doesn't seem trustworthy or you wouldn't want the person in your home, cut him loose before you get involved. If the person is your girlfriend's drunken uncle, keep looking.
• Make sure that the person is licensed and bonded to spare yourself damages if someone falls off a ladder or tries to perpetrate a false injury scam on you. Also, make sure that the person is licensed, if necessary, so that work performed is up to local codes.
• Make sure you have a contract. With a contract, you can at least go to court and sue for damages if things don't work out.
• If the contractor insists on a down payment, make sure you check him out as noted above before you write the check Note the words "Write the check " (or put it on a credit card.) Don't pay in cash. Give as little money up front as possible and check each stop of the work before advancing more. If you are not in a position to do this yourself, try to find someone who can be available for you.

Remodeling scams may be more plentiful than oranges, but protect yourself. Handymanamerican.com offers more tips to protect you upfront. There are plenty of groups to report a bad job to after the fact, but when you have a remodeling project, you want the job to be trouble free. When it's done, you don't want to have to take the contractor to court or have to repair the repairs. Your best bet is to exercise due diligence when selecting a contractor.

I'm Janice Petteway and I believe that buying Florida real estate is a great way to live out the American Dream for you and your family. My Exit Results Real Estate team can help you find the affordable home of your dreams in the Orlando and other Central Florida cities.