My 203k consultant isn't doing a good job of managing the contractor!

Well, I don't know how to put this any other way but "it isn't the consultant's job to manage the contractor" so he or she shouldn't be expected to do that.

1) The consultant is a consultant when first hired. They will consult with you and help you develop a plan to renovate the property. A "scope of work" or "scope of renovation" so that every contractor you might have bid this job does so with the same list of items to complete.

2) Secondly the consultant can assist you in finding a lender or a contractor if you haven't found one. We typically know who can close these loans fast and who only talks a good talk. We can give you our "do not use" list of contractors but only in the event you have chosen one of them. Some contractors, a very short list, don't have a clue about contracting but have had the ability to pass the test and get their license.

3) The consultant can assist you in choosing a contractor from the bids that have come in on the project. The lowest bid may not be the best bid. We had one not too long ago where we bid the job at $82,000 and the first contractor bid over $100,000 and the second bid at $67,000. Of course the owner felt they wanted the $67,000 bid. That is fine but we asked the lender to fund the $82,000 as it was pretty clear to me that they forgot something or made an error and we are not here to bankrupt a contractor. 

4) Once the loan closes we are "no longer the consultant" however we then work for the lender as the "draw inspector" on our projects. 

No where in our job description does it say we have to, or are expected to, manage the contractor. On the contrary we "consulted" and told you right up front that "YOU are the boss, YOU are responsible to choose the contractor, YOU are responsible to call the contractor and communicate your pleasure or displeasure with the contractor. 

As an inspector to monitor the progress we are typically out to see the property about once every 30 days so "the borrower", being there nearly every day, must call the contractor and insure they are on the job when it appears they aren't.

The Homeowner/Contractor agreement says very clearly that once the project begins the contractor should have someone on the project working each day until it is completed so feel free to call them and let them know when their employee(s) don't show up on the job. 

Mike Young, 203k Team Leader    

We have fourteen offices in CA covering both CA states, NorCAL and SoCAL where we can cover the entire state. To learn more about the FHA 203k loan program go to www.203kOnLine.com. To contact us for a consultation please go to www.my203kconsultant.com and "order a consultation". If you like what you see here please take a look at Another blog by Mike Young in Spanish and other languages. Got a 203k project giving you "fits" contact www.203k911.com. If you are looking for quality 203k software for consultants to speed up the underwriting process..

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