[mtmtnman]

Buy a truckmount carpet cleaning system that does both carpets and tile and hit the street knocking doors. You will make a ton more "take home $$" than you ever will doing the P&P business and a lot less headaches.

In the P&P business you are NEVER truly self employed and the Companies still control your destiny.

JMO

I'll add to this by saying you should get equipment to refinish hardwood floors. We are seeing more and more people ditch carpet for hardwood out here. Some of these 50-60's homes have BEAUTIFUL hardwood under the carpeting. A little refinishing and they look like new. Carpeting is on a downward spiral here. I'm ditching all the carpeting in this house when we finally purchase it due to the wifes Allergies..........


A little info here:

The changing of the generations could also contribute to a continuing shift to hard surface flooring. In 2007, Generation Y was more likely to purchase hard surface flooring and area rugs, while Baby Boomers and older generations are more likely to purchase wall-to-wall carpet. This trend indicates that the flooring market could increase its dependence on wood and laminate flooring, vinyl sheet and floor tile, and ceramic tile over the next decade. Currently however, Generation Y may prefer the lower-end lines of these markets, since their incomes are probably lower than their older cohorts.

http://blog.floorcoveringinstitute.com/2009/11/floor-covering-trends-target-generation.html

 

[mtmtnman]

I highly recommend woven bamboo! Just laid it throughout my own house this summer and this stuff is TOUGH. I have 2- 150lb dogs and they can't scratch it. A little more expensive than oak, but right in line with the cost of maple or another exotic hardwood. I wouldn't go any other way after laying these wide 6" planks.

Mi Casa

Where seeing a lot of that up here in new construction and remodels and a hell of a lot less carpeting...............

 

[mtmtnman]

I'm sure some of the problems were from improper installation but not all.

Bamboo is being shipped from the factories way to wet. Just tested 2 weeks ago a batch that was reading 38%. That batch would have took a month to acclimate but if a homeowner purchased they would have installed and then.......6 months later would have been screaming about their floor.

Bamboo is not wood (a grass product) and people don't realize that it is different when installing.

To use bamboo correctly moisture is the biggest concern. Most problems are when homeowners install their own. Bamboo will still be a "pushed product" since it is a quick renewal resource.

Looks good though....

I would think Bamboo would not be so good in humid climates either.................

 

[mtmtnman]

Its that bad??

Unless your established it's worse than that bad. Even if you are established, there is no love in this business and a National will shut you down in a heartbead if someone underbids you. They don't give a crap about quality FOR NOW but when this low quality work hits their pocketbook things will change. I have been seeing more REO's conveying back to the bank lately due to hacks screwups and it's only going to get worse. Eventually when it hits there pocketbooks enough, prices will come back up and quality contractors will get back in but as it stands we are loosing good contractors by the boatload and they are being replace by broke hacks that can't afford to do the job properly.......

 

[mtmtnman]

I've seen about 8 reo properties get reconveyed back to the bank. For both hack work and probably incorrect filing. I hope it happens more. Get the hacks out.

Funny thing is the ones you think would convey back never do. We had a Fannie Mae that conveyed this summer. I pumped the crawl and thawed the house. Told the bank over and over that mold would grow if the house was not properly dried immediately. (BOA) This was in January. When it conveyed in July it was full of mold. The broker asked for all of my original photos and notes. The servicing co. i did the work for gave me written permission to do so. Fannie NEVER did a thing about it. The thing is, the bank could have filed a claim on the homeowners insurance for the damages in the 1st place but they didn't!!! (insurance was escrowed and in force when loss occurred)

Until Fannie, Freddy, HUD Ect. start conveying back to the bank for screwups this will NEVER change. We are seeing more than usual re-convey but not nearly enough. I would guess that nearly 75% or more could potentially re-convey back to the bank for one reason or another........