10 Industry secrets for hiring the best home improvement contractor at the best price.

Are you hiring a home improvement contractor to do remodel your kitchen, put on a new roof, or even install an addition to your home? Hiring the right contractor can be a risky, often scary proposition for a homeowners, especially since horror stories of shoddy work and frauds abound.  So we tok the time to poll several contractors themselves, to give you their insider information and tips how to hire the right person, get the best work done, and save a ton of money.  Here's what they said:

1. Schedule work in the off-season.
Too many homeowners wait until the busiest time to call a contractor, but then get frustrated that everyone is booked for months or charging top dollar.  Don’t wait until the hottest week of the summer to get your air conditioner serviced, or the nicest stretch of weather to get your house painted.  Plan ahead and try to book contractors in their slow season – usually winter, rainy times, or even holidays for a lot of businesses.  By being flexible with the timing and getting things done off season, you’ll be able to get the best price because they’ll just want to stay busy and make payroll for their crew.

2. Utilize preventive maintenance.
We see people wait and wait and wait until a small problem becomes a big problem and then becomes an emergency.  It’s almost like homeowners are afraid of bad news (or the cost) if they find something wrong, so they ignore the problem.  I assure you that will cost way more in the long run.  Neglecting common maintenance, like loose gutters, missing roof shingles, dirty filters, uncaulked windows, etc. can lead to bigger problems and even major water damage, so don’t be afraid to get a handyman to give your house a “check up” or look over every spring or fall, so you can find problems when they are still small and easily addressed. 

Also remember that when it comes to house painting, caulking, etc. 2 sides of your house – the south and west in sunny areas, or wettest and least sunny in cold weather climates, usually weather the fastest.  Too many people wait until the whole house needs painting, leaving those 2 sides way too neglected.  Instead, don’t be afraid to get half the house painted, or even the single most weathered side, as needed, without having to paint the whole thing.

3. Know when to use a general handyman and when to use a specialized pro.
A handyman is someone who handles a lot of small jobs, but probably doesn’t specialize in just one thing.  They’re great for every day tasks, like installing a ceiling fan, painting a room, installing tile on a kitchen floor, or changing a toilet, but bigger, technical jobs may be out of their realm.  Always use licensed contractor who specializes in their one vocation when it comes to significant electrical, major plumbing issues, roofing, or foundation or structural issues.  However, calling these big-job pros for very small jobs on your honey-do list might cost too much, and be suitable for a handyman.

4. Research them online.
Do a little digging into the online reputation of the contractors you are hiring.  There are plenty of websites out there – Google, the Better Business Bureau, Department of Consumer Affairs, Angies List, Home Advisor, etc. who will alert you to any problems or complaints against home improvement firms.  Of course you don’t want one subjective review from one customer to make the decision for you, but if there are major violations on file, or consistent complaints by multiple consumers, it’s probably best to move on.

5. The art of asking for references.
This is a tip that will really help you out – and might put a few contractors on the defensive!  Of course homeowners always ask for references (usually 3 for some reason, but I recommend 5) but too often the contractor just gives them the names and numbers of 3 people who were very happy with their work.  Instead, for referrals from the last 5 jobs they did chronologically – not just 5 total.  That way they won’t be able to pick and choose only the positive ones, and if they give you a list of names and numbers and there’s a time gap, you know something was less-than favorable during that time.

6. Work begets work.
Understand that good contractors always want to stay busy, and getting new work is a big part of their focus.  So when negotiating a price (always negotiate) let them know you’ll give them good reviews online, testimonials for their websites and social media, act as a reference for future clients, you’re your neighbors and friends about them, and allow them to put signage up in your front yard while they work.  They’ll appreciate your efforts to help them market, and probably will offer a better price.

7. Hire the tired-looking family man.
Trust me on this, you want to hire the family man who’s been in business for a while who looks tired.  They’re the ones who really need to work to feed their families and their own mortgage.  Be wary of the young college kids with nice tans who come in under everyone else’s price – they probably won’t have the same experience, or motivation to work hard.  Definitely be careful of the slick-talking salesman who offers to give you some special deal that no one else will, promises the moon, and just happens to have a completely free schedule starting Monday.  If it’s too good to be true, it ALWAYS is when it comes to home improvements.  

Make sure to ask who will be doing the actual work - the contractor himself?  His crew?  Unlicensed subcontractors or cheap day laborers?  Ask if he'll be on site at all times.

8. Get it all in writing.
A written contract is your only legal protection if things go south and the work isn’t performed correctly. Therefore, take some time to make sure the contract for services looks good.  Ask questions and make sure all points are covered.  Make sure you have their home address, office address, all contact information, and a copy of their contractor’s license on file.  Clarify start time and when the work will be completed.  This is very important because too often contractors take on more work than they can chew, just to get the deposit or some up front money, and then they keep juggling between jobs.  Clarify if they will only be working on your job exclusively, and if the job runs behind schedule, build in a reasonable per-day discount fee for your inconvenience (and to motivate them.)  Make sure it’s clarified who will pay for and transport materials (and what quality they’ll use) and if they’ll clean up trash once the job is done.  

Very important – NEVER pay everything up front.  Once you hand over all (or most) or the money for the job, it’s amazing how quickly their motivation will wane.  Plus, it’s illegal, and most states have regulations on how much up front money then can charge.  I usually break the total cost into 3 payments – the day the work is started (or to pick up materials,) halfway through at some predetermined completion point (like when the house is prepped and primed, for house painting) and then upon completion when you are happy with the work.  Make SURE to have their money when you say you will to keep it fair.

9. Understand the three levels of estimates.
Get at least three estimates for the work you need done (but five is even better.)  Type out a “spec” sheet with the exact work you want done, specific materials, etc. so you can compare apples to apples once they submit bids.  Ask for references with their bids.

There are usually three levels of estimates – one contractor who will charge through the roof, basically trying to get as much as the customer will pay.  They lose a lot of jobs this way, but take advantage of uninformed homeowners or people with means.  Hey, God bless America, they can charge whatever they want!  The second estimate is middle-of-the-road, work that is priced moderately and consistently by several contractors.  The third is work that is drastically less than even the mid-range bids.  I highly recommend you throw out the highest bids and stay the heck away from the lowest bids – choose someone with a middle-of-the-road price that is fair for you and fair for them, but most importantly they will do the work correctly and finish the job to your satisfaction.

10. Cash is king!
The last tip is one that is sure to save you money.  Honest contractors work extremely hard for their money, and love to keep ever cent in their pocket (by not giving it to the IRS) as possible.  Therefore, they LOVE customers who pay cash.  Whether they declare the income on their taxes or not is none of your concern, but at the very least it gives them a lot more flexibility.  So AFTER you get a written bid from them, ask what they would knock off if you agreed to pay cash.  Most contractors will entertain a cash discount, and may even knock off 5-10% off the price. 

From micro to macro, examining the most recent national U.S. housing and real estate data.

I realize that we dedicate a lot of time (and words) on this blog on local real estate statistics, focusing on the stats, trends, and topics that are relevant to homeowners in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado Counties. So in this post, we wanted to zoom out of Sacramento and even California and instead examine the most recent national real estate data, looking at how the housing sector is doing as a whole. Of course there are prevalent regional and even local factors that go into determining the values and direction of homes in our neighborhoods, but we shouldn’t be remiss in going from micro to macro.

Sales volume:

Across the United States, sales of existing homes (encompassing family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops) increased 4.7 percent in September versus August, when sales stagnated a bit. The pace of sales is now 8.8 percent higher than this time in 2014.

Median prices:

The median home price for existing homes climbed to $221,000 through September, a 6.1 percent increase from the same time in 2014. That means we’ve seen price increases for 43 straight months.

Inventory:

Across the U.S., total housing inventory fell to 2.6 percent, or 2.21 million existing homes for sale, by the end of September. That means we have a 4.8-month supply of homes, down from 5.1 months in August. Shrinking inventories are consistent with the yearly trend, with a 3.1 percent decrease in available homes for sale since this time last year.

Days on Market:

As of the end of September, existing homes for sale sat on market for an average of 49 days, an increase from the 47 days it took to sell a home in August. But 49 days is still a significant improvement from the 56 days it took to sell a home as of September 2014. Thirty-eight percent of September’s home sales sat on the market for less than a month.

Distressed sales:

The sale of foreclosures and short sales held at 7 percent of all home sales through September, level for a third consecutive month. That number is down significantly from September of 2014, when distressed properties made up 10 percent of all sales.

Of all home sales, 6 percent were foreclosures and only 1 percent were short sales. It’s worth noting that those levels of short sales are the lowest we’ve seen since 2008.

When it comes to prices, short sales and foreclosures were still great deals, selling for 19 percent and 17 percent below market value in September, on average.

Cash sales:

All-cash sales inched up by 2 percent through the end of September, making up 24 percent of all transactions compared to 22 percent in August. Individual investors paid all cash for 13 percent of all homes closed in September, which hovers near the marks for August (12 percent) and this time last year (14 percent).

Who isn’t buying:

First time buyers and Millennials are still sitting on the sidelines of home ownership. Millennials are generally plagued by high levels of student loans and other debts that keep them from buying. However, the general reluctance to buy a home for other first timers is probably based on fears left over from the recession as well as stagnant wages. In fact, first-time buyers only accounted for 29 percent of all existing homes sales in September, even lower than the 32 percent in August. Add it all up and home ownership levels were still an anemic 63.7 percent as of July 2015, the lowest level since 1967.   

Here’s a snapshot of existing home sale data as of September, broken down into region:

Northeast:

The number of existing-home sales rose 8.6 percent in September, which is up 11.8 percent from this time last year. Median prices for existing home sales reached $256,500, which is a 4 percent increase from last year.

Midwest:

The number of existing-home sales rose 2.3 percent in September, which is up 12 percent from this time last year. Median prices for existing home sales reached $174,400, which is a 5.4 percent increase from last year.

South:

The number of existing-home sales rose 3.8 percent in September, which is up 5.7 percent from this time last year. Median prices for existing home sales reached $191.500, which is a 6.2 percent increase from last year.

West:

The number of existing-home sales rose 6.7 percent in September, which is up 9.5 percent from this time last year. Median prices for existing home sales reached $318,100, which is an 8 percent increase from last year.

*All data according to the National Association of Realtors.

Neighborhood and city spotlight: Rocklin, California.

Like a modern oasis within the traditionalism of Placer County, the city of Rocklin, California has been one of the fastest-growing cities in California, with a population increase of 64% since 2000 to it’s present level of 60,000 residents. Nestled in the rolling foothills with views of the Sutter-Butte mountain range to the west and Sierra Nevada’s to the northeast, Rocklin is still close enough to downtown Sacramento for a quick commute.

Mix in great local parks and recreation, a superlative school system and safe neighborhoods, and residents weren’t surprised when Family Circle magazine named Rocklin one of its “10 Best Towns” for families in America, the only one on that list in California.

Location and demographics:

Rocklin is an incorporated city sitting in South Placer County, only 25 minutes from downtown Sacramento. Encompassing zip codes 95678 and 95765, Rocklin has an ideal position adjacent to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Sutter-Butte range, and is less than 2 hours from San Francisco and the same to Lake Tahoe. Rocklin neighbors Roseville, Granite Bay, Loomis, and Lincoln.

Rocklin as a community:

Rocklin is one of the most safest and family-friendly communities in all of California, with plenty of arts, culture, restaurants, and outdoor activities galore. According to the city’s mission statement, they want Rocklin “to become a city that provides its citizens with exceptional quality of life while maintaining its small town sense of community.” So far, they’ve accomplished just that.

A huge attraction for families is that Rocklin is one of the safest communities in all of California. In fact, when it comes to property crime, there is only a 1 in 57 chance of becoming a victim in Rocklin, compared to 1 in 38 for all of California. And violent crime is almost nonexistent, with only a 1 in 933 chance of becoming a victim in Rocklin, compared to 1 in 249 in the rest of California.

The history of Rocklin:

Rocklin was first settled during Gold Rush era, like most of the region. When the transcontinental railroad was completed, Rocklin became a popular stop in 1864 and was officially incorporated in 1893. By 1910, gold was no longer being panned from the hills but the granite industry was in full swing, attracting Irish, Spanish, and Finnish immigrants. In fact, granite unearthed in Rocklin was used to construct the state capitol building in Sacramento and many other buildings in San Francisco.

The first residential development sprung forth when the 30,000-acre Whitney Ranch was subdivided in the 1950s and 60s, giving birth to the Sunset Whitney neighborhood. High tech firms and other industries began relocating to Rocklin in the 1980s, attracted by its educated work force, low cost to do business, and proximity to Sacramento. Since then, the Stanford Ranch, Whitney Oaks, and Whitney Ranch neighborhoods have been well developed.

Schools and education:

The public school system is the pride of Rocklin, with four schools rated 10 out of 10 on GreatSchools.com: Valley View Elementary, Rocklin Academy, Sunset Ranch Elementary, and Rocklin Academy.

With 42% of Rocklin adults over 25 earning bachelor’s degrees or higher, it’s one of the best-educated communities in the region. Rockling is also home to Sierra College and William Jessup University.

Real Estate and home sales in Rocklin:

Rocklin has approximately 20,933 households, 66.3% of which are owner occupied, leaving 33.7% inhabited by renters.

Homes in Rocklin sell quickly and prices stay on the rise, thanks to the city’s desirable location, exemplary school system and low crime rates. When priced accurately, homes often sell in only a few days for asking price or higher. The current median home price in Rocklin is $401,700, which is a healthy 4.9 percent increase since the previous year.

If you’d like to hear more about homes for sale in Rocklin, or live there and would like to find out how much your house is realistically worth, please contact The Alfano Group because we’d love to help!

Jobs and the economy in Rocklin:

The economic base of Rocklin has a strong foundation with plenty of job opportunities for the 30,00 residents in the workforce. With a paltry unemployment rate of 4.3%, significantly lower than the rest of Placer County (6%), Sacramento (6.9%), and California (7.3%), Rocklin is home to plenty of companies and employers like the Rocklin Unified School District, Oracle America, Inc., United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), and Esurance Insurance Services, Inc., all employing more than 500 people. The city did see its long-established granite mining business end in Rocklin in 2004, but jobs are picking up in the fields of solar, education, and media.

The median household income in Rocklin is $79,678, well ahead of the national media of $58,328 and healthy, even for Sacramento and Placer County.

Things to do and see in Rocklin:

Rocklin residents have plenty of entertainment and recreation options. The Rocklin Community Theater, the Rocklin Event Center, Rocklin Historical Society Museum, Maidu Interpretive Center, Aerospace Museum of California, and Joss House Museum all keep visitors occupied with arts, culture, history, and science exhibits and events.

But if exercise and laughter with the whole family is more your thing, the Scandia Family Fun Center, LaserCraze, Indoor Trampoline Park, and Johnson-Springview Park won’t disappoint. Golfers can tee off at the scenic 18-hole Rocklin Golf Course or Whitney Oaks Golf Club, open to the public. In fact, If you love the outdoors, Rocklin will never disappoint, with 30 well-kept public parks for, including an 18-hole Frisbee golf course.

If you’re in the mood for a great dinner, Rocklin boasts some of the best restaurants in the region, including The Chef's Table, Via Roma Pizzeria, Out of Bounds Brewery, Anatolia Table, and the Granite Rock Grill.

Famous Rocklin residents:

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Home Improvement

Karyn White, pop singer

Jeffrey Leonard, retired MLB All-Star and professional baseball player, most notably for the San Francisco Giants

Kevin Martin, shooting guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves

Geoff Petrie, General Manager of the Sacramento Kings

Brotha Lynch Hung, rapper

John Romero, video game designer and programmer. Co-founder of id Software, creator of the video games Wolfenstein 3D, Doom (series), Quake (video game)

10 Tips to get your home ready for the winter.

We’re blessed with amazing fall weather in Northern California, but even though Indian summer blazes away, the (much-needed) rain and cold of winter are right around the corner. Homeowners would be wise to spend a little time prepping for the winter months, too, and this quick checklist of maintenance and repairs will help you keep your home safe, dry, and energy efficient until spring.

1.  Clean the gutters:

You’ll want to get up on a ladder and clean out your gutters at least once before winter – probably after the leaves fall. This will prevent leaves, twigs, acorns, and other debris from clogging up the gutters and causing rainwater to sit and not flow properly, possibly causing damage. If you get a lot of falling debris from trees, you can try capping your gutters with gutter guards.

2. Check your roof:

While you’re up on the ladder checking gutters, it’s a good idea to safely climb up onto the roof (if your roof has a steep pitch or you’re high up, you might want to leave this to the pros.) Check for missing, cracked, or damaged roof shingles and replace them. Check the flashing around your chimney, skylights, and vents. Before the cold and rains come, you’ll want to fix those yourself or have a roofer come out to take care of it.

3. Trim back landscaping:

Trim tree branches or shrubs that are getting too close to the house, roof, or electrical wires. Also, try to spot dead or weak branches that could fall once they get heavy with rain. Thoroughly rake your lawn of leaves after they all fall, and you might want to aerate your lawn and adjust your sprinklers to reflect the rainy season, if you’re still watering your lawn and haven’t already shut them off completely.

4. Check your detectors:

While you’re going over your fall/winter home checklist, it’s a great time to check those smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are often forgotten. Replace the batteries in your smoke and CO2 detectors whether you think they need it or not, and hit the test button to make sure the units are still functioning properly.

5. Address drafty windows:

If you have an old home, a lot of heat and AC is being lost right through your windows. If you have thin single-paned glass and are losing expensive heat right through the panes, hang heavy curtains to keep the heat inside (you can get a curtain that also repels sunlight to keep your home cooler in the summer). Make sure to check the edge of the windows and reseal any dried or cracking caulk so there is a complete seal and drafts won’t come in.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that sealing up drafts will save you to up to 30% of energy use annually.

6. Seal up doors:

If heat is leaving and cold air entering right under your door, you’re throwing good money out. Installing a storm door on the outside will help, but often isn’t needed in temperate climates like in northern California. So a simple temporary solution is a draft snake, a sandbag-like roll that you can place at the crack of doors, keeping hot air in and cold air from entering.

7. Check your furnace or heating unit:

For those of you in older homes, you may still have a furnace that should be checked by a professional once a year, preferably before the cold season. For most people who have standard heating units, make sure they are tuned up, operating properly, free of debris on the outside, and the vents and filters are all cleaned.

8. Change the direction of your ceiling fans:

Most people forget you can even do this, but with a simple flip of a switch (usually up on the side or base of the unit) you can reverse the direction of your ceiling fan’s blades. In the summer, you’ll want a counter-clockwise rotation, which produces cooling breezes, but in the winter you’ll want clockwise rotation, which will push the warm air back down into the room and not have it trapped at the ceiling.

Simply by adjusting your ceiling fans, you can cut our heating costs by up to 10% every winter, according to The Daily Green.

9. Fight the freeze:

It doesn’t happen every night, but there is always a spell where we reach freezing temperatures at night in the Sacramento and Placer County areas – sometimes down into the 20s. To make sure your pipes don’t freeze (and then burst) wrap pipes around water heaters, any outdoor pipes, or exposed pipes under crawl spaces in the cheap and effective foam sleeving they sell at any Home Depot.

Drain your garden hoses and turn off the spigots before a freeze is coming, and you might want to drain the air conditioner pipes as well. Bring potted plants that aren’t fit for freezing temps inside and cover rose bushes or other fragile flowers with tarps just for the cold nights.

You might also want to lower your water heater’s presetting down to 120 degrees in the winter, as most people keep it at the standard 140 degrees but that can waste a whole lot of energy.

10. Ready your fireplace and chimney:

For those of you lucky enough to have a fireplace, regular maintenance will not only keep it working great but safe. In older wood-burning fireplaces, creosote builds up, a highly flammable substrate that’s hard to see. You’ll want to make sure to have your fireplace cleaned regularly, the chimney checked to see if it needs repairs and is safe, and also know how to operate your flue so cold air doesn’t escape when you don’t have a fire roaring.