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Advance Praise
“I find the book to be quite informative. The author is honest, admitting his mistakes, successes and the lessons he learned along the way. As an investor who rehabs and flips houses for a living, this book laid bare all the pitfalls I have gone through and continue experiencing. The steps the author has listed in the book in various stages of hiring and managing a contractor are clear, methodical and practical. I recommend this book to any struggling investor or a newbie. The book is basically a manual written in a serious but entertaining manner.”
—Chris Tuesday
“If I, a contractor, liked this book, then many people in the construction industry should treasure the messages in here. At first, when I saw the book cover “Why Do Contractors Lie?” I said to myself, sure this is another book bashing contractors. Interestingly, I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading as many of the examples are real, and the book is written in a very persuasive manner. I have always thought that contractors get a bum rap, but the book gave me a different perspective. It was like looking at myself in a mirror! Until this time, I had never realized that some of the things we do as contractors can be that bad. At least some of us. Now that I have read what people say about us, I have acquired a new sense of purpose and will be more careful how I treat my clients. I recommend this book to other contractors and they will be surprised what they or their friends in the industry do. They will also know what investors and property owners think of them. The information I have read here has forever changed the way I approach my work and my clients. I hope other contractors will also read this book with an open mind.”
—Contractor Sam
“I have never read a book that highlighted my mistakes the way this one has done. I am a seasoned real estate investor but I still have a long way to master the contracting process and fully be comfortable working with contractors. Every now and then I think I have learned from a past experience, another contractor pulls a fast one on me! From reading this book, I have realized that it is the “contracting stupid” to paraphrase another political commentator in the 90s. Contractors get away with a lot because property owners do not take the time to learn the tools of the trade in the business they are in. I highly recommend getting a copy of this book if you want a clearly written, informative, engaging, and easy to understand material peppered with real life experiences.”
—Raphael T
WHY
DO
CONTRACTORS
LIE?
THE INVESTOR’S GUIDE TO
HIRE THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR FOR SUCCESS
J.O.A. MAURICE
NEW YORK
LONDON • NASHVILLE • MELBOURNE • VANCOUVER
Why Do Contractors Lie?
The INVESTOR’S GUIDE to Hire the Right Contractor for Success
© 2021 J.O.A. Maurice
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing in partnership with Difference Press. Morgan James is a trademark of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com
ISBN 9781631950681 paperback
ISBN 9781631950698 eBook
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020933367
Cover Design Concept:
Nakita Duncan
Cover Design by:
Chris Treccani
Interior Design by:
Christopher Kirk
Editor:
Cory Hott
Book Coaching:
The Author Incubator
Morgan James is a proud partner of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. Partners in building since 2006.
Get involved today! Visit
MorganJamesPublishing.com/giving-back
This book is dedicated to my parents:
My mother who worked extremely hard through many difficulties, in my formative years, to ensure there was always food on the table for a family of seven siblings.
My late father, who died in 1984 and instilled in me the virtues of a life revolving around the church and spirituality. The positive lessons he taught me at an early age have always formed the basis of my determination to keep pushing no matter the obstacles. A life grounded on perseverance, honor, courage and optimism.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:The Pain of Hiring Unsuitable Contractors
Chapter 2:My Journey with Contractors
Chapter 3:From an Insecure to A Confident Investor
Chapter 4:Master the Real Estate Landscape Around You
Chapter 5:Know Your Project Intimately
Chapter 6:Shortlisting Only the Relevant Contractors
Chapter 7:Getting the Interviewing Process Right
