Bill Simone takes prestigious prize for innovation in financing, marketing More
Families that want to stay together don't always want to stay together nonstop More
Several remodelers offer suggestions such as offering bath packages, using seminars to sell, and offering financing to help prospects make the decision to remodel. More
REMODELING asked remodelers around the country how long they keep their job records. More
As property values fall nationwide and lenders put more scrutiny on borrowers, more of your customers may get turned down for financing from first-tier lenders such as Wells Fargo or Bank of America. But that doesn't have to put them out of the game. Second-tier, or “subprime,” lenders specialize in loaning money to people who first-line lenders reject. A relationship with one or more of these companies, along with a system for managing the sales team and the homeowners, can often save the sale. More
Data released late last year in Fortune magazine further speculated about a cooling housing market ó at least on a regional basis. More
Bill Simone (Big50 2001) says that he now spends three to five hours a week working at his remodeling company, Custom Design & Construction, in Los Angeles. But he's still very much a part of the home improvement industry; he haunts trade shows as chairman of HomePlus Finance, a sub-prime lender that caters to the remodeling industry. More
Does offering financing make a remodeler into a mortgage broker or a bank? Is there any investment risk? Lenders and remodelers answer these and other questions that are commonly asked by contractors contemplating offering financing. The list is not comprehensive, but it covers the essentials of what to expect when adding a financing option to your business. More
Not for everyone, in-house financing requires lots of cash, nerves of steel, and the ability to evaluate risk. More
