This guy is very incompetent and HUD's guidelines allows anyone to be a consultant. He cant bid job himself so he relies upon contractors bid estimate to come up with writeup numbers. He is supposed to give you guidelines to compare the contractors number so that they dont rip you off. So he basically uses their numbers and doesnt even add the numbers up correctly. We went back and forth trying to get him to make the numbers match the contractors numbers that I had chosen. Why would he not add the numbers exactly as they entered them when he waited several weeks to get the details of the repairs from the contractor.
I paid for blueprints and everything to make this job run smoothly. In the end, I had to request an extension 3Xs because he could not implement the information the contractor gave me. I suspected he was either incompetent or fraudulent. My initial thought was fraudulent when he asked me how much I was paying for the property. I had gotten it from the bank for $35000 which was a steal. Something told me that he was either jealous or had an interest in the property.
I contacted HUD when he was still unable to produce a writeup and necessary documents within 4 months from his initial visit out to the property. I even tried to get another contractor to work with him. It was no use. HUD got him to turn in one document and it turned out to be incorrect and the contractor refuse to sign it because that would make them liable to complete the work for less money and not get reimbursed properly for work.
In the end, he was the cause for my losing the property. The seller refuses to extend the contract any further. I suspect thatVito will have some hand in picking the property up after my loss. Go figure!
I found out that other consultants have a guarantee of 36-48 hr turn around for the writeup. All of their prices were lower than his as well. According to HUD the max it should cost you for repairs that are >$100k is $900. He charged mea total of $2000 including the feasibility fee. Apparently, the most they should request in a downpayment is $400 before closing.
HUD told me there isnt much they can do after I paid him in full except make a complaint. I intend to sue him in court.
FYI, I later found out that he has all types of fraudulent suits against him. Be sure to Google any consultant. Just because they are HUD approved means nothing. This guy is just plain old Fraudulent!
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