This week we talked with Attorney Helene Gerstile, who is admitted in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts talking about how to avoid contractor disputes. Each year about 26 million Americans spend more than $180 billion on improvements to their homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders, and The Consumer Federation of America and the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators survey finds home improvement and contractor-related complaints consistently among the top five consumer gripes.

If you’re going through a major remodel, you may want to think about renting or staying with relatives or friends, especially if your kitchen appliances are inaccessible during the project. But if you do that, be sure you stay in close contact with your contractor and that you check on the progress on a regular basis. Also, check your insurance coverage BEFORE the work begins. If the new work is damaged or destroyed before additional coverage takes effect, you could be responsible for repair costs, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Home insurance policies typically require that you insure your home to at least 80 percent of its replacement cost. About 25 percent of remodeling projects result in a home value increase of at least 25 percent, according to the Independent Insurance Agents of America. And, of course, never make the final payment until the job is complete.

Here are some of the talking points from the show:

1: Make sure you have everything in writing, and have a lawyer look it over.

2: Ask the contractor what specifically will be done, when, and how long each task will take.

3: Expect the unexpected- the bigger the project, the greater the potential - like late deliveries, strikes, wrong parts, adverse weather, on-the-spot changes, and the like.

4: Keep your cool. Staying calm and flexible is key in ensuring a smooth project.

5: Treat the workers nicely. A cup of coffee or a cold iced-tea on a hot day goes a long way.

6: Make sure you are dealing with a reputable contractor, fully licensed and insured. Referrals  from friends are great for this.

This Week’s Real Estate Insight:

A major renovation project does not have to be a nightmare, a few simple steps to prepare can save a lot of hassles down the road.

This week’s Home of the week: 

61 A Lamson RD. Barrington, RI 02806. Click here for details.

New Orleans welcomed over 22,000 realtors and guests for the 2006 REALTOR Conference and expo, last weekend, the largest meeting in the city since Hurricane Katrina and proof that New Orleans is open for convention business, generating over $34 million in economic impact to the area.

Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau said, “We cannot fully express our gratitude to the National Association of Realtors for their commitment and service to New Orleans, especially for the volunteer community service projects that will help so many Gulf Coast residents. The fact that the largest trade association in the United States trusted New Orleans to host its record-breaking meeting, should send a resounding message to the world that New Orleans convention business is back.”

Everyone who attended remarked on how happy people were to see them, “Thank you for coming!” “Thank you, Realtors!” “Please go back and tell your friends to come to New Orleans.”; refrains heard over and over again

Presidents George H. Bush and Bill Clinton had the crowd laughing uproariously and wiping away tears. Their message; bipartisan cooperation can get wonders done, and they both showered their gratitude to Realtors for coming to the city. And Harry Connick Jr., along with several jazz legends, put on a riveting show.

But it wasn’t all play, a few numbers will give you a sense of what’s been accomplished by Realtors in just a few days:

8,364: The number of hours NAR members had spent in volunteer activities through Saturday, November 11.
 
15,000: The number of dollars NAR donated to purchase supplies and equipment to help restore City Park. The equipment used during volunteer projects in the park will remain for future upkeep and maintenance.

4: The number of houses framed by NAR volunteers above and beyond the planned three in a Habitat for Humanity builds in a single day — November 7. This represents only a small portion of members’ volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, 55 houses in total.
 
100: the number of dollars worth of nutritious food provided for every NAR volunteer hour with the Second Harvest Food Bank. Volunteer’s unloaded goods from trucks, readied the food for sorting, and then sorted the donated items into food groups for distribution.
 
535: The number of students at De La Salle School who will have a better learning environment thanks to volunteers’ efforts in painting areas of the school.

3: The number of months ahead of schedule the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library has moved, due to the contributions of NAR volunteers who sorted donated books for distribution to schools and literacy programs as well as the library’s weekly book sale to raise funds to rebuild and expand the library.

20: The number of computers hooked up at the St. Joan of Arc School during a day of activities that also included repainting a map of the United States on the blacktop of the school’s courtyard, among many painting projects.

This week’s Real Estate Insight:

While these are some of the measurable results of volunteer efforts during NARdi Gras, the overall value can’t be quantified. How to you put a value on providing a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment for children in the city’s schools? Or restoring parks where people can enjoy the peace and beauty of the area? Or putting displaced people back into houses they can call their own?   As NAR president Tom Stevens expressed, “We’re in the business of building communities and putting people into homes.”

This week’s Home of the week: 

12 Kerns Blvd. Cumberland, RI 02864. Click here for details.