Would you do it?? (foreclosure properties)

[MASTERMOWER]

Got a call early spring from a property management company which maintains foreclosed properties nation-wide. They where looking for a lawn care company to mow the lawn at a local foreclosed home here until it was sold.

Here's the details on how they go about this:
1) Bi-weekly mowing
2) You must take a picture of the property after it has been mown (each visit), and email the photo to the management company (the bank requires this)
3) They tell you the price per mowing, no room for negotiations (price sucked for bi-weekly mowing - $30-35 as I remember, up to so many sq ft.)
4) Possibilities exist for extra work, such as shrub trimming, as the need arises

I told them no. They called again a couple weeks back and had more properties come up (did the first guy they found not work out?). I never returned their call. I know there are suckers out there just hungry for this work...not I.

[Dreamaloud1]

[QUOTE=MASTERMOWER;201074]Got a call early spring from a property management company which maintains foreclosed properties nation-wide. They where looking for a lawn care company to mow the lawn at a local foreclosed home here until it was sold.
QUOTE]


If there's no edging and stuff why not. Spray the edges with RU and mow away. You cut 20+ full service yards a day I hear, you could probably knock out 30 or 40 of these. :laughing:

[Georges Lawn & Mulch]

I don't work for them either. For what they want to pay and the hassle they want you to go thru for pictures it's not worth the time. I like to set my own pricing, not have someone tell me what they will pay. My experience with them is that they are about 30-35% too low on their prices. Besides that, they wait till they get a notice from the local government for neglected maintenance. By then the grass is Azz deep for the first cut

[Translucent]

I stopped working for them too! These accounts are worst than your lousiest residential customer. Payment is typically net 30 terms best case scenario, sometimes 60 days or when the property sells. More risky getting paid wise, but I liked when I got paid from the Realtor directly that way you get paid when the rest of your stuff goes out. The Bank likes to pay you whenever they feel like it. They will have you driving all over town taking you away from your tight route. Don't believe them when they tell you a flat rate, there aren't a lot of companies that will do bank owned properties. Usually a scrub, the big LCO's and commercial maint companies don't want to bother with this work so they need you more than you will need them. They're pocket gets fatter the wider the profit margin, if they can get you to mow it for $30.00 the management company is marking your price up %50 or more while you are mowing ,taking silly pictures, spending time in the evening uploading pictures via e-mail and they are sitting on their @$$. Enter into this segment at your own risk, I know people making big money at this market but they gave up their res customers to do it. I can't wait to see where those same guys are when the economy is good again and the foreclosure market in no longer around.

-Ryan

[spotremix]

i've done work for foreclosure properties. the only thing diff. than what you mentioned was I told them the price. for me it worked out pretty well for a season. i was never able to get a hold of anyone this season to give me the ok to start mowing.

if it wasnt a foreclosure property i would have just started and sent them the invoices like i do with all my residentials. (they are all told at the end of the season i will be back next season unless they contact me otherwise).