Why would two contractors quote the exact same electrical panel job fifty percent apart?

On the first-ever episode of Flipping Iowa, host Neil Timmins says he's never seen a flip blow its budget because somebody bought the wrong house. He's seen plenty blow up because somebody hired the wrong contractor.

Most investors vet a contractor with a handshake and a good feeling. Neil breaks down the phone call he makes before anyone sets foot on a property, what an insurance certificate has to show, and why he'd rather walk an active job site in Beaverdale than look at a photo of one.

Then there's the story that opens the episode: a borrower staring down a five thousand dollar gap between two electrical bids after an inspector flagged a fire hazard days before closing, and how a referral from Neil's own contractor bench closed that gap by half.

He closes with the five red flags that mean walk away before you've spent a dollar, and a real Johnston flip where the vetting process, not the bid, decided who got hired.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How to run a screening call that filters out the wrong contractor early

• How to verify a contractor's license and insurance without taking their word for it

• How to read a job site walkthrough for signs that predict your own timeline

• How to ask reference questions that surface what actually goes wrong

• How to spot the five red flags that mean walk away before you've spent a dollar

And more.

Hosted by Iowa real estate investor Neil Timmins.

Want the written breakdown? Read the full article at https://littleguyloans.com/vet-a-contractor-iowa-flip/

Find every episode at https://www.flippingiowa.com

There's a nicer house out there. A newer car. Your kid's college, paid for. In Iowa, that isn't a dream, it's a deal you haven't found yet.

Flipping Iowa is built for people already in the game: first-time flippers, investors scaling up, and realtors who see these deals cross their desk every week. Every episode delivers real tactics for finding better deals, running tighter operations, and protecting your margins, so you can seize the opportunity that's already in front of you.

Hosted by Neil Timmins, Iowa's hard money lender through Little Guy Loans, the show works like a sherpa's guide, not a lecture. Neil curates the lessons, his own and the ones learned by investors across his community, and brings them straight to you. Arm yourself with the knowledge. Then go execute.

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