It's that time of year when homeowners need to remember that con artists are in our area looking to make fast money through home improvement scams.

Unfortunately, home repairs can often be daunting to many homeowners, thus making them vulnerable to scammers. To add to the problem, the fraudsters have often left the area before the unsuspecting victims realize they have been left with an empty wallet and unfinished work.

Home improvement scams of all types have been around for years with a sales pitch that goes something like this, "We are in your area today providing "free" inspections of.........." Unfortunately, consumers can fill in the blank as fraudsters will provide so-called "free" inspections on air conditioners, duct cleaning, roof repairs and just about anything that may need fixing "before a hurricane comes our way".

The Lee County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit encourages you to be on the look-out for traveling con artists who:

* Sell roofing, paving, and other repair services door-to-door

* Use high-pressure sales tactics such as "today only" or "free inspection"

* Say they have material left over from a previous job

* Quote "too good to be true" prices, which are well below typical bargain prices

* Ask for payment up front to buy materials or request that the full amount be paid before work is completed

* Drive vehicles with no company name and out-of-state plates

Do your homework before you begin a home improvement project or repair:

* Find a reputable contractor - referrals from friends, neighbors and co-workers are great starting points

* Ask questions such as business license information, insurance, etc. or better yet, check for yourself at myfloridalicense.com

* Write down the worker's vehicle make, model and license plate number

* Insist on a written contract detailing the work to be done

* Get a reliability report from the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org

If you have questions regarding these home improvement safety tips, or if you would like to report a fraud or scam, please contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office Fraud Line at 239-477-1242.

NSP of Lee County Images on Flickr

To show more of NSP of Lee County's work, we created a Flickr account featuring photographs of NSP highlights from the last three years. Click on the image below to watch a slideshow of rehabbed NSP homes that have been sold to Lee County NSP buyers. 

The images are also accessible from the Flickr link on the NSP homepage.  

Click on the image to start slide show of sold NSP homes.