My brother called the other day to tell me about a great opportunity that had been presented to him. He works as a general contractor and is always working for homeowners doing odd jobs. Well, this particular homeowner has used his services for the past five years and always seemed pleased with my brother’s work and prices. Apparently he approached my brother with a business and investment opportunity. The homeowner wanted to purchase a twenty four unit apartment building but needed to make sure that it was going to be safe and sturdy for years to come. This investment would help him fund his retirement years so he didn’t want to purchase a “money pit”. He wanted my brother to be his contractor for any and all repairs both upfront and in the future. He said he would be willing to pay him a monthly fee, regardless if work needed to be done that week, and sign a contract with him for a five year term. This would mean guaranteed income for him as well as pay for the jobs he would need to do. It seems like a great deal for him and with the added income it will allow my brother to put away money for his own place someday. My only advice for him was that he have a reliable subcontractor for things like the HVAC systems and cable/internet services. These are areas that require specialized repairs that my brother really doesn’t have the ability to do. If he hires a reputable company and works out set fees he should still be able to keep the building’s owner happy and ensure that the heat or air conditioning are safe and serviced on a regular basis.