Chuck Bogan was working in the hospitality industry, hopping from city to city and managing resorts. And then, quite suddenly, he was not.
“I was in Denver at the time,” he says. “And my uncle came into town, he was working with a company that was doing a training with Scott (Precourt, founder and senior partner of US Housing Consultants).”
Bogan’s uncle and Precourt got to talking. Next thing Bogan knew, he was observing a training seminar in Scottsdale at Precourt’s invitation. Precourt had Bogan read the HUD inspection protocols in preparation for the training.
“So, I did that, and Scott said, ‘Alright, well if you want to move to New Hampshire, we’ll hire you,’” Bogan recalled. “And I was, ‘Sure! I don’t know anybody in New Hampshire, but let’s do it!”
Fourteen years later, Bogan is Vice President of Inspection Services at US Housing Consultants.
“When I first came in, I just kind of learned [the job], over the years I memorized the inspection protocol,” he says. “I used little flashcards and then learned from every interaction I had with a maintenance person over the years.”
Since then, US Housing Consultants has grown from a handful of employees to more than 100.
“Through work ethic and, you know, showing and proving, we’ve made a significant impact on the industry and I’m proud of that,” Bogan says. “I can’t believe I get paid to do this!”
By now it should be clear that Bogan is an enthusiastic person. He brings that to the job itself and to the extensive travel it requires.
“It’s great to experience new things in new places!” he says. “Whether that be the food or the people at the property or the museums. I’ve been to 27 different baseball stadiums!
“I encourage my team to make the most of it,” he continues. “If you get off your job site and then you just go straight back to the hotel and you don’t experience anything, you might eventually loathe the travel. So, I’ve always encouraged the team to share some pics, like where they’ve been, and what’s a good restaurant there. Just little things like that.”
But the work itself is the thing. Bogan says he loves interacting with residents, and maintenance staff and seeing post-inspection results, the positive change that occurs.
“Seeing that change and having that positive interaction and then going back there and getting thanked by property managers and residents, it’s just extremely rewarding,” he says. “Our favorite thing is when we’re in a unit and a resident says, ‘Nobody’s ever inspected my apartment as thoroughly as you guys have.’ That, to me, is the pinnacle. That’s the creme de la creme. HUD has said that housing needs to be decent, safe, and sanitary. But for us, it’s more. This is their home, you know. They need to be treated with respect when we’re in there.”
And then there’s the camaraderie and mutual support within US Housing Consultants that makes the job even sweeter.
“We have shared goals,” Bogan says. “I have worked with some of these people for so many years, it’s less work and more like family bonding. You’d do anything for your brothers and sisters and parents, right?”
