The housing market is in a slump and Angie Hicks-Bowman says that means more people will be spending money on home repairs. As the founder of Angie's List, a consumer-driven organization that collects and distributes detailed customer satisfaction reports on local service companies, Angie talks with Jean about her website and shares tips to help you pick a good home improvement company:

• Look for local, established companies. If the company has a local address and roots in the community, you can be sure it's not a fly-by-night operation, Angie says.
• Talk to people who have used the service company. Angie says word-of-mouth recommendations from neighbors and friends are always a good place to start.
• Check the company's references. After you get the reference, make sure to call and ask the former customer the pros and cons of working with the company, Angie says.
• Ask to visit a current worksite or a completed project. This is a great way to assess the company's work and perhaps get another honest reference from a customer.
• One or two customer complaints are normal. If you run into more than one or two complaints about a company, Angie says that should signal a red flag.