My name is Lisa Cole and I am a lady General Contractor. I founded Living Homes Inc. back in 2003. The website is www.ladycontractor.com. When the housing market shifted and new construction and subdivision development work was no longer going to be my primary focus I created Restore Independence, which is a division of Living Homes Inc. My interest in creating Restore Independence was sparked by the facing my Grandparents aging. They were in their mid and late 90’s and were no longer able to do the things they were use to do…and YES, I come from genes of longevity. At that time, my Grandparents were living in a different state and I didn’t know who to call to get them help. I realized that most homeowners don't know who to call that has expertise in adapting homes to meet their changing needs. I didn’t even know what they needed…I had never thought about life from a point of limitation. My Grandfather was not as agile, and my grandmother was facing agility, hearing and visibility limitations. It was a crash course in how to see things from their standpoint. I found that until you ask the right questions, you never know there is a need…and until you do some research and talk to an expert you don’t know there are easy solutions. A friend of a friend, who is handicapped, spent a lot of time with me teaching me the different limitations people face. She let me measure EVERYTHING, she was so patient with me! She said she was thankful to be able to help me help others. With Debby’s help, and my now years of experience with this, I have found many safety and ease of living options that are available. One of my strengths has always been my creativity when retrofitting an existing home. This opened me up to a whole new perspective of safety and living.

I have been an Internationally Certified Project Manager (PMP) for over 10 years. These specialty skills have been very helpful in these types of projects. I am able to listen to what is truly needed, suggest what is possible, and keep everyone informed. Most of these projects have about 3 times as many people to keep informed than a standard construction project.  I have a great reputation for finishing projects on time and on budget, with happy customers…and I take great pride in that. The best feeling is when someone calls me and tells me I was recommended to them by someone they know. Or even better still when a Therapist is told by their patient that they request my company to do the work. the Therapist told me “WOW! I’ve never had anyone recommend a company for home modifications.” I thought Wahoo! I love happy customers! At one time in my career I managed an IT Customer Service Center so Customer Service is something I focus on and take pride in.

Serving the elderly and people with special needs has become a passion for me. I want to do everything I can to help people stay in their homes as long as they can…because that is what I would want for myself. Sometimes it’s as easy as a hearing-assisted telephone and sometimes it is more complicated. Either way, we are here to help you with any size project. Please call us so we can be of assistance to you.