Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:

Harry,
You did tell us your acted as your GC on your present house. Did
you do as much work on the NV house as your current house?

Reggie:

You aren't going to be contracting your own new house. Move on.

I am entertaining the idea.


You don't have the balls to do it. But if you did, it would be
entertaining...for us.

Harry I guess the GC'ing on your Northern Va. house didn't work out
well, and that is why you didn't GC your real home.


Your guess would be...wrong.

BAR wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
hk wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market
to build a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor.
Has anyone in the group done this and do they have any words of
advice?


Go for it and keep us posted. It will be great fun to read. And by
all means, get Loogy to help you.
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Hey, didn't you build you own house? I figure if you can do it, it
should be a snap.


Once again, I suggest you get Loogy to help you. The two of you
should make a wonderful pair.


Did you have any problems finding good trades when building your home?
I would assume you had great trades for the brickwork, but I was
thinking more about plumbing and electrician etc.


As soon as you post your full legal name here and I can verify it,
I'll be glad to fill you in on the good, the bad, and the ugly in
reference to serving as your own GC on the construction of a personal
home. I will tell you that it is not a challenge to be taken on lightly.

You didn't build the house your wife owns. She bought an "improved
property" in 2003, which means it had an existing structure on it. The
structure on the property your wife owns was built in 2002 by "BUILTRITE
AT CHELTENHAM KNOLLS INC." In fact BUILTRITE AT CHELTENHAM KNOLLS INC
built all of the homes on the street your wife bought her house on. The
Maryland State tax records don't lie: http://tinyurl.com/a25mru


The question is why does Harry lie about everything? What does he have
to gain? He knows we are on to him. Why do the lies continue? This guy
is one sick puppy.

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:05:54 -0500, Boater wrote:

Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:

Harry,
You did tell us your acted as your GC on your present house. Did
you do as much work on the NV house as your current house?

Reggie:

You aren't going to be contracting your own new house. Move on.

I am entertaining the idea.


You don't have the balls to do it. But if you did, it would be
entertaining...for us.

Harry I guess the GC'ing on your Northern Va. house didn't work out
well, and that is why you didn't GC your real home.


Your guess would be...wrong.

Well?

Address, photos, etc.

Something to be proud of, no?
--
** Good Day! **

John H

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:13:20 -0500, Jim wrote:

BAR wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Boater wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
hk wrote:
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market
to build a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor.
Has anyone in the group done this and do they have any words of
advice?


Go for it and keep us posted. It will be great fun to read. And by
all means, get Loogy to help you.
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

Hey, didn't you build you own house? I figure if you can do it, it
should be a snap.


Once again, I suggest you get Loogy to help you. The two of you
should make a wonderful pair.


Did you have any problems finding good trades when building your home?
I would assume you had great trades for the brickwork, but I was
thinking more about plumbing and electrician etc.


As soon as you post your full legal name here and I can verify it,
I'll be glad to fill you in on the good, the bad, and the ugly in
reference to serving as your own GC on the construction of a personal
home. I will tell you that it is not a challenge to be taken on lightly.

You didn't build the house your wife owns. She bought an "improved
property" in 2003, which means it had an existing structure on it. The
structure on the property your wife owns was built in 2002 by "BUILTRITE
AT CHELTENHAM KNOLLS INC." In fact BUILTRITE AT CHELTENHAM KNOLLS INC
built all of the homes on the street your wife bought her house on. The
Maryland State tax records don't lie: http://tinyurl.com/a25mru


The question is why does Harry lie about everything? What does he have
to gain? He knows we are on to him. Why do the lies continue? This guy
is one sick puppy.

I think it was an error. He meant to say 'a home in Northern Virginia' when
discussing his home.

Any minute now he's going to give us the address and photos of the NoVa
residence he's talking about.

Unless...................that's another lie. Surely not.
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Gene wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build.... you just have to find an equally
desperate mortgagee and mortgagor.... or you could do it the seat
equity route, if you have the cash, tools, and a desire to make it
happen.

No bank is going to let *you* (as their mortgagor) serve as General
Contractor unless you hold a contractor's license.

Advice? You're crazy to even attempt it...... uh, but wasn't I
thinking about adding on to the workshop.....

.... Oh, never mind......


It's an incredible burner of time. I had to do it because the general I
hired to build a custom home in Northern Virginia turned out to be way
overextended financially from previous projects, and could not line up
the subs I wanted, and was teetering.

Took the builder to court, had a civil jury trial, and won a settlement
of more than $100,000. Never collected anything but the builder's
license bond from the state.

With the help of the lumberyard (who issued the construction bond) and
my bank, I took over when the foundation had been laid and the slabs
poured, hired a project manager to oversee the subs on salary and bonus,
and completed the house just a hair over budget. I had to be on the site
for about an hour at 6:30 AM just about every morning.

It was a huge house, ultra modern, with four full brick fireplaces,
nearly 4000 square feet on the main level, and another 3,000 square feet
finished in the basement. I looked it up on Zillow early last year and
it was valued at more than $1.5 million. The "crash" of the real estate
market apparently hit Northern Virginia hard, because when I looked it
up on Zillow earlier this evening, it was valued at about $1.1 million.

Just checked the second house I owned in Northern Virgina...it was the
one we sold to build the custom house. I paid $87k for it - nice
builder's subdivision house - and sold it about five years later for
$160,000, I think. Zillow has it at $600,000 and change. Not bad, and
the blue spruce trees I planted there in the mid-1970s are at least 40
feet tall and full triple wides.

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:13:23 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build....

Try to convince Loogy!

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:34:39 -0500, Boater wrote:

Gene wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build.... you just have to find an equally
desperate mortgagee and mortgagor.... or you could do it the seat
equity route, if you have the cash, tools, and a desire to make it
happen.

No bank is going to let *you* (as their mortgagor) serve as General
Contractor unless you hold a contractor's license.

Advice? You're crazy to even attempt it...... uh, but wasn't I
thinking about adding on to the workshop.....

.... Oh, never mind......


It's an incredible burner of time. I had to do it because the general I
hired to build a custom home in Northern Virginia turned out to be way
overextended financially from previous projects, and could not line up
the subs I wanted, and was teetering.

Took the builder to court, had a civil jury trial, and won a settlement
of more than $100,000. Never collected anything but the builder's
license bond from the state.

With the help of the lumberyard (who issued the construction bond) and
my bank, I took over when the foundation had been laid and the slabs
poured, hired a project manager to oversee the subs on salary and bonus,
and completed the house just a hair over budget. I had to be on the site
for about an hour at 6:30 AM just about every morning.

It was a huge house, ultra modern, with four full brick fireplaces,
nearly 4000 square feet on the main level, and another 3,000 square feet
finished in the basement. I looked it up on Zillow early last year and
it was valued at more than $1.5 million. The "crash" of the real estate
market apparently hit Northern Virginia hard, because when I looked it
up on Zillow earlier this evening, it was valued at about $1.1 million.

Just checked the second house I owned in Northern Virgina...it was the
one we sold to build the custom house. I paid $87k for it - nice
builder's subdivision house - and sold it about five years later for
$160,000, I think. Zillow has it at $600,000 and change. Not bad, and
the blue spruce trees I planted there in the mid-1970s are at least 40
feet tall and full triple wides.

LOL!
--
** Good Day! **

John H

wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:13:23 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?
Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build....

Try to convince Loogy!


Atlanta is safer with Loogy continuing to wallow in his stupidity.

Boater wrote:
Gene wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to
build a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has
anyone in the group done this and do they have any words of advice?

Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build.... you just have to find an equally
desperate mortgagee and mortgagor.... or you could do it the seat
equity route, if you have the cash, tools, and a desire to make it
happen.

No bank is going to let *you* (as their mortgagor) serve as General
Contractor unless you hold a contractor's license.

Advice? You're crazy to even attempt it...... uh, but wasn't I
thinking about adding on to the workshop.....

.... Oh, never mind......


It's an incredible burner of time. I had to do it because the general I
hired to build a custom home in Northern Virginia turned out to be way
overextended financially from previous projects, and could not line up
the subs I wanted, and was teetering.

Took the builder to court, had a civil jury trial, and won a settlement
of more than $100,000. Never collected anything but the builder's
license bond from the state.

With the help of the lumberyard (who issued the construction bond) and
my bank, I took over when the foundation had been laid and the slabs
poured, hired a project manager to oversee the subs on salary and bonus,
and completed the house just a hair over budget. I had to be on the site
for about an hour at 6:30 AM just about every morning.

It was a huge house, ultra modern, with four full brick fireplaces,
nearly 4000 square feet on the main level, and another 3,000 square feet
finished in the basement. I looked it up on Zillow early last year and
it was valued at more than $1.5 million. The "crash" of the real estate
market apparently hit Northern Virginia hard, because when I looked it
up on Zillow earlier this evening, it was valued at about $1.1 million.

Just checked the second house I owned in Northern Virgina...it was the
one we sold to build the custom house. I paid $87k for it - nice
builder's subdivision house - and sold it about five years later for
$160,000, I think. Zillow has it at $600,000 and change. Not bad, and
the blue spruce trees I planted there in the mid-1970s are at least 40
feet tall and full triple wides.

Again, you are telling lies. You can't prove either home was owned by
you and that the "big house" was built for or by you.

"Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq." wrote in message
...
We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build a
new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

Reggie,

Be careful. I'm a General Contractor in CA (30 years in the trades, 18 with
an active GC license), and it's not as easy as letting your fingers do the
walking to find the sub-trades you need. Most GCs have relationships with
the various trades, and those relationships can make a job move along much
more smoothly. A group of subcontractors that have worked together before is
much like the workings of a swiss watch. Haphazardly gathering subtrades
based on price and/or references can wind up working like a busted up cuckoo
clock.

Another problem, is settling disputes that always arise. These are also best
handled by an expert. There's always one tradesman that says, "it's not my
job." So whose job is it to install the roof to wall flashing? The roofer,
the siding contractor, the mechanical contractor, maybe the framer? A good
GC will sort it out quickly, so you don't have to. What about the condensate
line from the air-handler? A union plumber will not install that line, a
non-union shop will. Sure, a small item, but the small items add up.

That brings us to cost. Can you save a few bucks... yup, you probably can.
Will a (sub)contractor work for free? Nope... they might as well stay home
and watch Oprah. A good GC will (hopefully) already be getting the best
price possible from his/her subs. There is not usually much room to
negotiate the price much further. Many people think that a price from a
person providing labor is different than that of a supplier. It's really
not. If you estimate that the job is going to take xx hours, and you pay
your guys xx dollars, there's not a lot of room to work. The GC will take
your plans, get estimates/proposals from all the sub-trades, and provide you
with an accurate estimate for the work. In general, there are no surprises,
unless you switch from Millgard windows to Pella g. Depending on your
arrangement with the GC, he will either mark up the job (generally 15%), for
your final cost, or simply add on a flat "GC Fee" to the total for your
cost. Either way, he is charging a service for his "expertise." It's up to
you to decide if it's worth it. Do you constantly want to be calling 10
people to get your job done, or only one. Someone here said you can save
40%... that's ridiculous.

One last thing... your budget is your biggest enemy, or your greatest
friend. A neighbor of mine chose to remodel his home, acting as his own GC.
I wasn't an option since I only do small subdivisions, and custom homes (no
remodels). He came up with his own budget, and proceeded to gather subs. I
begged him to get a GC involved, but he didn't want to spend the extra
money. Bottom line, he was 50% over budget, and it took 14 months instead of
8 because of all the unforseen "stuff" he had missed. It still would have
cost him that extra 50%, but he would have known up front if he had a GC
involved, and could have planned accordingly.

Just my friendly advice.

--Mike