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

Nice story, and pictures?


There are aerial pictures of both places on Zillow. Soon as you
provide your full legal name here and I verify it, I'll be glad
to supply the addresses of the houses.


Ok, how do you plan on verifying my full legal name?

Quietly; not the way you would do it.


I am always curious why you want to know my full legal name? What's
the deal?


Simple. My feeling is that if your full legal name were publicly
known here, you'd be far less of a snark.


would i then just call people assholes?


I'm not a fearful person, and would not be intimidated if some asshole
from here showed up at my front door looking for trouble.

You, however, are a fearful person, which is why you behave like an
asshole here, hide behind your handles, et cetera.

Anyone showing up at Krause's front door looking for trouble is going to
get his head shot clean off, according to Harry N. Krause, owner of a
very fine Berretta Shotgun.

Jim wrote:

I'm not a fearful person, and would not be intimidated if some asshole
from here showed up at my front door looking for trouble.

You, however, are a fearful person, which is why you behave like an
asshole here, hide behind your handles, et cetera.

Anyone showing up at Krause's front door looking for trouble is going to
get his head shot clean off, according to Harry N. Krause, owner of a
very fine Berretta Shotgun.

I can't figure it out, if Harry N Krause is not a fearful person, why
does he change his nick name at least 3 times a day, and not use his
legal name Harry N Krause. I also can't figure out why he doesn't post
his name, address and telephone number in rec.boats?

On Dec 30, 11:04*am, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:
Jim wrote:
I'm not a fearful person, and would not be intimidated if some asshole
from here showed up at my front door looking for trouble.

You, however, are a fearful person, which is why you behave like an
asshole here, hide behind your handles, et cetera.

Anyone showing up at Krause's front door looking for trouble is going to
get his head shot clean off, according to Harry N. Krause, owner of a
very fine Berretta Shotgun.

I can't figure it out, if Harry N Krause is not a fearful person, why
does he change his nick name at least 3 times a day, and not use his
legal name Harry N Krause. *I also can't figure out why he doesn't post
his name, address and telephone number in rec.boats?

Harry's a first class coward. I told him I'd take his wager. 100 g's
would look good in my retirement fund. I'd reveal my real name,
address and number, and Harry must prove beyond doubt that he owns a
36' Zimmerman like lobster boat, his wife has a Dr. Dr. degree, and
his father received a fireboat welcome in NYC. I'll side bet that
he'll slither out of it by childish name calling.

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

Nice story, and pictures?


There are aerial pictures of both places on Zillow. Soon as you
provide your full legal name here and I verify it, I'll be glad to
supply the addresses of the houses.


Ok, how do you plan on verifying my full legal name?

Quietly; not the way you would do it.


I am always curious why you want to know my full legal name? What's
the deal?


Simple. My feeling is that if your full legal name were publicly known
here, you'd be far less of a snark.


Knowing who you are hasn't improved your behavior or has it?




I'm not a coward. Reggie is.

wrote:
On Dec 30, 11:04 am, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:
Jim wrote:
I'm not a fearful person, and would not be intimidated if some asshole
from here showed up at my front door looking for trouble.
You, however, are a fearful person, which is why you behave like an
asshole here, hide behind your handles, et cetera.
Anyone showing up at Krause's front door looking for trouble is going to
get his head shot clean off, according to Harry N. Krause, owner of a
very fine Berretta Shotgun.
I can't figure it out, if Harry N Krause is not a fearful person, why
does he change his nick name at least 3 times a day, and not use his
legal name Harry N Krause. I also can't figure out why he doesn't post
his name, address and telephone number in rec.boats?

Harry's a first class coward. I told him I'd take his wager. 100 g's
would look good in my retirement fund. I'd reveal my real name,
address and number, and Harry must prove beyond doubt that he owns a
36' Zimmerman like lobster boat, his wife has a Dr. Dr. degree, and
his father received a fireboat welcome in NYC. I'll side bet that
he'll slither out of it by childish name calling.

You've already won the side bet, haven't you?

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.

I can imagine the waste of time. I had the misfortune to have my
house torched once - if it wasn't for a neighbor coming home at 2 AM
and raising the alarm we might have been killed.
Anyway, I hired a private adjuster, and you wouldn't believe the ****
I went through with him and his crews.
Had to show his "carpenter" how to cut stringers.
Came home from work one day and his "plaster guys" had done the
kitchen with 1/2" drywall, no shims, to replace the nearly full inch
of plaster and lath. There was almost a half inch gap between the
door and window casings and the drywall.
Had it all torn out by the next day I got home from work, but there
was always some BS waiting for me.
I'd leave work saying, "Let's see what they ****ed up today."
Anyway, I finally got everything done about 85% right, but I never
yelled so much and got in so many faces in such a short period of
time. Actually, I went easy on the crews, they were what they were,
but laid into the adjuster, who's really a GC, a lot.
What was good is the adjuster did keep us in the house because he was
real good at getting the essentials quickly restored.
That was important to me as I had the wife and 4 little kids to think
about, and work, so there was no way I even had time to be my own
general.
Win some, lose some.

--Vic

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

Nice story, and pictures?


There are aerial pictures of both places on Zillow. Soon as you
provide your full legal name here and I verify it, I'll be glad
to supply the addresses of the houses.


Ok, how do you plan on verifying my full legal name?

Quietly; not the way you would do it.


I am always curious why you want to know my full legal name? What's
the deal?


Simple. My feeling is that if your full legal name were publicly
known here, you'd be far less of a snark.


Knowing who you are hasn't improved your behavior or has it?




I'm not a coward. Reggie is.

Wanna bet? pull out that Zimmerman DNR registration.

Vic Smith wrote:
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.

I can imagine the waste of time. I had the misfortune to have my
house torched once - if it wasn't for a neighbor coming home at 2 AM
and raising the alarm we might have been killed.
Anyway, I hired a private adjuster, and you wouldn't believe the ****
I went through with him and his crews.
Had to show his "carpenter" how to cut stringers.
Came home from work one day and his "plaster guys" had done the
kitchen with 1/2" drywall, no shims, to replace the nearly full inch
of plaster and lath. There was almost a half inch gap between the
door and window casings and the drywall.
Had it all torn out by the next day I got home from work, but there
was always some BS waiting for me.
I'd leave work saying, "Let's see what they ****ed up today."
Anyway, I finally got everything done about 85% right, but I never
yelled so much and got in so many faces in such a short period of
time. Actually, I went easy on the crews, they were what they were,
but laid into the adjuster, who's really a GC, a lot.
What was good is the adjuster did keep us in the house because he was
real good at getting the essentials quickly restored.
That was important to me as I had the wife and 4 little kids to think
about, and work, so there was no way I even had time to be my own
general.
Win some, lose some.

--Vic


I didn't have the time, either, at the time, but I had to do it. The
construction manager (CM) I hired, though, helped save the day.

I fired the carpenter and crew the original general had hired the first
week on the job after I took over. I tried to be on the site at 6:30 am,
and to do that I had to stop at 7-11 for a big cup of coffee on the way
to the lot. I had already had a "discussion" with the carpenter the
first day when he said he had seen deer on the land and was going to
bring his rifle to shoot them. Told him no. He was to give me his
contract for doing the rough carpentry the first week.

Anyway, I'm rolling into 7-11 for mass quantities of coffee, and there
he is, buying two six packs of beer at 6:30 in the morning. I had heard
he was a "drinker" from the construction manager, who knew him, and
there was the evidence.

I waited outside the store for him, and told him I was not going to be
retaining he and his crew for carpentry. He was really ****ed. Paid him
for the week and cut him loose.

Most of the subs I hired, though, worked out pretty well, but they
really had to be closely supervised, a job the CM handled for me. The
drywall guys were a trip...two brothers and two cousins who called
themselves "Born Again Drywall." Really. They were great guys, hard
workers, highly skilled and meticulous. Listened to gospel music all day
long at high volumes.

On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:33:00 -0500, Boater
wrote:


Anyway, I'm rolling into 7-11 for mass quantities of coffee, and there
he is, buying two six packs of beer at 6:30 in the morning. I had heard
he was a "drinker" from the construction manager, who knew him, and
there was the evidence.

LOL. My guys were better than that. I didn't find their empty vodka
bottles until a week after they left. Smart guys.

--Vic

Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:33:00 -0500, Boater
wrote:

Anyway, I'm rolling into 7-11 for mass quantities of coffee, and there
he is, buying two six packs of beer at 6:30 in the morning. I had heard
he was a "drinker" from the construction manager, who knew him, and
there was the evidence.

LOL. My guys were better than that. I didn't find their empty vodka
bottles until a week after they left. Smart guys.

--Vic


Obviously, your guys were classier.