# Is anyone getting regular work anywhere this year?



## Gary H (Dec 10, 2008)

You are right on there. Everybody has there own guy. The only way to get in if thier guy gets greedy and they want a cheaper sub. But then you are working for less then you should because you want to be thier new guy. I am north of you and bad up here. Its so bad that if you offer to do the job for free, they want a kick back. WTF? As for hacks I got a buddy that went on his own, no builders lic., no drivers lic., very few tools and is busy year around. And did no car. He has to be driven to every job and picked up. And charges more then I do. What gives?


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Acres said:


> Agreed.. Co762 we all get you don't like the government.


I don't think you should speak for everyone here, especially when you make a wrong assumption like that.



> The government might have technically a hand


W/o the government, the (continuing) problems would never have existed.

Once an entity guarantees a no loss 'investment' scenario, well then, reality ceases to exist. And once 'we' commit to that silly thing, then everything afterwards, every intervention, would seem to make sense, be justified.



> The markets are to big to try and be controlled by any one institution


Then there should be no government control or guarantees of financial institutions (like 'banks') and not guarantee any mortgage in any way, shape or form. There should be no reason for HUD to be involved in your local bank lending you money on your home in your local market.

If it's an economically feasible deal, there's a lot of money out there to make it happen. :thumbsup:


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

Gary H said:


> You are right on there. Everybody has there own guy. The only way to get in if thier guy gets greedy and they want a cheaper sub. But then you are working for less then you should because you want to be thier new guy. I am north of you and bad up here. *Its so bad that if you offer to do the job for free, they want a kick back. WTF?* As for hacks I got a buddy that went on his own, no builders lic., no drivers lic., very few tools and is busy year around. And did no car. He has to be driven to every job and picked up. And charges more then I do. What gives?


A few weeks ago I did a bid, well sorta. These people had a house they wanted to fix up for their kids. It was a cheap dumpy house that needed work. 

I told them about $1000 for a whole kitchen & bathroom remodel plus some other work. I was really thinking more like $15,000. They didnt seem to like that number so we said maybe you can do what you want and we'll do just the electrical or whatever. We said we can work on the price. Well $1000 was to much so they decided to work on their own. 

Then my dad stops back over later and talks to them and even said to call them if they need some help, he would show them how to do it free of charge. He was talking about electrical work. They said they were hard up for money and just trying to save what they can so they decided to work on their own. They said they appreciate him being so nice wanting to help them.

A few days later we drove by and they had a union electrical contractor there, the most expensive guy in the area. They were there for about 3 days. Im sure just his bill was $1500 if not more.

They were a friend of a friend and didnt know anyone in the construction trades so thats why they wanted us to do it. 

If you try to work cheap I guess they think your a idiot who doesnt know anything and if you charge the going rate your a a$$hole who over charges.

The reason I got my GC license is when I got out of welding school, I was 21 and I stumbled into some work on rental property. I didnt know the law on being licensed so I guess you could say I was working as a hack. I made good money and looked into that line of work. I looked into the state requirements and went though everything and I guess I cursed myself.


----------



## yo mama (Aug 28, 2011)

BC Canada in the higher end homes. We have been slammed for 3 years now and no end in sight. Interior Finishing


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

yo mama said:


> BC Canada in the higher end homes. We have been slammed for 3 years now and no end in sight. Interior Finishing


Areound here the only new homes are high end. In the $1,000,000 range.


----------



## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

Stephen H said:


> I would like to join a few of the other folks who mentioned that this has been their busyiest year-------and like them I want to mention that I don't want to pizz all over anybody-------------
> 
> 2011 will be,at a minimum my 3rd best year ever-------- and quite probably my best year
> 
> ...


Very well put Stephen, and good food for thought.


----------



## Miss Brown (Mar 30, 2011)

> I told them about $1000 for a whole kitchen & bathroom remodel plus some other work. I was really thinking more like $15,000.





Missing a zero, on that first number...right? You told them 1000 for a kitch and bath remodel??? Maybe they didn't take it because they thought you were smoking something?


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

Miss Brown said:


> Missing a zero, on that first number...right? You told them 1000 for a kitch and bath remodel??? Maybe they didn't take it because they thought you were smoking something?


They started bitching about money when we first got there so I knew it was going nowhere. 

I told them atleast 1000, I guess what their plan was is have it done for about 400-500.


----------



## Tdawg (Jul 24, 2011)

Michaeljp86 said:


> A few weeks ago I did a bid, well sorta. These people had a house they wanted to fix up for their kids. It was a cheap dumpy house that needed work.
> 
> I told them about $1000 for a whole kitchen & bathroom remodel plus some other work. I was really thinking more like $15,000. They didnt seem to like that number so we said maybe you can do what you want and we'll do just the electrical or whatever. We said we can work on the price. Well $1000 was to much so they decided to work on their own.
> 
> ...


From reading your last couple of posts, it seems you kind of jump around a lot trying to find something that fits. I know Michigan has taken a **** kicking and I'm not passing judgement on you. I have been a welder/fitter, pipeline welder, heavy equipment operator, framer, renovator, etc., etc. The point I want to make is try and find what interests you the most and stick with it come hell or high water. Maybe you need to move away for a while until Michigan gets back on it's feet. If you're doing something you love it tends to work out better than if you are just trying to make a buck.

Good luck.


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

Tdawg said:


> From reading your last couple of posts, it seems you kind of jump around a lot trying to find something that fits. I know Michigan has taken a **** kicking and I'm not passing judgement on you. I have been a welder/fitter, pipeline welder, heavy equipment operator, framer, renovator, etc., etc. *The point I want to make is try and find what interests you the most and stick with it come hell or high water.* Maybe you need to move away for a while until Michigan gets back on it's feet. If you're doing something you love it tends to work out better than if you are just trying to make a buck.
> 
> Good luck.


Thats what Im trying to do, Im trying to make a buck doing other things until going what I love works out. Id like to stay into the GC work and hope it comes back around but Im to the ponit of grasping at straws. When you throw in the RRP now with the license cost, insurence, fuel and so on its just not worth it. I know alot of guys who got out of it. 

Im probably going to be taking classes this winter to become a RN, Id probably hate every second of it but life isnt cheap and there are alot of RN jobs out there that pay good. Id rather roll around in the dirt but its to the point of not being able to afford to.

Farming is my first choice but its the same deal. The big farmers get so much government subsidies you cant lease land for what they can pay. 

With it being so bad maybe when it comes back around there will have been so many people who got out of this line of work there will be a shortage of contractors. And with the new license laws that will put the already licensed guys ahead.


----------



## Acres (Feb 12, 2011)

> Once an entity guarantees a no loss 'investment' scenario, well then, reality ceases to exist. And once 'we' commit to that silly thing, then everything afterwards, every intervention, would seem to make sense, be justified.


We have already had a non FDIC banking system and it WAS FAILING. The current system is like buying a car that has a 100k mile guarantee, what it does is create consumer confidence. OTHERWISE we would all be keeping our money in our mattress OR at the first sign of trouble be LINING UP AT OUR BANKS to withdraw ALL our money at once..This is econ 101 here, co762.. Do you even know what would happen to our banking system if was non fdic insured as of right now, just coming out of a big recession. Think worse than 1930's..

To add.. With your logic there should be no guarantees on anything because it creates an illusion of non reality?? Car guarantees? Tool guarantees? 



> and not guarantee any mortgage in any way, shape or form.


They don't guarantee mortgages? last I checked people were being forclosed on all over the place. Try not paying your mortgage and see if it becomes guaranteed




> There should be no reason for HUD to be involved in your local bank lending you money on your home in your local market.


"local banks??" Local banks are becoming dinosaurs!!! The banking world is becoming more and more consolidated by giants, In large it's pretty much an oligopoly now. HUD -government- needs to be involved because banks will not lend in some situations, to certain people even in certain areas and you know this.


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Acres said:


> We have already had a non FDIC banking system and it WAS FAILING...This is econ 101 here, co762.


I agree, however, I think we are just internet economists from different schools. 

The whole problem of the FSLIC was the S&Ls were suffering disintermediation. They would be trying to attract money when there was a slew of it out there, so they were trying to compete against investors wanting more than the low rate offered by them to deposit their money into their S/Ls. And they couldn't pay higher rates necessary to attract money due to the restrictions on their lending.
And there were restrictions on lending because the GOVERNMENT guaranteed it--it was invested into mortgages. 

So, with the secondary capital markets awash in money, looking for investments, and the whole government gurantee of 'no loss investing' leading to the collapse of the very thing they were trying to help, there was no other choice than to loosen up the GOVERNMENT regulations as to where they could invest. But the PROBLEM was this is a terrible faulty model. 

Guaranteeing the protection of your money for investing will never work unless it's for a very short time under very specific circumstances. That time and circumstances left in the 1980s and have gotten worse since the advent of better computer systems and the speeding up of algore's internet. Now billions of dollars fly around the world every second with just a few keystrokes.

What happened is the second phase of getting rid of government guaranteed mortgages--those in government will use their power guarantee for political, social and of course, personal ends. Can't get rid of the government, so get rid of the obsolete, outdated programs they have in place.

Why is buying a car any different than buying a car?
At what costs?
There's money out there, looking for a safe return. Mortgage brokers should be more than HUD box checkers for a fee. 



> HUD -government- needs to be involved because banks will not lend in some situations, to certain people even in certain areas and you know this.


Every rational investor DOES know this.

I don't want to invest my hard earned dollars in a house in a bad area of town with people that have a crappy work history and no track record of paying their bills.

Would you? If us individuals won't, or the professional investors won't, why should GOVERNMENT? The only reason I can see is for either redistribution of money or some social engineering. And that's the farce that got us so deep in this hole we are presently in.


----------



## catfish (Jul 19, 2007)

CO762 said:


> I agree, however, I think we are just internet economists from different schools.
> 
> The whole problem of the FSLIC was the S&Ls were suffering disintermediation. They would be trying to attract money when there was a slew of it out there, so they were trying to compete against investors wanting more than the low rate offered by them to deposit their money into their S/Ls. And they couldn't pay higher rates necessary to attract money due to the restrictions on their lending.
> And there were restrictions on lending because the GOVERNMENT guaranteed it--it was invested into mortgages.
> ...


The banks did not have to make those loans. They made them because they got cheap money. The BANKS chose to loan the money, charge those people higher interest than normal, and make money.
The BANKS then got bit in the ass. And the govt bailed them out. Just like S&L's, Chrysler TWICE, and GM. Thats the farce that got us so deep in the hole.

I wish I could run a business like that. What? Me worry!


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

catfish said:


> The banks did not have to make those loans.


Actually....they did if it were a "protected people" with special rights in this country. 



> The BANKS chose to loan the money, charge those people higher interest than normal, and make money.


and they could do all those things because the money they had in their coffers were risk free *government* guaranteed cash and the buyers (repackagers) of those terrible mortgages were also *government *(freddie/fannie) and the other buyers (investors/retirement funds/etc.) bought them because the *government* guaranteed them to be good, no matter how lousy they were.



> I wish I could run a business like that.


Me too. Thanks to the government, it's a no lose proposition. :drink:
The only 'losers' are the stupid taxpayers....and of course, stupid voters. We get the government we deserve.


----------



## Acres (Feb 12, 2011)

> Me too. Thanks to the government, it's a no lose proposition


But banks ie "businesse's" are failing all over the place. Banks are far from fail proof. The banking system is flawed not the government. The banks are so leveraged and margined out it's crazy. 



> I don't want to invest my hard earned dollars in a house in a bad area of town with people that have a crappy work history and no track record of paying their bills


.

Here's the thing your money eventually would. Banks are a business if they see an area that they can exploit they will. Same with all businesses. Government or not if there's possible money to be made in an area, your money will follow.



> Actually....they did if it were a "protected people" with special rights in this country


Completely isolated incidences. By and Large the banks made those loans. 



> because the money they had in their coffers were risk free government guaranteed cash


This is becoming a circle argument if you can't understand why there needs to be FDIC monies, then this goes nowhere. People run the businesses and people made those choices, both the mortgager and morgagee. Like I first stated, people and groups of people are to blame for trying to take advantage of a system. The economic system is to large to control by one institution.


----------



## thomasjmarino (May 1, 2011)

I'm getting regular stress, regular indigestion, regular phone calls from the bill collectors and an irregular heartbeat.

Other than that, let's party!!!!! arty:


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Acres said:


> But banks ie "businesse's" are failing all over the place.


Most financial institutions are failing because of either fraud or buying into official fraud--aka 'government backed mortgage backed securities'. Financial institutions and even whole countries world wide are in jeopardy due to them thinking US gooberment guarntees on bad paper wasn't bad. It turns out they were right--us taxpaying slobs will pay their bills to back the "good faith and credit' of the US goobermint's housing schemes.



> The banking system is flawed not the government. The banks are so leveraged and margined out it's crazy.


We disagree again.
The banking system was its depositors/investors pooling their money and the bank investing it. If they didn't have a track record of successful investing practices, no one would deposit/invest there.

Depositors ARE investors--or we'd hide our cash under our bed and spend it before it got too moldy. We want a RETURN on our money. 
'Banks' are nothing more than a place where people can put their money and in exchange for that, they'll give them a 'rate of return', let's call that a "profit". So we working schmucks 'invest' our money in 'banks' just like 'wall street' 'invests' in what they do.

They do their analysis just like us serfs do. Or should do.
But when daddy gubmint is there to protect us all and provide for us all, then why do anything other than fork over our money and demand our investments give us a nice profit?
The answer: Because we want something for nothing or if we do have to pay for it, we want others to pay for the costs while we enjoy the profit/benefits.

Those that can't afford a house shouldn't be given a house on the dime of the taxpayers. Pretty simple. Businesses can fend for themselves as that's their job--to provide goods and services we want at a price we can afford. If not, they go out of business.

Pretty simple if ya think about it. 



> Banks are a business if they see an area that they can exploit they will. Same with all businesses.


And I agree 100%. We agree--let's get government out of businesses back, especially when goobermint uses taxpayer monies to basically run private businesses.

That's what I've been saying all along. Let business do business and let government do what it's supposed to do (constitutionally, not nanny state BS). 

Government doesn't need to use everyone's money to make sure I can buy a new $60K car. Why should it guarantee me a house? 



> By and Large the banks made those loans.


Financial institutions do not make any investments (loans) w/o knowing the front end value and the back end. With government guaranteeing the front end being 'no loss' and the government guaranteeing they'd 'purchase' the 'investments', well, why not loan money to a person with no/bad credit history on a dump in an overbuilt area? Or w/o a job? Or according to HUD, "Mr. X"? (they stated their "job isn't to verify the identity of the borrower" mind you).

The government set up the game. Everyone played the goobermint game. So now that the era of everyone being rich, smart, fix/flippers, and astute businessmen are over, now we have to belly up and pay that tab.



> This is becoming a circle argument if you can't understand why there needs to be FDIC monies, then this goes nowhere. People run the businesses and people made those choices, both the mortgager and morgagee.


So will you guarantee my payments on a cadillac escalade?
Why not?


----------



## Redneckpete (Feb 22, 2008)

Regular work here. Been in business for 12 years now, advertising budget to date is under a thousand bucks, most of that to letter the trucks.

Referral is key. I’ve refused to put my number anywhere because I don’t want the calls from the guy looking for 10 prices. Every call I get was referred by a past customer, and every job is pretty much sold before I get there.

It’s taken me a while to get here, but I’ve paid the bills along the way, bought a couple toys and had a fun time. Looking back now, I worked way too cheap for way too long in the boom times, but those customers are referring me now, and it’s paying back.

Good luck, and if your neighbor is making a go of it while you starve, it’s time to stop criticizing your competition and start analyzing your business plan, and your abilities. 

Pete


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

Redneckpete said:


> Regular work here. Been in business for 12 years now, advertising budget to date is under a thousand bucks, most of that to letter the trucks.
> 
> Referral is key. I’ve refused to put my number anywhere because I don’t want the calls from the guy looking for 10 prices. Every call I get was referred by a past customer, and every job is pretty much sold before I get there.
> 
> ...


Since I been in business a few years most of my business is referral too. Only problem is I have like 2 years of customers. 

I know guys who been in business for ablout 20 years and it the same only they have enough return customers and referals to keep them busy.


----------



## W-Tinc (Feb 15, 2008)

Michaeljp86 said:


> Thats what Im trying to do, Im trying to make a buck doing other things until going what I love works out. Id like to stay into the GC work and hope it comes back around but Im to the ponit of grasping at straws. When you throw in the RRP now with the license cost, insurence, fuel and so on its just not worth it. I know alot of guys who got out of it.
> 
> *Im probably going to be taking classes this winter to become a RN, Id probably hate every second of it but life isnt cheap and there are alot of RN jobs out there that pay good*. Id rather roll around in the dirt but its to the point of not being able to afford to.



That's sort of what we are doing. I would not want to be an RN either, but there are several other vocational type 2 year medical programs with good job prospects. We(girlfriend and myself) chose an Occupational therapy assistant program and started last summer, should graduate spring of 2013.

It's a huge change after being a contractor for 20 years, but we are excited about it and doing well in school. The big thing for us was health insurance; it's not all that hard to make a living but I really worry about the cost of, or even the ability to get, decent health insurance as we get older. Personally I am also looking forward to a change of pace, I was getting tired of what we were doing and rrp was basically the straw that broke the camel's back.

We figure these jobs will at least last throughout the baby boomers old age, 20 years or so, which is great for people like us in their late 40's.

You don't really even need a lot of cash, we had no idea the amount of funds available to students through Pell grants and student loans(and after all the money we paid local, state, and federal governments over the last 20 years I will take every penny offered as a small token of government appreciation).

The hardest part is getting into a program, most seem to have long waiting lists or are very competitve to get into.

Sorry for the long and slightly off topic post, just thinking a few folks may find this helpful info.


----------



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

CO762 said:


> "Old democrat" cities means they have been captive to the various unions (govt and non)


Yeah remember growing up when all those no good lazy union members (probably your parents) in the 50's and 60's were making a descent middle class salary and actually spending money on houses, cars, vacations, etc.
Fast forward to today and we have the "haves" and the "have nots".
There are a very limited number of "haves" so they can dictate their terms to contractors who are now hanging on by a thread. After all, how many WalMart "have nots" can afford a $20,000 bath reno, or a $40,000 kitchen reno?


----------



## fast fred (Sep 26, 2008)

Mr. KC just said it best.

I can't belive I just read through all this (most of it) instead of doing change orders for a job I'm doing right now. Oh-well.

Hustle hustle hustle. I've never hustled so hard in my life the past two plus years. Hobbies, fun, and goofing off have all fallen by the wayside. The result is I hope the phone doesn't ring. I hope that this guy doesn't call me and tell me I got the $75,000.00 renovation job I bid on. I want the job, but time constraints that come with it the job aren't going to work since i'm booked out till christmas. How do you turn down a job over timing?

My life is far from perfect and when oct 2008 hit I got smacked across the face and it wasn't pretty. Instead of sitting at home wondering what to do next I decided after 15 years of f***king off and working for other people it was time to step up to the plate. 

I now have the ability to tell me people that I'll get back to them in a month with an estimate. I can charge high prices. On an on. It all comes with a price and that price is the phone ringing on a sunday afternoon, making house calls at 7pm, and bending over backwards for the customer.

To blame the government, the economy, low ballers, hacks, on an on are all just excuses.


----------



## Starvin Marvin (Aug 20, 2011)

fast fred said:


> Mr. KC just said it best.
> 
> I can't belive I just read through all this (most of it) instead of doing change orders for a job I'm doing right now. Oh-well.
> 
> ...


Your post is kinda good news/bad news for me. Good news is that I've been thinking of moving back to Colorado next year, and the fact that you're busy is good news.

Bad news is that you're in Summit County and you have to "hustle". When I was out there (left in 2003), that place was crazy. I actually lived down below, and would have customers begging me to go up there to work on their ski house. It was impossible to get anybody to do small remodeling projects at that time.

Do you know how things are down in Denver and the surrounding area?
I know there are a couple of high-end established guys on the forum that seem to be doing well, but not sure if this would be a good time to pack up and start fresh again out there.


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

TimNJ said:


> Yeah remember growing up when all those no good lazy union members (probably your parents) in the 50's and 60's were making a descent middle class salary and actually spending money on houses, cars, vacations, etc.
> Fast forward to today and we have the "haves" and the "have nots".
> There are a very limited number of "haves" so they can dictate their terms to contractors who are now hanging on by a thread. After all, how many WalMart "have nots" can afford a $20,000 bath reno, or a $40,000 kitchen reno?


I agree, now throw in gas prices and driving to work to your $8hr job. :no:

When I was about 20-21ish my uncle invited us up to his new house to visit, he was probably a little over 60 at the time. He kinda chewed me out for not having a high paying job like he did when he was 18. His dad worked for a large world wide company that made car parts. When he turned 18 his dad got him in. Not to mention it was all union. He was forced into early retirement with a big fat check when the company went bankrupt in 2006. He acted like I was a piece of white trash for not having a well paying job like he had. 

My sister and a friend are working at the local hospital as a nurses aid. I guess they need another guy. He said you start out a little over $10hr. Just to compare my uncle above started out at $17hr back in the 60s and that was with full training at the factory making molds. You guys can call me stupid all you want but theres no way you can can say it isnt that bad. Its worse in some areas. My area is bad, michigan was just about all auto jobs. Factories made car parts or made parts for factories that made car parts. Just about everything revolved around the auto industry. Then on top of that this area is on lake michigan and had alot of agriculture. Cheap farm land by lake michigan in the building boom meant millions of new houses. In the farm papers they said michigan was loosing like 10,000 acres a day to housing projects. Theres just so many guys here looking for work its stupid but alot of gone now so thing are settling down. There wont be work like there was but it looks like most guys that were fighting for work have gone. 




fast fred said:


> Mr. KC just said it best.
> 
> To blame the government, the economy, low ballers, hacks, on an on are all just excuses.


I agree somewhat, gov, economy, ect, have had a impact on our line of work. But there is work out there if you can find your place. I know farmers who are about to go under and I know some who are rolling in the money. There isnt work like there was, you just have to find where you fit in.


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

TimNJ said:


> Yeah remember growing up when all those no good lazy union members (probably your parents) in the 50's and 60's were making a descent middle class salary and actually spending money on houses, cars, vacations, etc.


Yeah, I remember those old days. What I remember is this former country had an export economy of manufactured goods which brought in money from all other countries and spending it here in bigger houses and cars and all the jobs here that entailed.

However, demographics took over. Us boomers didn't do very well in a lot of things. The combination of demographics, technological change, and leftist ideology combined to not only make the snowball at the top of the hill, but give it a swift kick and cheer all the while it rolls down, getting bigger and bigger, destroying all in its way.

WTF did I just say? Unions were affordable because of the export market for our manufactured goods.
That no longer exists, so money coming in isn't there.
And 'we' welcome and give money/housing/health care/legal services/social services/etc. to anyone and everyone sneaking into this country.
And I've not even mentioned the environmental types of us clueless, affluent boomers. 

So what does all this mean?
Unions are dead. I used to be a straight party (democrat) pro union voter. No mas cabron. Ask anyone living in, say MI's area of UAW dominance and resulting decay how unions are. Oh, and how the fat cat union leaders back the very party that kills them. The difference between democrat and conservative ideologies is democrat ideology tries to keep a sinking boat afloat with the bodies of others--conservatives let people be free to adjust their life to the ways of the market--albiet, a political economy. :sad:


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Starvin Marvin said:


> Bad news is that you're in Summit County and you have to "hustle".


The whole vail valley is high end work as you know. 
But also as you know--or I presume can figure out--one has to be very high end specialized to be in demand in places like that. The mountains are almost all mexicans, making denver look like, well I dunno--kentucky?

Denver also. If you're a high end guy that can command serious money, then you will get work. If you don't work with very wealthy people that will only accept/can be sold, good luck.



> When I was out there (left in 2003), that place was crazy. I actually lived down below, and would have customers begging me to go up there to work on their ski house. It was impossible to get anybody to do small remodeling projects at that time.


 I wonder why? Used to be during 'remod season' in the mountains, one could go up there and make money. That ended about 10 years ago and has only gotten worse. Now the only people that can 'make wages' up there are mexicans that either camp out in the national forests or live with a dozen other mexicans in trailers/apts.


----------



## Starvin Marvin (Aug 20, 2011)

CO762 said:


> The whole vail valley is high end work as you know.
> But also as you know--or I presume can figure out--one has to be very high end specialized to be in demand in places like that. The mountains are almost all mexicans, making denver look like, well I dunno--kentucky?
> 
> Denver also. If you're a high end guy that can command serious money, then you will get work. If you don't work with very wealthy people that will only accept/can be sold, good luck.
> ...


I never really got into the super high end stuff. The places I worked on were in towns like Frisco. Mostly people that had bought little ski "cabins" 20+ years ago, and were looking to update them a bit.

I would have thought all the mexicans would have packed up and left by now. I remember them as being mostly production workers, and not into remodeling. Guess things changed.

I have friends down in Colorado Springs, and they have told me that you see mostly white guys mowing lawns now. I guess all their mexcans went up into the mountains!


----------



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

CO762 said:


> Yeah, I remember those old days. What I remember is this former country had an export economy of manufactured goods which brought in money from all other countries and spending it here in bigger houses and cars and all the jobs here that entailed.


 I tend to disagree. We didn't actually have that much of an export economy back then. What we did have was a NON-import economy. People here bought what was made here.
Funny that while all the unions were taking all the money away from businesses, their rank and file were still buying. Once you keep laying off and cutting salaries how can you expect people to buy the products you produce. Of course they can't so you totally shut down production and send it off shore for pennies on the dollar. The trouble is that sure the cost went down but proportionately everybody's salary went down too so you really didn't increase sales by shifting production out of the country for a cheaper cost.


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Starvin Marvin,
Oh, you're the first two exits after the tunnel?  Yeah, those are longer term....partiers mostly. Or was that breck?

The mexicans will never leave this country as this country gives them all they need. There is no social services, etc. in mexico. Mexicans deserve to have a better country than they have.

The springs is a conservative military town. If there's a big job down there, mexicans will drive down from denver. I was working on a job there that the mexicans were protesting the US, so their radio stations all told them to not work that day. I farking LOVED it--along with other americans. For once, there was enough parking. :thumbup:


----------



## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

TimNJ said:


> I tend to disagree. We didn't actually have that much of an export economy back then. What we did have was a NON-import economy. People here bought what was made here.


I'll buy that....partly. We didn't hit a negative trade balances until 1971.
It would be interesting to find out what we were importing then vs. exporting. I know oil is counted as an imported item, but a lot of oil here is used to produce energy to make/move manufactured goods.



> Funny that while all the unions were taking all the money away from businesses, their rank and file were still buying.


The unions became the workers own worst enemy as they didn't reward competence, efficiency, etc. Unions put their workers' job security first and foremost, even if it kills the employer in the process. UAW is a wonderful example. There's no way to justify the hourly pay and benefits, retirement and health care packages assembly line UAW workers get. This is one of the major reasons why vehicles are so darned expensive relative to workers' wages. So the door is open for less expensive goods to flow in. At first, they were crap, but they got better and better and more and more people bought them.

Manufacturing costs stayed high in the US due to unions, unlike in non-union facilities. Higher costs lead to higher prices, which leads people to shop elsewhere.



> The trouble is that sure the cost went down but proportionately everybody's salary went down too so you really didn't increase sales by shifting production out of the country for a cheaper cost.


I agree with that, but there are a LOT of reasons manufacturing has moved out of this country, labor prices being just one of them. And don't forget the importation of labor that have been gradually becoming more skilled in the trades. Same thing with manufacturing, especially when it's minimal skilled like assembly line work. throw in warehouse, trucking, etc. and there's a whole lot of downward pressure on the wages of the working american man and woman. 
Irony of irony, the democrat party is about as pro illegal immigration as one can be...and the only party the unions support is the democrat party. 

Union leaders are out of touch with their charges, just like DC politicians are. I say fire all of them.


----------



## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

fast fred said:


> Mr. KC just said it best.
> 
> I can't belive I just read through all this (most of it) instead of doing change orders for a job I'm doing right now. Oh-well.
> 
> ...


This is pretty much how my days are right now. I whine a bit at being busy, but I don't complain, much anyway. :laughing: It is much better than the year and a half I was unemployed. I too decided to grab my bootstraps and pull hard. I have gone from hanging on the couch all day to getting in at 8-9 pm and working through the weekends. The only money I have time to spend is for my different jobs and grabbing cold drinks on the way from one place to another. 

I've recently decided to get very Zen about things. Early this week I was getting all frustrated with not being able to get to one job because of another job. I suddenly realized that I prefer that problem to the alternative. I still feel bad about not being able to be at all places at all times, but I am trying not to focus on that. I can only do what I can do. I have begun to get things more streamlined so I can get to one place or another and get started at a run instead of fumbling about trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing there.

These are problems I enjoy. :thumbsup:


----------



## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

VinylHanger said:


> This is pretty much how my days are right now. I whine a bit at being busy, but I don't complain, much anyway. :laughing: It is much better than the year and a half I was unemployed. I too decided to grab my bootstraps and pull hard. I have gone from hanging on the couch all day to getting in at 8-9 pm and working through the weekends. The only money I have time to spend is for my different jobs and grabbing cold drinks on the way from one place to another.
> 
> I've recently decided to get very Zen about things. Early this week I was getting all frustrated with not being able to get to one job because of another job. I suddenly realized that I prefer that problem to the alternative. I still feel bad about not being able to be at all places at all times, but I am trying not to focus on that. I can only do what I can do. I have begun to get things more streamlined so I can get to one place or another and get started at a run instead of fumbling about trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing there.
> 
> These are problems I enjoy. :thumbsup:



the Zen reference strikes a chord with me. I have been going from one job to the next to the next to the next to the next.

you used to be able to EAT off my truck,inside and out--- but not now.- I just keep cramming more and more stuff in there at the end of the day-and hauling it on to the next job-never fully unpacking stuff because I am going to need it 2-3 days down the road. I used to know EXACTLY what was with me on the truck- now it's just just a vague idea. I am a hyper organized person- but I feel things are slipping through the cracks just a tiny bit and not run quite as smooth as they used to be.

stephen


----------



## Michaeljp86 (Apr 10, 2007)

Stephen H said:


> the Zen reference strikes a chord with me. I have been going from one job to the next to the next to the next to the next.
> 
> you used to be able to EAT off my truck,inside and out--- but not now.- I just keep cramming more and more stuff in there at the end of the day-and hauling it on to the next job-never fully unpacking stuff because I am going to need it 2-3 days down the road. I used to know EXACTLY what was with me on the truck- now it's just just a vague idea. I am a hyper organized person- but I feel things are slipping through the cracks just a tiny bit and not run quite as smooth as they used to be.
> 
> stephen


Sounds like my dad with his rentals. The back seat of his extended cab truck is packed and the trunk of his buick has about 2000lbs of stuff in it. Problem is some of its mine and when I cant find it I know where it went.


----------



## CJConner (Jul 31, 2011)

*Work Available*

If you are in Southern California, go to www.abriza.com and register. They give you work not leads! Try it!


----------



## rosethornva (Aug 15, 2010)

kcremodeling said:


> It's all about the internet now. Just like Rose mentioned, craigslist can even drum up some work.



That's me! That's me! 

I love being quoted! 

In the late 80s and early 90s, we had an appliance repair business in Portsmouth, Virginia and we paid $700 a month for an "dollar-bill size" ad in the yellow pages. (And that was real money back then!) 

It was just the cost of doing business. Everytime the phone rang, I asked the caller, "How did you hear about us?" and the yellow page ads were right behind referrals. 

They brought in a lot of business. 

If I still had that appliance repair business, I'd be spending that same ad budget on building up traffic at my website. 

Facebook is also a POWERFUL media. Facebook is bringing 200+ views PER DAY to my website, and one golden day, it brought in 500 views in ONE day. 

But you can't just put up a blog about your business. You have to offer people something they WANT and/or NEED to read. Lots of pictures, perhaps a few tutorials on something super simple. 

Rose
http://www.searshomes.org/index.php/2011/11/27/is-my-house-a-sears-house-the-nine-easy-signs-2/


----------



## Zendik (Sep 18, 2005)

I've had the pleasure of watching a lot of commercial drywall companies here go under. Most were hacks which made for the pleasure.

Almost time for me to make my move.


----------



## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Hmmmmm, doing work for a large bank or someone in charge of a large bank. Oh i would take that job in an instant! Oh the fines, fee's and penalties i could come up with :whistling! 

I did a service call for a local bank a couple yrs ago for a bad light bulb. I charged them for a service call and a minimum 1 hrs labor so the bill came to around $125.00. The manager who called me is a friend of my wife and i have known her for 25yrs myself so i did not let it bother me too much when i did not see a payment too quick. Meanwhile i had a truck financed through this bank and i had fallen behind on payments, i had also forgotten all about the bill owed to me and over a yr had gone by. I got the normal harassing phone calls and eventually i got some money together to catch up on payments so i made an appointment to pay in person to the fella i had been dealing with. When i arrived i asked him about dropping the $100 a month late fee's which there were three of. He said absolutely not and that is business. So i pulled out the latest copy of the bill owed by this bank that i had tacked on $32 a month late fee's for all the months owed. The bill came to just under $600.00 with the late fee's i applied. He went right to the owner of the bank who came in and apologized to me for the negligence of the bank and offered to drop their fee's if i would drop mine :laughing:. He then stated that how can he charge me fee's when it was his own business that was negligent in paying their own bill on time causing my late payments. I thanked him, dropped my fee's and paid my payments.

But i big bank??? I would love to find some way to rape them on a bill. It would like doing work for a large gas company. 1st thing i would tell them is China has a large demand for copper, it going to cost 3 times as much for wire due to that demand. :thumbsup:


----------



## fast fred (Sep 26, 2008)

forgot about this thread

yeah, an update and a couple things to keep in mind

the county I live in the average single family home is $600,000.00

Right now there are probably 20 million dollar plus homes being built in the general area. The crews range from white boys to mexicans. Most of the crews are small 3-5 guys for framing, the time frame to build is slow. Opposite of what it was a couple years ago. Just because people are of hispanic backround doesn't make them illegal.

Back to the 600,000 average home price. Cost of living???? A one bedroom or studio starts at $1000.00 per month, garage no chance This fall I went with my dad to pick up a pizza a side dish and six pack of beer. He gave me some money and I told him gimme more, he couldn't belive it. That tab (take out mind you) was $45.00.

The other option is to work here and drive 60 miles a day each way from the front range or a cheeper place in the mountains. Add up the gas costs. Many people do this.

My winter between summit and eagle counties is looking pretty good. The summer will be off the hook. Others will tell you that they are struggling and some of the labor rates they quote are very low. But they are desperate.

Come april it will have been two years of balls to the wall work. I found my niche and have gone with it. Would I love to be doing something else? Timber work, log work, framing yes? But I'm better at remodeling, handyman work, and assorted bs work. Plus I can make alot more doing that kind of stuff, pre 2008 guys (myself included) were getting 24 sq ft to frame side and deck a house. you'd be lucky to see 14 sq these days. Many of your eyeballs are probaby popping out of your head right now, this isn't track home work. Imagine steel, 30 hrs of crane time, full cut roofs, 40 windows, tower cranes, 4-6 different siding styles, 15 or more different sections of roof, multiple levels, five or more baths, timber or log work, fireplaces, lots of backing, blocking, etc 2000 sq ft of decks, it aint' alot of money. 8 hr days with five guys shoveling out a house after a snowstorm and top wages to your help. That money is gone quick.

I was just lucky enough to make a random decision at age 22 to live here. Moving here and starting over later in life isn't easy. 

My customers are savy, wealthy, and great people, and are willing to pay if you can prove that your not an idiot. This means immediate reference lists handed to them, stablity in the community, and proof of licensing from the local towns.

Some of the people I have delt with are that top 1%. I'm not going to kiss and tell but private jets, large sums of money, and the desire for the best is what they want. My favorite is when I can drive by a certain airport and see a certain jet and know that so and so is in town. A very well known name yet a low key guy.


----------



## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

I have been much busier than usual...thought my winter will be DEAD...like DEAD DEAD...starting 15th of november I will have no calls and that will be that.

Somehow ended up in big black for December then finished my last job last week and thought: "Ok,Now I am out of work"

Recieved 6 calls for estimates today...


----------

