| Building a house (or lots of them) seems to be an area | | | | we are both profitable and successful is that we keep |
| of knowledge that is kept secret (insiders only), with | | | | abreast to new technology and want our buyers and |
| clients kept in the dark and fed on expensive "cow | | | | developers want in their homes.Question 3.Is it |
| dung."A while ago I asked my US readers of my | | | | reasonable for us to ask our builder to identify his |
| e-book, "Residential Development Made Easy" for | | | | subcontractors and allow us to talk with the primary |
| questions they would like to ask a Master Builder.I | | | | subs before we contract (and after)? Master Builder |
| found a unique individual, Leonard Manion, who has | | | | RepliesIt is reasonable, however, not very realistic. |
| been very generous with his time (he builds in 48 | | | | Subs come in and out of a job site. If one is not |
| States) who gives answers straight from the shoulder | | | | available another one is called in.Instead, you may want |
| with apologises to no one.I must also say that few | | | | to concentrate on ensuring the builder has the proper |
| builders would spend the time to cater to these | | | | permits and insurance for building. Especially for |
| questions and answer so frankly.Leonard answers are | | | | workman's comp and for liability.What few people |
| denoted by the ProCustom Home tag. I have kept the | | | | realize is that they can be held accountable if the |
| questioner's identity private, however the answer has | | | | builder doesn't have the correct insurance. Let's say |
| been send to them by email.Question 1.My wife and I | | | | that a child comes on to the site after the builder has |
| are planning a new small retirement home. We have in | | | | left. Decides to climb to the roof and jump. Guess |
| mind a couple of builders in this area, and I plan on | | | | who's liable? Check the references of others he's built |
| asking him these questions.My wife is very adept at | | | | for.Question 4.What do you, as the builder, expect the |
| planning and researching. Under what circumstances | | | | homeowner to do (other than to pay you as and |
| do you recommend we hire an architect? and Why or | | | | when agreed). Master Builder RepliesAs the builder, we |
| why not? (This is not a loaded question. I am not an | | | | expect the home buyer to be reasonable and realistic |
| architect and neither is my brother-in-law. We would | | | | in their expectations. We have made is easy as |
| prefer to build without hiring an architect.)Master Builder | | | | possible to work with us. We can provide financing |
| RepliesThis would depend upon your budget. Some | | | | required.We can provide the Realtor to assist you to |
| architects charge as much as 10% of the budget of a | | | | finding the ideal location. We can tell you the appraised |
| home to do the plans. We don't like to place our clients | | | | value. And, we can help you find an Interior Designer to |
| into a position of hiring an architect until they really need | | | | help you come up with a visual floor plan.The biggest |
| one.First, the loan, then the land, then the architect. In | | | | problems that most builders run into is when the home |
| our case, we have in-house architects and structural | | | | buyer to either change what has been agreed to or is |
| engineers. We recommend our clients to hire a Interior | | | | unrealistic in what they want. This is why we have our |
| Designer (ASID) and have them work with you to | | | | home buyers sit down with an Interior Designer.The |
| design the floor plan which is uniquely suited for how | | | | ASID can sit down with you and help you visualize |
| you and your family use space and the style you | | | | exactly what you want and help you make any |
| like.Armed with the floor plan you would then send it to | | | | compromises you may have to make.It is very |
| us and we would create your architect blueprints from | | | | expensive for to make changes. Let's say that you |
| it. Blueprints are part of the quote we provide our | | | | wanted a 17x20 kitchen. Sounds like a big kitchen. |
| clients. This way they don't have sticker shock from a | | | | Probably too big. However, once the cabinets and |
| local architect.Question 2.How much price and quality | | | | appliances start coming in you realize that it's too small |
| research re materials can we expect our builder to do | | | | and want the kitchen to be bigger.This may cost you |
| or to have done?Master Builder RepliesThis depends | | | | an extra $50k to make those changes. You can save |
| upon the builder you hire. For the most part, you can't | | | | yourself a small fortune by first working with ASID on |
| expect too much. Most builders work in their comfort | | | | floor space, storage, placement, design, and style.Colm |
| zone. With materials they're used to working with. | | | | Dillon, $1.2 Billion Developer & Author of "Residential |
| They usually won't try something else unless insisted | | | | Development Made Easy," The Only E-book In The |
| upon by the home buyer or developer. And, then they | | | | World That Teaches 'Individuals' How To Develop |
| usually hire an outside source to do this.In our case, we | | | | Residential Real Estate, Has Readers In All US States |
| use current technology and one of the reasons why | | | | And 83 Other Countries Growing Their Wealth. |