Maybe We Should Just Have a Drink...

What If I Just Hired a Bunch of Monkeys Instead?

Friday, January 11

OK, I bought eight single family homes in 2018. All of them are in the Chicago suburbs. I oversaw the rehabs on all of them. I tried a variety of different contractors, general contractors, handymen, professionally licensed individuals, and more.It all turned out OK. But...I did not grow up, nor ...

VIDEO TOUR: The Completed Gut Rehab

Thursday, November 03

I've written a few blog posts digging into costs and expectations around a recent rehab I was the General Contractor on this past summer. I've been kept really busy as a Realtor in the time since, but finally edited the video tour of the finished home. If you are looking for an investment partner...

How Long Does It Take And How Much Should You Pay? Part 2

Thursday, September 29

I wrote last month about the expense of removing wall-to-wall carpeting from a property and offered some food for thought on how much you should pay to have that task done -- or whether you should even consider just doing it yourself. You can read that blog here: How Long Does It Take And How Muc...

How Long Does It Take And How Much Should You Pay? Part 1

Thursday, August 25

I hired a crew to do some demo work before the almost-total-gut rehab on my just finished project in Homewood, IL. But before I set them loose in the house, I wanted to actually time myself doing some of that demo work, so I would know how long it should take -- and whether or not the contractor ...

How I Learned to Re-Finish Hardwood Stairs, the Easy Way...

Monday, August 01

Maybe We Should Just Have A Drink Instead...Continuing the saga: I removed some really ripped up and badly worn carpeting from three half-flights of interior stairs in the house I’m rehabbing. Underneath I found original hardwood that I felt would look incredible if refinished to a nice shine. No...