All Forum Posts by: Lynn Currie

@Ronnie McClain heed @Bryan Hancock's warning. Nothing is final with the city until it's done. While you are likely going to be able get the permit without any problems, you never know.

A demo company will not randomly come in and tear down a house without you (or someone else) bringing them in to do it, so there's really no reason for him to not allow you to get your permit. If you feel that he needs it, draw up a document that says that the house won't be demo'd until you have ownership.

If the owner won't let you pull the permit before you close on the house, walk away. There are plenty of opportunities in Austin. 

@Scott Sutherland does this in Austin.

After more than a month of delays because of an error from the engineers, we're back in business!

Video 9: Framing the House

We've started framing. In this video I will discuss the problems that caused a major delay, how it was found, and what we did to remedy the situation.

I'll also go over the items that I'm keeping a close eye on during the initial framing, and the next steps.

It's funny that you ask this question. 

I've become pretty involved in my local RE community and I often find myself glancing around the room and smiling to myself. I think the Austin RE community is actually  more diverse the the city, itself. The desire to succeed seems to me the ultimate diversity tool.

That said, there are certain things that will always be a boys club. So be it. You can't control others, you can control you. In my previous life, this was much more of an obstacle. 

These are the things I know:

• You have to be able to speak the language. This means that you have to be able to talk finances and returns in concrete terms. A lot of women aren't taught this or expected to know it in other jobs. Learn it. It's not that hard. Most women know the concepts, they just don't know the language. The best part is that BP Nation will teach you.
• Other investors respect experience. If you've got the chops, they recognize it. 
• All boats rise together. The smarter your community is, the better you all do. This is an important concept that is lost by a lot of folks, but I believe is the key to making an extremely strong community.
• In real estate, if you can make people money or share real information that helps people achieve their goals, they don't care what gender, color, etc. you are. 
  

@Karen Margrave 

I pay $2 a foot for installation of hardwoods. 

He and his crew do really great work.

[sharing because the spouse never appreciates stories like this] 

My house is a pier and beam, originally built in the 1930s. There was some damage to the subfloor and a few areas where it was a little soft. Instead of just barreling through the job and laying the floor, or insisting that we put plywood on top of the bad floor, thus raising the floor in the kitchen a little higher than the other areas, he had one of my other guys get under the house, and add some support beams under the problem areas. He even walked the entire area and made sure that, if there were places that might squeak, they put extra support under there, too.

@Jon Klaus 

Recently I've been getting my wood flooring at Hardwood Bargains. They've got their own line of flooring that's a great quality, the price is good, and they're easy to work with. 

@Jon Klaus 

$4.99

It's an oiled wood, not a polyurethane finished product, giving it a matte finish.

Here you go, @Karen Margrave .

I love it!

It's Green World Industries Masterpiece II 7.5" Donatello Hickory

@Mike Gennaro 

Did you ever make any progress on this?

@Karen Margrave that tub is sexy. I don't see how you can go wrong with it.

@J Scott I love Carol's wine/coffee bar in the master idea. There is a HUGE problem with that concept though. If I have access to a bathroom, wine, and coffee in my bedroom, I can think of very few reasons to ever leave it.

Except for chocolate. I'd leave for chocolate.

Thanks @Keith Bloemendaal 

We'll have to have a structural engineer involved due to some city regs and hoops. Technically I think an architect is allowed to do it, but I don't know many that will anymore in ATX.