Blog Post 1 - Learning from experts

Because this is my first blog and I am new to BP, I figured I should torture you with a little background first. I am a middle aged CURMUDGEON. What is a curmudgeon you ask?

curmudgeon

kərˈməjən/

noun

noun: curmudgeon; plural noun: curmudgeons

1. a bad-tempered or surly person.

I am very happily married and have 2 wonderful sons. My wife calls me a curmudgeon all the time, not because I am bad-tempered or surly. It is more that I am a pessimist and have a tendency to consider what could go wrong in every scenario, instead of looking at what could go right.

I grew up in California 1960s and 70s in a house full of kids (I had five siblings and all their friends always hung out at our place). The house could be described as a fixer upper in today's terms, but in reality it was a money pit. My mom wanted a classic Victorian and what she got was a 200 year old wreck that needed 3 times as much money put into it than what my parents paid for it. 

I was the problem child. I was the weirdo. I was introverted but loud (how is that possible), and always causing trouble. My siblings and their friends wanted nothing to do with me most of the time. My dad left when I was still a kid, so I always latched onto the endless stream of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, etc that came into the house over the years to help slow the steady deterioration of the money pit. I didn't just watch them, I asked them an unending series of questions. I was very lucky in that they were all very patient. That old house had knob and tube wiring, galvanized pipes and lead paint (obvious from my demeanor) and a zillion other issues. To top it off, there were always tons of out of control kids accelerating the depreciation of every fixture and system in the place. It was like Summer camp every day of the year but with no supervision. When my dad left, my mom decided to go to law school. I think she did it just to get out of the house. My mom's parenting style is best described as free range (we were feral but house broken), and in all honesty, it worked well in the end. My siblings and I all turned out to be quite successful in life with good marriages and happy kids.

What I learned over those years from all those tradesmen coming and going, was that there were easier ways of doing things if one could just observe these experts. I had no idea that the skills I learned from these guys, and later from my step-dad, would sure come in handy later in life.

I have put those skills to use over the past 30 plus years fixing up my own homes and later fixing up investment properties.  In my blog, I hope to share some of things that I have learned along the way:

So my first tip is LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS. 

Okay, so some of you are probably already experts and are here sharing you own tips. But for those that are not, don't try to do everything on your own or learn it from the internet. The next time you need a plumber, call one and then pay attention. When that plumber arrives, (I am using a plumber as an example because I really like plumbers), don't let him crawl under your sink by himself while you just disappear back into your phone or computer screen. Sit down on the floor and check out what he is doing under there. He has got a special wrench that can reach up underneath the sink and turn those fittings that you can't reach with a regular pipe wrench, for example.  He uses special putty and tape to make those fittings leak proof. You can learn all kinds of things from him if you pay attention and ask questions. Most guys (and gals) in the trades are pretty cool about answering your questions if your aren't super obnoxious about it. 

As a kid I learned the names of lots of the tools and how they were used. Later I learned about the different systems in a house and their functions. In plumbing, it was the water supply (cold and hot), waste lines, and the mysterious waste vent system that never gets much press but is vital to the plumbing system. I learned about copper piping. I learned how to sweat joints using a "blow torch" which was cool for a 12 year old. Later in life, I learned about PEX and how it is now replacing copper in a lot of applications. I learned not just from plumbers, but from all the tradesmen. Although I do most of my own repairs on our properties now, I still learn something anytime I have to hire an expert. It really helps out if, when I go to pay the bill, I have learned something so that I can handle it myself the next time. Although, as I get older (and creakier, and crankier), I am definitely finding I am hiring more tradesmen and doing less of the heavy lifting myself anymore.

I could go on and on all day, but the important thing I am trying to get across in this first blog post is, you don't need to figure everything our by yourself or from YouTube. Although YouTube is great, it can't answer questions or give feedback. Plus, if you are already paying that electrician, plumber, painter, HVAC tech, landscaper, concrete finisher, carpenter, decking and fence guy, or whoever, for their expertise, learn from them, ask them all kinds of questions. Most of these guys and gals have put in years learning the tips and tricks of the trade. You paid for their experience and if you are curious, most of them would be happy to show off how much they know. They will likely tell you, if you ask, for no other reason than to prove why you needed them there in the first place. They know more than you do.

If you pay attention and ask questions, every time you hire a tradesman, eventually you may begin to understand how they make it all look so easy.

BONUS TIP - how to get a great education in the trades by just donating your time. Volunteer to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity. I believe that helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity should be a requirement for anyone getting into fixing up houses. They match up skilled tradesmen with volunteers and together they build a house from the ground up. It is nothing short of awesome! I would have gladly paid for the opportunity. I learned about everything from the foundation to the roof and everything in between. And then, when it is all finished, the house goes to a deserving family. After that experience, you will be able to understand not only all the systems in a house, but what they look like lurking inside those walls. You might also learn another reason why real estate is such a great opportunity, beyond just the wealth building aspect. The keys go into the hands of the family and they walk inside and you realize that you helped to build them a home.

I hope you enjoyed my first blog post. I plan to follow it with some of the tips I learned from these experts in the trades. I also hope to pass on some of the financial management techniques that my wife and I used over our nearly 30 years of marriage, that have allowed us to live a truly amazing life.

Be grateful, be kind, be generous!