All Forum Posts by: James Pearson

That all sounds quite insane actually.  I believe that whole job could be done for about half that price.  Maybe I should start a traveling construction company to Florida!!!  I have done bigger jobs for half the price.  

Texas has done it right.  Property taxes are high, but you pay zero state income tax if you live in state.  Which translates to it's good for instate investors, bad for out of state.  This keeps the money in Texas.  Pretty good for Texans.

There should not be asbestos in the glue or thinset of flooring.  I have heard of a few linoleum that used it, but it's pretty rare.  To answer your question about removing all the glue, yes you should.   Any remaining glue can keep the tile from being installed correctly and bonding well.  You could find yourself redoing jobs and costing time and money if you do not.  If its a small job, you can rent an air hammer/chisel and put in some sweat to get it all up.  Larger jobs there are machines you can rent.  Do it right the first time.  Why chance it?

This painting cabinets is market specific.  Its beginning to hit the N Texas area.  As a cabinet maker and someone who does remodels and rehabs, I hate it.  It's a ton of work.  I have lowered my new cabinet pricing but people still want painted.  It's a fad I think.  Classic wood stained cabinets will always have a place in real estate.  It's fairly easy to give cabinets a face lift.  Once you paint them, forget about changing back.  You will always be painting them.  Sometimes new doors are the best option.  Depends on how well the previous cabinets were made and taken care of.  I think it's really a case by case basis.

From a landscaper point of view, its garbage.   There are much better areas you can spend your money on that are good for the ground.  That stuff never decomposes and looks like crap.  Its good for commercial applications and playgrounds.  

I am curious what specific issues you are having in this area as well.  DFW has a ton of General Contractors, finding one that is right for you may be the challenge.  This can be a very budget minded area, and many that want to do add-ons are not realistic with a proper budget if they want it done properly.  I do General Contracting and have done a few add ons, will be happy to answer any question you may have.

Hello Bigger Pockets,

My name is James Pearson.  I am a 33 year old military veteran and I own a small construction business in Texoma.  I have been lurking here on an off for about 6 months and thought I would finally take the time to introduce myself.  I suppose you could say I am new to real estate investing and all that entails, but I don't consider myself a complete newbie.  I found myself on this site after researching a company a dear friend of mine invested in called Fortune Builders, and this site was one of the first returns when searching for reviews.  No need to get into all that here, but it's what landed me here and I was impressed with what I read.

My goals here are simply yet thorough, learn and network with like-minded people.  My experience in rei is working a few deals with my parents, as well as owning a small construction company.  My company is fairly new, a little over 1 year old.  I mainly work in woodworking, as that is where my passion is, but it's really more of a hobby.  I would like to become a true investor one day, and do all facets of real estate, mainly through rentals and flips, and owning and building my construction side is where I chose to start.  I don't have the time or patience to start with wholesaling, and don't have the funds and credit to start by purchasing, so the construction and renovating side makes sense.  I look to learn from both other contractors as well as investors, and hope to make some connections moving forward that will help me attain my goals.  

My girlfriend is working towards attaining her real estate license now which will hopefully leap our dreams of being real estate investors into a reality.  We currently own a home and look to lease that out in the future and find a fixer upper to move into and repeat that idea every couple years.  

A little more about me:  I am also working towards another passion of mine and becoming a certified personal trainer as well as taking a few classes to finish my bachelors degree.  I am taking a wide range of classes such as construction safety, finance, web page development and a nutrition class.  I work very hard, put in lots of hours, and dont sleep a ton.  I have always been successful in the past, but I'm really starting a new chapter in my life and I know it will take a lot of hard work and dedication.  I am an open book as well as a very receptive person, as well as patient and deliberate.  Any questions or advise please feel free.