All Forum Posts by: Rogers Smith

@Grace Sunshine If the property is in St. Tammany Parish, you will still need Parish blessing before you can sell or build on the previously subdivided property. I ran into this, and Parish held up on building permits before I satisfied their request. This was for a square that was subdivided in the early 1900s.

@James Petty I've uploaded a spreadsheet version of a SmartSheet file I use for spec homes. It is located in BP's FilePlace. Good luck.

Boy this is an old thread, but being a builder/contractor, I thought I'd add my two cents. To begin @Joshua Dorkin were you looking for a contractor or a sub contractor? That is, I am a contractor who builds houses, while the plumber I use is a sub contractor who plumbs those houses. As a full-time spec builder, I keep my subs quite busy. Most of them will not even consider taking on rehab work or smaller jobs simply because the new construction I provide and that from other contractors/builders fills their plates.

On another issue, dealing with subs is a pain in the ***. As several have pointed out in earlier posts, most subs are laborers who have set out on their own. Some make the transition better than others, but rarely will I find a sub sporting an Ivy League degree and breeding. These guys work hard, but are trades first and business people second.

Dealing with them, at first, was a bit of a culture shock, coming from a banking and management consulting background. I know I sound like a snob, but it was simply a matter of adjusting my interpersonal communication skills. If you talk down to subs, or deliver your professional expectations the same way you would your accountant, you are going to have a hard time finding good subs. Likewise, if you cannot provide steady work, or needle them constantly about schedules, you'll be left with the subs you don't want.

I spent roughly 6 months in Jamaica on a consulting project in an earlier life. The Jamaicans had the saying "soon come" when asked of the timing for completion of a task. I was awed by how casual they could be in terms of time management. Since shifting my career to construction, I find often subs abide by the same time management principles. In the end, you can be patient and accept "soon come" (within reason), or you can be pissed off and live a miserable life. I chose the former.

Good luck.

@Toby Hyatt I generally go to the courthouse to find owner info. In my area the Clerk of Court office with have title history info, and the Tax Assessor's office with have name of current owner and address of the lot. There you may also be able to check zoning to ensure it's zoned MF. 

@Aaron Valure that's strange. Just looked at my settings and email address is right there on profile grogerssmith4 at gmail. Did you get this @Jonathan Rolfs?

Welcome @Aaron Valure from the Northshore. LA is not overly represented here so it's nice hearing from another coonass. Good luck in your ventures!

@Jeff B. that made me laugh! I like the example. But a good builder on the right lot can start out with 20-25% equity. Yes, the builder would forgo the opportunity cost of building for himself, but the rents from a brand new property may be worth it. I'll keep you updated.

@Rick M. that is precisely my strategy, although I will be building SFHs. My key factor is finding reasonable lots for sale, although I thing I have found several promising developments.  If you are a builder, this can certainly be a prudent strategy, given the right market.

Hi @Courtney Spiers. My wife and I vacation in Pensacola, and are considering a vacation rental there. It is a short 3.5 hour drive from our home. Because of the Pensacola having both a metro area and a beach, your investing could go either short or long term there. Especially considering your experience investing in a military town, long term rentals may be the way to go because of the Naval Air Station Pensacola located nearby. 

Gotcha @Mindy Jensen. Thanks for the input. I've been voting and receiving some, but did not know quite why.