All Forum Posts by: Rogers Smith

Get after it @Eric Robinson. Spec houses are incredibly rewarding. You put together an idea, hire the right subs, pick out the right fixtures, build it, and someone buys the house for more than you have in it. Lots of fun!

@Michael P. yes, I would like to "blast away" but my lender requires exterior doors and windows for my next draw. And yes, vinyl windows are great. 

Thank you @Michael P. Keep in mind, the plumbing topout includes the cost of the tubs, water heaters, and other rough fixtures. The total plumbing bill I expect is around $12-15k for a 3 bath 2,500 sf house with master bath rain head, two shower heads, hand-held,, two tankless water heaters, kitchen with pot filler, etc. What are you paying in your market?

It's now in the fileplace. The formulas did not carry over from the SmartSheet file, but it is easy to add. The plugged info in the spread is from a past spec house. Simply replace the dates and other data with your own project. Cheers.

Thanks @Bob Okenwa I'll give it a shot.

@Brent Causey great job on your first flip. Nice seeing a fellow Louisianian in the BP news. 

As a home builder I have developed a spreadsheet that helps manage my build schedules and control costs. I maintain the spreadsheet in SmartSheet so I can track it on my iPhone as well as on my PC. I've shared the spreadsheet with a few BPers, and lately I am having more and more requests for it. I don't mind sharing it with others interested in construction, but I will need a little help in uploading it to BP. Is there an area I can upload it to and how? I have converted it from SmartSheet to Excel, so anyone with MSOffice can use it. The formulas did not convert, but they are pretty intuitive.

Are there any savvy BPers out there who can assist in uploading?

Within the BP forums I've often seen the terms real estate development and real estate construction used interchangeably. In my neck of the woods, residential real estate development specifically means developing a subdivision out of raw land. Residential construction specifically means building a building.

In my profession, I am a home builder/residential general contractor. I hire all the subcontractors needed to build a house, and I get it built. I would not be considered a developer. In fact, I buy my lots from developers.

Has anyone else noticed this dichotomy, or is my market simply different?

I noticed this thread has gotten a bit off topic, but all I can say to @Marcin Chojnacki is nice work! If a property sells in one day, it can mean a lot of things. But most often it means the agent did a lot of work on the front end. Our standard practice is to engage our agent before the project starts, and yes, put the sign in the front yard on day 1, before we even break ground.

As a general contractor, my job is to hire experts in their individual fields of expertise. I hire a framer to frame, a plumber to plumb, a painter to paint, and a realtor to sell. I suck at selling, so I rely on a sales professional to do it for me. Rarely do we have a house not sell before completion. Some may say they are priced to low, others may provide various bits of advise. But I'm all for the quick sale at a good profit. Bird in the hand...

@James L. yeah, maybe we'll start a "Build & Hold trend here on BP!