@David C.About once a year, I post about finding some absurd amount of money inside the wall of a foreclosed house or behind a water heater in a dark basement.

Water bills are up 50% to 100%, electric bills are up 33% and gas bills are up 30%, and of course tax bills are up and new bills for new items are created. 

We usually cut a permanent dryer vent in the wall and use that to exhaust it to the outside (instead of hanging a hose out the window, yikes again).If you don't have forced air in a property (meaning if you have hot water radiators) a mini-split system is one of the most cost-effective ways to cool a house.

Our highest bidder, a downtown-based construction GC business, could not tell us what grade of lumber was quoted, would not share what brand of garage doors they used ("local vendors"), would not identify their steel beam and column supplier or water service vendor.

The Oregon Coast is ground zero for regions of the country that will in many ways become more inhabitable as temps rise, water dries and abundance of resources is more critical.

In other words, it's the jerk who doesn't give 24-hour notice to enter the apartment and who is renting out a dump with a broken hot water heater to a tenant with no background check that will have the most problems.Since you're local, you learn how to work with local tenants, property managers and contractors.

For example, an experienced plumber may suggest putting hammer arrestors on a plumbing system, to help alleviate potential water hammer problems (knocking noise) and prolong the life of components/fixtures/appliances, but the local building code may not require them.It would also depend on what you are doing the work for and how the deal #'s pencil out.

In terms of new construction, a couple things to be aware of in San Luis Obispo County are water shortage issues and development fees/taxes which can significantly increase the building costs.SLO city and the neighboring cities are particularly diligent on their water usage, as most of the county's water supply comes from three surface water reservoirs and a groundwater basin.

If you pour a concrete slab here in Tampa, Florida, it will raise your Property Taxes because it is not "permeable" for water drainage.

Next was a warped vinyl floor related to a water leak.