CB, a few contractors here have “project managers” - maybe that is the title appropriate for you? I am in the middle of taking a very demanding course, and I surely wish I had somome to manage the lowland and mountain gorillas working on my house! Coordinating contractors does not rise to the level of GC, but it certainly takes patience and time!!
@CB, I didn’t remember you put in Panoramic. There’s a showroom close by and we have an appt on Monday. But our contractor was the one who said his last client waited 8 weeks to get theirs. I’d love to hear it would only take 2 weeks.
@collage1 - we decided against Nana Wall and got a slider instead. The reason was not the price, it was convenient and cats. If you have not had experience with accordion doors, I highly recommend playing with them at the showroom. The fold needs to be accommodated inside (if you have drapes etc., they have to be pushed out of the way), and the wide open wall lets the cats out and bugs in. Great in HI, not so much in WA. YMMV.
We get lots of bugs in HI. Mostly I like having screen doors to view the outdoors and let the breeze and light in. We also have glass doors which we close and lock when we leave the house or go to sleep for the night.
Good suggestion about the PM, BB. My GC has several on staff and I’ve worked with the same PM on every phase of my remodel (just finished Phase 5.) My GC also has a designer on staff. She goes with me to pick all the fixtures, material, paint colors, etc., and then does the renderings. She also prices all my picks out (PM does the estimate with a certain $ amount allowance for fixtures at first meeting to discuss project) and gets my approval to go ahead and order, then PM gives final cost adjustment after everything is chosen. This is done before any work starts so I’ve always know exactly what cost will be - unless I make a change mid job and told exactly what change will cost. Then I am sent an amended copy with cost adjustment reflecting change order.
Not once has my GC or PM come back in middle of job and said "we’ve found a problem and it’s going to be X more $'s. I believe they factor in needing to replace plumbing, shore up sub floor, upgrade electrical, etc, in their cost, because they know what they will find depending on age of house, etc.
All the subcontractors used are also employees of the GC so all labor cost is known before hand and job is never at the mercy of waiting for a subcontractor to show up.
I had a problem last winter with one of the windows in my addition that was done 9 years ago (it was getting cloudy in between the panes.) I called my PM, he came out to look at it, called Harvey from my house, ordered new window and when it came in, sent one of his guys to install it. Invaluable, imo.
never heard of a Project manager, but it sounds perfect for Coralbrook !
I would love to be a project manager/designer/purchase manager. That’s right up my alley.
The Panoramic doors we put in opened outward, because we didn’t have space inside. You have to decide if they will all stack to the left or right. I had to stack to right to maximize ocean views on left of patio. And they come with one opening door (which really comes in handy to just exit quickly). That door has to be on the side you stack against.
Opening them up and closing them takes some practice. At first we didn’t have it in the track just right and a door precariously fell into my hands off the track. The worker guys were too scared to open and close and I had to do it every time we had a showing or Open House. There is a trick to jumping /setting them into the slide tracks.
I’m guessing your lead time will have to take shipping into consideration.
Why about getting your real estate license??
I could get my real estate license but I am worried about trying to build up a business and network to get clients. Everything I read says it will take at least 3 years to get established. Everyone I know isn’t moving anywhere soon.
You can get a real estate broker’s license just to use it to buy and sell properties.
Here is the requirements to get a RE license, unfortunately, the RE Broker’s license requirements have been changed since 2013, otherwise, when I got the license, you only need any UG degree and took some commercial courses, now it requires RE related degrees or being a full time sales person for two years to take the test.
Salesperson Licensing
Requirements to Obtain a Salesperson License:
Be at least 18 years of age
Provide proof of completion in 135 hours of required education (45 credit hours in Real Estate Principles; 45 credit hours in Real Estate Practice course; and 45 credit hours in one additional state approved course).
Pass the salespersons exam.
After passing the examination, you will be sent a Salesperson License Application. Within one year of the examination date this form must be completed and returned along with the licensing fee. Also submit your Live Scan Request form (for submitting fingerprints).
We recommend completing a combo licensing/exam application, get fingerprinted, and submit all fees right away. This will speed up your application process.
A salesperson is licensed to act on behalf of a broker, and may not act as a real estate agent independently. A salesperson may only work for one broker in California at a time. California does not require an applicant for a salesperson’s license to have a high school diploma or college degree. There is also no state residency requirement.
For more information about the exam and state application please visit: http://www.dre.ca.gov
Statutory Course Important Note:
Per California Bureau of Real Estate guidelines, Statutory Courses require a wait period of 18 days before attempting a Final Exam. Additional exams will become available as the mandated 18 day wait period expires. You cannot apply one 18 day wait period to meet the wait time for all Statutory courses. Our Learning Management System will track your wait period time.
Broker Licensing
Requirements to Obtain a Broker License:
Be at least 18 years of age
As of 1/1/2013 Required Experience has changed.
A minimum of two years full-time licensed real estate salesperson experience in the last five years or a four-year degree from an accredited college or university including a major or minor in real estate
Members of the bar of any state in the United States will generally qualify on the basis of their education and experience, and are statutorily exempt from the college-level course requirements.
All broker license applicants must complete the following statutory required college level courses:
Real Estate Practice
Legal Aspects of Real Estate
Real Estate Finance
Real Estate Appraisal
Real Estate Economics or General Accounting
And three* courses from the following group:
Real Estate Principles
Business Law
Property Management
Escrows
Real Estate Office Administration
Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
Advanced Legal Aspects of Real Estate
Advanced Real Estate Finance
Advanced Real Estate Appraisal
Computer Applications in Real Estate
In addition, one needs to complete required licensing education and pass the written state exam.
You must complete an original Broker Examination Application and send it along with an official transcript showing successful completion of the statutory college-level real estate courses and degree(s).
For more information about the exam and state application please visit: http://www.dre.ca.gov
Salesperson Continuing Education
Real Estate salespersons renewing an original license for the first time, must complete 45 hours of approved Continuing Education.
Five separate 3-hour subjects in Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing and Risk Management.
18 hours consisting of consumer protection and the remaining in either consumer service or consumer protection.
For second and subsequent renewals after 1/1/2016, salespersons must complete 45 hrs of approved education.
One 8-hour survey course covering the six mandatory subjects (Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing, Risk Management, and Management and Supervision) OR licensees can choose to take each of the six mandatory subjects separately; and
18 hours consisting of consumer protection and the remaining in either consumer service or consumer protection.
Continuing Education Course Important Note:
Per California Bureau of Real Estate, you can only attempt 15 credit hours worth of exams in any 24 hour period. Our Learning Management System will track your exam attempts and lock any further attempts once 15 credit hours has been reached. Additional exams will become available as the 24 hour period expires.
Broker Continuing Education
Licensees renewing an original license for the first time after 1/1/2016 must complete 45 hrs of approved continuing education.
Six separate 3-hour subjects in Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing, Risk Management, and Management and Supervision.
18 hours consisting of consumer protection and the remaining in either consumer service or consumer protection.
For second and subsequent renewals after 1/1/2016, brokers must complete 45 hrs of approved education.
One 8-hour survey course covering the six mandatory subjects (Ethics, Agency, Trust Fund Handling, Fair Housing, Risk Management, and Management and Supervision) OR licensees can choose to take each of the six mandatory subjects separately; and
18 hours consisting of consumer protection and the remaining in either consumer service or consumer protection.
Ah, good luck CB!
Re: the bi-fold doors, we don’t have cats and the dog will be fine. Like CB experienced, our doors will fold outward as there’s no room inside. Not a problem there. There’s also a product made by Centor that has a retractable screen as well as a shade that I’m looking at as that would solve the two issues I’m concerned with. Centor also makes a bifold door with this sceen/shade combo with their own bifold dorr but I didn’t care for it as much as the La Cantina.
The gutted house on a hill with no parking has been reduced again to under a million: http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-170020847-1161_Akron_St_San_Diego_CA_92106
Why…why was that house gutted? There has to be a back story!
I am interested, too. WTH has happened there?
Someone earlier dug up the pictures from before it was gutted, and it actually seemed pretty nice to me.
Either someone got in way over their head or their was a fire or water damage, is my guess.
The lot is very odd, and there’s only one off-street parking spot. Not ideal, especially for that kind of money.
Here’s the pics from 2014, when it was for rent for $4000/month: https://hotpads.com/1161-akron-st-san-diego-ca-92106-sks655/pad
Can’t tell form pix on my iPhone if the black wood is dry rot or soot. Me thinks water damage because there are streaks on the front and the windows look clean. But beats me how water damage can happen in San Diego… If it were Seattle, I would completely understand!
Even though I am not going to touch the house with a 10 foot pole whenever the price drops down to something really low… my curiosity was piqued and I did research on Building Permits and Code Violations.
Current owner bought it in 2004 for $950,000
He has a mortgage of $995,000 from 2007 refinance
Based on tax records it was 3,016 sq ft when he bought it in 2004, so I don’t think he has added square footage since then.
The issue seems to be that a neighbor complained in 2007 to the City about retaining wall construction without a permit. If you look at the actual lot boundaries, I don’t think the set of stairs coming down from the street (and possibly the strange parking spot above the empty room) are inside the property boundaries. I think there is an encroachment issue.
Since 2007 the owner has pulled numerous permits. All of them are expired and were never legally ‘issued’ or any fees paid. A lot of them are referenced back to the code violation. So, he keeps trying to buck the system by pulling a new permit to pretend that he’s going to fix whatever the code complaint is. The code violation just says 'unpermitted construction" and from the types of permits he is submitting it appears it has to do with retaining walls. All of the permits are still missing all kinds of expensive plans that need to be submitted such as drainage plans, site soil report, etc.
Still no idea why it was gutted. I suppose I could call up the listing agent and play dumb and try to get as much information as possible. It’s not like I have anything else to do right now
Sounds like that one is definitely one to stay away from. You’re a wise woman, cb.