19 replies to this topic

[WolfMom]

My specialty? Why customer satisfaction of course! Hehe.

 

I have been a licensed general contractor for 25 years. During that time, I focused mostly on finish trades. Somehow, I ended up doing a lot of flooring, so I acquired a C15 (flooring) license as well.  I do all the standard flooring materials (carpet/vinyl/wood/laminate/LVT), as well as specialty materials like Marmoleum, commercial non-slips, medical, and PVC. I also do coving and mechanical (heat) welding of vinyl. I don't do ceramic or sand and finish wood floors.

 

I do like custom work, so hopefully, as housing comes back around I will shift focus once again. I have done a lot of property management over the last 6-7 years, and while it pays the bills, the mantra is usually not "do it right," but "do it cheap." I prefer to do it right.

 

Enough of this unpaid advertisement (I generally don't advertise at all, but you asked.)    

Tucking away this gold nugget for future contractor needs...

 

In regards to the current market and rent vs. buy. My husband and I were awesome renters who paid on time, communicated with our landlords and made land-lord approved (and they were very happy with the results!) improvements to every property we rented.

 

We were awesome renters. How were we repaid? Every time we wanted to sign a new lease (often for years) the landlord would jack up the rent by several hundred dollars! I guess they figured that we had invested so much of our own time and money into the house that we were made of money and can afford to be raked over the coals.

 

It IS hard owning a home, we are paying more for our house payment than for rent but I hope I never have to deal with renting again. Dealing with greedy landlords is something I never want to experience again. It is sad to see a lot of houses being snapped up by investors and rented out in a merry-go-round that we were once on. (What happens when the "1%" own all the homes and we are all forced to rent?)  Now I have friends who are trying to rent another home in Folsom, as they are finding their rent sky-rocketing. (They are awesome tenants too.)

 

It is harder to own but it is much more fulfilling and meaningful. I would rather struggle with less money every month and not have to worry about landlord games.

 

So, if you can, I vote for buying over renting. Folsom really needs homeowners who care about and are invested in (and live in!) their properties.

[cw68]

See, while the ability to make improvements/customizations as desired is missed, I prefer renting over buying. I rent modest houses in good areas from individuals who are not professional landlords as their job. I am their client. In houses rented by property management companies, the owner of the home is the client and tenants are just hassles.

The rents are very reasonable and I am a conscientious tenant who is part of the community. One year my landlord raised the rent $25 per month to cover her increased cost of insurance. That has been the only increase
In the past five years.

I take great care of their home, do improvements and upkeep as necessary (with their permission) and respect the property in general. In turn, my landlords respect my care taking of their home. Any costs invoved in the improvements I do to the homes I rent is taken off of my rent as I am providing a free labor investment in their home.

In the meantime, my rent is lower than the cost of owning the same home and, most importantly, I know my housing costs are fixed, so that allows me to invest the housing slush fund one needs as an owner. The whole premise that it's always better to buy than rent is not true. It definitely can be, but it's not a given. The modest tax savings when your income is low like mine is not worth it. I am getting a much better rate of return in the amount if money I can put aside, tax-free, in my 401k that will compound until I retire. While the rate of return can vary, compared to the real estate market, it's pretty much a guarantee of good return on investment.

It is definitely a lifestyle, stability difference, however.

Home ownership is best for some and renting is best for others, and there is plenty of research that backs up both of those statements.

[Darth Lefty]

Joe, I didn't know you did floors, we'd have given you a call a few weeks ago.  We have been putting money into improvements...

[Steve Heard]

My specialty? Why customer satisfaction of course! Hehe.

 

I have been a licensed general contractor for 25 years. During that time, I focused mostly on finish trades. Somehow, I ended up doing a lot of flooring, so I acquired a C15 (flooring) license as well.  I do all the standard flooring materials (carpet/vinyl/wood/laminate/LVT), as well as specialty materials like Marmoleum, commercial non-slips, medical, and PVC. I also do coving and mechanical (heat) welding of vinyl. I don't do ceramic or sand and finish wood floors.

 

I do like custom work, so hopefully, as housing comes back around I will shift focus once again. I have done a lot of property management over the last 6-7 years, and while it pays the bills, the mantra is usually not "do it right," but "do it cheap." I prefer to do it right.

 

Enough of this unpaid advertisement (I generally don't advertise at all, but you asked.)    

 

This is exactly what I want this forum to be, a community resource.

 

It's been said that all things being equal, people want to do business with people they know, like and trust. 

 

MyFolsom is the perfect place for building relationships and developing those characteristics. 

 

Knowing what you do now, I think people reading this would rather do business with you than a stranger. I hope it pays off. I know that I will keep you in mind for my client referrals, and who knows, maybe I will finally get some work done in my house.  

[WolfMom]

I do prefer to look here for recommendations first before I go out blindly. I have found 98.99% of the folks on here (MyFolsom) that I have met or worked with to be pretty darned awesome. The business folks on here that I have used their services have been 100% and I am very happy with their work.

 

Very glad to be back in the neighborhood.