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The Planet

One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Going Back To Kindergarten:My Experiences In A New Market

& New Climate ZoneYou may have heard:

Son in law has been hired at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia....

Starting August 13th. Google it. So... We will be “following the grand-

babies”. The team in Fresno will continue and I will start a new team in Virginia. This will cause me to go back to Kindergarten and learn the basics in

several areas. I’ll be sharing the learning curve here.

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One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Things Are Different1. The Market.

2. The Climate Zone

3. The Laws & Business Practices

It’s not a problem, It’s just different and I have to learn the differences

to hit the ground running and thrive in the new environment. Hopefully my learning curve will

be helpful to others in the Army of Energy Wise

House Flipping Investors

If you dont maintain itNature will take it back!

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One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Get The Books:

These Two Books from Building Science Corporation

will help keep me out of trouble.

Fortunately there are a lot of experts here at Affordable

Comfort that I can learn from also.

BTW Next year it’s in San Francisco. Dont miss it.

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The Planet

One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Putting Together A Team

Realtor Interview Questions:

Do you invest? Successfully? Do you flip? Do you like

REO’s? How about low offers? Are you digitally accomplished?

With a few referrals and these questions plus some showings, I have found the first member

of my Eastern Team.

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At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Putting Together A Team

Project Manager - General Contractor Questions

Here I will start with an old friend who lives in Virginia

about 45 minutes away.

The Realtor also has a team of contractors ready to go. (that

he uses on his own flips)

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They All Have Basements!How to make them not leak

How to finish them and heat and cool them.

Egress and counting the square footage

Making sure it’s healthy down there. Asbestos and Lead.

My first Radon Pump

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At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Oil Furnaces?

Oil Furnaces used to be the standard.

Many are still in use.

Most Tanks are still there = Eco hazard

Some are buried and rusting thru = bad news.

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One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Engineered Septic Systems & Perc Tests:

Land cannot be developed without percolation tests.

One 14 acre parcel I looked at could only handle one

homesite. They go by the number of bedrooms.

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One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Land Use One realtor acknowledged that the County has come to some land use restrictions but “Too

little, too late” Much of Loudoun County has been chopped up into 3 acre parcels and a Mc Mansion placed in the middle of it. Not

the best stewardship of the planet...most would agree.

Interestingly, my wife would like to live in one of them!

I sense some marriage counselling ahead. I’ll keep you posted.

Saving

The Planet

One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

It’s a BYOHP Party(Bring Your Own HOME PERFORMANCE Party)

All the vendors are interested and anxious to learn about Green

Renovation. They sense it is the idea who’s time has come. But know

little or nothing about it. I am looked at as an expert, which is humbling because I know nothing about building in that market and climate. The saving grace is that it’s science & is there to be learned. But if it’s to be... I must bring Home Performance to the party.

I suspect it’s the same for you.

Saving

The Planet

One House

At A TimeG r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m © 2010

Next Week:

On the ground reporting from Affordable Comfort In Austin

Texas.

BTW Kudos to Harold Guild. Harold will finish his first

Energy Wise Flip in Phoenix this week. Harold used the model of working on the job (and paying himself) and is still earning a tidy profit at the end.

Way to go Harold!