Anonymous (not verified)
Edited Date/Time
10/26/2017 1:07pm
Hey MAVBro...
In order to not hijack that thread in the "Moto" forum, I elected to start one here. You asked;
"Really? That's really fast. That's just over 2 months away. Better keep an eye on things to make sure they don't cut corners. I don't think I've ever seen a house get built that fast except on that Extreme Home Makeover show.
Is it normal for houses to go up that quick where you're from? You'd never see that around here except maybe if it was a pre-fab home."
Actually, they have been working it for about six weeks. I'm probably exercising "Wishful thinking" in saying, "January," but the fact is I've hired a really good custom house builder in a rural area that is not currently seeing a lot business. He told me back before it was started that it would probably take about four months to build.
This is not a large house. It's just over 1600 square feet of living space with a "smallish" front porch and large back porch. Both the front and back porches are "under roof" and considered in the square foot count, so the entire house, including the garage, is 2500 square feet "covered."
I have total faith in my contractor. He's a good dude, and should try out for "Most Interesting Man in The World." This guy was born and raised here in South Georgia. When he's not building something, he's hunting deer, quail, dove or gators - or fishing on his lake. About 2 months ago he was bit by a water moccasin. He strangled it and drove to Jacksonville to get treatment.
About 3 months ago he flew down to Argentina and went on a dove hunt and killed hundreds of dove. All were consumed by locals. I saw a picture on his facebook and there must have been a thousand doves in the pile. I gather dove are plentiful in Argentina.
All that to say that he has been completely honest through the whole process. I totally lucked out finding this guy, and I am certain I have made a valuable friend for life. He lives in the area and has volunteered his own property for storage of anything I might need to put away while our house is being built - such as the tractor I'm in the market for. He's also volunteered all the gator and venison I want - meat I dearly love to consume.
Here's a few pictures to whet your appetite. The foundation is absolutely rock-solid. The footers are over a foot deep and reinforced with rebar - topped with poured concrete. On that is at least 24 inches of concrete block. As my contractor said, "If something comes along that will move this foundation, you would not want to be here nohow."
Here's what the footers looked like prior to what you see above...
In order to not hijack that thread in the "Moto" forum, I elected to start one here. You asked;
"Really? That's really fast. That's just over 2 months away. Better keep an eye on things to make sure they don't cut corners. I don't think I've ever seen a house get built that fast except on that Extreme Home Makeover show.
Is it normal for houses to go up that quick where you're from? You'd never see that around here except maybe if it was a pre-fab home."
Actually, they have been working it for about six weeks. I'm probably exercising "Wishful thinking" in saying, "January," but the fact is I've hired a really good custom house builder in a rural area that is not currently seeing a lot business. He told me back before it was started that it would probably take about four months to build.
This is not a large house. It's just over 1600 square feet of living space with a "smallish" front porch and large back porch. Both the front and back porches are "under roof" and considered in the square foot count, so the entire house, including the garage, is 2500 square feet "covered."
I have total faith in my contractor. He's a good dude, and should try out for "Most Interesting Man in The World." This guy was born and raised here in South Georgia. When he's not building something, he's hunting deer, quail, dove or gators - or fishing on his lake. About 2 months ago he was bit by a water moccasin. He strangled it and drove to Jacksonville to get treatment.
About 3 months ago he flew down to Argentina and went on a dove hunt and killed hundreds of dove. All were consumed by locals. I saw a picture on his facebook and there must have been a thousand doves in the pile. I gather dove are plentiful in Argentina.
All that to say that he has been completely honest through the whole process. I totally lucked out finding this guy, and I am certain I have made a valuable friend for life. He lives in the area and has volunteered his own property for storage of anything I might need to put away while our house is being built - such as the tractor I'm in the market for. He's also volunteered all the gator and venison I want - meat I dearly love to consume.
Here's a few pictures to whet your appetite. The foundation is absolutely rock-solid. The footers are over a foot deep and reinforced with rebar - topped with poured concrete. On that is at least 24 inches of concrete block. As my contractor said, "If something comes along that will move this foundation, you would not want to be here nohow."
Here's what the footers looked like prior to what you see above...
Speaking of the most interesting man in the world I prefered the older Dos Equis guy lol. New one kind of sucks.
The guy building your house sounds like he's pretty bad ass. I have no idea what a water moccasin is or what they look like but shit that roam the waters aside from fish is why I always avoided swimming in rivers/lakes growing up. Leeches, eels, etc. are just not my thing. I'll gladly pass.
From the pics you posted it appears that you have a fairly good size property. If you don't mind keep posting pictures as the project moves along.
Also, how's retirement? I know it's still early but I've heard people say they get even busier once they retire and others have said they can't stand it because they no longer have a routine and just kind of feel lost and without a purpose.
would be cool to time lapse it
https://youtu.be/SSWsiDkCIyY
The Shop
The only "block" foundations you see in new construction is ICF but that's still quite a bit more expensive. Most of the time it's poured concrete.
Will be interesting to compare other stuff as the project moves along.
Believe me, Mav, I am paranoid when tromping through the property.
Anyhow, I would like to expand a bit more on retirement. At the risk of bragging, I have to say it is amazing. Every single day I wake up and think, "I don't have to work today - or tomorrow - or the next day." It is pretty incredible to get paid for staying home. I'd like to think I earned it, but I know there are a lot of guys and gals that work harder than I ever did and they don't get the same deal.
For 35 years, 2 months and 26 days I gave the navy pretty much everything I had. I enjoyed it until about the last five years or so. It became burdensome worrying over each flight. I knew then that I had to get out as soon as I could. It often became tough to sleep at night worrying over pilots and civilians on the ground.
Anyhow, I'm staying busy. I'm going to build a track on our property. I've stocked the pond with a few hundred blue gill, catfish and bass. Next summer they ought to be ready to catch and enjoy. There's deer, quail and turkey on the land, and I'm looking forward to stocking up.
Top photo is looking at north end of pond. Photo below is south end of pond.
Pit Row
Those bass will be the demise of that pond. They are voracious eaters and unless you get some good structure in there, they will decimate everything else in there given enough time. Been there, done that way too many times in the past 35 years.
Also, Hilliard is where Mike Alessi resides. You might bump into him at the track. If you happen to see him ask him if he's planning to come back up for the 2018 MX season. I think he is but not 100% sure. Would be cool to see him for one more season before he hangs it all up.
And for the record you can brag all you want about retirement. You earned it.
Thanks for the invite, most definitely will have to swing by when all the dust settles.. Congrats on living the dream man!
Yes, Mike lives in the area. I haven't seen him in quite some time though. Haven't seen Jeff either. I did see Mike's bus at Glenn's body shop in Hilliard a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure Jeff lives in California, but I've actually seen him more at NFMX than I have Mike over the past few years.
Oh and those lots don't even have city water or sewers. Only hydro, gas, telephone, cable, internet.
Got an email about another new subdivision that got their approval and starting price for I believe a 1 acre lot is going to be 125k or 150k.
Here's the basic plan. I'm sure it will change, but this is what I've come up with while just passing time.
Edit add: I'm not sure how old the above photo is, but it is much more grown up now. The pond is also, as can be seen in the previous pictures I posted, much more clear and natural looking.
So far I have seen plenty of deer, turkey, and quail on the property. The deer come in and drink from the pond out of the woods you see behind the pond. The picture really doesn't do it justice. It is much more grown up and thick in those woods behind the pond.
I don't think we could get away with that around here being that the neighbor is fairly close.
50k for 12.5 acres is that a good price where you're from? I think I saw a lot going for 30k but it's just over an acre and located in the middle of nowhere far from everything in a field. Like I mentioned shit around here is insane. No word of a lie there's a lot in town in a rich area that sold for 4$ Million. No house to tear down or anything. Was the only lot left without a house on it and had been that way since 1989. My old man was working on a house in that area and got talking to a guy that does the yardwork for a house nearby and the property taxes alone for the house were over 200k a year. I was like WTF. I believe it's one of the oldest part of town. My dad was a kid and it was rich people back then as well. Very nice area if you can afford it lol.
On your roughed-in drawing, is there a minimum setback distance where you are building your house?
Or, did you want to be just even with the neighbor's house so nobody has a front/back view of either place?
What kind of big UTV do you have/plan to get because you are going to be needing one!
Oh, last thing, where is the giant air-conditioned shop going to be placed?!
That said, after we get moved in, I will go and tell both houses on either side of me that there will be some motorcycle riding during daylight hours. I will also let them know that if they ever need a day where they want no riding and the associated noise, to let me know and it will be taken care of. Besides, with NFMX just 3 miles south, there won't be a whole lot of riding other than me practicing corners and that sort of thing.
Lots of people ride 4-wheelers in the area (including on my property - though I've never seen them - only their tire imprints), so I don't see it as a big deal.
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