Building Slowdown in Florida

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Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Well, the building slowdown in Florida has finally got around to effecting me. We were the last community to do it, but the County laid off 29 people today from the Building Department. I was on the wrong side of the ax when it fell. 2 years to the day. It happened to surrounding counties and cities in the last 2 months. The worst part was the 2 weeks of waiting to see who and when. Just when I thought I had found my retirement job. I guess it's time to dust off the old tools and break out the old license and see what there is to see. That 'll be tuff since there is no work here in Florida. I would guess this is happening all around the country.
 

benaround

Senior Member
Location
Arizona
Cavie, Sorry to hear that, but it's all temporary in construction no matter

your afiliation, by the way, you have some work to do on your sign-off to

get current.

Hope you have a sence of humor.
 
Cavie
Sorry to hear of your lastest fate.

But...
My wife is always one to see the silver lining in a cloud.

What could be the silver lining of your cloud?

1. Try to perform some consulting for the contractors who you were inspecting for.

2. Become a Contractor Advocate. -couple the consulting with helping them to make sure their installations are code compliant and will pass inspections. You can offer as part of that service to be on the job during the inspection. These kind of services are invaluable to some of the contractors.




Think on those lines of thought, and you may not have to pick up your tools.

GOOD LUCK!!!
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Pierre C Belarge said:
2. Become a Contractor Advocate. -couple the consulting with helping them to make sure their installations are code compliant and will pass inspections. You can offer as part of that service to be on the job during the inspection. These kind of services are invaluable to some of the contractors.

That won't work in Lee County. They only charge $25.00 for reinspect fee no matter how many times you fail. $25.00 to punch out a job is prety cheap. We have been told that many times by the contractors. But that might work in the county I live in.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
Sorry to hear it.Its just as bad in Tampa.For some reason i dont know ,commercial is going strong here.A major mall is underway at 75 and state rd 56 .Houses here went to a stop.Insurance and taxes make all but the high end homes stop.Market is full of foreclosed houses and they are going cheap.Lucky for me my house is locked in on taxes and paid for so insurance is up to me as to how much i carry.Grab your tools and come on up.
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Cavie,

Go to the BOAF website. (www.boaf.net)

click on 'jobposting' along the top toolbar.

About half way down, there are some postings by a company called Safebuilt. They are the company taking over Bonita Springs. They will also likely take over other areas such as Lehigh Acres, the City of Fort Myers, and eventually other areas in SW Florida.

Give them a call and plaes fell free to list me as a reference. PM me if you want some details. I have some insight on their operation.
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Butch, I'm really sorry to hear this.
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Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
A framer told me today that he was self employed and triming houses till this freeze on houses started.He is traveling over 2 hours each way to do metal stud framing to keep alive.Its bad and no end in site.Lots of new homes never been sold and vacant.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
peter d said:
Good time to move to Florida and get a home for cheap I guess...if you can find a job.

Yes and no.Cheap price but insurance and taxes will kill you unless your rich.Houses worth 200,000 are going for 130,000.My taxes are locked in and can only raise 3% a year.Anyone buying a house starts at the real value.It is going to turn ugly fast.Many bought new homes 3 years ago with low intrest rates and before insurance went crazy.The house they paid $200,000 for is not going to sell.If they cant afford the new insurance rate (often $3,000 per year or more) along with higher intrest and taxes then they default and it goes to foreclosure.Gas prices did not help either.If mine wasnt paid for i would likely head north.I would buy neighbors trailer across street for $212,000 but with insurance,taxes i would need to get $2,000 a month in rent and that just wont happen.
 

nakulak

Senior Member
sorry to hear that cavie, good luck to you.

commercial work here in DC area seems to be pretty strong. don't know about down south.
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
A house in my neighborhood has sat finshed and empty for 1 Year. All it needs is Grass and Plumbing fixtures and A/C. I was in it today. The smokes are cherping away. The amazing thing is it is not even locked up. No lockset on the front door. Dishwasher sitting in the middle of the kitchen. Why the kids have not trashed the place is beyond me. I quess I live in a good neighborhood. The one next door is just 4 block walls.
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
Sorry to hear Cavie. Man I was just down there to visit Mom in early Nov. Seemed like I saw construction going on all over the place, especially from College Prkwy and areas south. I used to run a string of stone crab pots off Pine Island for extra income (and it was pretty good income as I recall) when I was in school. It was just getting up on the cold mornings to go out in the boat that made it seem like hard work.
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
macmikeman said:
Sorry to hear Cavie. Man I was just down there to visit Mom in early Nov. Seemed like I saw construction going on all over the place, especially from College Prkwy and areas south. I used to run a string of stone crab pots off Pine Island for extra income (and it was pretty good income as I recall) when I was in school. It was just getting up on the cold mornings to go out in the boat that made it seem like hard work.


Worst since 1984. 100's of home sitting unfinished. 100's sitting finished for sale. 100's of condo units empty. Charlotte County has a 2 years supply of homes for sale.

"Paper or Plastic"? "Would you like Fry's with that"? "Welcome to Walmart"? ............ Just practicing.;)

Do have one shot. The City of Bonita Springs is taking over their own building department from Lee County. They are subbing out to a private company called Safebuilt. Engineering Firm. If they don't find a Combination inspector with commercial license out of the 70 applications they have, I my have a shot.
 

kbsparky

Senior Member
Location
Delmarva, USA
Jim W in Tampa said:
...Houses worth 200,000 are going for 130,000.....
If they are going for 130,000, then they are only worth that much.

Even though some were willing to pay 200,000 for such a structure at one point in time (overpriced market IMO), it's worth is only what the present market will bear.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
kbsparky said:
If they are going for 130,000, then they are only worth that much.

Even though some were willing to pay 200,000 for such a structure at one point in time (overpriced market IMO), it's worth is only what the present market will bear.

They got morgages based on the higher number.There is no way the homeowner can sell it and pay balance in this market.Some people have lowered taxes by having it apraised for real market value and that also lowers the insurance.

Only real work here is commercial,at least for now.hope someone finds a cure soon.Part of problem is the size and quality of homes.Small affordable 1,000 sq foot,1 bath 2 bd room,no garage homes might have a chance.
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
A lot of people thing that the taxs will go down next year based on this years market value. Wrong answer. The taxing authority will have to raise it's Millage Rate (% per $1000.00 value) too account for the shortfall in Revenue do to the recently voted on Homestead exception of $50,000.00 and the portibility of 3% cap on overall tax increase. You can now take the 3% cap from one house to another. Jim W is correct. there is a strong Commercial market in Florida now but will it last?
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Cavie said:
there is a strong Commercial market in Florida now but will it last?

Even if it does, there will not be enough to go around for the multitudes of contractors competing for it.

Look in your yellow pages and count how many EC's there are in any two county area.

I know that some of the commercial EC's in Manatee and Sarasota are being hurt and sending employees home with short weeks due to primarily residential contractors bidding on the small to medium size commercial projects.


Roger
 
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