NES Design & Construction

Somehow this is going to have to be enough space for 4 people to assemble and install cabinets. It’s going to be like the construction version of Twister.

We have the beginning’s of a podcast table for A Social Justice Podcast!

What do you believe to be the most ethical way to make a living in construction and why? 1) Work for a construction company 2) Work as a contractor 3) Buy prope...rty to renovate and flip 4) Buy property to renovate and rent The answer may seem obvious to you at first, but take some time to consider the question thoroughly before you respond. This is a question I’ve been contemplating for a very long time and I have yet to reach a conclusion.

I was told to take my time going to my next meeting, so I’m caulking around.

When you’re trying to do painting and flooring at the same time in a tiny space...I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

Starting a new job with the help of my fabulous worker, Aradia.

It’s always fun when surprises arise on a job site, like finding that wasps have destroyed part of the ceiling.

You can be an ethical landlord. Does that sentence elicit strong feelings for you? Let me try to simplify what it’s like to have property as someone who is not ...wealthy. You have things to pay for and you have income coming in. Let’s say you start with a $100,000 mortgage. Every month you have money coming in from your renter, but you have money going out for interest on the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, insurance, vacancies between tenants and maintenance on the property. In simple terms, let’s say you’re spending $1100/month and bringing in $1000/month. You’re now spending $100/month more than you’re bringing in. Let’s say your mortgage lasts 25 years and you hold onto the property that long. After 25 years, you’ve spent $30,000 but you also have an asset. Whatever that asset is has to be worth more than $30,000 to be profitable. Now, consider that over these 25 years, property values, interest rates, rental rates, property taxes and maintenance costs will fluctuate. Insurance claims, loss of property, financial hardship in other aspects of your life can also put your investment at risk. To account for risk, you need to factor in whether or not there is enough money in this investment to weather the highs and the lows. The long-term trend in the market is that it rises pretty steadily, so you never want to base your decisions on a steep rise or a steep drop. A good landlord is in it for the long haul and can ride out those waves. Assuming there is no change up or down, at the end of those 25 years, you have a $60,000 assett. You took out a $100,000 loan, put in your time managing the property over 25 years and you have $60,000 to show for it. In order for you to have lost money, your property would need to depreciate from $100,000 to $30,000 over 25 years and the chances of that happening are very slim. Once you’re ready to retire, you either have your mortgages paid off and you’re bringing in $1000/month with no mortgage payments, or you sell your properties and live off of that income. An ethical landlord is not trying to maximize profits, they’re trying to earn a reasonable income from property management, but that income is delayed and comes along with risk, and that has to be accounted for as well. An ethical landlord will ensure that their property is in good shape for their tenant. Maintaining a place well results in happier renters and improves property value. If you know how to do this yourself you can save a ton of money and if you’re not working, you can justify paying yourself to do the work from your LOC (if you have one and can afford the additional debt). This is fair pay for work, not excessive money earned on the backs of renters. Some people want to rent, while some people want to own. If you’re someone catering to the person who wants to rent, or has to rent, you are assuming the responsibilities of a business owner. Your tenant now expects you to address issues in their living space in a timely manner. They also deserve to be treated with respect, allowed basic freedoms (like owning pets), have a decent standard of living (keeping the place well maintained) and feel comfortable coming to you with issues they’re facing so you can work out a solution. Excellent customer service breeds good relationships. Not all landlords are evil, but many are not taking their role seriously enough. We need more ethical landlords, whether they’re organizations or individuals (though corporations struggle more with this due to their focus on generating profits).

This is Kennedy’s first job. She’s 16 and I’ve hired her to do some painting for me. I never pay my workers less than a living wage, so she’s making $25/hr. My job is not to maximize profits on the backs of others, it’s to pay people fairly and she’s earning her pay. If a worker doesn’t perform well I just don’t hire them again, but I give them a chance to prove themselves, regardless of their age and I understand that everyone has to start somewhere, so I do what I can to gi...ve them skills they can use to find jobs in the future. I see people being paid $15-20/hr and being charged out at $60-100/hr which is ridiculous. It’s entirely reasonable to charge workers out for more than you pay them, to cover overhead and your management time, but if you’re making more on their work than you’re paying them, something is seriously wrong, and I see this happen way too often.

Do I know anyone that has experience wrapping vehicles? I'm debating whether to raptor line my van or wrap it. It's lost its clear coat and I have to repair a f...ew small rust spots, so I have to do one or the other. What is a wrap like to maintain? How long does it last? Is it pretty simple to do with a heat gun (I did the windows myself). Keep in mind, I've rebranded my company (purple and white instead of red and black). I'm not going to update my van or trailer yet because I can't afford unnecessary expenses right now. I need the van colour to work with the new company colours and the black rims but not be the same as the company colours.

I put together a video of my trip to the Rockies. I can't wait for the next adventure!