Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I can see a hint of light.

Today, I feel pretty good about the contractors. I think we have finally found a groove. Alpha contractor and I have stopped butting heads all together. He understands I'm going to want stuff that is slightly a pain in the ass.

But - I'm going do whatever I can to make it easier for him. Like our fight about my pocket doors. He wants to be proud of his work, and I don't want things hacked up either. So.. things are better.

I think I've grown to feel like less of a pain in the ass too. Because I do a lot of work to help the contractors out.

Our tile guy might become a fixture. He does super good work. He's nice. And he's already started confiding in me about his personal issues. So - I guess he's becoming part of the contractor family.

I'm feeling like I have a really good crew right now. They give me the impression they like being on a site where they feel really appreciated and respected. Where their opinions matter. Which is actually how I treat all my contractors until they screw up. Some recognize it more than others. Perhaps it's an age thing. This crew is a little older.. so I think the feedback they get from me is more meaningful.

The other interesting dynamic is I find my guys are really calm with me. Their personal lives are a bloody mess. But with me - they are very calming personalities. My personal life is very calm - but the rest is complete chaos. So maybe somehow we balance each other out.

I will have to factor in the personal dynamics for the next project though. It has really taken a lot more of my energy than I ever expected.

In other real estate news. A house went up for sale on my crapshack block a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday I drove by and it had a Sold sign. That made me really happy. Houses are still selling, and my direct competition is gone. If it holds through escrow.

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