doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The history behind Iron Man Phil

Originally Posted By: GregSY
The average house buyer (note I did not say 'home' buyer) would be glad to live in the city....but when he goes to buy his 3-2 on 1/5 acre with all the amenities it's located in a suburb.


I dunno where you got this info. I don't know anyone around me that wants to live in the city.

You probably don't live in a cramped subdivision. Or maybe your neighbors also wish to avoid the crime and dirt of the city.


The buyer might choose his tile color, but more often than not he's looking at houses that have been crammed onto the cheapest lot possible. It's either that or buy some 60 year old piece of junk in the city with a 60 amp service and lead pipes.


A builder would be glad to put a house on a huge lot if that was what the general public wanted, but more often than not, the market would be slim due to the cost. Property values of the vacant land or existing developments set the value of the completed house/land property. Are there 'carpetbaggers'? Sure. It's up to the buyers to weed them out and not buy from them if they don't like their prices. This is a capitolistic society after all. If you want all the houses to cost the same, the U.S. is not the place to look for a house.

Developers specialize in cramming as many houses as possible into the smallest amount of space possible. House buyers put up with it because there is often no choice. When we bought our house we looked long and hard for a 1 acre lot and never found it. We settled for 3 acres.

Originally Posted By: GregSY
Are house buyers stupid and shortsighted? Yes. But so are developers and builders. The average developer swings a bigger club than the average house buyer.

In the future, lawyer jokes will have been replaced by developer jokes.


I sense a little anomousity here.
I think you just called just about everyone on this board "stupid and shortsighted". You must rent, right? No, I own a house. And everyone on this board is probably not the average house buyer.

The average house buyer is a young family with champagne tastes and a beer budget. The average builder sells sizzle over substance, and has little pride in his work.

Come to Houston and you won't find a builder willing to talk quality...he'd rather talk to the next guy who wants square footage and a wet bar.

My point is simply that it takes two to tango.....builders are hardly helpless urchins in the sea of life.

A little animosity might be an understatement. I am sorry that you had a bad experience in purchasing your house. It is unfortunate that you don't see it as a home.

The price of land is determined by the deal the builder gets from the landowner and the planning boards that control the zoning and lot size. It is a very controlled process and very risky to the developer. There is a lot of money to be made but it is more complicated than it appears. Building and bonding a road is not a simple operation and escrow money remains with the municipality for years. I have done one larger subdivision and would not do it again.

It is up to the buyer to determine if he is getting a good value. There are professional real estate people that can help him and there are inspectors to make sure the house won't fall apart.

There are government intities that review and inspect zoning, plumbing, framing, electic, fire safety and then all of these again after finishing. There are different qualities of workmanship and there are different levels of amenities that can be included or added as options.

It might be different in the Northeast but it is not easy money especially when you look at the market now. The homes I built last year sold fortunately but the ones I built this year are still for sale. I am retiring and can't wait until they are gone.

All new homes built in NJ have a warranty that is mandated by law and controlled by the Dept of Community affairs. It is triggered by the homeowner. The DCA has arbitration powers and makes findings that must be followed or you cannot build here.

I have made repairs five years later, way after warranty is over, just to keep the owner happy but I am very proud of the homes I built and I often don't get a single call back for many of them. Most of them are built and then sold. Unfortunately, I cannot force anyone to buy them.

Builders are not helpless urchins in the sea of life but neither are the buyers from hell.

I apologize to board members about this unfortunate detour. We should be talking about trapping not builders.

I think I'll step outside my new home (Sorry, Builder, the Amish built mine), shoot a couple of rabid bats, walk over in the field, make a dirt hole set, use the bats for bait and catch a few red foxes... There.. We're right back on topic..MDC

Here's Phil with a good days run plus 2 buck mink.

Phil is a large man and I wouldn't want to piss him off. Phil done good.

For all of those opposed to the posting of these type of pictures, please do not read a magazine named Fur, Fish & Game. If you do you'll probably have your blood pressure go up several points. The man is one heck of a trapper. Predator control is big item in wildlife management, and yes there is a diffenent place for predators in the eco-system.