The Metrocrete Stimulus Plan

Seems that the blog and social media world is all excited about the new Obama Stimulus package so I decided to create the Metrocrete version.

The whole point of Metrocrete is “How To Add Value To Real Estate” using the right products. Adding Value Stmulates the economy. So read on.

1. It always costs more to do it wrong than to do it right – That’s right. Stupid me. I refinished my garage floor with the wrong sealer just to save a buck. Now it’s peeling off the floor. It’s worse than before. Now I have to waste money to redo it. Think of all those nice dinners I could have gone out to. I could have stimulated the economy instead.
2. Cheap is frequently the highest cost – how many times have I hired the low bid and and it cost me 3 times more. I stimulated the wrong thing.
3. Don’t Step Over Dollars To Pick Up Dimes – If you can make 5 Dollars with $1.00 don’t spend 10 cents to make only 1 cent. Every penny spent in real estate should be approached like investing in stocks. Want to stimulate the market make sure your construction dollars are spent wisely. Invest in your property like Warren Buffet is looking over your shoulder.
4. What Would The Building Inspector Say? – Before you buy a property make sure you know code issues. I have to share this. I know a builder who built a 10,000 square foot spec house in …well I’m not to tell the town. Anyway it was going on the market for $7 million. Getting near the end the building inspector came down. Inspector and builder were in the awesome basement and the builder was bragging about the radiant heat. The inspector looking impressed started walking upstairs then stopped, walked back down, looked at the stairs and pulled his tape measure out. He measured the height from concrete floor to top of first step then asked, what are you putting on the floor”. The builder grabbed this beautiful Italian Tile and showed the inspector. The inspector took a look and said “How high will will it raise the floor?” “About an inch” said the builder. “That’s a code code violation” said the inspector, “you won’t get your C of O”. So you think you know Real Estate? Mistakes like that don’t stumlate the economy. There was a solution that saved about $500,000. You have to read through Metrocrete to figure it out.
5. Beware Of Properties On Cliffs With Beautiful Views – I bought and rehabbed an apartment building on this high cliff overlooking everything. Nice. Great old Victorian mansion with 12 units. I did a great rehab, used lots of products you’ll find here to turn into a high end classic building. Would you believe that the excessive wind on that cliff caused heating bills triple the norm. Cost me $200,000.00 in lost value. That did not help stimulate the economy.
6. Construction Is Not A Fixed Cost - Purchase price is predicatble, debt cost is predictable, sometimes sales price is predicatable. The only thing predictable about construction is that it costs more than you predict. That is unless you are really good. Now you could argue that overspending on construction stimulates the economy. However overspending on construction pales compared to the value you’re trying to create. Control construction costs and you will help stimulate the economy.
7. 40% Of Concrete In The World Is Consumed by China – If we can help get many of the products and technology mentioned here over to China that will help stimulate the economy.
8. Concrete Was The Main Contributor To The Growth Of The Roman Empire- Thanks to the great book by David Wells titled “The Roman Pantheon” I learned that the Italians in Rome mastered building with concrete. The Italians built cities with concrete which enabled them to develop an advanced social network and the ultimate power as a result. What was more powerful than concrete and a social network is what brought them down. Liberal politics, a big controlling government and high taxes. That’s A Fact Jack and that does not stimulate an economy.
9. Real Estate and Construction Are The Stimulus – I think Real Estate and Construction Education should be added. The more education, the more added value, less money wasted, equals more money stimulating our economy. Think about it. Before Wall St, banks, technology, cars and everything else people built so they could live. All else followed and benefitted. This is the stimulus.
10. Without Concrete We Would All Live In Tents – I had to say it, I mean Metrocrete is really a concrete and real estate blog. There is so much wasted money by misunderstanding the potential of concrete and the value in our lives. It impacts every property on the planet. It’s right under your feet now. Billions of dollars of economic stimulus are in this industry.

There. I said it. Now I’m warmed up.

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