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Architecture

17 Nov

Posted at 17:33h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Design, Finance, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Mistakes, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Venture Capital by

If it seems quiet regarding the Kenwood house, that's because it has been. Very quiet. Why, you ask? Two words: Plumbing inspection. What do I mean, you ask? One word: Failed. So, here's what happened. First, in the City of Chicago, you need to allow a minimum...

18 Oct

Posted at 17:24h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Demolition, Design, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Mediation, Mistakes, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Saving Money, Small Business, Venture Capital, Workplace Politics by

Robert, my GC, is still on vacation this week which creates a stressful dynamic in the renovation process. There were quite a few responses to questions that started with "I think what he meant is...

13 Oct

Posted at 17:21h in Angel Investor, Architect, Architecture, Communication, Demolition, Design, Finance, General Contractor, Human Resources, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Mediation, Mistakes, Politics, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Uncategorized, Venture Capital, Workplace Politics by

The Kenwood house is moving like a freight train right now. We're on our second week jacking up the floors - this is not something that is done in a day, the house is a century old so we have to inch up the floors...

02 Oct

Posted at 17:14h in Angel Investor, Architect, Architecture, Communication, Demolition, Design, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Mediation, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Venture Capital by

After biking home from the Kenwood house today, I decided to move the car into our brand new spankin' parking space behind my building. As I was pulling out of our parallel parking spot on the curb, a car at the stop sign decided he...

28 Sep

Posted at 17:11h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Demolition, Design, Finance, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Mediation, Mistakes, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Saving Money, Small Business, Start-Up, Venture Capital by

I cannot tell you how many of the million (or 7) GCs that I've met over the past few months have said "Drawings look pretty on paper, but don't always show what's really happening." This was a particularly annoying statement following a demand that I...

16 Sep

Posted at 17:01h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Demolition, General Contractor, Investment, Investor, Mistakes, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Uncategorized, Venture Capital by

Well, we finally made it. Renovations started on the Kenwood house this week! We have "Polish highlanders" handling demolition (my GC was very impressed by this). My main man, Wesley, spent over an hour walking through the house with myself and my GC reviewing the drawings...

14 Aug

Posted at 16:39h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Design, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Venture Capital by

So, a few weeks ago one of my favorite brokers in Chicago called me with an off-market listing (by the way, any broker that comes to you with off-market listings is a broker you keep close). After maybe 15 seconds of introduction, I knew exactly...

05 Jul

Posted at 16:35h in Angel Investor, Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Design, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Investor, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Uncategorized, Venture Capital by

So, I was attending a non-politically correct themed party for Independence Day weekend and met someone who was taking his broker's exam next week in hopes to begin "flipping" houses *cringe*. He seemed very excited about his new venture and asked me some questions about...

28 Jun

Posted at 16:31h in Appraisal, Architect, Architecture, Design, General Contractor, Interior Design, Investment, Real Estate, Rehab, Renovation, Residential, Residential Rehab, Small Business, Start-Up, Uncategorized by

We are in week 4 of the Kenwood house! Similar to week 3, the house is still empty. No clanging, hammers, body odor, crude jokes, or cigarette butts. I'll tell you what's not empty - the mailbox. It's filled with bills! A month of holding...