Howard A. Zuckerman - The Complete Home Building Guidebook

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Publisher: IREDI Press, LLC (contact at: howardz2407 )

2018 by Howard A. Zuckerman

2407 Wistful Way

Marietta, GA 30066

All rights reserved. The text of this publication or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress

Print ISBN 978-1-54394-208-8
eBook ISBN 978-1-54394-209-5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I have over 35 years of experience in the Home Building and development business having built or converted more than 1,000 homes, condominiums and townhomes in the southeast USA.

I have an undergraduate degree in Marketing from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree in Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin.

I have written the following books over the last 25 years:

• Real Estate Investment & Acquisition Workbook Prentice Hall
• Real Estate Development Workbook & Manual Prentice Hall
• Real Estate Wealthbuilding Dearborn Publishing
• Real Estate Exchange Probus Publishing
• Real Estate Workout Deskbook Probus Publishing
• Problem Real Estate Probus Publishing
• Real Estate Development A Guidebook to Profitability IREDI Press

I have been the editor for the following three national newsletters for 8-1/2 years

• Real Estate Workouts & Asset Management Newsletter Warren, Gorham & Lamont
• Real Estate Development & Asset Management Newsletter Warren, Gorham & Lamont
• Capital Sources for Real Estate Newsletter Warren, Gorham & Lamont

I have also taught the Real Estate Development course at the graduate level at Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following individuals for their time and effort in assisting me in the completion of this book:

FRANK BETZ & ASSOCIATES

Since 1976 Frank Betz Associates, Inc. has specialized in custom and stock home plans. FBA has developed an unsurpassed reputation as a leading provider of house plans. With more than 100 years combined experience, the FBA team of experts, design trend setting award winning house plans for home builders, developers and consumers alike. At FBA it is their goal to create house plans that set the highest standards in residential design and support those products with unparalleled customer service. www.frankbetzhouseplans.com

POLLOCK & ASSOCIATES

Since its inception in 1982, Pollack & Associates, Inc. has provided quality, professional Atlanta Landscape Design Service to a wide array of clientele throughout North Georgia and the Southeastern United States. For over thirty-five years, Pollack & Associates, Inc. has exhibited a dedication to providing its clients with landscape designs that are above and beyond their clients expectations. www.pollackandassociates.com

HASK CUSTOM HOMES

Al Kelecki, President of Hask Custom Homes which was founded in 1975. Al holds a masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California and began building homes in Atlantas northern suburbs during the citys bustling growth era of the 70s and 80s. Als engineering background proved to be a major influence on his style of innovative designs, precise craftsmanship and using fine building materials. www.haskconstruction.com

JANIS KIRTZ - ANSLEY DEVELOPER SERVICES

Janis Kirtz brings 30 years of sales and marketing experience to Ansley Developer Services. A highly respected industry veteran, she was the former President of Morris and Raper Realtors where she developed and implemented sales and marketing strategies for condominium and high-density townhomes, as well as single family, detached and master planned communities. She is a driving force in Ansley Developer Services. In addition to playing a key role on the senior management team, Kirtz also contributes her legal skills as an expert on contracts, mediation, negotiation and more. www.ansleyatlanta.com

GREG LYLES

Greg began his real estate career in the early 1980s as a developer. For the next 18 years, he built single and multi-family residential communities and shopping centers throughout the Southeastern United States. As an extension of his development business, he founded Geometrix Corporation and served as its CEO until the business was sold in 1999. He then founded Conrad Lyles Realtors, a boutique real estate company that became one of the top producing independent offices in Atlanta selling high end properties in the Buckhead, Sandy Springs markets. In addition, he has developed numerous training programs for the real estate industry that have helped thousands of agents; plan, promote and grow successful businesses.

JOE SEIFER

Joe Seifer is Sr. VP Construction for Camelot/Signature Homes, LLC since 2000. Joe has over 40 years of home building experience and has built over 1,000 homes in the Atlanta marketplace. His experience includes tract housing, modular housing and custom homes.

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife (Amy), 3 children (Lindsey, Carley and Adam), 3 grandchildren (Gemma, Frankie and Margot), mother, father and sister and our faithful companions (Alfie, Murphy and Satchel, Spotless, Stella and Seamus).

I would also like dedicate this book to Professor James A. Graaskamp (University of Wisconsin).

FOREWARD

The 10,000 parts that become a Corvette are assembled in an 8-hour shift in an air-conditioned plant by 100% GM employees who speak one language. By contrast, a new home has in excess of 250,000 parts to be assembled over several months in all types of outdoor working conditions. Nevertheless, home buyers expect the home builder to produce a new home with the same expectations of quality of construction as a new automobile.

To meet home buyers expectations and to make a profit doing so, home builders must develop procedures and policies that allow the home builder to control the manufacturing process so that the home can be delivered in a reasonable time, within a budget that allows a profit and with a quality that will satisfy the demands of the customer. The key to success is the complete understanding of the flow of the building cycle and the ability to manage a huge amount of information about the parts and pieces of a home, control construction costs and manage the business process.

Howard Zuckerman has written a book that takes the reader through the building process from the great idea to the final warranty checklist signoff. He uses a bullet point delivery system so that the information is quick to understand and easy to use. His checklists give the reader the prototype documents that are the core of any successful home builder. While individual documents such as contract forms tend to be local to each market, the format and business needs of the forms show the reader what is needed in detail for a successful form.

This book will be a touchstone for home buyers preparing to build a new home, home builders wanting to up their game, remodelers seeking to open new markets for their business and real estate agents wanting to understand the home building process and better serve their clients.