I'm new to this site and have just purchased the lot I plan to build on. So far, this is a terrific resource. I hope I'll be able to contribute as time goes on. Robert in Paradise Valley, AZ

Steven's Forum Posts: 10
Journal Entries: 3
Interview Answers: 21
Average Forum Rating: 4.40
Send Private Message


Image from Steven's blog

Subscribe to this journal...

Two years later

Posted to steve-n-carolyn by Steven in Sun City, CA on 4/29/2009 12:14:04 PM

Hello all,
Well it's been just over two years since my last post.
 
I have finished our building pad! A milestone! The county was out yesterday and said Okay!

Not much has changed. I had to get the well up and going so that I could have water for compaction. Done.

Let's see, I finished drawing my plans, got them engineered & stamped. Since the Civil Engineer was lagging, the Structural Engineering stamp expired. The energy calcs expired. We (State of Ca. (ca-ca)) went to a different building codes. Calif. adopted Fire code 7-a, ($$). We modified our plans a bit. Our economy took a dump too (all of us). I am now unemployed, but grateful.
 
In the last two years I have had my plans on five different computers with three different CAD programs.

I sit just to the 'pessimistic' side of center, I call myself a realist.

Today I will begin retrieving plans and re-plotting them. Apply the new codes (changes) and get them ready to print, and off to the S.E. and new energy calcs too. (Easier said than done).

I will also be updating my resume and looking for employment... But the pad is signed off!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHH  I can't get AutoCAD 2009 to open... from the hard drive that backs up everything.

Just got a lead on a job... gotta go... steve

Photos

Here's another one of Carolyn, again at the winery, 4-2009. Her son visits every April and likes to sample wine; she likes the gardens...

here's a few more pics

Posted to steve-n-carolyn by Steven in Sun City, CA on 3/27/2007

I will someday post captions to pics, I have done it before but can't remember how. Remember were a couple of old people who live in Sun City, Ca. (a retirement community).

There are a few of Carolyn and I. I am the old, fat, bald guy. Carolyn is the other. We are 'posers' for sure in a couple of these...ha!

Note some of the details in these pics. Were installing the well pump, 10/3 ele cable, and safety rope. Look behind the loader in one of the pics and you can see the galvanized water tanks 400' away. The piping is 1-1/4" P. E. (polyethylene tubing). I have it strung over the loader so it wouldn't kink. The wiring and safety rope were fastened as we lowered it. We used gravitity to assist us in this very simple task. A task that I was afraid of attempting by myself, "fear not..." Carolyn was on the other end of the safety rope, w/the rope wrapped a few times around the lumber rack to assist her in lowering /allowing the equipment to lower into the hole [well casing]. We saved some serious $ doing this ourselves.

The loader I purchased online from a guy in Yosemite Ca. Great machine. I will complete my project and sell it off. There is a backhoe that attaches onto it as well. The guy I bought it from was a maintaince mechanic and took great care of his personal stuff.

Photos

First steps

Posted to steve-n-carolyn by Steven in Sun City, CA on 3/24/2007

Hello,

Allow me to introduce us, we are Steve and Carolyn, we live in Sun City, Ca. (with all of the old people). We purchased our 5-acre place in March of 2005. It's in a place called Twin Pines, in the  mountains south of Banning and west of Palm Springs. It was listed for $31,500; we offered $15K and settled at $17K. There are no utilities. Electric is 260' from the P/L and 650' from our building $ite. The electric is not in yet (3/23/07) and Edison said they won't deal with it until we are 6 months from final (construction). Est. cost of electric to the new house.....$13-$24K (looks like 24K gold) that was a verbal 2 years ago. The well and equip approx. were $20K. These prices are with me doing the shopping, and I did! and me doing the work. With the exception of buying and pulling the electric cable 650'. Riverside County requires 2 gal per sq ft of covered space as 'fire water storage'. 2-5,000 gal steel tank$ (Osborne Tanks, in Victorville, Ca.). We had a fire up there 10/2006.  None of our stuff burned, some were not as fortunate, some were even killed; (four firefighters). So, regarding the cost of the property, I am glad we didn't pay more.

All of the lot is usable it is rectangular w/a 7% slope, rare for a mountain property. In the pics you will see a shot from the freeway looking to the southeast. The mountain, (with snow) in the background is 7,000' elev. Note the palm trees too! We are about halfway up the hill, 12 miles south of I-10.

Photos

Looking South East from the I-10 freeway in Banning, CA. (spring time)	storage container delivery, This one was the bargan container. They called it the 'ugly duckling'...duh
view from pad looking east	My Wife...my partner in life! 114lbs (wet) Same weight as high school. At a winery in Temecula, CA	Our neighbor on the mountain. (not really)