First the Bad News

The average price of a home in Portland has finally passed the $135,000 mark. The housing market in our area is going. . . .straight up! At an increase of approximately 10-13% per year in the value of your home you can tell that 1)  a home is one of the best investments you can make and 2)  the prices of homes in this area are continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate, pricing many people out of the market at the standard builder’s cost.

Now The Good News

You don't have to spend $15-20,000 of your $100,000 home budget on a general contractor to build your dream home, and then still have mistakes and scheduling problems that could have been avoided if you knew all the intricacies of residential home construction. 

Our school will teach you how each portion of your home is constructed. We will show you how to go out for bids from subcontractors. You will also learn about bonding and lien laws to protect yourself legally. In the Management section you will learn how to Estimate (figure out how much your project will cost) and Schedule your subs and materials efficiently. You will be able to look at your subcontractor's work and determine whether it is performed properly to the highest standards and to Oregon or Washington code, because you will have detailed knowledge about the way each part of your home is constructed.

The class will teach you how to write specifications, not random lists of what you think you want in your house. These specifications will allow all bidders on your project to understand exactly what you want. You will not find halfway through that something has been left out or misunderstood, as is so often the case. Many people find out they have to keep as close an eye on their project as they would have had they been their own general contractor or done the work themselves in the first place.

We want to give you all the information possible so that you can make an informed and intelligent decision at each point in the construction process. After fourteen years of experience as a civil engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers and twenty-five years in residential and commercial new construction and remodeling, we have put together the best from each phase of construction. This includes information on a large variety of construction techniques and product information including cost and pay-back analysis.

So Join Us Now

We have been in business for thirteen years now and have had numerous students build homes and do remodels both large and small. They have functioned as their own general contractor, they have driven every nail themselves, and every possible combination in between. None of our students have ever had any problems obtaining permits or passing inspection. Each has built a custom home or done an extensive remodel for far less than they would have had they employed a general contractor and they have done it their way.

Whether you decide to use a full service contractor, be your own contractor or do-it-yourself, being able to make an informed decision about construction techniques, materials, subcontractors and home design will give you a better product for less money.

We can also offer you free phone consultation after you have taken the class, and on-site consultation for a nominal fee. In addition, should you miss any classes, for any reason, you can make up the class during the next session with no extra charge.

We keep our classes small to insure that each student receives the personal attention that their project requires.

If you are interested in registering for the class, and if you are planning to build or remodel your home you should be, we ask that you send a deposit of $50 to hold your place. The total cost of the class is $475, which includes an excellent text and a workbook of approximately 250 pages compiled after having taught this class for thirteen years. Also included in the price of the class is an IBM-compatible computer program that goes with the estimating section.

"Quotes"

"Everything has gone so smoothly. I expected problems with subs and inspectors and there just haven’t been any."
  R.A., Sherwood

"I’ve been able to get the house exactly as I wanted without having to argue with anyone else’s prejudices"
  L.K., Portland

"We’ve been able to save 20% and build a high-end home without doing any of the physical labor ourselves."
  J.J., Wilsonville

We also offer a Money Back Guarantee. If after you have attended the first class you find that this is not what you are looking for we will refund your deposit.
 

Sincerely,

Garry & Jeanne Cook