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Rebuilding SoCal Homes

wallrat | Posted in Construction Techniques on October 31, 2003 06:14am

      I’m planning on going down to San Diego (from Seattle) to help with the rebuilding of those homes burned in the recent fires…my question to all of you is this; How soon do you think it will be before the demolition ends and the insurance claims are resolved, and the rebuilding gets going again?  I anticipate there will be one heck of a lot of work there soon. Those poor folks need a place to live. What are your thoughts?

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  1. BARMIL48 | Oct 31, 2003 09:06pm | #1

    Most of those "poor folks" appear to have been living in McMansions, at least from the media coverage. I guess I won't get a dividend this year from my insurance company.

    1. jimblodgett | Oct 31, 2003 11:53pm | #3

      I bet there's gonna be a serious shortage of temporary type housing down there, wallrat; better plan on taking a motor home to live in while you're there. 

      Be a good time to have some folding money to invest in real estate down there, too. This will be "the last straw" for a lot of people who were considering leaving that area - just the nudge they'll need.

      Lots of opportunity, that's for sure.  Sad deal though.

      1. Sancho | Nov 01, 2003 12:46am | #4

        easy big fella,

        It'll be a while ,the fires arent even out yet, not even contained. Fema is involved also. My best guess is it will be at least around early spring before it all get settled and the contracts are made. 

        Darkworksite4:

        Estamos ganando detrás el estado de Calif. Derrotando a un #### a la vez. DESEA VIVO LA REVOLUCIÓN

  2. fredsmart48 | Oct 31, 2003 11:44pm | #2

    I anticipate there will be one heck of a lot of work there soon.

    This kind of thing happens every year in southen California to a lessor or greater degree.  I suspect that they have enough people around so the cost of labor won't take a big jump.  At least for very long.   What little checking on hiring  the undocumented workers will go out the door for a long while just to keep the cost of construction labor down. 

  3. fdampier5 | Nov 01, 2003 04:36am | #5

    Wallrat,

      Don't forget they have TV in Mexico and South America.    Much of the labor used to build homes in Southern calif is hispanic.  Maybe fouth generation American but hispanic never the less.  Wages in Southern Calif aren't as high as much of the other parts of the country.

    1. davidmeiland | Nov 03, 2003 06:28am | #6

      Eventually there will be a surge in the work load there, but it will take many months. Insurance claims will take a long time to complete. Many folks will get fed up and move out of the area instead of rebuilding quickly. Plans and permits take time. Folks will come from all over to try to get in on the work. I was living in Oakland during the '91 fire (almost 3000 homes burned IIRC) and worked on some of the new stuff but it was quite a while after the burn. Stay in Seattle--the football team is better anyway.

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