Sakio’s Point of View

So this is a recommendation from my lovely wife, take a break from all the construction talk and talk about your faithful companion…your “roll dog” literally and figuratively.  What does he do during the day while and why is he so committed to always going with you wherever you go whether it be to the jobsite, the store, down in the garage…it seems he will follow you anywhere.

So who is Sakio? He is our Japanese Akita, he is two years old and full of energy and love.  Just to give a little background, I am an animal lover, my wife is animal tolerant, my kids are now animal lovers. After the passing of my last dog of 14 years there was about a 3 year hiatus before my wife said “let’s get another dog” , I was stunned and since having moved to the city from the suburbs I didn’t necessarily want all the responsibility that comes with owning a dog with no yard. Ya know the daily walks rain or shine, the picking up the…well you know. Long and short we drove to Pennsylvania to pick up this puppy after waiting the required time after birth. His name was going to be Sakio, named after the Contender boxing champion from South Cameron. Trust me picking out a name was no easy task ( lots of ideas from the kids were rejected, still a bone of contention in the house). I remember Mandy handing him to me, he was so small and so cute, my heart melted. I almost made my wife drive home so I could hold him. I looked at her after she was holding Sakio and knew it wasn’t even worth asking if she would drive, so I drove with one hand on the wheel and one hand on Sakio. After about a week a term was coined in our house “You got Sakio’ed” everyone was in love with the dog, he was ruling the roost!

Fast forward 2 years, Sakio goes just about everywhere with me. So whats his day like….hmmm, alarm goes off at six, Matt hits snooze again and again, finally he’s up, sits on the edge of the bed for a moment, bends down to give me a rub, I stretch and roll on my back. He’ll be in the bathroom for a moment, lets see what mommy’s up to, she’s still asleep, doesn’t matter I’m still sticking my nose in her face, she says ” Oh Sakio,” she’s still half asleep. Okay Matt’s dressed, he says ” let’s go” , I can hear the kids downstairs already, I bound down the steps, love these stairs there so long and I sound like thunder when I run down them. Breakfast is served, yeah its dry food but hey I’m not complaining, I get three scoops. Okay, there’s a lot of yelling and commotion going on about the kids not being quite ready for school,  I sure wish they would hurry up since I get to walk to school with them,  not only that I haven’t used the bathroom yet.  Hey is that the neighbor’s dogs coming down the street, they think there so tough…Mastiffs…they ain’t got nothing on me, just wait one day Matt’s not going to be paying attention and I’m going to get free and then well see who’s boss.  Okay finally on the way to school, yes its mandatory that I mark every tree or basically any stationary object.

So were back from school, I’m taking up my position in the garage by the truck just in case Matt tries to leave without me…he’s going to have to drag me in the house if he doesn’t want me to go with him, it’s happened before, I always put up a good fight though.

Okay so I’m in the truck now, were off! Baltimore is my city, I pretty much own this town. Oh yeah windows down, heads out the window, I get so much attention it’s almost sickening, well it would be sickening if I wasn’t so arrogant. Hey look at that, a couple of school kids, they start “woofing” at me, ya call that a bark…this is a bark, yeah that’s right scream “he’s going to jump out the window”. I look at Matt, he just shakes his head.

Okay we just pulled up to the jobsite, I hear Doug the Plumber. Matt hurry up and let me out, you know Doug and I are cool. Matt didn’t you hear me, I said “let me out!”, Okay Sakio I say ” stop banging on the window, you’re going to break it”. Doug’s standing by the truck now, Sakio is going nuts with excitement, (I can’t quite figure out why he likes Doug so much). Finally out of the truck, hey is that Amy and Larry?, I haven’t seen them in quite a while, well lets give them a proper greeting, I jump up put my paws on Amy’s shoulders and give her a big kiss. 

Yeah today is going to be a good day, suns out, all my friends are here, and as always everyone’s happy to see me!  

Sakio is the unofficial mascot of the Olive Group and always on the job as a faithful companion and “riff-raff” deterrent. Visit our website at http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com to learn about our company. Feel free to share a story about your faithful companion.

Clarkson Addition II

Sweet Success!! Yup I got the building permit for the  Clarkson St. addition, of course for those who have pulled a permit you’ll be able to relate to the short tale I’m going to tell.

By the time you leave the Baltimore City permit office your emotions have run the gauntlet of being anxious, mild amusement at watching the pained expressions as the folks at the various counters tell people their drawings aren’t complete enough,  knowing nods at one another that this whole process is entirely too long, the annoyance at the loud cell phone talker, the frustration with the arrogance of those in charge, and finally the weirdly proud feeling you get as you watch someone just lay into someone in charge, you know the person who walks from one side of the permit office to the other just hollering that these people don’t know what they are doing. You always want to give that person a pat on the back for standing up to the B.S. and quietly you know your about to lose your cool as well so seeing someone else do it usually calms me down.

So I go to the permit office with my letter from zoning stating they have approved the addition. The lady at the counter informs me they don’t have record of me applying for a permit and they do not have my drawings. The permit office has a habit of losing drawings or the people are just to lazy to look for them.

I should interject a little history here, there is this one particular plan reviewer at the permit office  who is an engineer and somehow thinks anyone who isn’t  just doesn’t know what they are doing. She is excessively arrogant and never forgets to tell me “As an engineer”  I need to see this that or the other. I have never told her that I have a civil engineering degree from Drexel University, a fine educational institution. I just feel education is supposed to be used, not shown off.

Anyways as luck would have it she is the first person I have to deal with. I think to myself, let the games begin. She abruptly tells me they have no record of  my permit application, no copies of my plans, and I can tell she is not going to go the extra mile to help me.

Well when I get the “run around” I just start to “work around”. So I go upstairs to zoning appeals and there is this wonderful woman who greats me with a smile and asks how she can help me. I ask if they have a copy of the plans I submitted for zoning so pulls out the file and says ” pull out what you need, and I’ll let you know if you can have it” so I pull out my permit application, she says ” I’ll make a copy for you”, I pull out a copy of the drawings with the permit office stamps showing someone had reviewed my plans, she says” I’ll trade you these plans for the ones you have in your hands and they’ll make extra copies for you downstairs” .  I love when people go the extra mile to help you, it just adds a bright spot to the day.

15 minutes later I’m back in the permit office with copies of my plans and a copy of the original permit application. The woman who originally reviewed my plans is at the front counter and cheerily says ” Hey there” with a big smile.  She remembered me and my plans from the very first visit so she just gives me my ticket to the first station.

All good I think, well its never all good until you walk out the door. After the first station, someone decides my plans haven’t been reviewed enough so back to the front counter I go. I have to meet with the anal engineer or AE as I like to say. We get into a small back and forth about whether a “fire wall” is required on an exterior wall that is adjacent to an alley. I’ve never seen fire “jump” across a ten foot wide alley.  I guess anything is possible, I tell her I’ll put in the extra drywall to achieve the fire rating, she’s happy, I’m irritated, she’s really happy, I go to the next station which is the final station.  I remind myself that getting the permit is the goal, not winning an argument.  I receive the payment slip and head to the cashier after about a 15 minute wait I walk out the door permit in hand.

Mission accomplished! Project can start…oh wait I hear its’ supposed to snow again.

Feel free to add a permit horror story to the comment section or advice on how to survive the process.

To learn more about my company The Olive Group, please visit http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com

I can be emailed at matthewtuttle@theolivegroupmanagement.com

Happy Permitting

Matthew Tuttle

Clarkson Addition

This project is going to be one of the Olive Group’s first major projects in 2010. I thought I would blog about this particular project since I have alluded to it in a previous post “Patience and Persistence”.  I have been looking forward to starting this project since June 2009, yes its been a long wait and of course with the snow well I’ll just have to wait some more.

I don’t necessarily think a lot of people read my blogs but if one person stumbles across this and finds it helpful then I think that’s pretty cool.

“Nuts & Bolts” of this project:

• Single family 2 story rowhome in Baltimore City with 1 story rear addition.
• Brick/Stucco construction on main portion of house, wood framing with shingled exterior on existing single story rear addition.
• Project scope is to remove existing rear addition(12×16) and re-build a larger single story addition (12×29).
• New addition will contain kitchen, full bath, and family room.
• Project Budget is $55 K
• Project Duration is 2-3 months if all goes well.

At this point the project contract has been signed, architectural drawings completed in-house have been submitted for permitting, a zoning hearing for the addition has been passed with no objections from adjoining neighbors or the community association.  So even though no actual construction has started yet there have been a few months of legwork ongoing.

So this coming Wednesday I’ll head to the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals to get a hand written note stating our project passed the zoning hearing.  There is some lag time between different city offices (specifically zoning and permitting) in relaying information to each other, hence the hand written note that I can bring to the permit office in order to obtain the project building permit. The official letter from zoning will most likely come the day after I get the permit.

Some advice about permits and the permit office.

•   Always call and verify whether a permit is needed or not, most times they are required. It’s not worth the fines or the extra scrutiny the inspector will put your project through if one gets caught working without a permit.
• Bring a book or something to occupy your time while you wait, the permit office is very much like going to the DMV….no one wants to go but it’s just one of those things you have to do in order to build, remodel, renovate, construct, demolish,… etc. in the city.
• The best thing to bring is a positive attitude and just roll with whatever curve balls that are thrown your way.

As this project progresses  a project specific photo gallery will be added to our website. 

 I welcome all comments, questions or blog suggestions anyone may have. Please feel free to drop me an email at matthewtuttle@theolivegroupmanagement.com 

The Olive Group’s website is http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com

Kindest Regards

Matthew Tuttle

Patience and Persistence

So a funny thing happened to me today as I was in Baltimore City’s Permit Office, well it’s probably not that funny but it was a “throw your hands up in the air moment”. 

 I have been working with a client since June of 2009 anticipating building an addition for him on his boyhood home which he inherited after his mother had passed.  We wouldn’t be able to start on the addition project until he sold his primary residence since the proceeds from the sale  were going to fund the project.

Okay, I thought to myself how long will it be until your house is sold in this market, well summer passes and fall is quickly turning to winter, and of course my hopes for this project to happen in 2009 are pretty much non-existent at this point. November rolls around and after a few contracts that had fallen through he finally makes it to the closing table just after Thanksgiving.  Great I think as we signed our construction contract the first week of December, I will start the new year with a project on the books.  God is so good, just when you think all is lost a blessing falls into your lap.

 The Christmas holidays roll around and architectural drawings are completed so now the fun task of going through the permitting process.

This brings me to January 4th in which I made two trips to the permit office, once to submit drawings, the drawings of course need some additional notes and details.  The second time to make sure the requested corrections to the drawings were correct. Corrections were approved so I need to make copies and re-submit.  January 5th out of bed early, copies made, down to the permit office. Woman at the counter is pleased that I have done everything she has asked for and issues me  a ticket for the 1st station which is zoning. As I’m sitting there waiting I’m so excited and then I get the “oh, you’re going to have to go  next door to have your project approved”. That’s never a good sign when you have to go next door, well as it pans out the project is going to require a zoning hearing which can take between 6-8 weeks.

Well the funny thing is that all I could do is laugh, I told the gentleman at the counter I had been through the zoning hearing process before so I knew it would be a little more time before we would be able to start the project.  I called my client, informed him of the news, and thought well I guess well have to be patient a little longer, but don’t worry well get through the zoning hearing and before you know it you’ll have your addition.

Today’s events were a reminder to  me that in order to survive in the construction industry in todays economic climate one has to learn to be patient or should I say work on the virtue of patience. Also I realized if I hadn’t kept in touch with my client, you know the “touching base” phone call that everyone in a service oriented business has to make to keep and make new clients this project may have never come to fruition or gotten to the point of a zoning hearing.  Persistence is a definite job skill requirement.

So I offer a word of encouragement to those reading this who may be a little beat down by life’s twists and turns. Remember have a little patience and be persistent in reaching your goals, eventually you will succeed!

Please visit our website http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com to learn more about The Olive Group.

Stimulus Money….Seen Any?

As a small Construction Management and General Contracting business Owner I recently completed a phone interview with Baltimore Sun reporter Jamie Smith Hopkins. The topic of the interview was “how is the economy effecting you? ” One of the questions she asked me was related to stimulus money and had my business felt the effects of the government  stimulus being pumped into the economy.  Basically, have you seen any stimulus money? My answer was “no, not really”. 

I told her that most of the construction projects that have been highlighted as a direct result of a state receiving stimulus money have been highway projects or other large commercial ventures. My sense is that too many small  businesses have fallen into a high risk for lending category viewed from a banks perspective. This is all due to lack of consumer spending which is tied directly to the high unemployment rate in this country.  Small businesses can’t qualify for loans from banks who have received stimulus money which means businesses aren’t growing or creating new jobs. It’s a cycle that does not seem close to ending.

The next question naturally was “What are you doing to keep your  business going?”  I said with a laugh, ” a whole lot of creative free advertising”.  I’ve posted flyers in coffee shops, posted project videos online, started “tweeting or twittering”  all in an effort to increase business and networking capacity.  Word of mouth is still the best free  advertisement.

As I reflected on the interview I shared with my wife that it’s not going to be all bad all the time. I can maintain a positive attitude since life usually works out and the bumps along the way are just part of the ride. So I hang on and keep on spreading the word about my business.

To learn more about my company, The Olive Group, LLC  visit http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com

Baltimore District Court: Where’s my customer service?

So today I had the experience of going to District Court as a witness in a landlord vs. tenant escrow case.  It was probably the most entertaining afternoon I have had in quite awhile. Definitely worth a visit if you have a free afternoon and are looking for a unique experience.

As I sat there in the courtroom listening to the other cases being presented it dawned on me that everyone just wants decent “customer service” if you will.

One case in particular stood out since it was brief, basically the landlord had satisfied the housing code violations that had been issued and the housing inspector confirmed this. The tenant was upset since during the repair process her windows were painted shut, so she complained to the judge. The judge basically told her find a sharp object to loosen the paint so she could use her windows. It wasn’t a serious enough issue for the court to address.

Everyone knows what a pain it is to deal with wood windows or even vinyl windows that don’t open easily or open at all. We all know the drill of straining, pushing,  and usually cursing  trying to open a window  all the while just hoping you won’t have to find a screwdriver, knife, or other object to open the window (nothings ever handy when you need it).

Here’s where the customer service comes into play…the tenant just wanted operable windows and reached out to the judge to get it…no dice. The landlord probably wished whoever he hired to do the work went the extra mile and cleaned off the extra paint so the windows weren’t stuck in the first place…no dice.  Both parties didn’t receive decent “customer service”.  

It made me stop and think as the Owner of a General Contracting company it’s imperitive that we as a company provide great customer service in order to stand out in this competitive market. 

In actuality if everyone just tried to provide “decent customer service” to our friends, family, co-workers, strangers we run into  life would be so much easier all the way around.

This is Matthew Tuttle from the Olive Group signing off for Renovation Nation.

To learn more about the Olive Group visit our website at www.theolivegroupmanagement.com

Renovation Nation- How’s the economy affecting your business?

Hello! This is Matthew Tuttle, Owner of The Olive Group. We are a General Contractor and Construction Management Company located in Baltimore, Maryland. We specialize in residential renovations and rehabs. I thought I would start blogging about our experiences and some common questions we are asked by clients and potential clients. The most common question I am asked today is “How’s the economy affecting your business?”  Well I usually respond with “its much more competitive” since banks aren’t lending as freely as they used to. Construction loans for residential renovations and rehabs are typically a percentage (80-90%) of current neighborhood sales comps and since the housing market has really gone south with foreclosures and house values dropping. Sales comps aren’t very high which in turn makes getting a rehab loan for say $100K very difficult in a neighborhood where typical house sales/values are only $100-130K.

Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It forces you to be creative with your marketing strategy which can lead to new contacts and new projects. Also it can motivate you to stay on top of your game in order to be a standout in a crowd of potential contractors during a project walk-thru.  The down turn in the economy has really made people focus on value for money spent or money to be spent which has made us focus on how we can provide the best value to our clients for the money they are spending.

So even in the worst of economic times there are some positives…sometimes you just have to look a little harder for them.

Visit our website to learn a little more about The Olive Group.

http://www.theolivegroupmanagement.com

Matthew Tuttle