Category Archives: Consumer Awareness

10 Questions to ask your Contractor

SLS Construction EPA RRP Firm Certificate

Ahhh finally, it’s time for the proverbial rubber to hit the road and to turn ones dream project into reality… yes, it is time to hire a contractor. As your home is probably your biggest investment one might think that the questions asked might be somewhat like those asked during a job interview, but the
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Of sales tax holidays, disaster preparation & others of interest…

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Alabama is one of three states that have a “severe weather” sales tax holiday. This year the “holiday” is set to start tomorrow (February 22nd) and it runs through Sunday.  Unlike Virginia & Louisiana which both occur in the later part of May (to get people ready for Hurricane season), Alabama has chosen the last
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Construction Defects: An Owner’s Perspective

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This week I would like to welcome Mr. Christopher Hill whom I have had the pleasure of meeting via Twitter approx. 4 years ago. I have always been impressed by Chris’s take and advice on legal and policy issues that affect construction professionals, especially as it relates to “green” building. This was ratcheted up a
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Also posted in Insurance | Tagged | 5 Responses

Safety Sunday: Be careful who you let in…

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Ever since we were young we were always told, don’t talk to strangers. Fortunately as we grow older we learn that not only is it necessary to do so (and most people are honest & good) we also develop some street smarts to go along with it for those that aren’t so trustworthy. Unfortunately while
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Help rescue my project…

oops masonary issues

Sometimes it’s a DIY project that has gone wrong, has left you stumped, or your spouse is going, it’s taking too long. Sometimes you might be stuck with a dishonest contractor that has bailed, or appears to be in over his head. Shoot sometimes you might be looking at something & going that just doesn’t
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Preventative Home Maintenance – Why?

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Home maintenance is one of those things that is so easy to forget because so many tasks only need to be done once in a while or just a few times a year. Some items are easily put off as time can be scarce & shoot everything looks good still, doesn’t it? Well, just like
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Evolving Landscapes: State & Federal Labor Laws for Youth

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In an article last week we led off with the email from an 8 year old girl’s mother & we are glad to state that she has been getting plenty of support from their local NAWIC chapter. One issue they have run into though is that they aren’t able to visit a job site with
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Mortgage Loans Tips & Tricks

Tips, tricks, and things to remember

The purchase of a home is generally the largest expenditure you will make in your life. With mortgage rates at historic lows, lower home prices, and a large selection of homes to choose from, many more people are able to enter the home market. Whether you are looking at upgrading, investing in a rental, or
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20 Great Resources you may not know about…

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How many times have you been stuck wondering; does that really work, just what does that mean, how much load can that handle, I think that’s right, right? Fortunately for many of us we have a huge rolodex of people we can call or shoot an email to, but as we know they are generally
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State by State Residential Contractor Licensing Recap & Alabama’s Limited License

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It seems like the first thing off everyone’s lip before hiring a contractor to work on a house is “make sure they are licensed”. Well would it surprise you that 15 states do not require one to be licensed, another 6 states require it only if you are doing $10,000 of work or more on
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Also posted in Legal, Regulatory Issues | 1 Response