HOMEWORK

David Lee
Sun, 02/09/2020 - 7:00pm

About this blog:

  • The Fixer Upper

    HOME SWEET HOME was embroidered on a framed sampler the living room at my grandpa and grandma’s farmhouse up on the mountain where we lived long ago and far from here.

    Those were the first words of wisdom I learned to read, write and understand. Looking back today, I realize how this inspiring motto guided me throughout my life’s work of building my own home . . . sweet and truly mine. That plus my collection of bumper sticker wisdom.

    I grew up, left home and explored various careers until I became qualified to teach Industrial Arts at my hometown high school. My plan to have my own home was in motion. I bought a modest little fixer upper at the edge of town. My intention was to fix it up, add an addition, live there awhile to make sure everything worked, sell it and finally start building my own home. I figured I could get most everything done during summer vacation. I was young and optimistic.

    I learned a great deal from that first building project. So much that I’ll have to tell you more.

    Meanwhile: THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Recent Posts:

We Have Our Home Back
 
       Well, almost. We are waiting for one more legal document asserting our property rights that the town has promised to send us. It should be here any minute.
 
       This whole mess about not being allowed to own our home stems from Agenda 21 inspired legislation installing Building Code Enforcement bureaucracies all over the state . . . actually, all over the country. Their mandate requires each and every construction on private property to be code compliant.
 
       This should be a good thing. Yes, the fact that our government is watching over us wannabe homeowners to prevent suffering from shoddy, unsafe construction by incompetent, amateurish builders should be a good thing. Naturally, as is government's way, regulations dictating how a quality, safe home must be built were put in place as well as who would be allowed to build them. 
 
     The regulations and specifications were so numerous that printing one set on paper would denude forty acres of forest. Thank God for computers.  Even more rules and regulations establishing qualifications for builders of these New Age Homes were legislated. Another few dozen acres wasted. Again, as is our government's way, professional builders would be tested, licensed and required to build only code compliant structures. 
 
       As a reward for making the best of this insult to their integrity, licensed professionals in the homebuilding industry are promised all the business associated with homebuilding. Of course that’s an absurd promise because government cannot give that power to the building industry. Which brings us to the nub of the problem we’ve had with government.
 
       Although our Owner Built Home was compliant with the code in effect during construction, our Code Enforcement Officers determined our home would not be considered compliant enough until the unending list of violations found in it were corrected by hiring licensed professionals. After eight months of expensive investigative work we finally pointed out to the town officers how such behavior could be construed as racketeering.
 
       Good news! We’ve won our home back. And, as is our duty as citizens, we’ve reported our difficulties to authorities at the federal level who said they will ‘look into it’.
 
       I feel so much better. Now I can get on with my mission to start a school for Owner Builders,  more wholesome work than fighting off predators.
     

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