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      03-17-2021, 02:25 PM   #11
DETRoadster
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Drives: M2 MG 6MT / Moto Guzzi V7
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Seattle

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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
any floor plans, or design sketches?
No, not yet but I'll definitely post them up once I have some!

Quote:
Originally Posted by turboawd View Post
I build homes and it seems you're off to an expensive start. Hiring an arborist? Seriously? Does the city require that?
Ah I was hoping an industry insider would chime in! Welcome! Man, if you have any tips for finding, vetting, working with a quality builder I'm all ears. We have an A+ builder now but as you know, this early on it's not like contracts are signed or deposits placed. Ultimately we aren't sure we can afford thee guys. They do really high end work, but damn do you pay for it. We really want to work with them and have spoken with a number of people who have used or are currently using them that sing their praises. My wife has a patient who retired from construction project management recently. When she mentioned the builder's name to him is said "Oh, shit, THOSE guys? Yeah, you'll have no problems. They are top shelf."

as for the arborist, I agree, comically early in the process right. But this particular city is renowned for being bat shit crazy protective of trees. So much so that if you have even a single tree that's deemed "exceptional" due to age, size, placement, or species, you have to go through a whole convoluted permitting process to be able to remove it. There are stories about the city stopping permits dead in their tracks over a single tree and requiring it to be delicately dug up and moved, or not allowing it to be taken down at all, thus killing the permit to build. This driveway we need to widen is lined by trees so some will have to go. If the city arborist said "Oh, that's a rare Asian Fir" or some shit and we cant remove it, we could be stuck in a court battle with the city to get permission to widen the driveway so that they will then grant permission to build the house. All for 1 stinkin' tree. That's why we engaged the arborist so early. Thankfully none of the trees meet the definition of "exceptional' though 1 is very very close based on diameter.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TKDbilly View Post
Check into your state level property tax provisions. In some areas, they offer a tax advantage for clearing a % of your trees for fire mitigation, year over year. Near where I live, you must have 40 acres and clear 10% and they come by for an audit to validate.
Not in this city! They save every tree at all costs.
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