What do you do?

Become a tradesman. Get certified in electric or plumbing. Always work, decent pay.

I wouldn't say there's always work in the trades. It really depends on what part of the industry you end up in. Service and maintenance, yeah, that's fairly stable. But that's the minority of electricians and plumbers. Most do construction, and that shit can be very up and down. Not that that means they're not good careers. They're just not bulletproof.

Electricians here do well, but outside of construction the majority of them work in the instrumentation and industrial areas where it's much more stable and the pay once you get past going "what is that" is better. There are a ton of trades that have done well and probably continue to do well outside of plumbing and electrical. I wouldn't get too invested in anything that relies on building houses.

You care much about working in potentially dangerous situations? If not become an elevator tech.

And plumbers and electricians in the northeast US make very, very good money.

What ever I do. I am really really fed up with it today.

I have yet to meet anyone who is a plumber or electrician who says they can't find work at the drop of a hat. They all have it pretty good, though it's hard work.

Automotive mechanic is another possibility. There were way, WAY to many 6-8 years ago, and there are too few since. Lots of garages looking for mechanics.

Khane_sl said:

You care much about working in potentially dangerous situations? If not become an elevator tech.

And plumbers and electricians in the northeast US make very, very good money.

Click to expand...

Elevator techs are at the top of the "trades" pyramid, by a fucking mile. The entire industry is nearly a duopoly globally. I would imagine, though, that there's significant barriers to entry, because the supply of elevator techs is several constrained. I don't know much about that. I just know every fucking project we do, the elevator guys are a complete nightmare to deal with and they will walk off the site at the drop of a hat, which can cause huge problems for completion and occupancy. They are huge prima donnas.

lurkingdirk_sl said:

I have yet to meet anyone who is a plumber or electrician who says they can't find work at the drop of a hat. They all have it pretty good, though it's hard work.

Click to expand...

Again, really depends on the industry and region you're in. Tradesmen in Alberta right now are losing their jobs left and right as the oil industry slows, and there is no end in sight.

Eomer_sl said:

Elevator techs are at the top of the "trades" pyramid, by a fucking mile. The entire industry is nearly a duopoly globally. I would imagine, though, that there's significant barriers to entry, because the supply of elevator techs is several constrained. I don't know much about that. I just know every fucking project we do, the elevator guys are a complete nightmare to deal with and they will walk off the site at the drop of a hat, which can cause huge problems for completion and occupancy. They are huge prima donnas.



Again, really depends on the industry and region you're in. Tradesmen in Alberta right now are losing their jobs left and right as the oil industry slows, and there is no end in sight.

Click to expand...

Yeah I had to fix a phone line because it paused an extra second or two before it began the autodialer the other day. The guy was a HUGE asshole. He walked off twice before I even knew there was a problem. I had a delay in the analog/Voip converter.

Dude was a right cunt.

Oblio_sl said:

6 months into my training to become an Appraiser and I love it. Work is a little to crazy busy right now and me I am working slowly is not helping. I am double triple checking everything I do as it is all new to me, my guess is in another month I will feel more comfortable and then production will really pick up.

What cracks me up the most about this job is that it confirms my prior belief that most Realtors suck, you should see the shit they put on Home Listings that is so inaccurate it would be akin to calling a pond an ocean.

Click to expand...

I never understood appraisers. The house is worth what someone is willing to pay. Appraisers, at least in the home buying process, come around after someone has already agreed on a price. If someone has already agreed, who is the appraiser to say it isn't worth that? The whole business seems so subjective.

f

Thanks for the suggestions much appreciated, I'm looking into them all one by one

I understand that a 3rd party needs to come in and say basically this transaction is legit, so you don't have some dude selling his friend a house for way more or less than it's worth. Make sure something shady isn't going on basically. But how often have you appraised something, and it's been drastically different. Seller/buyer have agreed let's say on a $200k purchase price, and nothing weird or special, just a normal home sale. You telling me whatever you find is gonna change that $200k value by really that much? Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never heard of an appraiser saving a banks ass on anything? I apologize if I come off snide or naive. Not my intention, at least the snide part. I just never understood the point.

Taken to school I was! Wasn't expected. Haha nice job man. Glad you can be passionate about your new career!

I suppose we have just our personal experiences to go off of, and if the data says 2% of appraisals is what comes in under than that would explain my mindset. Very good chance most people out there won't ever see an appraisal change a damn thing, but it's a necessary process for the what if situations.

Going off most data, does mean that if homes in my neighborhood are selling for $130 a sqft that my house would probably appraise for around that?

Arative_sl said:

Going off most data, does mean that if homes in my neighborhood are selling for $130 a sqft that my house would probably appraise for around that?

Click to expand...

Generally if they are around the same type of sq footage, layout, bed/bath number and the like. That is to say that there are some houses that have been added on where you might get diminishing returns (IE everyone in the neighborhood is 1300 sq feet but yours is 2500) or there's been major changes to rooms/etc.

But yea, $/sq foot in your exact neighborhood of like houses is usually a good guide - provided all the major items are accounted for.

This is a new subdivision, most homes built within the 3-4 years. There are smaller homes 3 bed, 2 bath that sold recently for $130 sqft, some similar sqft as mine that sold for between $125 and $130. Some much bigger in sq feetzt around $120.

Dbl post