I’m L.T. Nielson. For more than 10 years I’ve been remodeling, building, buying, selling and investing in property: houses and multifamily. On many of my own projects I’ve been the owner-builder, acting as my own general contractor: getting bids, hiring and scheduling the trades, managing the budget, and dealing with whatever goes wrong.
I’m not a licensed contractor. When a question gets technical, I check it with two licensed contractors I work with, who each have more than 30 years in the trades. That’s the “ask my contractor” part: what I’ve learned on the job, checked by people who’ve seen far more than I have.
What I write about
- Building: planning, framing choices, and how a build really runs.
- Remodeling: what’s worth doing, what to skip, and the order to do it in.
- Costs and hiring: reading bids, managing contractors, and keeping a budget from blowing up.
- Selling: getting a property ready for buyers and the appraisal.
- Investing: rentals, multifamily, and 1031 exchanges, which I’ve used many times.
How I write
Plain language and real tradeoffs. I’ll tell you what worked for me, what cost me money, and when you need a licensed pro. Codes, prices and rules vary by location, so always check locally.
Have a question? Ask me here.