Has Any one have any idea if this can be done?
Thanks,

Benjamin,

No offense, but your question seems a bit ambigous to me. Here are some things that will affect pricing I believe...How many floors? How many square feet do you look to build? How many openings? How many corners? Does that price include land? Depending on some of these things it should affect your outcome.

Yes, you can build one for less than $40,000.

I agree, the question is nebulous at best. Perhaps this is just another technolgy back-door advertising thru inuendo?

No,

 

I am serious. I have just been informed that I was qualified or somewhat reproved by the financing company on the poly steel website.

 

I am, and living in southern California and definitely will build with the ICF no if or buts about it.

 

Question is how do, I go about doing this myself and not to have to pay for all that additional cost involved.

 

I have set aside 150K for the real estate and possibly the remaining of the loan amount for the construction.

 

If any one have any idea please share with me, if there is possibility for your participation and involvement I have no problem with compensation.

 

Regards,

 

Hello James,

 

By your response it seems like you know about your technology and all the back door advertising there is out there.  In this case perhaps you could share with me one or two things that you know about technology and how I can make this ICF house within budget and have a reliable technology that will reduce energy and also somewhat be green.

I do not want to certify this house as LEED or any other brand advertising but want to have a decent priced home.  If interested perhaps you can sent me an e-mail and let me know at what extend and what compensation you could paerticipate.

 

Regards,

I do not think your pricing is correct.

we are looking at least minimum 2000 Sft.

first one will be in southern California, I wonder what the price will be after we are done.

I would hope that we can sell it for at least $60,000 more.

can this be done?

 

 

 

The price per foot will not be much different from the prevailing costs in your area for conventional construction. In Northern Calif, where I recently moved from, it was about $300 per foot for custom construction and on up of course.  I just completed my own ICF home in Colorado for about $160 per foot.  Haven't had the heart to do a complete accounting yet.

JR

Hello John,

want to thank you for your recommendation, and will take your advise quite seriousely in reference to custom construction.
 

I was told that I can build a decent ICF house with at least $100.00 Sft.

 

If this information is not correct then I am in for a huge surprise.

 

I know that the bank has approved me for three in one loan of 380k.

 

Based on the information you shared, it seems like I have to do a lot of homework, before making any commitment to this project. and the bank financing this project.

 

I was hoping that I can build something and sell it myself and hopefully do another one right after completion of the first one. If I can have my team together, I think we can do this over and over again, since my tax clients would be able to utilize this concept and use it as their investment properties, and gain substantial revenue in long term, rather than quick get rich scames.

 

I really think the ICF is the only way to go for this project, and I have been researching it on and off for while now. I also have alocated two of the members in this site that have showed interest and want to participate.

 

But the price per square footage you are recommending is way too much for my budget and this project.

I am hoping that we could build around $100.00 per foot turn key.

 

Regards,

 

What did you base that number on?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $ 100.00 per sq.ft. is not realistic, especially in California, rough figures to look at are 30% dissappears in Insurance, Worker's Comp and Profit. That being said you are left with what I'll call the industry standard form of 50% materials 50% labor translate in $$ and you have $ 35.00 for Materials and $ 35.00 for Labor based on your $ 100 per sq.ft. I am in Northern California and JohnCujie is correct with starts around $ 300 per sq.ft, Alot of what I work on I see running upwards of $ 500.00, even 'conventional' built tracts are over $ 200.00. Now I know SoCal is less expensive then NorCal, but not that much.

Chris

I would also have to agree on the prices quoted above. Here in MI you looking at 130.00 a sq as a starting point for a basic no thrills ranch.


Dave

Benjamin
As you requested I have sent thru some sideline info.

Your budget, seems to leave about 230k for building, that seems a little low to me for CA, but we don't know the size perse you wish to build, nor the area of CA you are building in.
I have one design I built where the client has about 2800 sq. ft on 2 floors, but with another 1100 in the basement, all clean ceilinged 9' hgt., and another 680 stashed in the walk-up attic. So about 4500 useable soaced currently tax based at 2800.

Planning for future expansion is important to maximize your value investment.

Hello James,

 

Thanks for your reply and wonderful information you provided me.

 

It is very impressive, and indeed a great work and project portfolio.

 

I am very privileged and lucky to have such experts such as yourself providing me with feed back and advice, surly appreciate this very much.

 

 

At this moment I know that I have been qualified for this amount, what the financial institution is telling me.  Once I get the final paperwork and confirmation, I think I would start putting my team together and try to see what I can come up with as far as GC, and my ICF installers, I think these two key factors will be the most crucial to this project.

 

This will be a pilot project if this can be done in time and in budget there is no stop in where this team can go as far as ICF is concerned.

 

It is simply up to the team and how quickly and how effectively they can work together, utilizing this fund and liquidates the property and does it again somewhere else in this great country.

 

Let me work on the financial side first and then start looking at the properties where it would be economical and also lucrative proposition, perhaps even buying an old fixer upper and rebuild it with an ICF.

 

I know one individual who is building his own house mentioned to me that $100.00 Sft may not be out of reach if we do it wisely and expertly.

 

I know for the fact that there are very experienced people out there that can do this within budget. I used to work for General contractor back in early 1980’s where we used to build track homes conventional frame construction and that was not more than $55.00 – to $60.00 Sft. I also realize that the time has changed so as pricing.

 

Regards,

 

Benjamin

 

Hello John,

 

 

The financial institution that is recommended by Poly steel informed me of the amount that I have been pre-approved.

 

In this case I do not think that I care where the property is as long as it is an ICF built.

 

I think I can buy something even if its fixer-upper in southern California and rebuild it with an ICF unit, if it dose not sell while in construction or after we are done with it, I will turn it into a rental unit and  rent it out, utilize this money as an investment property for our Investment club.

 

I am sure you know what investment clubs are and how they work. I have already our Club Tax Id from IRS registering interested participants.

 

In our case we will participate and invest in organizations that are related to our particular interest and industry, in this case it will be an ICF industry.

 

 

Once this first project is completed we will work on many others as they become available, for now our budget is $380.K.  Not bad for an start up! What do you think?

 

Regards,

Benjamin

Benjamin,

If you are going to move forward, I would just stay be careful. Unless you are a very experienced builder, there is a learning curve with ICF. If you are building it, how you use bracing could be very important, because if you have a wall that isn't straight, you could be in trouble. If you are concerned with budgeting issues, I would throw in as few corners as possible and make my window and door openings easy. Also work with the block during the first few courses, so it lines up well. I have seen some that don't work with the way the block is made and it can eat you up on labor. Also, I saw your website and that you also promote geothermal. I wouldn't do both for this project and suspect you are not.

Should you begin building, best of luck and again be careful.

renangle

Thanks for your recommendation.

It seems that you had your share of experience with the ICF so as I.

In my case the walls that are going to be ICF will be installed and poured with professional help of an ICF installer, I have few that I have been in contact recently and have been very helpful in providing me with detail information and actual photos.

Yes I agree with you in this first project I do not think we will be able to use our latest technology of Geothermal Terra sol concept.

 

That hopefully will be for our other projects down the road. We are not using the ICF blocks rather than we use a six inch concrete spacer. I can send you photo if you contact me through the website and leave me your information. In our case this spacer can be used for internal and external wall systems.

 

Thanks again for your reply.

Benjamin

 

The ICF (MMU) is arriving here in southern california on Friday the 16th of November. This unque Mobile Manufacturing Unit is capable of manufacturing 2400 SFT of ICf in less than six weeks and will be manufactuirng our ICF on the job site ready for installation.

We have located two properties in the area where we will be loking at for feasibility study.

Do you know where we canobtain some floor plans?

Regards,

Benjamin

The ICF (MMU) is arriving here in southern california on Friday the 16th of November. This unque Mobile Manufacturing Unit is capable of manufacturing 2400 SFT of ICf in less than six weeks and will be manufactuirng our ICF on the job site ready for installation.

We have located two properties in the area where we will be loking at for feasibility study.

Do you know where we canobtain some floor plans?

Regards,

Benjamin