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I need a website and would like to use easy but fancy website builder. Found plenty online but mostly rubbish, lots of them free, only one was good but a bit expensive. My web is only informational, not income-generating. I need in it about 10 pages with 15 or better 30 subpages. Any advice? Thank you.
Please note, I am a total amateur and the website builder should not be free, just the trial should be free so I can try it out. The free website builders are not what I have in mind, I like a good website builder for which I pay a reasonable price, but allows me to just add the names of buttons, my text etc.

Depends on your knowledge of subjects: HTML, Javascript, (server side script – possible NOT applicable)

http://www.w3schools.com/htmL/

If you knowledge of above is good, notepad is your (minimal) tool, eclipse is free IDE that helps a lot too…

The builder will not cover mold problems arising from the construction of his home. It states "seller hereby informs buyer that organisms commonly referred to as "mold" may be present in the newly constructed home at the time of buyers initial occupany, or, if not present at the time of buyers initial occupancy can may later develop within †he interior of that home. This home is neither constructed or warranted to be free of mold or other natually occuring biological impurities"

I imagine that is very common among smart builders. Mold can be a very expensive problem to resolve (sometimes cannot be resolved) and comes about for many different reasons.
A builder must protect his business just like anyone else. Would it be feasible for a doctor to guarantee you will never develop an STD?

the builder i have hired to build my extension, has caused lots of problems with the build. he is also trying to claw back money unfairly, due to not having enough money to finish the job. i have paid him all of the money he quoted. but i just want rid of him, so i can finish it myself, or employ another builder.
i would like to know what the legal procedure would be for dispensing with his services, without him suing me for breaking my contract with him.

If you have paid him what he quoted then there is no issue with you breaking any contract.
Rather the other way around if he has not completed the agreed work or not to your satisfaction.
If you want rid of him just tell him you no longer want him to do any work.

simple really.

My computer recently died and I did not save my site builder to a disk. Can I replace this somehow on my new computer so that I can manage my website and make changes. Please tell me how if anyone knows. Thanks.

Have you tried contacting the web hosting service? Perhaps you can use their editors to modify what you want to change. Yahoo web hosting has those options.

My brother is having some trouble with his house and when he calls the construction company to do something about it, he can’t get through. They are a very popular builder in Utah and his house is still under warranty. The problems range from the dirt around his house sinking, to the basement walls cracking. Who’s the next person you would call? Housing authority? Who oversees this sort of thing? This is a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. Thanks for any info.

I agree, many contractors are licensed and that state licensing board will be interested. If they are not licensed, try the better business bureau.

I’m interested in buying a new construction residence from a small builder. How should I check out their reputation? I live in the Seattle Washington area.

What should I be concerned about? How should I make sure that my interest is protected? and construction is not shoddy, corner is not cut and builder not fly-by-the-night?

Are there documents I should make sure I include in the contract?

Thanks in advance!

First thing you do, ask them for references. Any good contractor will not be offended. They know you are covering yourself, and it is not an insult. It is the shady builder who gets upset when you ask for references.

Second of all, ask how long they have been in business for. You can even verify this with the local authorities. Require a copy of their local licenses (should be business and contractor’s). When they give it to you, call the licensing department. It is part of public record, they can tell you how long they have been around. If the company is small, it is not a big deal. If it is new and small, be careful. Not to say don’t use them, but watch it.

Are you getting a construction loan? If so, often they come out for periodic visits. Pick the guy who takes a look for information. He has seen a lot of houses. Also make sure your contractor gets all his inspections. A list of requirements should be easily obtainable from the licensing department. If you get regular inspections from the city/county, there will be little worry about safety issues. As for quality, you should be able to see that as it goes up. Just be hands on with regular walk-throughs.

As for protecting yourself with costs, make the contractor give you a written proposal. Make sure it is very clear as to what it does and does not include. Are you working off drawings from an architect? If so, make sure the drawings numbers and dates are included in the proposal and contract. A proposal that says "build house for $_____" sounds good for you, but it is not. They will argue every little thing is an extra. The more details the proposal has, the better. Try to make the bid binding, so he is tied to it if he starts going over costs.

With every payment get lien waivers. Your contractor should provide one for the money you gave him. All of his suppliers, vendors, and subcontractors should provide one as well. This is standard practice in the industry and if he balks walk. This is how you protect yourself from a lien. With no lien waiver, you do not know if he will file lien, or worse yet his suppliers are even being paid. The last thing you want to do is pay twice because someone filed a lien. Make sure the waivers are signed and notorized. People will lie when it comes to money. NEVER pay them for work they have not done. Hold a 10% retainage on ever billing. This retainage will not be paid until the work is 100% complete, C of O obtained, and manuals/keys are in your hand. The percentage is negotiable, the retainage is not. If he balks, he is too small to pay properly and could be planning on walking. This retainage helps ensure he finishes every bit of work, and helps you hire someone else if he walks. Do it or risk it all and pay the price.

All in all there is no magic. Get references and ask around. See how much volume of work a year he does, and trust your gut. If he seems overworked, or just plain has a bad vibe, walk away. Cheapest is rarely the best, pay more for quality. Good luck, construction is a difficult thing.

I’ve allowed him to live there 5 months while he’s fixing up another house. Now I’ve run out of patience and he needs to leave so our builder can build our home.

Sue to evict him. The sheriff will help him leave.

nice neighborhood. builder is auctioning multiple properties. i believe is in trouble financially because no houses are selling now.

Before even deciding on a price I would want to know if the local zoning authority had already issued a CofA (certificate of occupancy). That means the house is safe to inhabit. You won’t be able to move in without one. I would also want to know if these houses are fully complete or as is. This really would influence what I would bid.

How much is not knowing if your builder would be in business in 6 months be worth (as a discount). Can you get a home inspection before the auction? Walk-through? Anything?

I would be a little leery, but certainly curious.

good luck!

We found a house we love for $469,000. The most we can afford right now is $430,000. (thanks to equity in current home). The home was completed in 2/07, still owned by builder and vacant. It is not in a neighborhood but just a single lot that the builder purchased and then built the house on. Do you think they are desperate to sell yet or really expect to get over $450,000. Their asking price is already good for the area. Not sure how builder is different than buying from Joe Homeowner.

The builder may need to unload the property to get out from under his interim financing. However, most homeowners are also under pressure to sell, usually because they have already bought another house and don’t want to be making 2 house payments, so that kind of equalizes the two situations. The builder knows exactly what the house cost to construct, and how much he needs to pay off the interim financing. But Both the builder and Joe Homeowner want to maximize the return on their investment and will try to sell at the going "market price" (determined by recent comparable nearby sales). Offer the builder $420,000.00 for the house you love – leave yourself $10,000 worth of negotiating room. You can always up your offer, but you can never down it.

I have to clean 12 year old, builder grade kitchen cabinets that are dirty and greasy. The cabinets are in good condition other than that. The hardware is fine. They just need a through cleaning! What cleaning products should I use? I am not trying to go overboard with painting or refinishing.

There is a concentrated orange cleaner at Home Depot that comes in a gallon container. Just mix it with water and put in a spray bottle. I use it for everything and it smells great!