Interview with Carl Heldmann, Author of Be Your Own House Contractor, Part 3 (And Giveaway!)

Here's part 3 of my interview with Carl Heldmann, author of Be Your Own House Contractor.

Free Money Finance (FMF): How much time and effort will people need to put into being their own contractor?

Carl Heldmann (CH): This will differ for each individual, but you will spend more hours planning and preparing than you will on the construction site.  You may spend a month or several months of your spare time in the planning stages.  Plan well and shop well.  Find the pieces of the puzzle that will become your home and have fun doing it.

FMF: Is there additional information you have available other than what’s in the book?

CH: Indeed there is.  The website has affordability calculators, cost estimating spreadsheets, and current cost to build anywhere in the United States. 

FMF: What are the highlights of the website?

CH: On the website are construction photos with tips, to show you the different facets of construction that will probably be unfamiliar to you.   There are also links to valuable recourses, such as the better house plan sites, design software, free contract forms, and construction lenders.

FMF: Your book has been quite popular.  Can you talk about how many you've sold through the years and where they are currently selling now?

CH: Over 500,000 aggregate sales and growing as housing affordability sinks to record lows.  All my books are available at any bookstore (brick and mortar and online) and public libraries.

FMF: Do you have any personal testimonies from people who read your book and then built their own home?

CH: The best testimony I can give you is that in financing owner builders in Michigan for 20 years, I have had many who have done this more than once. They so enjoyed the process and were so happy with the resulting savings that they built another home, or a second home, or a bigger home.

FMF: Is there any other advice you’d like to give Free Money Finance readers?

CH: Don’t get discouraged. It’s not as complicated as most people think. There are a lot of people out there who will help you in all the phases of being your own general contractor. Many offer free help.  I am one of them. My web site is free and so is my book…at the library (be sure to return it).
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Or, you can win a copy here!

Now for today's giveaway of a copy of Be Your Own House Contractor. Here's how it will work:

1. Leave a comment below -- any comment.

2. Sometime tomorrow, I'll stop by the post, stop the submissions, and name the winner.

3. It will be that person's responsibility to check back to see they are a winner and then email me their contact information.

4. I'll send all the winners their books in one mass mailing going out the second week in September.

A few rules for these giveaways:

1. You can not win more than one prize.

2. I will be the complete and final judge.

3. Legal disclaimer: I can not guarantee safe delivery of the items. I'll send them via US Mail, so it's likely they'll be fine, but I can't control it and won't be held accountable if the mail system messes up.

4. If you win something and do not contact me within a week of winning, I reserve the right to give your prize away to another winner. Note again: I won't track down the winners -- it's your responsibility to come back and see if you won.

Good luck! Post a comment below for a chance to win this book!

Comments

[Ryan]

First!

[Goose]

Second!

[Scott Moonen]

Count me in.

[Scott Kustes]

Once more for good measure.

[Brian]

I really could use this book...

Pick me!!

Pick me!!! ;)

[Richard]

Persistence counts!!

[Blaine Moore]

Hopefully I will get a chance to win before I go out of town...

[Cam]

Giving it another shot! Thanks

[Harley]

pretty please (again)?

[Tom]

Maybe this time...?

[juanny]

can anyone tell me what's happening with the Tigers?

[JMS]

Trying yet again...

[Brian]

I may buy this book for my inlaws - if I don't win it first!

[Kelly]

Count me in.

[Tammy]

I'm in.

[Dee Whit]

Reading these posts are really making me want to read the book!!!

[Carl Heldmann]

Hi, Carl here -- I have been responding to some readers' comments on my blog. Check them out here: http://www.byoh.com/blog.html

[Jake]

Put me in the running for the book please.

[Familyfinanceguy]

If at first...

[DG]

Booya

[Richard M.]

Let's give it another shot.

Please enter me again.

Thanks.

[SC]

I'm in too.

[Cory]

I could definitely use this book! I would like to purchase my first house within a year or so and I want it to be a fixer-upper =)

[Brad]

Try, try again

[El Indio]

Great interview, hope to get the book for free :)

[El Indio]

Ignore this post and the last one, I didn't realize Saturday was my lucky day!

I wonder what else you'll add to this week-long series.

[Cherly]

It sounds doable. Now...If I could only get a free copy of the book, I could start planning step by step ;)

[Topher]

Giving it another shot

[Dave]

Count me in - thanks!

[JM]

not giving up.

[Brenna]

Count me in

[FMF]

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Tom who posted at 9:36 am yesterday. Congrats!

Tom, please email me (see: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2005/04/free_money_fina_4.html ) and we'll arrange to get you your book.

To the rest of you, stay tuned. I still have plenty of copies to give away!