From age twelve I spent my summers and weekends working with my dad, a general contractor, building homes and buildings.  I contracted my first home at age nineteen and built my own home by age twenty. For more than 30 years I operated one-person businesses.

Twelve Years with government programs

Twelve years of my life were spent working for local government administering federally assisted housing programs. I started as an inspector with a three month assignment and was Director of Community Improvement with 78 employees when I resigned to do writing and consulting. Because of my extensive experience in housing rehabilitation, I was invited to testify on housing issues before the Housing Subcommittee of the United States Congress.

Writing, Publishing and Consulting

Rehab Notes Library was my publishing company and we published a monthly newsletter (Rehab Notes) with subscribers in all 50 states, Canada and England.  I also did consulting and public speaking for agencies and organizations in cities across the country.  Because of my efforts, several community housing programs developed valuable partnerships with local banks to leverage their federal funding.

It was during this period that the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials published my first book.  After that I wrote and published eight more guidebooks on the subject of housing rehabilitation. I kept this up until 1980 when the housing assistance programs were cut. After that, I took advantage of my construction experience and started a woodworking business.

Over Twenty Years of Woodworking

For over twenty years, first in Tampa, Florida and then in Austin, Texas, I built hundreds of small and large projects for individuals, companies and government agencies. During these years I began writing about my experiences. My newest book on the woodworking business, Starting and Operating A Woodworking Business: How To Make Money With Your Skills, is a detailed and comprehensive study of what it takes to succeed in this business. Every thing is cover and it includes a full year on email consultation. So, not only do you get all the information you need, you also get someone to answer your questions when they arise. Check out my newest book at: http://woodworkingbusinessbook.com .