I am considering buying a house in Houston that was built in 1903 and now needs renovations which inlude:

remodelling the kitchen
replacement of a sun porch
painting and decoration of walls and ceilings
sanding and refinishing the wooden floors

I sought three bids and was to say the least rather shocked at the quotes and shedules. One told me it would take 18 months to complete the work and that I would have to rent another property while the work was done.

An friendly builder told me part of the reason for the high costs was that there is an excess of work and few skilled workers in the area. After looking at several new houses built by Tricon and others I now wonder whether I should form my own buisness and employ the labor direct. What do others think? And, would a salary of $40,000 per skilled worker (carpenter) be sufficiently attractive to someone out of state to spend 6-8 months working with me?