Pulte Homes Lays Off 2,000 Workers

w6ire

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...pulte0530.html

The housing slump is hitting the big guys.

dirt diggler

what cave do you live in??

georgia dawg

Once I asked my grandfather how he kept from being scared about dying during WWII. (He was in the Battle of the Bulge). He said it was easy. When the commanding officer stated x number of you will die during the next battle, each man felt sorry for the poor SOB next to him because he knew that other guy next to him would be the one to bite the bullet. Thus, as a whole, no one was scared.

Get it?

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"How much per sq.ft? Well.. gimme $1K and I can build a shed. Gimme $1M and I can build the same size shed with gold plating and encrusted diamonds."

oldrivers

well the townhouse martek was going gangbusters for the last 16 years it cant keep going on forever.

Celtic

I agree.

We need more rental properties

People can't live with thier parents forever

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Forry

Might be a while though, they want to make six figures before moving out.

ruskent

Tom M

I had a flury of inquiries in May after the expected tax return shoppers but things are still dead. Few calls, supply yards quiet. My gutter company who install for me is throughout jersey and up to conneticut have been in business for 30 years came to a job I called in the next day. The installers told me there only doing 3 days a week and mostly repair stuff. Im getting nervous, this is bad. How am I going to achieve that $500k benchmark I shot for?

PARA 1

WHERE DID PULTE FIND 2000 LEGAL WORKER TO LAY OFF?

mdshunk

No kidding. I thought most of the big guys; Pulte, MI, Centex, etc., all used subs for pretty much everything, except for a couple guys per development doing punch out and supervising subs. Maybe not. I know I've been contacted in the past from mega-builders, but I just can't crew that kind of work (nor do I desire it).

oldrivers

i knew my townhouse taping days were over and the end of townhomes was on the horizon when i was taping a unit . i got there at 8 in the moring started taping as usual , saw a van pull up to unit next to mine didnt really pay any attention though , as i was about to go grab a lunch i went next store to look in the unit . A group of you know who tapers came in and taped it and doubled it in about 3.5 hours. i was just finished with the taping coat on the first floor . the next day i started 2nd coating and the you know whos were in there doing the finish coat as i went to lunch again i went next door and it was all done . my unit was only half 2nd coated. after lunch the job sup came in and asked if my unit would be ready to spray tommarow with the other one. i knew at that point my townhouse taping days were over.
now all i do is remodels additions basements .

its not that the you know whos work for cheap but they set unreasonable deadlines , 5 tapers versus 1 no contest.

plus the cost of townhouses are getting rediculous
250,000 to 300,000 and up then add the associaton fees.

Teetorbilt

DiVosta, one of their divisions, just laid off 350 out of 550 positions.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

wackman

It's not nearly as bad here in Portland Or.

The suburbs have been hit the hardest and of them it's the new mega developments with the bigger price tags.

I do infill in a area that is middle of the road cost wise, but very very good location wise, and my homes have all still been selling before they're finished for full price.

I'm in an area surrounded by more expensive areas and I have even better accessibility, so I know there's still a lot of appreciation left here.

Plus remodeling is still pretty hot as well. The ecomomy here is still good besides some of the home sales so the people who don't want to buy or sell right now but have a bunch of equity are remodeling.

I just hired two guys who moved here from western New York and they said it's just dead there.

Tom R

I know you've mentioned this several times before, - - but it keeps amazing me, - - 'cuz I'm in Jersey and can't seem to find a place to hide from all these customers. I can't even have my lunch (a quick sandwich) in peace without people coming up to my truck and knocking on my window, looking for work. I'm down in Bordentown, - - but working in Plainsboro right now (right next to Princeton, - - that's about as far north as I go).

The day before yesterday a car honked to pull me over as I was heading out for lunch, - - and as I was talking to her at my driver side window, - - another lady was knocking on my passenger-side window asking for work, too.

I just give them my card and tell them they'll have to give me a call any night or on the weekend, - - if I stop to look at all these jobs I'll never get done with the one I'm trying to work on.

Not complaining at all, though, - - all the numbers and variety does allow for me to pick and choose my work.

A lot of it is neighbors of wherever I'm working, - - but a lot of it is also the fact that my truck is like a billboard on wheels.

Either way, - - doesn't even matter, - - I stay as busy as I want to be with just my regular customers.

And who are these guys who say signs on a truck aren't effective??

Hah!!

Tom M

Tom R that truck looks good. ------ Ive still been slow. Once again a flury of calls the past two weeks so I have lots of paper work but still nothing serious. I worked 6-7 days a week for so many years I stopped advertising cause the phone always rang anyway, however this past year I seriously felt I screwed things up by being so comfortable working and not promoting a specialty. Either way I gave a customer a quote for deck in May they said they would do it themselves, now I been receiving E-Mails asking me IF I would build thier deck (labor only) if they supply the material. Jeez, its a joke. The woman even works in a local zoning dept. Just seems like a streak of wierd things that keep coming at me these days. I used to do a lot of siding work but these days everything is a 6 man-- anything goes operation so I can only assume Im coming in to high on some of these bids. If its not a part of a larger renovation or remodel forget it. I do a lot of trim work as well but I think unless I start specializing in one thing only Im going to loose out. Days of doing anything that comes in may be over for me.

PARA 1

Nice Ride !

GregS

That almost looks like an ambulance.. I wanted one of those instead of a van, but they aren't the easiest to come by cheap.

Tom R

Yeah, - - that's how it's been with me for years now, - - no advertisement necessary, - - but, - - no saying it can't happen to me (and in this area) also.

Anyway, - - good luck, - - hopefully it'll pick up . . .

ButlerDesigns

I have a 2004 E350 (Dually) Stahl one like that for sale has 62k miles on it. Already have interest in it from few companies, but highest bid walks away with it. We hardly use it and its not worth keeping for only using it 15 times a year.

Cost over 35k new

Going to start off bidding at $16k

Email me if serious about it. I have pictures. Thanks

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John Butler
Butler Designs, LLC

Celtic

I want an ambulance ....with a bucket on it

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