Real Estate Show Michael Henn, Rogue Home Repair

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Real Estate Show with Mike Henn Rogue Home Repair

Alice Lema: [00:00:00] Well, hello, Southern Oregon. Welcome back to the real estate show. I'm Alice Lema, your host of the real estate show. I'm a broker here in beautiful Southern Oregon with John L. Scott real estate. So glad to have you back today, we're gonna be talking to Mr. Michael. He he's the head of Rogue Home Repair, and he's gonna be talking to us about some tips on home improvements, how to do things, how not to do things.

He's also gonna be talking about home maintenance, decks and fences. So it's gonna be great to get his input and get some ideas from him about what we can be doing on our properties this summer. So before we get to Michael Henn of Rogue Home Repair, just wanna take a quick minute and talk about what happened in the market this week.

Cuz it was huge. We have a lot of stock market drama. We also had another really big interest rate, increased .75%. A lot of the lenders are now doing owner occupied loans in the sixes. And [00:01:00] the investor non-owner occupied loans in the sevens. So that is raising some havoc with our buyers and sellers.

But you know what? We still have more people coming on the market, listing their house. And it's an interesting dynamic because we may actually end up selling more homes this year, just because people listed their houses. Why are people listing? Some are listing, they wanna take whatever profit is left before price is finish adjusting.

There's also this huge movement to sell your house, to buy another one, because why? Because you can, because when there's choices out on the market, people feel more comfortable listing. We've had a lot of people holding back, putting their house on the market as they were worried about where they were gonna go.

So we'll see. We'll see how this all plays out. That's partly why we have a radio show every week is to track these micro movements and watch them turn into bigger movements or just kind of fizzle out. So right now it's looking [00:02:00] like we've got a nice, steady stream of new listings coming on. We still have some buyers.

We still have a few more buyers than sellers. So it's that kind of a market, but it also depends on what price point you're in. The upper price points are starting to slow down. That's what slows down first. And then our buyers, you have to stay on top of it. Stay in touch with your lender, get reapproved every week or two, if you need to, because these interest rate changes make a difference, but all in all, we are still looking forward to a pretty active summer.

Also this summer with the homes we have already, we wanna take care of them. And that's why we're talking to Michael Henn today, Rogue Home Repair. So he'll be with us in just a quick minute. We wanna say thank you to our sponsors. John L. Scott Ashland, Medford, Guy Giles Churchill Mortgage, and our local Rogue Valley Association of Realtors. Will be right back.

Well, welcome back to the real estate show folks. Thanks for joining us again. I'm Alice Lema. I'm a broker here in beautiful Southern Oregon with John L. Scott Real Estate. And today we're talking [00:03:00] to Michael Henn from Rogue Home Repair. Hi, Michael, how are you?

Michael Henn: I'm doing very well, yourself.

Alice Lema: Good, good. So excited to have you on the show today, home repair is one of my favorite topics as most of our listeners know, but it's also one of their favorite topics.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and RO home repair?

Michael Henn: Yes. So my name again is Michael. I started, I started this business in 2016. So. oh, where does that bring us?

Alice Lema: So not that long ago. About six years?

Michael Henn: No. Not, not long. About 12 years ago. I, I came here from Dallas, Texas, I, oh yeah. I'd worked with with my father for many years all growing up. So we did all sorts of things. Replaced sewer lines, water lines, back in Texas, where this is allowed. Redid apartment, apartment units rehab them after people moved out. So I got to experience a lot, got to learn [00:04:00] Spanish. And when I moved here I just had trouble getting an in with any other companies that I applied for. So I started my own.

Alice Lema: That's great. What a good solution?

Michael Henn: Yeah. I love it here. It's great.

Alice Lema: So six years ago, you landed from Texas. You started this up and I happened to meet you kind of accidentally. One of my clients, Mary, who we just sold her house is getting ready to move. And I walked in and, and there was this crew there and they were doing an amazing job.

Michael Henn: I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Yeah. She's been great to work with.

Yeah, we've, we've done, we've done the painting, some flooring some work on her fence, little bit of everything.

Alice Lema: And that was really what impressed me is it was one stop shopping. You had this crew there, they built her a new gate, which was fabulous. Did all the inside painting and installed carpet and [00:05:00] vinyl.

Michael Henn: Yes. Ma'am yeah.

Alice Lema: Normally you have to call like six different people cuz three of 'em don't show up oh my goodness.

Michael Henn: Yeah. So, so it actually works out better for both parties, when you can package multiple different projects into, into like one package, you, you get what's called like decreasing marginal cost. So each additional item gets cheaper. We're there, we're communicating with the customer. We get to learn. We get to learn what they like, what they don't like, preferences, tolerances. Yeah, so it works out for everybody.

Alice Lema: So how did you, is that an, an idea that you came up with as a business model? Or is this just something you put together for individual clients? Because I really, I thought it was just brilliant.

Michael Henn: You mean like doing work involving different trades?

Alice Lema: Yeah. Yeah. Where you go in and the homeowner gets a package deal, versus like, in some, in some home repair companies they'll come in and do [00:06:00] the, you know, your fence and your gate, but they won't do your painting or they'll do your floors, but they won't repair the electrical. So, so that idea of one stop shopping is just really brilliant.

Michael Henn: Yeah. So I. I guess I started heading that direction more out of necessity and wanting to be a people pleaser and just say yes. So I've actually retracted back a little bit. So I've gotten better at telling people Hey, this area with the size carpet you have it's, it's not for us.

But, but overall, I like to go through and have the customers explain everything that they like to do. And I'll go through and pick out ones that would be effective and efficient for us to, to handle. And yeah, it's more of out of necessity and just trying to like be helpful.

Alice Lema: Mm-hmm yeah. Well, and there's a real need for that because it's hard for homeowners, especially the elderly ones to even know who to turn to, [00:07:00] if they're getting one trade person here and one trade person there. So the fact that you organize it all yeah, it was just really great.

Michael Henn: I love it. I appreciate that.

Alice Lema: Yeah so so Rogue Home Repair, you've been around since 2016. So it's about six years or so. And your licensed and bonded.

Michael Henn: Yes. In the state of Oregon you have to have a CCB license or an LCB license to do work people's property like even simple, small things. Anyone who has an active CCB license, they have they have an insurance and they have their bond. CCB makes sure of that. So, and that's that's for people to know.

Alice Lema: Well, and it it's important because people don't always appreciate the license and bonding. But boy, if you're doing real estate repairs for an inspection addendum, or getting the house ready to sell or something like that, you really have to have somebody, well, you're supposed to have somebody license at all.

Michael Henn: But [00:08:00] yeah, it was actually there's actually actually a friend of mine who is a real estate agent. And I was, I was doing some side work when I first moved here for college. And oh man, he let me have it. He was like all over me about it. He's like, I can't use you. You need to do this. Here's the proper procedure in the state of Oregon. And I, yeah, I took it to heart and like showed up with my paperwork, but the next month.

Alice Lema: Yeah, it's just better for everybody. And. We just wanna stress that to homeowners. If you're looking for people to help you, that you get licensed and bonded people, right?

Michael Henn: Yes. And projects over $2,000 also the state of Oregon requires that, that our contractors give homeowners a consumer protection notice packet.

Alice Lema: I did not know that.

Michael Henn: Yes. Which details out how to check their license online, how to file a complaint. What a lein. It just gives them a little bit more information to so that they can [00:09:00] have power, I guess, in this case.

Alice Lema: Yeah. Just be informed consumers. Yeah. So I didn't know about that. So what is that package like? Is it paper? Is it emailed? Like what do you, how do you deliver it?

Michael Henn: So how I deliver it is I print out two copies. You can go on the CCB website, they have a PDF file. You can download. It's entitled, combined, combined notices. And it consists of paperwork on what a lein is, proper procedure or before starting your project, like just helpful tips towards a successful project. And then I believe one more that's on like arbitration, but there's three sections of it. And I print out a copy for the customer and I print out a copy that I have them sign and return to me. And it just, it's just basically says that I have given this to the customer they've they've seen this information.

Alice Lema: Mm-hmm yeah. I bet there's a lot of people that have been [00:10:00] not, not getting that. we're all sitting here going, I never got one of those yeah. Yeah. So let's talk about particular kinds.

Repairs, like when, when you're helping people with their real estate getting their house ready or dealing with inspect, like what's, what's some of the common things homeowners ask for.

Michael Henn: Oh, okay. So probably the most common involves making sure that the structure is one of her is I wanna say like weatherproof, like painted, sealed, caulked, protected from the elements. I'm not familiar with loans or financing or anything like that, but I have heard and experienced that a lot of deals, sales situations, don't, won't go through unless like the roof is in good condition, everything's painted and caulked and livable.

It's kind of like I think it's kind of like I'm buying a used vehicle. The bank would probably rather a loan for a [00:11:00] new one. Cuz they know you're not gonna have problems with it. So just the, just the basics, functioning heating, and cooling systems. That's probably what I come into contact with the most, as far as

Alice Lema: You know, what's interesting and sorry to interrupt, real quick, but that's what normally shows on the repair addendums. It's servicing the HVAC. It's making sure the siding is weatherproof and making sure the roof has three years of, or more of life on it. Yeah. That's exactly what they want.

Michael Henn: Yeah. And, and then I get a lot of questions on like, Hey, I'm gonna fix up my house to prep, to sell. And I turn all of that to, Hey, ask your agent, ask a designer. I'm not that person.

And then I usually just will listen to them. Cuz I'm not, I'm not the person to pick the paint colors in the situation. I would listen to someone like you or like whether a tub or a shower is better or [00:12:00] carpet or vinyl.

Alice Lema: You know, that's very interesting because the real estate agents do know what the buyers will pay more for at any given moment. And it changes constantly. So I think you're in a position to make recommendations, but good for you for farming that one out.

Michael Henn: Well, yeah, when it, when it makes sense, obviously, but yeah.

Alice Lema: Yeah, yeah. So when you're working with people, let's talk about bathrooms. Yeah. So let's say somebody calls you up and you go in and their bathroom's actually damaged and they didn't know that they have water damaged.

They have dry rot. You know, around the commode or the, the bathtub, something like that. Like what are some of the possible ways of fixing that?

Michael Henn: Oh, okay.

Alice Lema: So some, did I just open a can of worms?

Michael Henn: Oh, a little bit. So sometimes you can just like replace the, the actual flooring material and the underlayment underneath sometimes portions of [00:13:00] subfloor have to be replaced. If the damage goes underneath the tub or shower, sometimes that tub and shower has to come out. That's oh, you mean you gotta take the whole thing out. Yeah. If it's, if it's bad enough. Yeah. And sometimes it's really bad. And that's where you get into the gray area of, okay. Now you're talking about, you need a plumber out, now you're talking about possibly permits.

So there's a whole spectrum. Usually it's simple. Usually it's just the flooring material and the underlayment. And that's pretty quick and inexpensive to replace.

Alice Lema: But let's say, you know, you, you get in and you find out it's, it's worse and it's gonna be way more involved. How much of that are you able to help, you know, continue on. Can you organize the rest of all those trades? You can kind of keep the whole thing going.

Michael Henn: Oh yeah, absolutely. So we do tile setting in house. We have to have a licensed plumber come in to to do their part, but yeah, we, we handle all, we handle all of that. Yeah.

Alice Lema: Wow. That's awesome. So see again, I like that one [00:14:00] stop shopping idea.

So you can go in and it happens all the time. Especially with older houses, there's more going on than you realized, and you're able to stay on the job. It doesn't get passed off to a whole nother stranger to start over.

Michael Henn: Oh yeah. It helps. It helps a lot of times with communication. Oh yeah, that too. yeah.

Alice Lema: So we have to take a quick break. We're talking to Michael Henn the founder of Rogue Home Repair. And we're having more time here, right after a quick word from our sponsors. So do not touch that dial.

Well, hi again, everybody. And welcome back to the real estate show. Alice Lema here, broker John Scott, talking to Michael Henn, Rogue home repair. And right before the break, we were talking about bathrooms and what happens sometimes if you've got leaks here and there and some dry rot and how it can turn into a much bigger deal.

Michael Henn: Oh yeah. oh, yes. I actually Actually just before we started talking here today, I actually came from an [00:15:00] appointment looking at a bathroom, which is exactly what you described. Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna have to tear. We're gonna have to tear in and, and see, but it should be a simple to do day job.

Alice Lema: But are you gonna have to remove like the tub of the shower or the floor or something?

Michael Henn: No, thankfully not. This, this one's actually gonna be quite simple. It's just new flooring, underlayment and, and trim.

Alice Lema: Oh, that's a relief.

Michael Henn: Yeah. It, they put underlayment underneath that vinyl flooring and it, it bubbles up often. If, if you don't have proper sealant like against the tub, for example.

Alice Lema: Oh, no, really? Yep. Wow. So when you say underlayment, what, what exactly are you talking about? Just for the people that don't know what that is?

Michael Henn: So you have your subfloor, which is typically thicker, all of your interior walls, all usually exterior walls, too. Everything's built on top of your subfloor. And when you install [00:16:00] products that require gluing down, oftentimes you'll install a half inch, basically like particle board. And that's what I mean by under underlayment in this case.

Alice Lema: And, and if they don't do that right, what happens?

Michael Henn: Oh. If, if the flooring doesn't have good if there's not a good seal in between like the tub and the floor, or where the trim and the floor meet, like right outside the tub, that's where often you'll get a lot of water getting underneath the floor.

And then the underlayment bubbles, and then you have to go in and tear it up and hope that there's not, I hope that it's not been like this big ongoing leak. That's caused a bunch of damage, but yeah, that's super common. Very common.

Alice Lema: Yeah. It's, it's amazing how those little leaks can turn into big disaster, especially if you don't know.

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. so when you're dealing with people's flooring what's the most common type of flooring, like what are [00:17:00] people wanting these days? Cause there's a lot of different materials.

Michael Henn: So usually like they call it luxury vinyl, plank, and, oh man, we install a whole bunch of that. Whole houses all over.

Alice Lema: Is that the most popular?

Michael Henn: Yeah, it's probably the most popular.

Alice Lema: Yeah. Do do people ask for wood anymore? It's kind of expensive, but.

Michael Henn: Yes. We'll install like pre-finished for engineered. Yeah. Well, we don't, we don't do the finish, the finishing of it. It's just not efficient or effective for us to do that.

But they sell well, they sell engineered wood flooring. They sell hardwood flooring that's already prefinished so it's already got a it's already stain. Ready, ready to ready to go. We'll we'll install that. We'll install tile to tiles, usually more expensive. So people only do like small areas with [00:18:00] it.

Laminate, I try and steer people towards the LVP, the vinyl plant.

Alice Lema: Excuse me. It's more forgiving.

Michael Henn: Yeah. Well, it's like completely waterproof. I mean, I have pieces as a coaster.

Alice Lema: Oh, , that's funny, but those of you can't see, he's holding up a piece. Oh yeah. Luxury vinyl plank. That's his coaster. That's super fun.

Michael Henn: Just from a cut off. Yeah. It looks good. You can get 'em in different colors, textures. The veneer layer on it. You want to get a thicker one? So like I have customers all the time and when they go into the store, I'm like, don't get the cheapest. Have 'em call me and I'll tell the salesperson like, Hey, this isn't like a pain to install.

Right. It clicks together real well. And they'll usually line customers up with a good product.

Alice Lema: So are you saying that some of the less expensive vinyl plank doesn't actually connect to each other as well? Well, well, it's, it is got like it's almost like a tongue in a

Michael Henn: groove kind of. [00:19:00] Right. And if they don't click together well, it can cause it can cause problems with the install. It can take more time. They can separate, it's hard. I've installed really cheap products. But like sometimes you can't tell if it's clicked together very well and, and you want to do it right? Because with flooring if you have to go back, you have to do it in order. So. . Yeah, so I, I just am kind of picky.

I like to talk to the sales person that, that they're speaking with.

Alice Lema: And, but you know, what I like about that is you're setting people up for long term success. Yeah. You know, instead of just saving $3 in the beginning, because it seems like when those floors fail or there's a problem with those luxury vinyl plank or laminate, it's always in the middle of the room.

yep. It's not on the end. it's not gonna be easy. Yeah, it's in the, it's in the smack middle.

Michael Henn: Yeah. We actually had a flooring [00:20:00] job lined up and the, the product we couldn't, the product wouldn't install. Right. It kept breaking. So we had to, we had to turn it to, to somebody else and we tried to get the customer to switch it out and get a refund.

Alice Lema: But yeah, we knew, we knew it would be a problem. So they're getting installed, but it's, it's not gonna be a very good long term solution.

So that's good to know that the, the product you're buying the materials matter. Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think, I mean, I didn't know that I, I have floors installed all the time.

I didn't know that it made it a difference.

Michael Henn: Even, even, even paint.

Alice Lema: Oh, let's talk about paint.

Michael Henn: So let's talk about paint. I'm I'm not like super. I'm not super knowledgeable about painting the chemicals involved and how it works. But I do know a couple basics. So like if you go to and get like Gliden for example, like the cheapest you go to Walmart, get the cheapest.

You're gonna be applying that like three, [00:21:00] four coats. You're gonna be

Alice Lema: oh, it doesn't have as good a coverage.

Michael Henn: Well, then you get runs. It doesn't have as good of hide with it. Oh, oh. That's like terminology for like hiding the color behind it. Uhhuh and you'll get runs. It, it just it's, it takes significantly longer to put on the wall Uhhuh so yeah, I've ran into that a lot where customers will supply their own paint.

So I. I tried to stop doing that. And you just have them pick the colors cause you don't think you don't think about those unless you you don't think about that unless you do it very often, that if you go with a slightly better product it'll, it'll be so much faster to install. Yeah, a lot less runs better, better.

Also primer paint and primer. Usually that refers to it. Just having better hide anyway, I'm going off on anything.

Alice Lema: Well, no, but [00:22:00] I like how detail oriented you are, because I think a lot of us walking around feeling that all paints are kind of created equal and it doesn't really matter the same with flooring. So understanding that there are certain properties. I guess you'd call it of the paint that will again, you'll have more success with it and you'll be happier with it after I think that's super important for people to know.

Michael Henn: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And you don't have to go all out for flooring or paint or whatever it is. You can go with like mid range. But yeah, it definitely makes a difference mm-hmm for sure.

Alice Lema: Yeah. So when you walk into somebody's house and they have really dark color, I I'm thinking, is that a time to, I mean, you're gonna have to recommend three and four coats or so.

Michael Henn: So you'd actually use like a primer. So primer serves many purposes. It can serve to provide better adhesion to a surface. But in this case, it's basically a cheaper [00:23:00] white latex paint that you can put on that will yeah. Well, well, it'll help hide the color underneath. So actually there's yeah, I know, I know some of the paint companies in town I know, Miller has their own like recycled paint brand and you can buy recycled paints.

Alice Lema: What is that? What is that? I don't know what that is.

Michael Henn: So you can. When you buy paint and you have leftover in the can, you can take it back to the store and they'll recycle it. And some companies will take all this paint and they'll, they'll actually make new paint to sell out of it.

Alice Lema: No kidding. They put it in another can and sell it again.

Michael Henn: Yes, but it's, it's a little more more elegant yes, but, but you can buy like five gallons of this, of this paint for a significant discount. I have different like pre-made tents. So if you're go, if you have black walls and you want to paint green, you can go and you can buy this this recycled paint that's already tinted [00:24:00] a sort of right.

And you can, you can use that as a prime.

Alice Lema: Wow. That is so interesting.

Michael Henn: And then put the actual green that you want on the uh, so, so you don't, you're not messing with many, many coats.

Alice Lema: Wow. So recycled paint is available. I had no idea. That's actually brilliant. Plus then people aren't dumping the paint on the ground, in their sink, sneak it into the dump. Something like that.

Michael Henn: Most paint places will take the old paint can long as they have a label and it's sealed and it's still.

Alice Lema: Uhhuh. Okay. Wow. I didn't know that. And, and then the idea that certain undercoats or certain primers could have a tint to it because certain colors hide other colors, you know, that's the only, I don't think people understand that, that if it's tinted a certain color, that would be more ideal to hide another color.

Michael Henn: Yeah. And you can even get your primer tinted.

Alice Lema: Yeah. I didn't know that. Yeah. [00:25:00] People have to wear makeup know that yeah.

Yeah it's the same, it's the same idea. That is so interesting. Okay. So recycle paint it sounds like not everybody provides that. Is that what you were saying? Everybody provides it or just some people.

Michael Henn: Some, some paint stores will sell that and it's, it's just a cheaper. product that you can use to hide a previous color.

Alice Lema: Mm-hmm that's a brilliant idea. Yeah. Yeah.

Michael Henn: They only sell they only sell it in, I think like one type of sheen, like maybe egg shell.

Alice Lema: Oh yeah. I'm assuming no choices, but that's fine. Yeah. That's not what you're paying for. Yeah. That's super cool. So we've got more to talk about, cause I wanna talk more about tile and we wanna talk about kitchens, kitchens next, but we do have to take another break.

We have to say thank you to our lovely [00:26:00] sponsors. We're brought to you by John L. Scott of Ashland and Medford. Our Local Rogue Valley Association of Realtors. Were also brought to you by Guy Giles. And just a reminder, this episode will be repeated tomorrow. On the same station, KCM X radio eight 80 at six o'clock we're talking to Michael Henn. We'll be right back.

Well, hello again, everybody. Alice Lema here. John L. Scott. So happy to have you back at the real estate show. We're talking to Michael Henn, Rogue Valley Home Repair, getting lots of good information and some really interesting tips, for example, did you know about recycled paint? Well, I didn't. So I'm so glad to have Michael Henn on, one of the things we wanted to talk about next was kitchen timelines, budgets, things like that. What kind of what kind of repairs and remodel things are you guys getting into this summer for kitchens? What are people asking for kitchens?

Michael Henn: Well, [00:27:00] mainly, I mean, I've, I've got a couple customers they want kitchens in places where there' no kitchen right now. So that involves lots. Pick another brain. Design work, throwing out ideas is it's gonna be more heavily, like instead of like a firm bid more like cost plus basis which is just cost plus markup.

Doing a lot of, I always do a lot new tub surrounds.. Lots of tile surrounds for tubs and showers. Yeah. That's super popular. Oh yeah. I've got a couple jobs coming up where they use the wrong product.

Alice Lema: Are you redoing are you the fixer?

Michael Henn: Well, the whole thing's gotta come out. Yeah. The shower.

Alice Lema: I'm sorry. That does happen. That's [00:28:00] happened to me a couple times. It's a horrible spot to be in.

Michael Henn: The whole thing's gotta come out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Luckily they knew before they moved in.

Alice Lema: Well, that's good. So, you know, I wanted to ask you about the supply chain. Everybody's kind of trying to figure out how to get materials and stuff. How are you guys doing with the supply chain and materials and deliveries and time? Are you struggling at all?

Michael Henn: So ever since this whole COVID situation we've had to, I've basically had to get like new pricing on materials that we use on a regular basis almost weekly or every other week, just to like, yeah. Wow. To make sure. Cuz I don't want to be telling somebody something and then it totally be wrong.

So I'm, I'm constantly checking on. I'm, I'm trying to use more materials that are in stock. So like when we do decks, [00:29:00] for example, I'll try and steer people towards products that I know a lot of lumber companies around here carry.

Alice Lema: Uhhuh. That's pretty smart.

Michael Henn: Yeah. Like that brand, that color. It's not gonna take a long time to get in. The biggest challenge has been appliances really. yeah, pretty much appliances. Everything else. I could pretty much get a hold of. Windows windows are taking longer, but that's kind of normalized out now. That's getting a little bit better. Yeah. I think it's like six to eight weeks for like customized windows, which that's like two months.

Yeah. But I've, I've had people wait. I've had people wait like twice that. to get the windows they wanted. Yes. Uhhuh and we're not talking like fancy, fancy windows. We're just talking like builder grade vinyl windows at a custom size.

Alice Lema: Oh, what a bummer two [00:30:00] months. You hear that folks order your windows first, right? Order the fridge and the windows first.

Michael Henn: Yeah, definitely and definitely appliances.

Alice Lema: Well, that's good to know. So do you think people you know, cuz the economy's kind of weird right now? Especially in the housing market. So do you think people are gonna stay in their houses and remodel them? Or do you think they're just gonna try to move somewhere else? You know, you're kind of on the front lines cuz you get the phone call first where people are trying to figure out what to do. What, what do you think's gonna happen?

Michael Henn: Oh, you want, you want my honest opinion? So I purposefully don't watch the news and I purposely don't try and guess whether a stock is gonna go up or down, whether the price of a property is gonna go up and down, up or down.

I try there's a book Warren buffet wrote, ground rules. Yeah. And he basically says, we're not gonna try and guess at this, we're just gonna stick [00:31:00] with good companies and we're not gonna buy and sell based on guessing, guesswork. so I try and not get involved with guesswork at all.

Alice Lema: So you just work on what's in front of you. That's pretty smart.

Michael Henn: Well, I know like the trend throughout history is properties will increase in value. I know inflation's a thing. I knew that like, what we're going through now was gonna happen when I first started Medling with COVID.

Alice Lema: Oh, so you saw this coming.

Michael Henn: Well, I have a, I had a business advisor who, as soon as they did the as soon as they started doing these stimulus programs and started shutting things down, he like told me, right, right away, Hey, wages are gonna go up.

Cost of goods are gonna go up. It's gonna take a while that you're gonna see more inflation. And like I did when it was the seventies or something, tell me something like that. And that was like three. It was when all the COVID. Yep. Yep. A couple years. I, I don't try and guess. I don't try and guess I just try and find like [00:32:00] ideal customers with ideal projects.

Alice Lema: We'll have to, we'll have to have you back on at the end of the summer and we'll have to see, like, do you, did you spend more of the summer, like helping people put in new decks and fences cuz they're gonna stay. Or did you help people getting their houses ready to sell? So this is like June. We'll have you back like September, October, and we'll see, we'll see what happened.

Michael Henn: I know, I know when all COVID happened and everyone was staying in inside, I know for a fact building remodel the whole industry just be pretty. Everybody is getting work done. Yeah.

Alice Lema: But now it's so topsy turvy, it's hard to know what to do. So I like your point of view, you just do what's in front of you. Don't panic, you know, hold the line steady. And don't watch the news. we're not being political folks, but that's just, you know, our philosophy.

Michael Henn: Well, the house that I've bought [00:33:00] recently, it's like almost doubled in value, but it'll go down and then I'll come back up again and I'll just hold onto.

Alice Lema: yeah. And everybody needs a place to live, so it's not, it's not a bad thing. Yeah. So let's talk before we, cuz we only have a, a little bit of time left, it's summertime. People might be looking to do some outdoor projects. What kind of projects? Would you recommend?

Michael Henn: Oh, well, okay. Obviously you need your house painted. You need your house painted. Oh good. And you need your roof in good condition. Yeah. I would plan for winter. So also good gutters, drainage, just plan for it to, to rain in like six months and drizzle for a really long time. That's how, cause that's how it works here. I would plan ahead for that.

Also we do a lot of decks and fences and I know I spend a lot of time on, on mine.

Alice Lema: Those are, oh, its Southern Oregon and it's great for that. And you can kind of help design a little bit, it sounds like.

Michael Henn: Yeah. [00:34:00] So thankfully decks and fences there's not like infinite options, like a bathroom or kitchen. Generally people have an idea of what they want. They have an idea of some railing systems. They have an ideal idea of a footprint. So it's, it makes it a lot easier for me to be helpful.

Alice Lema: And we're gonna have to wrap it up right there. Michael Henn, Rogue Home Repair. We're gonna have you back on lots of great ideas.

Thanks folks. Have a great weekend. Call Michael at Rogue Home Repair.