Archive for May, 2009

Residential Real Estate Slow Down? Not In Rochester MN

Monday, May 25th, 2009


The National slow down in the Residential Real Estate Market has not affected the market in Rochester, Minnesota as it has in other parts of the country. And there are numerous factors that can be attributed to this boon in the real estate market, and overall growth of the city, which are discussed in detail.

The Mayo Clinic is still expanding, and currently there are 3 new buildings being constructed to house the expanding departments of the Mayo Clinic, and the new 4-year University of Minnesota project that began classes in September, 2007. The downtown area of Rochester has seen expansion already, in the form of smaller and older commercial buildings being demolished in order for new high-rise buildings to be erected. These new high-rise buildings will assist in accommodating increased traffic in the downtown area from students and staff, and will house new parking ramps, classrooms, dormitory rooms, and additional shopping.

These expansion projects will create a demand in our already increasing real estate market. Growth and expansion create new jobs, new jobs create a demand for housing, demands for housing create more listings and sales, thus continuing to improve Rochester’s steadily increasing Real Estate Economy.

There is no slow down here in this city’s forecast: We are seeing our “Spring Market” activity, typically beginning mid-February, and arriving earlier and earlier each year – with Spring of 2008 forecasting to be “bright, busy and sunny”. The outlook for Rochester, Minnesota to increase its population is also very strong, with an estimated 10% to 15% increase in the next 5 to 7 years. That’s a potential increase of anywhere between 10,000 to 20,000 people, all of which will be looking for condos, apartments, and homes for themselves and their families.

Also, both IBM and the Mayo Clinic are expected to add additional jobs during this time period. And there was a recent article published in the Rochester Post Bulletin Newspaper stating that 75% of Minnesota’s job growth is expected to occur in the Rochester, MN area.

Another factor that is contributing to the expanding population and real estate market is High Inventory. There are an abundance of homes for sale in all price ranges for buyers and investors to choose from. And pricing has remained relatively steady throughout the 2007 home buying year. The foreclosure homes are also a hot topic, with savvy investors from all parts of the country taking advantage of today’s low interest rates, and a large inventory of homes.

Rochester residents have nurtured a thriving economy and healthy environment for families. So it’s easy to see why the real estate market has improved as well, and investing in such a well maintained city is a rare opportunity.

Many Minnesota Realtors have built their reputation on knowledge and expertise in an ever-changing market. A few areas of expertise include finance and home mortgage information, investment and expansion or remodeling projects, and home purchasing and home sales. So with all things considered, there is no better time to purchase a home or investment property than right now.

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Construction Equipment Operator Job Outlook

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009


The job of construction equipment operators mainly involves the use of machinery such as forklifts, cranes and earthmovers. Most of these machines have automatic systems and the operator only has to move the levers or operate switches for completing the specified task. The most modern machines used in construction are fully computerized and the operator is required to have the necessary training and knowledge for operating these.

Computerized machines have made it quite easy for construction equipment operators to undertake complex construction tasks, such as moving heavy machinery and placing it at a predetermined spot. The equipment operators are required to have patience and dexterity for handling such complex and time-consuming tasks. They are also required to have the right kind of training and qualification for understanding the complex systems that are nowadays present in most construction machines and equipment.

Earnings of construction equipment operators:

The operators can find employment at any construction site, be it highway construction, bridge construction, railroad construction or even a building. These operators can work also as pile-driver operators, paving operators, surfacing and even tamping equipment operators.

In 2002, the median national hourly earning of such operators was $16.94. The data sample collected from all the states of the country shows that the top ten percent of the operators had registered earnings of more than $28.93/hour. The next fifty percent earned in the range of $12.96 to $22.98, while the lowest ten percent earned less than $10.61/hour.

The earnings of the operators also vary from industry to industry. As per the statistical data collected in 2002, operators employed at highway, street and bridge construction sites earned around $19.81/hour, those employed by specialty trade contractors earned around $17.56/hour, while those employed at utility system construction sites earned around $17.48/hour. Operators employed at civil engineering construction sites earned around $16.88/hour and those employed for local government projects earned around $14.88/hour.

Future job outlook of construction equipment operators:

Based on key economic indicators, the job outlook of the seems bright in the next five to ten years. One of the reasons for their increased demand is the lack of adequate training programs for individuals, who want to make a career in construction.

The demand for construction equipment operators is expected to grow in the next five to ten years, in line with the growth of the overall construction industry. This demand is not affected by the improvements in construction technology that helps in raising worker productivity and reduces the demand for these workers.

Job opportunities are set to increase with the anticipated increase in population. This fuels the demand for new homes, industries, health care centers and office buildings. Opportunities will also be available at new highway, bridge and street construction sites in the next few years. A number of structures in the country that were built during the last fifty to sixty years will have to be repaired or replaced. This will lead to a further demand for construction equipment operators in future.

How to Paint your Own Motorcycle

Friday, May 22nd, 2009


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Motorcycle and chopper painting tutorial

PAINT AND PREP SUPPLIES

Reducer

Plastic Filler

Flowable Putty

Epoxy primer

Epoxy Sealer

Base color Paint

Clear Coat

80,120,400,600,1500,2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper

IMPROVISED PAINT BOOTH

If you’re like me, you don’t have the luxury of a down-draft spray booth in your shop. Here’s what I did. I cleaned out a storage room that’s attached to the back of my shop. I lined the walls with white poly, and placed a variable speed fan in the window. I then went around with a roll of duct tape and sealed the perimeter of the fan to the surrounding poly on the walls. Now onto the lights. After the first time you try painting something, you’ll quickly learn just how critical good lighting is. In fact when it comes to lighting, the brighter your paint area the better. A buddy gave me two four-tube florescent light fixtures, which I hung on opposite sides of my new spray booth. It’s good to have reflective walls. Lining the walls with white poly not only saves your walls, but it’s also quite reflective.

SAFETY

Before I continue, I want to stress safety. It’s a very bad I idea to paint in a room that’s attached to your house. In fact, it may not be legal in some jurisdictions. Also, paint fumes are not only super toxic, they’re highly flammable. Make sure your fixtures are wired properly, and that your fixtures are fully encased with lens covers attached. Last but not least, make sure you have a good quality respirator with the correct filters for the kind of paint you’re using.

PAINT EQUIPMENT

For tools you’ll need at least two spray guns, a air regulator with a water trap, a compressor, and of course some air hose. As aforementioned, you’ll need 2 paint guns… one for painting primer, and another for painting base and clear coats.

PREP FOR PAINT

Be certain your fuel and oil tanks are pressure tested and leak free before you start. Ideally, it’s good to sandblast your metal parts, especially if they have old paint on them. If you choose not to sandblast, make sure to sand them really thoroughly and wipe them down with a non oil-based cleaner prior to starting the job.

The next step is to apply filler to the low spots and any trouble areas. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I like to spray a coat of epoxy primer prior to spraying on the base coat. This gives a nice base for the filler to adhere to. Prepare your filler in small amounts (it sets up fast) and apply it smoothly and evenly onto your part.

After the filler has dried, sand it smooth with 80 grit and look it over for any low spots or chips, then fill and sand again. After the necessary rounds of filler and sanding are finished, it’s time to prime.

Spray on a couple of coats of epoxy primer. After the primer has dried, get a spray can of black paint and very lightly spray it over your part. This is the guide coat. The light black coat will show any ripples, low spots or defects in your handy work. To repair the problem areas that the guide coat exposed, you’ll want to use flowable putty instead of filler. Apply the putty in thin even coats, then smooth it down with 80 grit sandpaper (wrapped around a rubber sanding block). Once you get the high spots leveled down, smooth it down even more with 120 grit, then finishing it with 400 grit. You’re now ready for the last round of primer. Once the primer is dry, sand it thoroughly with 400 grit to give it a toothy surface for the base coat to stick to. I like to spray on a coat of epoxy sealer just prior to spraying the base colour coat. In addition to providing a ideal surface for applying the base color, it also prevents any solvents from coming through and causing bubbles in your clear coat. Make sure to follow the paint manufacturers spec sheets with regards to mixing times, mixing ratios and painting temperature. Failure to following the instructions will cause you much grief…believe me.

BASE COAT/CLEAR COAT

Now comes the color coat. Lay down the colour coats as per your paint manufacturer’s spec sheet. Next comes the clear. After the first round of clear has dried, wet sand it down with 600 grit. You’ll notice rows of ridges appear in the clear as you sand. Keep sanding until the clear is even and the ridges are gone. If you’re painting graphics on, now is the time to put them on. After applying your graphics, cover them with another round of clear. It may take one or more rounds of clear to completely bury the graphics. Be sure to wet sand flat with 600 grit between rounds of clear. After the last round of clear has been sprayed, sand it down flat with 600 grit like before. When it’s nice and smooth, finish it off with 1500 grit. If you want to get it even more silky smooth, go for a final round of 2000 grit.

POLISHING

Now for the gratifying part. The final step is to polish it to a mirror finish. You’ll need a variable speed polisher, a buffing pad, and some polishing compound. There are many different kinds of buffing compound available. Your local automotive supply store will be able to recommend a good one.

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This little tutorial is meant to give you a basic idea of the paint process. For more in depth guide click on the link below.

http://www.torkypig.com/paint/