Fin Home Custom Contracting

Living with wildlife at the lake.

We asked Adam Mann, a biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife, how Possum Kingdom homeowners can coexist with the animals already living there. His framing says it all: "You're living with the wildlife, not amongst them."

That means cutting the attractants: secure your trash, bring in pet food at night, don't feed the deer, watch your shoreline chemicals, and plant native. Feeding is where people go wrong, because "habituated animals lose their natural fear responses, making their behavior less predictable."

And if you cross paths with trouble: stay assertive, keep your distance, and report injured animals by calling 911 to reach a game warden. In three words: leave wildlife wild.

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Full guide on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/living-with-wildlife-at-possum-kingdom/

The rebirth of Mineral Wells.

Built in 1925 right on the famous mineral well, the Crazy Water Hotel was once the heartbeat of downtown. Then Fort Wolters closed, rules limited what the mineral water could claim, and the grand hotel sat vacant for decades.

In 2019, a public benefit corporation formed to save it. More than 88 investors, mostly local, staked their own savings. Now, in the words of GM Bridget Shelton, "We are on the cusp of something big."

Today there's the Oak & Third scratch kitchen, wine dinners and cooking classes, a world-class spa coming next year, and a town growing west from Fort Worth. We're proud to build in a region on the rise.

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Full story on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/rebirth-of-mineral-wells-the-story-of-the-crazy-water-hotel/

Buying at Possum Kingdom isn't buying a house.

We asked , who's spent 16 years in the Possum Kingdom lake market. The most expensive mistake? Rushing. "'I need something this weekend' is how people overpay. I've spent up to four years helping a buyer find the right place."

And waterfront isn't waterfront. You can own shoreline and never build a dock, the Brazos River Authority controls the water, and dock rights and depth vary by zone.

Price reality: a dockable lot starts around $400K before you build a thing. A 3-bed on deep water with a dock starts around $800K, and building runs about $350 a square foot. So pick your zone before the house.

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Full guide on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/buying-property-at-possum-kingdom-lake/

We asked Cole Vaughan, a VP at Clear Fork Bank who finances custom builds across North Texas. The first thing to know: the bank is betting on your builder. "The bank is just as much lending to that builder as to the borrower. We're assuming they can finish the house for what the budget says."

It's nothing like a mortgage. Funds release in draws as work gets done, you pay interest only on what's been drawn, and it converts to your mortgage at the end. Already own your land? "If you already own the lot and have equity in it, we can count that toward your down payment."

The mistake that blows the budget: "People get in trouble when the budget assumes builder-grade, but they really want marble, quartz, or white oak."

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Full breakdown on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/construction-loans-explained-how-custom-homes-are-funded/

What to get right before you order cabinets.

We asked cabinet designer Brenda Crane of J&K Cabinetry, who's been designing kitchens for over a decade. Her advice is all about the decisions homeowners make before a single cabinet is ordered.

First, don't cut the wrong corner: "A hundred dollars here and there won't matter five years from now. But you live with this kitchen every day."

The mistake she sees most? "People put the dishwasher right next to the corner by the sink. Then you open it, and there's no room to stand."

And on trends: white shaker isn't going anywhere. "It's classic. The all-gray kitchen, though, is on its way out."

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Full interview on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/before-you-order-cabinets-what-every-kitchen-remodel-should-get-right-insights-from-designer-brenda-crane/

The mistakes that make a remodel dangerous.

We asked a building inspector where remodels go structurally wrong. His short version: remodeling is about ten times harder than building from scratch, because you inherit a house without a plan.

The patterns he sees again and again: broken load paths, load-bearing walls removed without redistributing the weight, undersized beams and headers, compromised shear walls, and a post that ends up bearing on nothing.

The scary part? "Inspectors don't have the time to catch everything." So protect yourself: involve an architect or engineer before the walls come down, pull the permits, and keep one dedicated supervisor enforcing the plan on site. Most structural failures are entirely preventable.

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Full breakdown on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/interviews/structural-mistakes/

How do you finish a remodel in weeks, not months?

The secret isn't speed, it's materials, first. Erik picks everything out, acquires it all, and stages it on site before demo even starts. So when the crew starts, they never wait.

Terry Martella was quoted four to six months by other contractors. Fin Home did it in about three weeks. "We wait until we have all the materials, then it's step by step."

Most crews can't do this, because their workshop is mobile, it's their truck, and they end up storing materials in your garage. Fin Home has a warehouse. Even on a weather day, the crew can still work. That's how you move twice as fast.

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Full process on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/home-remodeling/materials-first-process-finishes-remodels-faster/

Your house is older than you think.

A house built in 1992 is 34 years old. Your cabinets are old. Your bathrooms are old. And the way homes are built has changed drastically since then.

It's not just the finishes. In the last 10 to 15 years, piping, wiring and breakers, framing, insulation, and how airtight a house is have all moved on.

So updating only the cosmetics is like putting a new set of tires on an old car. Today's house costs more, but the quality is much better: more airtight, more energy efficient. That's why bringing an older home up to today's standards is worth more than new finishes on old systems.

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Full answer on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/home-remodeling/old-house-new-standards-why-updating-an-older-home-is-worth-it/

How should a remodel be priced?

There are two ways, and the difference matters. Fixed pricing is simple: Erik gives you a number, and that's what it is. But a fixed price hides a cushion. If he has to give one number up front, he has to build in every contingency right away, because he knows they're coming.

That's why he leans cost-plus. It's easier, with less pressure on the client and less on him. Cost-plus is a baseline, plus the real materials and labor the job actually uses, plus a margin for the space, trucks, fuel, and insurance.

The point: you pay for what the job actually takes.

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Full explanation on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/home-remodeling/cost-plus-vs-fixed-pricing-how-we-price/

Should you remodel right before selling? Usually not.

We asked Erik, and his answer is refreshingly honest for a remodeler: if you're going to spend all that money on your home, stay. The return on a big renovation comes from living in it, not from the sale.

So when should you actually move? "Move because you don't like the location, not because you don't like the house. Otherwise, just remodel."

The rule of thumb: selling soon means a light cosmetic refresh, paint and curb appeal. Staying a while means remodel for how you actually live. A full gut right before you list is money you won't get back.

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Full answer on our site (link in bio): finhomecontracting.com/blog/home-remodeling/should-you-remodel-before-selling-is-it-worth-it/