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Builder's Engineer

Tim Garrison, P.E., president of ConstructionCalc, Inc is the nationally-acclaimed author and columnist, Builder's Engineer™. Tim's columns have appeared in the Journal of Light Construction, BUILDERnews magazine, Land Development magazine, the National Association of Home Builders premier on-line publication, NBN Online, as well as builder's association newsletters from coast to coast.

The following are never-before released original versions of Tim's published columns. Many of these are more in depth, containing considerably more technical information than the watered-down versions published by space-conscious, politically-constrained magazines.

Download individual columns in .pdf format: $1 each
Get the entire collection of all sixty below-listed columns in Tim’s book, Cracks, Sags, and Dimwits – Lessons to Build On. From sagging rafters to leaking basements, to cracked concrete, to Level-3 Idiots, they’re all here in one handy 6x9 professionally published volume. Plus, this book includes four pages of easy-to-understand technical definitions that don’t come with individual columns. Terms like horizontal diaphragm, out of plane, moment-resisting, and much more.
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Book: $19.95
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Download free example: "Gad, There's a Beam Sprouting From My Countertop"

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Engineering-Related
Are Collar Ties a Remedy for Sagging Roof?
Are Sagging Rafters Dangerous?
Basement Snorkeling
Best Remedy for Settling - Pin Piles and Helical Anchors
Bouncy Floors - Dangerous?
Broken Concrete Guy Leaning Badly
Concrete Slabs On Grade - Everything You Always Wanted to Know
Cut a Truss? Never, Almost
Dip in the Road
Disasterproof Structures
Drilling Beams - Plumbers vs. Framers
Foundation Settling - Mysterious Cracking
Gad, There's a Beam Sprouting From My Countertop
Insulated Concrete Forms - ICF - An Engineering Opinion
Reentrant Corners and Other Flamboozlements
Soil Settlement - Most Common Structural Failure
Spaghetti Test for Compression Members
Too Wet Concrete is Weak
Wind and Earthquake vs. View
Land Development-Related
Boundary Disputes and Old Fences
Cactus League Here I Come!
Good Lawyer - Bad Lawyer
Honey I Shrunk the Lots
How Do You Spell Extortion?
Land Development - Risky Business
Business and Management-Related
Angry Email - Fun But Dangerous
Bad News Bearers - Friend or Foe?
Best Subcontractor Ever - Jeff Whitebear
Chicken Little in the Building Department
Contracting - A Tough Row to Hoe
Counting Beans Can Drive You Nuts
Darn You Ted Nugent
Do Consultants Cost You Money?
Does Halfwit Plus Halfwit Equal Fullwit?
Dorky Christmas Story
Firing Emory Gjarh
The Funniest Engineering Story of All Time
Gold-Fringed Business Cards
Grout - Evil Menace Takes Its Toll
Have You No Common Sense, Man?
How I Manage Projects - Part 1
How To Drive an Engineer Crazy
Joe Drut's Meltdown
Joe Drut vs. Clay Doughe
Just Say it: "No!"
The Husband - Wife Gamble
Marketing - My Favorite Story
Obey Your Kitchen Pig
Over-Engineering Costs Big
Shelf Life of a Business Partner
Sole Bidder Dilemma
SOOOperman To The Rescue!
Spreadsheet Junkie
The Soy Sauce Incident
Swiss Cheese Desk - And What to Do About It
Take the Test of Time
Terrific! Or Mr. Murk
The Three Levels of Idiotdom
What's Important
Why Oscar Plumbing Will Never Make Much Money
Young Contractors - Hireworthy?
Are Collar Ties a Remedy for Sagging Roof?
This age-old question is finally answered - in detail. This greatly expanded version of the original published column explains why roofs sag, which members are overstressed, and which connections will likely cause problems. Three possible fixes, including a collar tie "remedy", are discussed. A case study involving a sagging old schoolhouse roof is also explored. Includes seven sketches.
Best Subcontractor Ever - Jeff Whitebear
Normally the author uses fake names in his articles, but not in this case. Jeff Whitebear owns a small siding company and was hired by the author to do the siding and exterior trim on his house. After coming to terms on price, the experience was nearly thrilling for both the author and Cindy, his wife. Find out why, and how your company can benefit from Jeff's excellent example.
Broken Concrete Guy Leaning Badly
Driving through Everett, WA the author notices a retaining wall, broken, leaning badly. Cantilever retaining wall theory is discussed in detail. Tension and compression within the wall and footing, and rebar placement is explained. Different types of retaining walls are introduced. One photograph and three sketches are included.
Basement Snorkeling
This column explains how groundwater gets into basements and how it can be avoided - and how it can be fixed after the fact. Six pointers for waterproof concrete are given. The structural aspects of basement (braced) retaining walls are explained in detail. A case study in which the author was an expert witness is explored. Includes three sketches.
Gad, There's a Beam Sprouting From My Countertop
Three solutions to provide support for a long-span beam that otherwise would have been supported by a post embedded in a kitchen counter. Includes three sketches of potential solutions and a photo of the author's ceiling showing one of the solutions.
Angry Email - Fun But Dangerous
Five reasons email can be dangerous to your business' health. An example of a very angry, should-never-be-sent email, and its revised business-savvy version.
Bad News Bearers - Friend or Foe?
How do you handle bad news about your company? Phillipe Crappe owns a surveying company and is never wrong - according to him. Bobby Cheerful on the other hand fesses up to his company's shortcomings. The author won't do business with one; can you guess which?
Bouncy Floors - Dangerous?
The author got the call every engineer dreads - a problem with a past design. This client's commercial building's floor was a little bouncy. The three design criteria: bending, shear, and deflection are explained. The actual computer design of the floor joist, using ConstructionCalc software, is printed and explained line by line. Find out whether the author goofed or something else caused the problem.
Boundary Disputes and Old Fences
Stan Taughl owns some acreage planned for development. His neighbor, Pewter Mugg, tears out the old barbed wire fence bordering the properties and has new survey stakes placed ten feet on Stan's side. Tempers flare. Find out how a law suit is avoided and fences get mended.
Cactus League Here I Come!
The author responds, in classic Builder's Engineer style, to a NIMBY's letter to the editor from a Phoenix newspaper. Read about mind-numbing miles of pristine Sonoran desert, frisky cactus wrens, and why the Valley of the Sun is precisely the place for more development, baby.
Chicken Little in the Building Department
Chilly Verde (not his real name) is a brash young building official. Only problem is he doesn't know his TJI from his PSL. To make matters worse he gets belligerent when called on an issue. Here are five tips on dealing with this type of Level 3 idiot.
The Three Levels of Idiotdom
Chilly Verde strikes again! Find out what a Level 3 idiot is and why Mr. Verde earns that dubious distinction. Idiots are categorized in three levels: Cementhead, Sack of Hammers, and Dull Hoe. The author has only one suggestion on how to deal with a Level 3. This column is a personal favorite.
Dorky Christmas Story
Cindy asks Tim to join her Christmas shopping. Such a seemingly innocent question. But the potential for disaster embedded in that simple request is enough to give any good engineer night sweats. Tim tries in vain to explain the virtues of a properly organized, templatized list.
Counting Beans Can Drive You Nuts
Manny Bucks complains that he owns a construction company but spends very little time actually constructing. Instead he's running around like a headless chicken putting out fires. Like the $150,000 accounting bust on a job he thought was running well. Three possible solutions are discussed.
Do Consultants Cost You Money?
Ronda Rhadish, architect, designs a ridiculously overdone deck for her client Mr. Eggplant. It comes to the author for engineering. Does he put on blinders and design the way-too-expensive deck as-is, or does he suggest a much more efficient way? Four ways consultants cost too much are discussed.
Concrete Slabs On Grade - Everything You Always Wanted to Know
How do you keep a slab from cracking? The answer is you can't. Period. Instead you need to know how to manage and limit the cracks. Subgrade preparation, rebar, wire mesh, control joints, thickened edges and more are discussed. An example of an over-designed fire house slab is discussed. Includes three sketches.
Darn You Ted Nugent
The author and two buddies go to a Ted Nugent rock concert in 1976. The author's ears are still ringing to this day. Our ears are finely-tuned acoustic devices meant to detect a twig snap at a hundred yards. They literally have no built-in defense mechanism, yet in today's bombastic world, they're constantly subjected to noise, noise, noise.
Dip in the Road
Amos the excavator operator knows better than to waste all that time compacting his trench backfill in 12 inch lifts, which reminds the author of a Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox tale. Brer Fox thinks it's downright splimmy-splammy how the geese take their heads off at night for safe keeping while they sleep. Brer Rabbit explains that they've been doin' it that-a-way fer fifty years! Impressed, Brer Fox takes confab with his woman.
Firing Emory Gjarh
Emory Gjarh is a loaf - a bread load and is causing a drain on his employer, Manny Bucks. Manny knows Emory (who is also a personal friend) has to go, but how? Fire him face to face? Over the phone? Via letter? Pussyfoot around? Brutal honesty? The author provides some insight and makes a suggestion.
The Funniest Engineering Story of All Time
Two young, green engineers head to the field to gather data for a storm drainage study. They encounter a herd of Hostile Cows and soon find themselves sprinting across the pasture to avoid the stampede. Farmer Dobbins finds them several hours later and calls their boss, the author.
Over-Engineering Costs Big
Have you ever wondered why one set of plans may call for fifty holdowns, anchor bolts at 12-inches, and heavy-duty shear walls everywhere, while a nearly identical set - but from a different architect or engineer - may only call for five holdowns and minimal shear wall construction? The four possible scenarios are discussed as well as cost vs. benefit - and what to do about it all.
Good Lawyer - Bad Lawyer
Farmer Dobbins owns some acreage worth several million. Two developers, Fastlane and Down To Earth, send attorneys to draw up option contracts. The offers are nearly identical, however one team's attorney blunders so badly Farmer Dobbins has little trouble selecting the other offer. Anyone in business can learn from this (for the most part true) story.
Grout - Evil Menace Takes Its Toll
In order to save a few bucks, the author ignores the old adage, "stick with what you're good at" and endeavors to grout the saw cuts in his new stained concrete floor. All 750 lineal feet of them. In the process he kills his Grouting Arm, beans a kid on his little league team, and causes considerable consternation with his wife, Cindy.
Does Halfwit Plus Halfwit Equal Fullwit?
Are you a Lone Ranger - too proud to ask for help or advice? In the movie Dumb and Dumber, the product of two halfwits equaled a one-fourth wit, if they were lucky. This makes good engineering sense because ˝ times ˝ does equal Ľ. But what about the sum of ˝ + ˝? That equals one, right?
Gold-Fringed Business Cards
Much of the hiring the author does is sole source. He literally gives contracts to those companies he trusts. No one else even gets a chance. It should be every contractor's goal to be on lists like these. Do you try to get work by impressing owners with your fancy car or gold-fringed business card? Rich owners got that way by being cheap.
Honey I Shrunk the Lots
How many lots can you cram onto an acre of land? Five? Ten? Fifteen? Would you believe 25, or more? And I'm not talking "units" as in multi-story. This column is a recap of Mithun Architect principal Bill Kreager's seminar of the same title. Ten tips to high-density development are discussed.
How Do You Spell Extortion?
A true story from the San Francisco Chronicle: An elected official in San Francisco holds a developer hostage to the tune of $102,000,000 in exchange for not killing his proposed condo development. "Extort" according to Webster: "to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power: wring". The only thing missing from the definition was this official's picture in the margin. Find out what Oregon has done to remedy their "takings".
How I Manage Projects - Part 1
Can you guess the most important project management innovation since the cell phone? Project management software? Nope. Would you believe email? Absolutely - yes. And if you don't use it, it's a black mark against you. The author discusses four critical reasons why email is so important, and how to put it to good use.
How To Drive an Engineer Crazy
How do you drive an engineer crazy? A - Put him in a roundhouse and tell him to calculate its hypotenuse. B - Secretly apply a light coating of pancake syrup to her calculator buttons. C -Give him some clothes actually in style. D - Dart your head around during conversation to make it impossible for her to avoid eye contact. E - Have him do calcs, then keep changing the project. The correct answer is "E". Trust me. Changes to a project have negative effects up and down the project chain. Methods of avoiding them are discussed.
Insulated Concrete Forms - ICF - An Engineering Opinion
The author discusses advantages and disadvantages of ICF construction and offers his opinion to a builder thinking about getting in to that line of work. Find out why the author only built his basement of ICF.
Joe Drut's Meltdown
Joe Drut has been operating heavy machinery for 20 years and has done it well. One day his boss, Slick Jette, asks if he would like a promotion to foreman. He reluctantly says okay. The job goes badly and Joe finds himself back in front of Slick telling him he can take his foreman job and shove it. Slick's jaw hits the desk. Wasn't it every working stiff's goal to ascend the job ladder to management? Find out what else Slick learns after one-on-one meetings with the rest of his crew.
Joe Drut vs. Clay Doughe
Clay Doughe is foreman and Joe Drut a journeyman under him. They both have similar tenure and competency. Problem is they hate each other and that bad blood is causing production and morale problems. The owner, Slick Jette, comes to realize the finger of guilt points squarely back at himself. The problem really is a management issue. Four possible alternatives are discussed.
Disasterproof Structures
What is the most important design element to ensure a building survives a strong wind or earthquake? Does the style of roof, hip or gable, have anything to do with building survivability? Find the answers to these questions, and five structural tips to help ensure your building makes it through the next big one. Three graphics are included.
Wind and Earthquake vs. View
Have you ever been frustrated by an engineer that gives you a guilt trip because you have the audacity to want windows on the view side of your house? Here are seven ways to have your windows and eat them too. A discussion about which engineer to use is also included.
Marketing - My Favorite Story
If the author has learned anything in business over the years it is this: If you want to be successful, half of what you do should be marketing. Half, that's a big number. Find out what one contractor did with his marketing dollars, other than phone book ads, newspaper ads, etc. to ensure with 100% confidence that those dollars resulted in more and more clients.
Foundation Settling - Mysterious Cracking
Rick in Golden Colorado has a house with cracked drywall and suspects settlement is the culprit, but the house is built on bedrock. How can this be possible - that solid rock settles? The author recounts two similar experiences and what was really causing the cracked drywall.
Just Say it: "No!"
A contractor who has enjoyed any measure of success understands the dilemma. Most would just as soon cut their arm off with a dull hacksaw than tell a client, especially a good one: "No, I'm too busy to take your job right now." The author give four reasons why anyone in business needs to be comfortable with "no", and six methods of getting around "no".
Contracting - A Tough Row to Hoe
Freddy of Sedro-Woolley, WA asks the author why he is no longer a building contractor. An honest explanation is given along with five business-critical points anyone considering ownership of a construction company should be intimately aware of.
Why Oscar Plumbing Will Never Make Much Money
Ole Van Stroodle hires Sam Oscar's plumbing company because Sam can really talk the talk. But his crew shows up (late) and quickly earns three black marks. The author discusses Oscar Plumbing's shortcomings and what Sam needs to change if he ever wants to make any money in the construction industry.
Shelf Life of a Business Partner
Every would-be business owner seems to think a partner or two is necessary. Not so, argues the author. What percentage of business partners who've been together at least five years would describe their relationship as harmonious? How long should a partnership last… in other words, should a partnership have a shelf-life? All these ponderocities are explored, along with a good dose of advice from the Builder's Engineer School of Hard Knocks.
Best Remedy for Settling - Pin Piles and Helical Anchors
The author describes in detail how pin piles (aka micropiles) and helical anchors are used to re-level settled buildings. The strengths and weaknesses of each are discussed. A case study where an owner should have used piling but opted for jacking and shims is presented. Six diagrams are included.
Drilling Beams - Plumbers vs. Framers
Hank the plumber cores a 3-1/2 inch hole through Joe the framer's glulam floor beam. Joe is severely hacked, figuring he'll have to replace the beam. Fisticuffs follow. The author happens along, pries them apart and looks at the beam. Joe can't believe that Hank's hole is in a zone of zero stress and so is okay. Beam theory is touched on and a cut sheet from Trus Joist™ is included illustrating the concepts further.
Reentrant Corners and Other Flamboozlements
Exactly what is a reentrant corner? The author suspects it is fake codespeak made up by building code officials to flamboozle us. He does a little research and exposes his findings. The word is thoroughly defined, complete with several sketches and examples - including rebar placement in a reentrant corner slab on grade. Also included is the author's experience with hydronic heating tubes embedded in a concrete slab.
Obey Your Kitchen Pig
Ernie D. Tuff is selling property to The Good Guy Developers, but a perceived wetland problem crops up threatening the sale if the jurisdiction chooses to make the non-problem a problem. The Good Guys wind up getting their way because they're, well, good guys. The author is reminded of a positive saying or phrase daily because it is posted on the chalkboard of his kitchen pig. Photo included.
Are Sagging Rafters Dangerous
A reader in Bellingham, WA has 2x4 rafters spanning 15 feet which are sagging ominously. He wants to know if they're dangerous and if so what are his options. The author analyzes the 2x4's and finds them dangerously overstressed - that they should have been 2x12s. Four repair options are presented. Included are two sketches, and computer output screenshots of ConstructionCalc ProBeam software used in the analysis.
Soil Settlement - Most Common Structural Failure
Are beams snapping in two, or imploding roofs, or shear walls sheared in half the most common structural failure? No, it's settlement. The author discusses typical reasons why soil settles. Any moron knows how to properly compact soil, right? Wrong. The author relates his own story of settled fill under his own front porch. Sketch included.
Sole Bidder Dilemma
A well-respected developer asks you for a bid that you suspect will be the only one he asks for. Do you: A. Give him your bare-bones, most competitive bid because you want him to really be impressed with your low price so he thinks of you again next time; or B. Give him a fair, competitive bid, with your standard markup for profit and overhead; or C. Give him an inflated bid because this is a golden opportunity to reap some extra profit. Two examples of contractors who guessed wrong are discussed, then each of the three possible answers is explored in detail.
SOOOperman To The Rescue!
Clay Fillslope gets elected president of a charitable organization. He heaps way too much work on himself, nearly ruining his health and his family. His problem: he can't delegate. His reasoning: it's too hard to train others; it's not in their job description; and heck, it's only a one-year term. This same issue affects nearly every construction company to some degree. The fallacy of Clay's thinking is exposed and corrective measures discussed.
Spaghetti Test for Compression Members
How much compressive load can a 2x4 stud take? Would you believe 4,500 lbs, and also zero, depending on its unbraced length. This concept (buckling) is explained in detail, with three sketches included. An example temporary post supporting a porch is presented. To drive home the concepts, the author describes a simple test you can do with a piece of uncooked spaghetti.
Spreadsheet Junkie
Do you really understand the power of a spreadsheet? Manny Bucks visits the author and within a minute has a whole new appreciation for this amazingly powerful tool. The author describes how he got started with spreadsheets and how you can get started too. An excellent book reference is given, as well as a few getting started tips.
Land Development - Risky Business
Scott in Oak Harbor, WA observes that the real money in the construction industry is in land development, not contracting. The author (a land developer himself) provides sound advise and six critical factors anyone thinking about developing land should consider before jumping in.
Swiss Cheese Desk - And What to Do About It
Bob N. Frappl, a tradesman who takes pride in work, is employed by S.T. Inc. Unfortunately, the owner, S. Lackh, has a desk so full of holes, it's like a slab of swiss cheese - things are always falling through the cracks. This drives Bob N. literally to a new employer. Is your desk made of swiss cheese? Four simple, yet very effective means of plugging the holes are presented, including two photos of the author's own hedge against swiss cheese.
Terrific! Or Mr. Murk
Are you Gloomy or Cheerful? It makes quite a difference to your customers. The author describes a motivational tape that, unlike most, changed his life in a small, yet significant way. It's all about terrific! - an attitude that you choose every day. How this affects your company is discussed. Lastly, take the eight-question H.Q. (Happiness Quotient) test. Score less than 13, and hello Mister Murk: you are a grump and are likely losing customers because of it.
The Husband - Wife Gamble
Why would anyone go into business with their spouse? Because it's not sexual harassment when it's with your spouse? Because you want to love, cherish, and slave together 24/7? The author, who's been in cahoots with his gal, Cindy, for about 15 years reveals some Do's and Don'ts that work well for them. This column is inspired by the husband - wife team from R&R concrete finishing. Virtual poetry in motion, they.
The Soy Sauce Incident
Vinny Veinbulge buys to-go from Chin's Teriyaki. The girl behind the counter charges extra for soy sauce on "Manager's odah". Vinny blows his stack and storms out. Three valuable lessons applicable to anyone in business are gleaned from this minor calamity, and countermeasures are explained.
Take the Test of Time
Manny Bucks was discussing his grandiose land development plans: a few million here, several million there… the usual. The author knows Manny well. His work day is typically 12 hours long. You can easily identify Manny because of the cell phone surgically implanted to the side of his head. His kids get to see him sometimes. The author devises a simple, two minute test to determine how many hours per day one would need to get everything done. The results are so shocking, it caused the author himself to rearrange his own life-priorities. Take the test.
Have You No Common Sense, Man?
Measure twice, cut once, right? But how many times do you have to measure when you're within a tolerance so precise, no saw in existence could cut it? Some employees are scared stiff they'll make an error and as a result move so slowly their production crippled. Others go so fast they make mistakes right and left, snuffing out profit. It's all about common sense. The issues are explored and remedies offered.
Too Wet Concrete is Weak
The author has some concrete flatwork done at his home, but isn't there during the pour. The contractor, who has a bad back and a blister on his thumb, asks the readymix driver to add lots of water to the mud so it's easier to pour. The driver reluctantly says okay, but disclaims liability. The author explains water-cement ratio, slump, water reducing admixtures and their effect on concrete strength.
Cut a Truss? Never, Almost
The phrase, 'cut a truss' should throw all builders into a cold sweat. You can get away with drilling and notching beams, rafters, and joists if you know where it's safe. Wood (and steel for that matter) trusses are among the most efficient structural devises there are. You just don't just go around snipping and cutting them. The author is faced with cutting a four foot hunk of bottom chord from a truss in his house, which he does, but only after analysis and lots of bracing and bolstering. Four photos included.
What's Important
Our industry is fraught with peril, it comes with the territory. But why does it have to be the awful, terrible things that cause us to pause and reflect inwardly? A man the author knew, a logger, dies in a logging accident, leaving a family bereft. The author reflects on what's really important.
Who Are You In Bed With? ----------
The title question is figurative of course - it's none of the author's beeswax who you are literally in bed with. But he may care a great deal who your business alliances are if you're to work together. Two examples are given where deals are awarded to a particular company because of the other company's affiliation with undesirable entities.
Young Contractors - Hireworthy?
There is no substitute for experience; not school, not seminars, not fancy equipment, not anything. But how do you get that experience when no one wants to hire you? The author admits to his shortcomings as a rookie, then give six tips to help any newbie beat this classic catch-22.
Testimonials

"WOW! Tim, AMEN!!!! This article ["How Do You Spell Extortion?"] is truly a "hitting it on the head of a nail" concept. I love it.

-Tamilee Taylor-Depre, Executive Officer, Arrowhead Builders Association


"Right F___ing on!" [on "Cactus League Here I Come!"]

-Ted L. Clifton, CVH Inc.


"Tim--I love reading your articles. Since I'm a magazine editor (Tools of the Trade) I might pay a little more attention, I think, to your writing. You're funny, the pieces are well-composed, and your personality shows through, which is so welcome in business writing, which is generally drier than Phoenix. Add to that, you know what you're talking about and I enjoy the topics you pick. Keep it up."

-Mark Clement, Executive Editor, Tools of the Trade


"I just wanted you to know that I think your column is the most valuable content in the [magazine]. I especially enjoy your conversational style. Keep up the good work. Was that story about the two young surveyors and the cows really true?"

-Patrick McCombe, Associate Editor, Hanley Wood Magazines


"Great article!! [on "Spaghetti Test for Compression Members"] How do I get a copy of your book?"

-Steve McClung, President, SLM Construction, Inc.


"As everyone else, I routinely glance at my [magazine] headlines and sometimes actually read a few. I have never, even upon invitation, been compelled to respond until now. [on Shelf-Life of a Business Partner] Please continue to share your talents Tim."

-George P. Henley, Vice-President, Grendahl Construction Inc.


"Just wanted to let you know I read your column and enjoy it very much. Please keep up the good work!"

-Karen Daulton Lange, P.E., Vice President, Kennedy Land Development, Inc


"I've been meaning to write and tell you how much I enjoy your columns. You provide sound advice in each of them and have a real flair for writing. I know what a challenge it is to come with interesting leads and headlines, and you do that as well."

-Jill Tunick, Communications Manager, Business Management Dept. National Association of Home Builders