Do it yourselfers are hamstrung?

[peteadams]

"you, in fact had to oversee BOTH the contractors & THE INSPECTORS"

The analogy I have in mind is the current healthcare concept that you need to be on top of your own health situation and not abdicate responsibility to medical professionals (much less the insurance companies). Once I had to point out a lesion on a patient to an MD and he said "Oh yes, that's a cancer. I didn't notice." So yes, I think that homeowners need to know as much as they possibly can and oversee the work and inspections being performed on their homes. Is that circular? I both expect a lot at some levels and at the same time don't expect too much on others. So I "trust but verify" as noted earlier. I am part of the "system" and I expect to be part of making that system work for us. We've heard of a number of mainland owners who buy land sight unseen, contract a house with some dude and never check it out until completion. Then the horror stories begin. If you don't consider yourself part of the system, then one supposes that you are part of any resulting problems.