Many of our older homes here don't have a garage, so parking that Cadillac Escalade or Ford F350 can sometimes be a challenge, especially if one has toddlers or sacks full of groceries.

The following picture is of a home on Coronado Island that had been renovated and had a one-car garage added to the rear of the house. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the utility company to move their stupid utility pole which got in the way.

This garage, while big enough for a mid-size car like a Camry or Accord, would not accommodate anything other than a golf cart until the pole gets moved. Unfortunately the utility companies declined to move it.

The gas meter was moved to the left side of the new garage, but just a little planning and four more feet or so could have provided the clearance needed.

This also illustrates something that really irritates me about people working in or on real estate here in Southern California, and that's the lack of cross training. Quite often, the concrete guy is sent out to pour a driveway, and gosh darn it, that's exactly what he does. He's not paid, nor encouraged, to tell anyone, "You did know that if I pour the driveway there that the telephone pole is in the way."

The framers, drywallers, and stucco professionals get paid to frame, drywall, and stucco. They don't get paid, nor are then encouraged, to say, "You did know that the telephone pole is in the way."

When I was a contractor in Texas, we did just about everything. If the plumber didn't show up that day, guess who did plumbing? If the bricklayer didn't show up, guess who laid brick? Such cross-training doesn't exist anymore, which can be both good and bad, but I never had a project come in over budget or past deadline because we all knew how to cover for each other, and were quite happy to do so, to help.

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Russel's Top 25 blog entries.

1. ActiveRain success story -- ActiveRain Feature
2. All God's creatures great and small -- ActiveRain Feature
3. An open letter to Realtors -- ActiveRain Feature
4. Just because they sell it doesn't mean you should buy it -- ActiveRain Feature
5. 12 reasons why I won't comment on your blog entries -- ActiveRain Feature
6. What happens when two home inspectors show up at the same time at the same property -- ActiveRain Feature
7. ActiveRain tags are very powerful. Here's how to use them effectively
8. Cracks on our properties and in our homes -- seven lessons
9. Did you take a shower today?
10. Go for the GOLD: How to use your time wisely
11. Hey! We have fall colors in San Diego
12. How my Clients got $17,800 from the bank on an "as-is" foreclosure
13. How sellers can prepare for a buyer's home inspection
14. How to trip, fall, and break an arm more efficiently
15. I purposefully burned a bridge yesterday
16. Is your dishwasher dish washing?
17. Out of sight, out of mind, skip the work, charge for it
18. The Client is always right, right?
19. We're three strange men. May we babysit your children?
20. What are you thinking? Yes, you! (electrical extension cords)
21. What are you thinking? Yes, you! (sink cabinets and chemical storage)
22. What part of that don't you understand? (Reading 101, English 101, & Spanish 101)
23. Which trees cause the most damage to our properties? -- five lessons
24. Would a foreclosed seller purposefully leave an explosive device behind?
25. Would you like what's behind Curtain #1, Curtain #2, or Curtain #3?