have you researched any DIY hydroponics? if so, what are you asking for? Mechanics of what to build, or how to pump the solution (by hand would be nearly impossible unless you have a ton of time on your hands.) Lighting can be tricky, but I will give you what knowlege I have on it, IF you have the room to put the system, outside is better. if you need more light a CFL bulb that can screw into a normal light socket can suppliment or be your main light if you are building the sysem indoors. as for the nutrients, IDK anything about them but I'm sure someone will have that info Everything I see in your list is common for hydroponics, broccoli can be difficult due to space. If you have a few square ft inside, you can grow year round. but then you need lights for them. Lots of DIY info out there. Look into some and maybe some poeple canhelp a bit more. your questions are a bit broad for a forum answer.

I was making about $20/hr six years ago when I quit cleaning....average house was $50...in nw Florida where the cost of living was lower than most places. Two of us cleaned together for 20 years. The reason we were so in demand (strictly word of mouth) was that we were dependable. So many people hired us after other cleaners just didn't show up so many times. With two of us, we always covered for each other if one was sick or away etc and it worked great. I think in twenty years, we probably didn't show up once or twice....and never without calling. If they had kids we tried to stress picking up before we came. We didn't do windows or thorough cleaning. Mostly dusting, vacuuming and cleaning the kitchens and bathrooms well. Early on before we got smart we did actually do wash and ironing and at one single fathers place did all of that plus got supper on. They really appreciated it so that worked. And, we found out that people would hire us to do a lot of hard work - outside windows etc - and then not keep us on. So, that is why cleaners charge extra in the beginning plus that fact that the first times take longer. I think the best way to find someone is by far a recommendation from someone. And an individual is less expensive than a company and then you are helping them to make MUCH more than they could through an agency - not that your goal is to help them. Just something to consider. Some folks are putting kids through private schools etc. while they try to be at home for their kids.

We're building our forever home in Michigan so I can offer personal information on some of your questions. There are pros or repeats here that will be able to chime in on a lot of your concerns. Do we need anyone to represent us in the loan/closing process? i.e. do we need to hire someone? Unless you have a complicated financial situation (all assets in trust) you don't really need anyone to represent you on the loan and closing process. Just read up on what's involved and be familiar with all the loan terms. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You may want to find a real estate lawyer to look over the building contract. Pay special attention to milestone dates, draw dates and numbers, penalties for missing milestones and certificate of occupancy, budget overages, and change request procedures. Our bank suggested to close on the land and loan at the same time to avoid extra closing costs, is this valid? We purchased our property outright with cash and used it for equity for the construction loan. If it's all being handled by the same bank and title company, I can't think of any reason to split up the process. I think there are fees associated with title transfers, but if you're buying the land in full, I'm not sure why there would be closing costs. Do we need to hire anyone during the build other than the builder? i.e. an inspector/agent? The builder will bring all their own subcontractors. Certain stages of the build will likely need to be inspected and approved before moving on, but it's not a bad idea to have a home inspector in your pocket if you don't know what you're looking at. Visit the site as much as you can and take as many pictures as you can of everything. This will help you in the future to know what's behind the walls, and also capture any quality issues with the build, even if you don't see them at first. If you know workers will be on site, take coffee/donuts when you visit. It makes you more than a faceless name their building a house for. What things are negotiable in the price of a home? i.e. what can we ask the builder to lower a price on? There's probably not much you can negotiate on price unless you change the quality /quantity of the product. It's a spec house with a large scale builder in a large neighborhood project. It's in his best interest to build quickly and move on, so any deviation from the standard will cost more money. They purchase materials in bulk to realize more savings so if you want to have that super special back splash tile, You might be able to ask for a credit, and purchase it yourself for installation. It all depends on the builder. Is there any concerns we should have about building during winter? I think the only concern would be for any concrete pouring. Winter mixes need hot water and insulating/heated blankets for curing, so there's a little extra cost incurred for a winter pour. It's not as much a concern until deep winter in Jan/Feb since you have to be careful of multiple sub freezing temps without day time thaws. Once the house is sealed up (windows, doors, and roof) temporary heat will be needed on the inside for work to progress. They won't use the final heating and ducts during the construction process because the dust would destroy the furnace. Might be some more cost because of this. What concerns or problems should we be ready for as buyers? My only experience is with a smaller builder and non-spec house so your mileage may vary (hopefully). We needed to keep a good "war chest" of cash around to advance payments on the bank draw. Accounts are kept on a monthly basis so if the lumber is purchased at the beginning of the month and a bank draw milestone isn't reached, the lumber yard might be breathing down the builders neck to settle the account. Ideally, building will progress quick enough that draws will be made in a timely manner but you might want to be prepared to cut a check for some stuff and get paid back on the bank draw. Also, figure an additional 10%-15% for cost overages and small upgrades. Don't be afraid to ask for a cash penalty for not meeting the move in date. $50-$150/week is a good starting point. See if the builder uses project planning software and ask to privy to the information. If you're getting a basement, use best practices for waterproofing. It's a huge pain in the butt to fix later. What are some asks we should bring to the builder for the home? i.e. what are things that you love in your home, or wish were included originally? If the builder is flexible, you might be able to request upgrades or additional features. Depending on if this is your final house or just a home for the next 10 years will determine if it's worth your money. Think about improved insulation/windows, structure wiring for data/av/security. Hard surfaces can be upgraded in the future, but are more difficult than cabinets and carpets. Unless you're building with a luxury home builder, every aspect of the house will be as close to bare minimum code as possible. For example, interior doors will be present a look nice new, but will be hollow core. Carpet looks nice when new, but it's builders grade and will mat down within 5 years. Insulation will be minimum code. Sockets will be spaced for minimum code, but might not be convenient or plentiful enough. Be aware of these things and see if you're allowed to request upgrades on the "bones" of the house. Structure, electrical, plumbing/gas, lighting, HVAC. Everything else can be changed with more relative ease later. Good luck!

This kid (well, adult, as he had just turned 18) made a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake in a fit of anger and is now on the sex offender registry. Sexting Lands Teen on Sex Offender Registry I don't know if this is the same teen as in the article, but many years ago, I was watching a story on GMA where they had a panel of high schoolers talking about social media, sexting, etc. One of the kids in the group explained what happened to him when he sent a nude photo of his girlfriend out to a bunch of people. He talked about how this was going to follow him for the rest of his life as he was required to be on the sex offender registry as a result because it was considered distribution of child pornography (incidentally, the girlfriend had taken the photo herself and sent it to him, but she was not charged with anything). However, not knowing the backstory on this particular case, one might see the boy in this story, who is now in his late 20s, on the sex offender registry for child pornography and make assumptions that he is some sick individual. This thread remained me that I have not looked at the sex offender registry recently to see who is living or working around me. I was absolutely HORRIFIED to see that there is a woman living in my area who was convicted of raping an 11 y/o blind boy while she was a teacher's aide on Long Island. She was 42 at the time, married with two kids. On the registry, it just says 2nd Degree Rape - Person 18 y/o or older has intercourse with Under 15. She has an uncommon name so when I googled her, I quickly found the story. Amazingly b/c she plead guilty she only served 6 months in jail and 10 years on probation. She is no longer on probation (happened more than 10 yrs ago) but she is on the registry. What a sick, sick woman.