Resources: Fixing Up Old Houses

Michigan remodeler Lawrence Dworin occupies a niche in the industry: Working mostly alone, he buys and remodels homes for resale. His 1994 Craftsman book, Profits in Buying and Renovating Homes, dealt with the ins and outs of making money in spec remodeling. His new book, Renovating and Restyling Vintage Homes, zeros in on a subset of existing homes: houses built in the first few decades of this century, mostly in the Victorian or Craftsman styles, which he says offer special technical challenges — and unique opportunities for profit. The word “vintage” in the title, with its connotation of wine and cheese parties, is a bit misleading. This book is not aimed at aficionados of historic reproduction and restoration. The