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John Bachetti, a Senior Construction Manager, is celebrating his 14-year MVI Anniversary today! We learned about what a Real Estate Developer does in our last blog post, but how does the job of Senior Construction Manager compare? We asked John a few questions to find out more about him, and his job. If you have more questions for John, share them in the comments below!
Q: Fourteen years ago, how did you first start working with MVI?
A: I actually found the ad for the job in the paper – either the Tribune Review or the Post-Gazette. I knew nothing about the company before I applied.
Q: In your own words, how would you describe what you do as a Senior Construction Manager?
A: I verify the building feasibility of all potential development sites, estimate cost and construction specifications, and monitor the bidding process and ongoing work of general contractors.
Q: How has your position changed and evolved since you first started working here?
A: That’s a tough one. What I do essentially hasn’t changed. The major difference between then and now is that we have more ownership of rental properties now, and dealing with the construction of rehabs was different back then. When I first started working for MVI, I only dealt with Rehab for Resale projects. Then we started doing some new construction, and it was relatively recently that we started to work with rental properties and apartments.
Q: What is your best memory during your time with MVI?
A: My best memory was completing the Rankin 3rd Avenue project in 2013 and being able to meet our ultimate goal of raising property values in our neighborhoods.
Q: You met your wife while at MVI – how did that happen?
A: My wife Jill was the Real Estate Developer for five or six years before I started working for MVI, and we were friends for about five years after that. Eventually, we started dating and got married after she left to work for HUD.
Q: What victories have you seen MVI’s Real Estate team accomplish in your time here?
A: The greatest victories for our team is being able to get moderate income people into a great affordable living situation, and a great house with very little upkeep and maintenance required.
Q: What do you spend your day doing?
A: Half of my day is spent out in the field assessing properties, working on specifications, working with general contractors, and checking up on projects. The other half is spent in the office processing bills and doing other kinds of paperwork. That’s another way this job has changed in the last 14 years – we used to have two Real Estate Developers who did most of the billing, and Rick and I would spend more time in the field.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing a finished rehab sell quickly, having a happy buyer, and sometimes seeing them a year down the road and they still love the house. We don’t always get that kind of followup, but it’s nice when we do.
Q: Tell me about the people you work with in MVI’s member communities.
A: The CDC members I’ve worked with on real estate projects are passionate, involved, and they care about their communities.
Q: Who is someone that inspires you or who you admire?
A: I got my work ethic from my dad. My dad is retired from a career as a supervisor at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, but he is still working at an assisted care home. When he worked full time, he still took on side jobs in his spare time. I’m not quite at his level, but I admire his work ethic.
Stay tuned for more MVI staff spotlights and “101” posts that will help you learn more about the industry. Check out our Real Estate Development Program on our web page!