Moragans Aren't Buying New Homes - They're Fixing Up the Ones They Have

For contractor Sam Barrett, 2009 was better left tucked away in the closet of bad memories.

"It was the worst I've ever seen," the Pleasant Hill resident said.  "Guys were selling off their tools, their trucks - just to put food on the table.  Most everyone I know took other work or moved away."

Barrett was luckier, keeping his business lean and concentrating on remodelling jobs in Lamorinda, hiring a fellow contractor who fell on bad times to help.

"It was pretty lean but things are picking up again," he said.  "We've got more jobs now than ever."

Moraga Town Manager Mike Segrest backed up Barrett's assessment, saying that while the first six months of 2010 were still a Sargasso Sea for home remodelling applications, things appear to be picking up.

"In just the last 30 days, the town has received nearly the same number of applications that it received in the first half of the year," Segrest wrote.  "The level of activity is now comparable to prior years and indicates a strengthening in the construction industry."

While Barrett would like to believe that, and is seeing evidence to support the statement, he remains cautious.

"I've had all the optimism beaten out of me," he said.  "But I am hopeful we've seen the worst."