The best accessible features are really just good design
By some estimates, the decade from 2011 to 2021 saw a quadrupling of households with parents and grown children. Last year’s increase was especially sharp—the National Association of Realtors reported 15% growth
Thanks to all of you who stopped by to visit our award-winning Parade Home during the recent Parade of Homes. I enjoyed chatting with the many friends, past clients and new visitors who stopped by. We owe a Special Thanks to our homeowners, Robert & Stephanie, for allowing us to share their home.
Builders need a lot of information to arrive at an accurate number
Every now and then a homeowner will call to ask how much our new homes cost per square foot. The answer, of course, depends on a range of variables. Some of these are obvious, and others less so.
In the future, you can tell friends and family what things were like during the Great Supply Crunch.
If you’re contemplating a new custom home, you’re no doubt aware of rising costs for lumber and other building materials. That problem has gotten plenty of media coverage. But price isn’t the only challenge. There’s another issue that, while it gets more attention from the business media than from the popular press, is giving headaches to builders and homeowners alike.
This cutting-edge technology is growing fast. Is it right for you?
With solar panels sprouting on roofs from sea to shining sea, their big weakness is hitting more homeowners where it hurts—in the wallet. A new technology aims to cure that weakness, and to make solar a more profitable investment.
The trick is to choose the technologies you need, while ignoring those you don’t
For some people, a new custom home is a chance to get the latest digital bells and whistles. The problem is that home automation can feel like a daunting topic and the wrong choices can lead to frustration.
The essential skill of value engineering
Lumber continues to be THE big issue in home building. As we write this in May 2021, costs for framing lumber and plywood are three times what they were a year ago. That’s right—they’ve tripled. It’s insane.
Your home builder needs to navigate a maze of government regulations—homeowners can help make the process easier
A successful new-home build is a predictable one, with no unpleasant surprises. Predictability comes from good planning, as well-planned projects tend to stay on budget and on schedule.
The short answer is no, and here’s why that’s a good thing.
Some builders are what one might call ‘order takers.’ They do anything the homeowners want within the constraints of budget, timetable, and zoning or code regulations. That’s understandable: everyone wants happy customers and positive reviews.
But the best builders understand that an anything-you-want approach really doesn’t serve customers. We would go further and caution people to beware the builder who never pushes back.
Custom homebuyers have asked what we think about this popular flooring. Here’s our answer.
We don’t often talk about products in this newsletter, but when lots of clients ask about a specific one, we like to offer our thoughts. That’s the case with luxury vinyl tile flooring, or LVT. We’re not the only ones getting questions: according to some articles we’ve read, LVT is one of the world’s fastest-growing floor coverings.
