Transparency about what you can afford is the only way to get the most house for your money
Your new custom home is a huge investment, so you need a builder you can trust. Ways to confirm trustworthiness include reading online reviews, calling references and noting the builder’s professional certifications.
The best accessible features are really just good design
For lots of reasons these days, more households include parents and grown children. As of 2026, the share of home purchases made for multigenerational households has reached 17%—a significant jump from the 11% we saw in 2021. About 60 million Americans (roughly 1 in 5) now share a home with two or more adult generations.
As home prices continue climbing, the best financial decision for many families is to gather under one roof.
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.
The differences everyone grasps have to do with the house itself. In a custom home, the architectural design and the quality of finishes (siding, trim, fixtures, and so on) are driven by homeowner choices and will be unique to each project. But those aren’t the only variables.
Using current knowledge about building science helps to weather storms
One benefit of a high-quality new custom home is that it will better handle severe weather events and power outages. These are a fact of life in all parts of the country. From Atlantic hurricanes which routinely leave millions without electricity across the southeastern United States to severe outages on the west coast caused by atmospheric rivers.
This is an important question for everyone, including your builder
Common knowledge says to be skeptical when searching for a builder. That’s good advice: skepticism is wise at the beginning of your search, just like when looking for a surgeon, car dealer or other service provider. But the ultimate goal is to find someone you can trust and collaborate with.
Companies built for production work aren’t built for perfect work
On the surface, it’s easy to describe the difference between production and custom builders. The production builder follows the same basic home plans over and over, while the custom builder creates a unique home for each client.
Custom home pricing is a complex subject. Here is a way to think about it.
How much do cars cost? The obvious answer is that it depends. You’ll pay way more for a Tesla Model S than for a Toyota Camry. That’s no surprise to anyone.
Understanding the variables that impact the schedule
Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, and others expect it to take a lot longer.
Five questions to ask for your future health and comfort
Along with great design and quality construction, most homebuyers want their new home to provide a healthy, comfortable environment and lower energy bills. They want a builder who can ensure those benefits, but many don’t know what questions to ask.
Is it better to build a new home or remodel an older one?
No one will be surprised to hear us argue that building a new home is a better choice than remodeling, just as a remodeling contractor would argue the opposite.
So, with our professional bias disclosed, here are some objective reasons why we believe buying a new home provides greater benefits than remodeling.
