Creating a home theater has become one of the hottest topics when it comes to building a new home. There’s virtually no limit when it comes to designing a home theater system, except for how much you’re willing to invest in your personal entertainment. Creating and installing a home theater is not an easy task, so if you’re planning on have an elaborate system installed you should definitely
One of the most important advances in home theater has come in sound technology, which now bring the feel of cinema sound into your living room. There are four technologies to choose from - surround sound, Dolby Prologic®, Dolby Digital®, and THX®. Surround Sound The first big breakthrough in home theater was the evolution of surround sound, which was first introduced in 1982 by Dolby Surround
Have you wondered why there are so many more hurricanes now than there were when we were kids? This seems to be a massive change in the weather conditions, and this change has dictated a need for storm windows and hurricane shutters to help protect your home from winds and weather. If you happen to live in a hurricane prone area, then you are sure to know the importance of adding hurricane shutt
A "Housing Start" is a new home on which construction has commenced and in May, Housing Starts fell to a 17-year low nationally.
At first glance, this may seem like a negative for the already-battered U.S. housing market.
It's not.
Falling Housing Starts reflects the broader real estate market and shows us that builders are working hard to get their already-built homes "off the books".
A "Housing Start" is a new home on which construction has commenced and in May, Housing Starts fell to a 17-year low nationally.
At first glance, this may seem like a negative for the already-battered U.S. housing market.
It's not.
Falling Housing Starts reflects the broader real estate market and shows us thatbuilders are working hard to get their already-built homes "off the books".
It would b
I was asked straight up Friday - "what exactly is happening in home building?"Here's what I know right now. 2007 was horrible because costs went up, margins plummeted and the mortgage industry self destructed. For our own company last year this meant that multiple buyers were told at the last minute that they couldn't buy a house because the mortgage company was gone!Multiply this across hundred
"Let's see ... I'll take Home-in-Box Plan #73997"Since the early days of Sears near the turn of the LAST century, we've been able to purchase entire home building kits and have them delivered to our building site for construction. Not only has the idea never gone away, the choices are growing. What's the attraction? Are they real homes? Should YOU consider this approach?There's a lot of misinformation about packaged homes that I want to clear up. In my years as an owner builder consultant, I have found them to offer some clear advantages for people. The biggest being the convenience of having so much included in the package reducing the need for decisions and shopping.They are referred to in a variety of ways. But, most of them are honest to goodness homes. We call them packaged homes, kit
Maybe at least. I don't normally print stuff from this blogger, all they do is talk negative, but they've let good news slip through because it sounded negative to them.Land at 15 cents on the Dollarfrom Calculated Risk by CalculatedRiskLast night I spoke with a land developer. He just purchased improved land in SoCal (update: Inland Empire) for $0.15 on the dollar from a homebuilder (builder's total cost). The deal closed Friday. The purchase price was less than half the cost of just the improvements (grading, streets, etc)! The deal has no leverage, and the buyers are hoping to sell in 3 to 5 years to another homebuilder. They can wait much longer if necessary. The other details (like buyer and seller) are confidential.This is an important step. The homebuilders are finally starting to
Maybe at least. I don't normally print stuff from this blogger, all they do is talk negative, but they've let good news slip through because it sounded negative to them.Land at 15 cents on the Dollarfrom Calculated Risk by CalculatedRiskLast night I spoke with a land developer. He just purchased improved land in SoCal (update: Inland Empire) for $0.15 on the dollar from a homebuilder (builder's total cost). The deal closed Friday. The purchase price was less than half the cost of just the improvements (grading, streets, etc)! The deal has no leverage, and the buyers are hoping to sell in 3 to 5 years to another homebuilder. They can wait much longer if necessary. The other details (like buyer and seller) are confidential.This is an important step. The homebuilders are finally starting to
For over fifty years KB HOME has been building homes across the United States.In 2008, KB home won an award for being America's Most Admired Companies.In the Charleston, SC area KB HOME has many new communities some offer attractive townhomes, rach and 2-story homes. The different communities range from golf course and lakefront to communities that feature swimming pools, tennis courts and other amentities. Below is a list of KB Home Commuities currently building new construction.Eagle Bluff1,959—2,825 sq. ft., 3—6 bedrooms, 2—4 baths$219,990HanahanThe Commons at Tanner Plantation1,120—1,273 sq. ft., 2—3 bedrooms, 2—3 bathsCALL HanahanThe Gardens at Tanner Plantation1,398—3,224 sq. ft., 3—6 bedrooms, 2—4 baths$175,990Moncks CornerBreakwater at Foxbank Plantation1,432—2
Never loan money to friends and family! Gosh, how many times have we heard that advice? But, what about being the borrower, that can’t be too bad, right? Well, to be sure, money exchanged between friends and family is often tricky.
More: continued here
Built Green is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization accepting donations to promote green building and education programs. Their mission is to promote environmentally friendly home building methods and practices, and to enhance our communities through leadership in sustainable development....
here’s a brief little tidbit i found online today. Krysta Doerflers article in the newest issue of Fine Homebuilding Magazine explains how she earned her home building badge:
Now when I tell people where I work they look at me a little funny and ask: So, are you into home building? I reply that while Im not a builder by trade, I am interested in working with my hands and doing things myself. During my interview, I said that even though I may not fully understand all of the magazines content, I am eager to learn whatever I can.
In Krysta Doerflers blog (above), she taught herself how to get her home together thanks to this magazine! I believe that I received a recent message from Krysta via her own Iphone, so she is definitely on top of it! Do you have a public library that is in need of Fine Homebuilding Magazine? Lots of subscribers are happy with this fine publication due to the fact that it has easy-to-use steps in working with your hands on different aspects of building or
Patricia Omondi, 38, and her husband Boureima Sanfo, 47, Woodbridge, Virginia, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of interstate transportation of property obtained by fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice in connection with a scheme to defraud residential lot buyers. According to the 13-count indictment, Omondi was the president of Raycha Homes, also known as Construction Consulting and Management (CCM), a home builder located on Old …Read More...
High ceilings and ceiling fans − it's a good thingI thought I would pass along some tips for those of you who will be building a house here in Honduras or elsewhere in the tropics. Some of the tips are from our architect, some we thought of when we were designing our home, and a few we wish we had thought of. These are some basic tips to keep your home cool and dry − the major considerations in a tropical area. Although most of the tips are just common sense, those of us coming from colder, drier climates might not always realize their importance.Plan your house to take full advantage of the prevailing breeze. Designing the house so that your bedrooms receive the breeze is a good idea and may save you from using air conditioning many nights.Plan your design it so that you have good cross ventilation. A more open floor plan allows the air to circulate better throughout the house than closed off rooms.Heat rises, so high ceilings can make a big difference. Here in Honduras, it doesn
High ceilings and ceiling fans − it's a good thingI thought I would pass along some tips for those of you who will be building a house here in Honduras or elsewhere in the tropics. Some of the tips are from our architect, some we thought of when we were designing our home, and a few we wish we had thought of. These are some basic tips to keep your home cool and dry − the major considerations in a tropical area. Although most of the tips are just common sense, those of us coming from colder, drier climates might not always realize their importance.Plan your house to take full advantage of the prevailing breeze. Designing the house so that your bedrooms receive the breeze is a good idea and may save you from using air conditioning many nights.Plan your design it so that you have good cross ventilation. A more open floor plan allows the air to circulate better throughout the house than closed off rooms.Heat rises, so high ceilings can make a big difference. Here in Honduras, it doesn
