As stated, this blog was written for the 'Homebuyer'. You might not of been aware of this blog and the information that is available for you at the beginning of your homebuilding process, that is OK. We have thirty-two conversations available for you to educate yourself on the 'New HomeBuilding Process'. All you need to do is know the point of construction your home is currently in and locate the conversation that is talking about that phase of the building sequence. Once you have found the proper conversation in the blog you can just follow along with the rest of the homebuilding process. Remember - New homebuilding is a 'Logical - Organized - Sequence of Activities'. It makes zero difference if the home is 1200 sqft or 12000 sgft. The process is still the same, you are just bigger and maybe putting more stuff (options, upgrades and creature features) in the home. Your Home is more than likely the largest investment you will make, so make sure you have confidence in what is taking place. I am hoping that this blog gives you the confidence to ask the tough questions of your builder and gives you a basic understanding of how your home is being put together. Do not be afraid to go to your local Home Depot, Lowes and even Sears to ask questions about your appliances, exterior doors and flooring materials. Your builder is more than likely using a different source, but your could get invaluable information about the products and their serviceability.
Below you will find a list of the various conversations about the homebuilding process. The month and the conversation number will be noted to make it easier for you to get started following the process with your home.
1. Your New Home - July
2. Your Lot -July
3. Your Foundation -July
4. Rough Grade and Frame Drop - July
5. Stages of Construction - July
6. Frame I - July
7. Sub-Floor and Second Floor - July
8. Frame II - July
9. Framing - Roofing, Stick -vs- Truss - July
10. Cornice, Windows and Exterior Doors -July
11. Mechanical Roughs - July
12. Minimum Inspections For Your New Home August
13. Cover Inspections - August
14. Insulation - August
15. Minimum Customer Walks -August
16. Your Pre-Drywall Walk - August
17. Hang Drywall -August
18. Masonry - August
19. Flatwork - Concrete - August
20. Exterior Cleans - August
21. Finish Drywall and Texture - August
22. Cabinets and Interior Trims - August
23. Paint - August
24. Wall Tile and Floor Tile - August
25. Mechanical Trims - September
26. Finishing Punch - September
27. Interior Cleans - September
28. Paint Four - September
29. Finishing Your New Home - September
30. Exterior Completion - September
31. Finishing - October
32. Customer Service - November
The best thing that could happen is that thru the learning experience and the questions that you are going to ask your builder, construction manager and sales consultant that you gain trust and confidence in who your builder is and what they are doing. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Different states have different rules and codes but the best practices are practiced everywhere.
Let me hear from you. I would love to hear about your experience and maybe I can learn a thing or two from them.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Why You Need This Blog
Buying a new home can be a scary proposition. For most of us it is the largest purchase we will make in our lives. There are three basic ways that we purchase a home:
1. You buy an existing home, accept it or remodel it. It will have selections, i.e. carpet, tile, vinyl, counter tops, and cabinets that we might like or that you will want to change as soon as you move in.. Remember it will not have been built to the most up to date codes or with the most up to date materials.
2. You can buy a finished inventory home from a homebuilder. You have the same situation as with the existing resale. You might get the homebuilder to make some selection changes for you at a price (nothing is free) or you can accept what is there.
3. You can build a home from dirt. This is the most desirable if you want to have the dream home you deserve. You can put in what you want and everything where you want it. No compromise. It really is less expensive to put in upgrades during the construction process than it is after the home is complete.
Most of us are afraid of building from dirt because of the horror stories we have heard from our friends, family or people in passing. Most of these stories are created because there is a lack of understanding of what happens during the construction process. With a little education you will not be overwhelmed by what happens on your job site. Knowing what happens next, having an ideal of what the contractor should be doing will lessen the stress and help put you in control. Knowledge is power and when your homebuilder knows you have a resource, you can be assured that he will keep your best interest in mind. Let me and this blog be your resource. You can and will get that education that will give you confidence in the process and lessen the stress that the lack of knowledge gives us all.. Your builder will know that you have new home construction knowledge. This will place you and your new home on a higher level of attention than their normal customer.
1. You buy an existing home, accept it or remodel it. It will have selections, i.e. carpet, tile, vinyl, counter tops, and cabinets that we might like or that you will want to change as soon as you move in.. Remember it will not have been built to the most up to date codes or with the most up to date materials.
2. You can buy a finished inventory home from a homebuilder. You have the same situation as with the existing resale. You might get the homebuilder to make some selection changes for you at a price (nothing is free) or you can accept what is there.
3. You can build a home from dirt. This is the most desirable if you want to have the dream home you deserve. You can put in what you want and everything where you want it. No compromise. It really is less expensive to put in upgrades during the construction process than it is after the home is complete.
Most of us are afraid of building from dirt because of the horror stories we have heard from our friends, family or people in passing. Most of these stories are created because there is a lack of understanding of what happens during the construction process. With a little education you will not be overwhelmed by what happens on your job site. Knowing what happens next, having an ideal of what the contractor should be doing will lessen the stress and help put you in control. Knowledge is power and when your homebuilder knows you have a resource, you can be assured that he will keep your best interest in mind. Let me and this blog be your resource. You can and will get that education that will give you confidence in the process and lessen the stress that the lack of knowledge gives us all.. Your builder will know that you have new home construction knowledge. This will place you and your new home on a higher level of attention than their normal customer.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Opportunity
Now is the time!! Interest rates are going to start that slow creep - UP!!
Let's talk - America is still growing, we need 'X' number of new homes to be produced every year to keep up with population growth. Over the last couple of years people have not been buying new homes because they have been nervous or scared about economy, their job status or what was going to happen to the value of their new home after they purchased it.
That was then and this is now! Depending on who you are listening to, American companies have some where around 2.5 to 3.5 trillion dollars they are sitting on. Yes - you heard me correctly - 2.5 to 3.5 trillion, with a 'T' dollars. In the fourth quarter these companies are going to start using that money to create value for their companies. As a CEO, your responsibility is to create value for your share holders and nothing else. You are going to see expansion and job growth. Next year is going to be - not a good year but a great year. The housing market will be back! Yea Builders. You see there is going to be such a demand for housing that the builders who did make it through this down turn are not going to able to keep up with the demand. There will be a shortage of lots towards the end of the year and the basic law of economics will kick in. You know the one - Supply and Demand. What happens next is an increase in prices. Will there be parts of the country that lag behind? Of course, but those places that have substantial job increase or have industries which are going to benefit from up tick in the economy will see their home prices increase. Hopefully the builders do not create another bubble, but the one thing you can be sure of, is price increases. Get ahead of the curve and "BUY A NEW HOME NOW'
Let's talk - America is still growing, we need 'X' number of new homes to be produced every year to keep up with population growth. Over the last couple of years people have not been buying new homes because they have been nervous or scared about economy, their job status or what was going to happen to the value of their new home after they purchased it.
That was then and this is now! Depending on who you are listening to, American companies have some where around 2.5 to 3.5 trillion dollars they are sitting on. Yes - you heard me correctly - 2.5 to 3.5 trillion, with a 'T' dollars. In the fourth quarter these companies are going to start using that money to create value for their companies. As a CEO, your responsibility is to create value for your share holders and nothing else. You are going to see expansion and job growth. Next year is going to be - not a good year but a great year. The housing market will be back! Yea Builders. You see there is going to be such a demand for housing that the builders who did make it through this down turn are not going to able to keep up with the demand. There will be a shortage of lots towards the end of the year and the basic law of economics will kick in. You know the one - Supply and Demand. What happens next is an increase in prices. Will there be parts of the country that lag behind? Of course, but those places that have substantial job increase or have industries which are going to benefit from up tick in the economy will see their home prices increase. Hopefully the builders do not create another bubble, but the one thing you can be sure of, is price increases. Get ahead of the curve and "BUY A NEW HOME NOW'
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