American Housing Builders, Inc

Archive for August, 2010

There may be better reasons for investing in new construction in Florida than some other regions– current building materials and techniques are lightyears beyond what they were even twenty years ago, which is even more important in Florida’s demanding climate than it might be in more temperate zones. The following is an excerpt from an article which makes a pretty strong case for new construction down here in Florida.

Older homes may have smaller kitchens that contain old, outdated appliances. Cracked linoleum or tile flooring may need replacement, fixtures may be old and stained, and cabinetry that is either deteriorating due to age or inferior quality will need to be replaced. If you build a new Florida home, your kitchen will be luxuriously appointed with all of the latest appliances, cabinetry and fixtures. Appliances are brand new and top of the line.

Read the rest of the article here. Via: QB Blog

Although some green building options are fairly obvious– insulation, window glazing, etc.– others may come as a surprise to buyers of new construction or renovators of existing houses. One of these choices is roofing materials and techniques. Your roof is the first line of defense from the sun and the weather, and its construction can have a real effect on energy costs and the environment.

What are your best choices when it comes to green roofs for your home building needs? It seems to be an ever-changing industry, which is good, because change is good. Change is good because there is a steady increase in homeowner awareness, inquiries regarding what is affordable, better technology and what will bring you the best return on investment (ROI) in a new roofing system.

Fortunately, Uncle Sam has a program called Energy Star to give you most of the information you need to make an informed decision regarding green roofs for your home building project.

Read the rest of the article here.

Via: FunTimesGuide

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Insurance of any kind is something you invest in and hope you never have to use, right? The same thing can be said of a “Safe Room,” which can be a lifesaver for your family in Florida’s sometimes severe weather circumstances– or even as an anti-crime security strategy. But unless you are unlucky, a Safe Room will be simply peace of mind in an uncertain world. In any case,  it is a feature to consider when planning new construction in the Tampa Bay area, or even when weighing building a new home against buying an existing house.

These rooms can be separate or can be some part of the home, like a walk-in closet, which is built like the proverbial brick-stick house. They need to be isolated from the main structure so that as the main home becomes unglued and turns into countless fragments, this little oasis of space remains unscathed.

Above ground safe rooms are generally best in high water table states (such as Florida) and are usually built of reinforced, solidly poured masonry walls, and poured concrete ceilings (set just below the trusses). It is less expensive and much simpler to build while constructing a new home.

Read the whole article here. (Via ConstructionOmega)

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St Petersburg’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program

The purpose of the St Petersburg NSP Program is to provide targeted assistance, with the help of government grants, to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed residential properties.

The City of St. Petersburg Housing and Community Development Department is offering loans to eligible borrowers who wish to purchase and occupy a home through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) by financially assisting them with their down payment and closing costs.

Eligible home buyers purchasing a home through the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), may apply for up to $12,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. The loan will be forgiven after 15 years of residency.  The homeowner must reside in the home as their primary residence for the entire 15 year term before forgiveness will apply.  Should the home owner move or some other reason vacate the property, the entire principal amount of the loan will then become due and payable to the City of St. Petersburg and no forgiveness will occur.

For more information on this program, along with other home buying programs available today, contact American Housing at 727-546-6611.

Click here for more information on the City of St Petersburg’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

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The American Dream is Alive & Well!

Homeownership is still the American Dream for most of us, and as the housing market begins to slowly mend, many are learning that now is actually a great time to consider the purchasing of a new home. If you are one of the many thousands who would like to buy a new home but have been waiting to see what happens in the market, you might be interested to learn that as of now, there is an ample supply of affordable building lots available, costs are down making new homes much more affordable, interest rates are at record lows, and there are many tax incentives you will receive as a homeowners, all of which makes today a very attractive time to buy a new home.

The ample inventory of land that is available today includes building lots that have been reduced in price and are ready to build on. These same lots that were unaffordable just a couple of years ago are now obtainable at affordable prices throughout the entire Tampa Bay area, making it an attractive time to consider building that new home you have been dreaming about for so long.

Along with construction costs and home prices being at their lowest level in years, most builders are offering many incentives with the purchase of a new home. When you consider that, and then factor in the many energy saving, “Green,” and “Energy Star” features that are now included in so many new homes today, along with all of the code changes that have been added to new homes to make them more hurricane resistant, it makes even more sense to purchase a new home today.

Another thing to consider is that current mortgage interest rates are now extremely favorable for new home buyers. In fact, a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is now hovering at a 30-year low, and although no one can accurately predict whether interest rates will go up or down, waiting to see which way they will go can be a dangerous and losing gamble. Consider that FHA is now offering loans today with just 3.5% down and when you take that into account, along with the low interest rate that is available, it is easy to realize that your mortgage payment would probably be less than what you are paying in rent today.

Home ownership also makes a lot of sense because of the many positive tax implications. The most important sources of tax savings for you as a homeowner, will be the deductions you receive because of your mortgage interest, the deductions you receive for your paid real estate taxes, and the capital gain exclusion you receive when you eventually sell your home. The mortgage interest and real estate tax deductions alone will reduce your annual cost of homeownership by reducing your tax liability each year.

So, because of the fact that we know that building lots today are much more affordable, we know that new home prices are down, we know that there are many builder incentives available, we know that interest rates are low and we know there are many tax saving incentives available to you as a homeowner, it is nice to know that the American Dream of home ownership is still alive and well and it is clear that it still makes a lot of economic sense to own your own home.

You can contact us here at American Housing Builders, Inc. at 727-546-6611.

Information gathered from various sources, including the NAHB web site at nahb.org.

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