“How New Construction Has Changed!”

The typical new home being built today is actually quite different from homes built just a couple of years ago. In the last few years, some of the extravagant extras that were once being taken for granted by homebuyers, are disappearing and many new homes are reverting back to the basics. After all, when it comes right down to it, your home does not really have to be a real “castle,” it just has to be your home.

The size of new homes has gotten smaller and because of this, homes are being redesigned to make homes more functional by taking advantage of the smaller living areas. Being more practical in designing a new home allows you to get much more use out of your home with less square footage. This concept seems to be a win / win for everyone.

Cutting back on the type of materials being used is another change that has taken place. Instead of using so much tile and wood as flooring, vinyl is making a comeback. Instead of using granite, mica countertops have returned. Instead of 10 and 12 foot ceilings, 8 foot ceilings seem to be more in fashion. This does not mean that new home builders are cutting corners, it just means they are replacing higher cost products with good quality alternatives, including materials that are just a little less expensive than some of the higher line products.

Also, more and more “green” technologies are being incorporated into the design of new homes. Products such as low-e windows, energy saving fixtures and appliances, such as “Energy Star” dishwashers, light fixtures and “Energy Star” heat pumps are becoming more and more common. These products, along with many other products and energy saving design changes are making homes much more energy efficient, saving the homeowner money in the operation and the maintenance of their home.

Another area of change in today’s homes are changes that were made because of the many new building codes that have taken effect. It is certainly true in the State of Florida, where many code changes have been made because of the storms and hurricanes that Floridians have witnessed over the years.  Homes now have to meet demanding wind load designs that are obtained by adding either impact windows and doors or by adding window and door protections over the openings, more stringent nailing and strapping of the roof, garage doors designed and installed to withstand high winds and other safeguards that help a home endure severe weather.

Values have pretty much hit bottom and with the changes that have been implemented over the past few years, along with the lower costs and lower interest rates, you can rest assured that now is one of the best times in history to buy a new home. Along with low interest rates that are available, there is also an FHA program that requires only 3.5% down payment, and even lower if you have your own lot, making it an even better time to buy. So, if you have been considering buying a new home but have been holding off to see what the economy will do, now may be the perfect time to take that plunge. Only you can make that call, but with costs where they are, it is certainly time to consider making that move.

For more information on our new homes and what type of financing is available, including a 3.5% down payment FHA program, contact American Housing Builders, Inc. at 727-546-6611 and we will provide you with the information you need to decide if the time is right for you and your family.

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“Now, you can follow us on Facebook.”

AmHousing Mick

You can now follow American Housing on Facebook and keep up with what is happening in the world of new home building and remodeling. Just go to AmhousingMick and request to be a friend. Once accepted, you will become a part of the American Housing Facebook community. Facebook is a social site that connects people with friends, family and others throughout the world.

You can also follow us on Twitter.

Click here to go to AmHousingMick on Facebook.

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American Housing is now offering a financing program that is designed to meet the needs of buyers who want to build their Dream Home!

The “Close It, Build It” Loan provides builders and buyers the special financing options needed in today’s market. With one application, one set of fees, and one closing, construction of your home can begin.

American Housing builds affordable, quality new homes and also works with all Federal, State and local finance assistance programs in order to make homes obtainable for families wanting to achieve the “ American Dream” of home ownership. We are pleased to be able to make this program available.

The “Close It, Build It” loan combines the lot loan, interim construction financing and a permanent mortgage into one loan, and closes before actual construction begins.

• Program requires as little as 3.5% down payment, or if you already own your land, you can use the equity in your land as all, or part, of the down payment.
• The cost saving package includes one closing and one set of fees, which is unlike a typical two time closing.
• The Power of One program includes: 1 Lender, 1 Application, 1 Approval and 1 Closing.
• There are no payments required during the interim construction phase.
• Rates are protected with a Float Down. If rates go down, your payment could go down as well.
• Minimum credit score is 620.
• Also, ask about a 2 year Deliquency Protection plan that is available.

Call us at 727-546-6611 for more information on this program.

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“THE WAY OF WIND & WATER”

Feng Shui can create great dreams when society teaches mediocrity. Feng Shui helps one obtain all the desires of their heart. Feng Shui teaches one that all energies are good, but there are different qualities of energy. The two extremes of energy are “Sha” and “Chi.” “Sha” energy is like a raging river where ”Chi” energy is more like a babbling brook.  On a hot summer day one would jump into a babbling brook but not a raging river. Feng Shui teaches common sense. Feng Shui also teaches you to direct the energy you create toward manifesting your goals and dreams.

With Feng Shui, you can open the door to your happiness. Feng Shui creates the energy for more of what you do want in your life and less of what you don’t want.  It will help you keep your mental and physical capacity at its peak, improving your ability to deal with life’s situations.

Feng Shui has to do with how the placement and layout of physical objects in your environment affects the flow of energy in your life. Feng Shui comprises the study of these energy flows and how you should arrange your environment in order to gain the best possible advantages in your life.

For example, if you are building a new home, you would use Feng Shui to help you decide on which direction to face your house in order for it to benefit your life the most. Feng Shui creates the energy for more of what you do want in your life and less of what you don’t want.

It helps keep your mental and physical capacity at its peak by improving your ability to deal with life’s situations. New opportunities will appear and problems will melt away, almost as if by magic. But it will not be magic at all, it will just be good Feng Shui.

Whatever you desire in life, whether it be the love of your life, the honor and respect of people, connection with friends, family and spouse, new customers, a new home, a fresh start, almost anything you can think of, you can attain it with Feng Shui.

Every day you create your life, whether it be your job, business or family. You try to approach each day with the attitude of accomplishment and achievement.  But in many cases the situations of life overcome it. A bounced check might send you into crisis mode to cover your obligations, where with Feng Shui  your problems are solved with grace and ease.

When your life is in the flow of Feng Shui energy, you will have more time and money, more life and vitality, you will feel more connected with others and you will have more confidence and respect in yourself. You will start finding yourself in the right place at the right time and people might even start calling you “lucky” because they feel that everything seems to going your way. And of course it is, because you will have the energy of Feng Shui with you.

With Feng Shui, you are the master of your domain. You have the key to your future. You deny your fears and you refuse to live another day feeling and having less than you desire.  Your only limit is the strength of your desire, belief and commitment to having health, wealth and happiness. Feng Shui is the tool you use to get there. You must be willing to step out of the box. You can overcome the influence of those who are jealous of your success.   You can do all this and more using Feng Shui.  You can live your life the way you have always dreamed of!  You must believe that “Feng Shui will work for you!”

American Housing Builders, Inc. is very aware of the many different cultures that make up America today. We also understand that for many Asians, including Chinese, Korean and the Vietnamese, buying a new home is a very emotional experience. Americans from other countries are especially important to us and, as home builders, we recognize that owning a new home is very important to you and will work very to earn your trust and respect.

All American Housing representatives will treat you respectfully and honorably. We realize that every customer, regardless of cultural background, in very unique and important. Because of our ethnic differences, we realize that there is sometimes a chance for misunderstandings in real estate transactions. For example, we may look at purchase agreements a little differently than you, but we will work together with you to get past these differences. We will work with you as partners in the transaction and will work hard to help you fully understand the real estate process in the purchasing of your new home. And, if we are lucky, we may even learn a little about your native language, customs and traditions in the process. In the end, Feng Shui will have benefitted us all.

For more information on American Housing Builders, you can go to the “Contact Us” page of our website, or simply call us at 727-546-6611.

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Selecting your New Home Floor Plan Can Actually be Fun!

One of the most exciting parts of building your own home is selecting and designing the floor plan. You may want to start from a stock plan and modify it to suit you and your family’s needs, or you may prefer to start from scratch with nothing more than a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.

Looking through home magazines and walking through model homes are a great way to come up with new and innovative ideas to help you with your designing process. Talk to friends, family and co-workers and pick their brain for ideas. You will be surprised at some of the things they will come up with. You will probably get some really “good” and you will definitely get some really “not so good” ideas. You can then sift through their thoughts and suggestions and come away with pretty good ideas of your own.

Then the fun begins. There will be many questions you will need to ask yourself in order to get started, but you have to start somewhere. So, to start, here are a few questions to consider:

Do you want a one or two story home?

Do you want a block or frame house?

How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want?

Will you need a one or two car garage, or possibly even a three car garage?

How many square feet of living area do you think you will need?

Do you want your kitchen to open up to the living area or would you rather have a galley type kitchen?

Simple questions maybe, but they will need to be answered. Remember, the list will just seem to go on and on, but even knowing that, don’t let it intimidate you. A lot of the questions will just sort of answer themselves as you go along. The most important thing is to do is to just get started.

To help you in this process, American Housing has an in-house staff that can not only help assist you in the design phase, but can also help you in your product and color selections. From there, with your input of course, our in-house CAD department can then take your design sketches, notes and selections, and convert them to actual working drawings.

Once the plans are complete and the selections are made, American Housing will start the process of building your new home. We will prepare plans for permitting, secure the building permit and then build your new home with the plans and design you have selected.

But, there is a certain mania that can sometimes go along with being “green” and that is why we each have to decide how “green” we each want to go individually. It is a personal thing we each have to decide on our own.

As builders, we feel that incorporating many “green” products and procedures into the homes and room additions we build as standard features just makes sense for home buyers and homeowners. Products like Low e windows, high efficiency heat pumps and programmable thermostats, Low VOC paints, low water consumption commodes, water efficient faucets and Energy Star appliances are just some of the products that we use as standard building products in our homes and jobs, but we also know that building “green” actually goes a little further than that.

Going “green” also includes using procedures like silt fencing around the property when construction is under way, having floor plans designed to maintain a home’s functionality, having job site plans drawn to help reduce material waste during actual construction, making sure water is being diverted away from the home, and sealing all of the home’s penetrations during construction. These are just some of the ways used to help make our projects more energy efficient and more “green.”

There are also many optional “green” products available today, with many more coming out every day, giving home buyers and home owners a wide selection of products for their homes. Each home owner has do decide on how “green” he or she may want to go.

Although we are NAHB Certified Green Professionals, we do not claim to know everything about “green” technology. We do try to stay current on “green” trends and products, in order to be able to provide pertinent information to our home buyers and room addition clients, so that they can make educated decisions as to what products they may want for their home.

Just saying that we are a “green” builder does not make it so. We know we have to put our money where our mouth is. That is why we not only try to stay current on the most current “green” products and technologies available, we try to incorporate the ones we feel can truly make a difference into our new homes and remodeling projects when it is economically feasible.

Click here for more information on “green” construction.

When you decide to build a new home, the type of house you want influences what type of building company you select. Careful consideration in choosing a builder can assure that the amount of time, emotion and money you will invest in a new home will result in a comfortable home that you can enjoy for years.

There are basically three types of builders: production builders, semi-custom builders and custom builders.  Production builders are organized for higher volume construction. Having a standardized list of choices for floor coverings, tiles, countertops, light fixtures, cabinets and exterior finishes means it’s faster and easier to make selections. Through repetition, the production builder has worked any bugs out of floor plans and the time to build is usually shorter.

Semi-custom builders work with existing plans, but are flexible regarding changes. Some home buyers feel more comfortable starting with a plan, rather than developing their own.

Custom builders specialize in starting with a blank sheet of paper and creating a unique home. They have experience with a wide variety of finishes, unusual treatments and design details. Because each house is one-of-a-kind, home buyers can expect significant initial investment in time and dollars for design development and the creation of working blueprints and specifications.

There are several different sources for finding the builder. Potential home buyers can check newspaper advertising and real estate agents…

When you meet the builder, ask about things that are important to you and get a sense of the company’s personality. You will be spending considerable time with the builder and his employees; you will want to find a company with whom you are compatible. Ask to meet the person who would be in charge of building your home. What experience does he or she have?

Throughout the selection stage, your explorations and conversations will no doubt lead you to the same names again and again. Comparing one detail after the next, you will probably keep coming back to the same builder. When the price range is in line with your budget, and you feel more excited than ever to get started, you have probably found the right builder.

Click here to read the entire article on the FHBA website.

According to a recent article written by Martin Crutsinger and Alan Zibel on Builder Online, the economic recovery is gaining strength with the biggest rise in construction spending in nearly a decade.

“The recovery is still on track,” said Brian Bethune, a senior economist at IHS Global Insight. While Europe’s troubles will put a drag on profits at U.S. companies that do business overseas, Bethune said, “it’s not going to be a show-stopper.”

The burst in April construction spending reported by the Commerce Department sent a promising signal for an industry that was among the hardest hit during the recession. The 2.7 percent increase was spread across all major sectors. But temporary government incentives fueled gains in two of three major categories. The economy will eventually have to manage with less government support.

John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo, said: “It does look like there’s sustainable economic growth in the U.S. for the time being.”

Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. last week reported a narrower loss in its latest quarter but said it had seen a surge in orders. The company said the strength in orders was holding up in May even though the tax credits had ended. “It appears our business has finally emerged from the tunnel and into a bit of daylight,” CEO Robert Toll said. Still, he cautioned, “We don’t expect housing to roar back right away.”

PulteGroup Inc., the nation’s largest homebuilder, reported in early May that it was able to reduce its loss for the first quarter and expected to be profitable this year. That would mark a key turning point for the company, which has posted losses in 14 consecutive quarters.

American Housing Builders, Inc. has noted more activity and are looking for things to continue to improve throughout the rest of the year. You can contact American Housing at 727-546-6611 or go to the “Contact Us” page and send a request for more information.

Click here to read entire article written at Builderonline.com.

Compared with April 2009, all of the regions throughout the U.S. saw increases: the Northeast was up 66%; the Midwest, 25%; the South, 59.6%; and the West, 3.5%, all on a year-over-year-basis.

In terms of future construction, total building permits hit a seasonally adjusted level of 606,000 units, which is 11.5% lower than the previous month, but on an annual basis, April’s overall building permits were 15.9% above the same month one year ago.

So, after all of the negative news we have been hearing over the past few years, it seems as though there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel for builders and consumers. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a continuing trend back to normalcy.

Click here to read more at builderonline

In an article written by Ryan Houck and published May 19, 2010 on the Florida Home Builders Association website, it is noted that in this coming November elections, voters will be faced with a number of very tough decisions at the ballot box. It says that one of the most important decisions should also be the easiest.  Amendment 4, a “Vote on Everything” proposal, would in all essence, kill jobs, raise taxes, and lead to endless litigation at taxpayer expense. This article affects everyone in the state and voters should pay close attention to this bill and its consequences.

As noted in the article, Florida is in the midst of trying to recover from a devastating recession and the last thing we need is a proposal that would empower special interest lawyers to raid taxpayer’s pockets in order to finance special interest lawsuits. So, this November, it just makes a lot of sense to VOTE NO on Amendment 4!

Click here to read the entire FHBA article on this issue