American Housing Builders, Inc

“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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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.

In a May 18, 2010 story written by Teresa Burney at Builderonline, it is noted that April housing starts were up 5.8% compared to March and up 40.9% compared with April 2009 according to the Commerce Department’s monthly residential construction report. Single-family starts were up 10.2% month over month, to a seasonally adjusted level of 593,000.

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