I live in the Midlands in Lexington South Carolina but I love the South Carolina coast. My wife enjoys a relaxing day at the beach lounging in the sun as our children splash and play in the sand, sun and waves of our beautiful beaches.
As I sit beside her appreciating all that god has been gracious enough to give me ,my mind wonders to the waters and what lurks below the depths. Being a sportsman by heart and brought up fishing with my father on those very same beaches bring back fond memories of days gone by. I grab a rod and pass this along to my son. He manages to catch 3 large whiting for our afternoon dinner.
South Carolina has a wide variety of fishing for the avid outdoors-man. Some in my opinion that is absolutely world class. I am being told by several friends and guides that the action in the inter coastal waterways and off shore has really picked up. Cobia are migrating inward to spawn and a myriad of other inshore fish such as flounder. The offshore catches are getting really good with Ma hie and some Tuna reports. And wow what great table fare.
The real catch however cant be eaten. Its the catching of memories instilled in your childs mind of days gone by. The subtle smile as they reflect back in there later years of that day on the beach or that fish caught. One of lifes little treasures!
Well almost free. Don't forget that Today McDonald's has a national promotion on there new Chicken Biscuit and Sandwich. Buy a Medium or a Large drink and get a free chicken biscuit this morning and after breakfast hours get a free southern style chicken sandwich.
Get crazy and spring for lunch for the whole office!
This is a list of ways you can use water more wisely and should be thought of when constructing a green project or redoing your current homes landscaping.
Set up a trickle irrigation for your shrubs, trees and flower beds.
Design all your landscaping with native plants and reduce grass covered areas
Use only a sprinkler system that produce droplets instead of a mist and make sure they have rain shut off valves on them
If you are going to have a pool or spa install covers to reduce evaporation
Place rain barrels with flow valves at your gutters downspouts for canister watering...gods gift
Use more hard scape that needs no water to maintain
Mulch heavily to retain moisture and control weeds with recycled materials
Always water your lawn when its needed 1 hour before sunup.
Water conservation is second only to the air you breath. We cant live without either. Conserve for our children's future.
What are you going to do about it today? Heres one more suggestion......
Leica Lane Habitat for Humanity. Funds to purchase 15 lots on Leica Lane in Lexington South Carolina to build 15 Single-Family houses that will be sold to low income families in need of affordable housing was allocated by County Council. We are currently seeking candidiates for these homes. This project is funded from HUD and the local Community development block grant. Call to inquire.
The modular systems of construction offers many advantages over on-site home building construction. Most modern, factory assembly line techniques ensure that your new home will be constructed in the most efficient manner. Inside a climate-controlled plant, your home gently travels through various workstations as its components are being put together (framing, electric, plumbing, etc.). With the modular system of building, work is never delayed by weather, subcontractor no-shows, or missing materials.
The in-plant quality control team and third party inspection agency provide assurance that your home has been inspected for code compliance and workmanship. In-plant inspectors, as well as independent inspection agencies, examine the home on behalf of your state and local government. Codes are strictly enforced.
Lexington County hasnt issued its report on permits for new homes. I am sure it will mirror Richland Countys reports.
The projection for Richland County is coming up short by nearly $1 Million dollars. We as Builders bought 734 fewer new home permits in 2007 and the trend has also carried over to the first quarter of 2008. The immediate impact of the lost revenue isnt clear at this point but may force the counties to raise the fees on permits again! Especially as the Countys council begins work on the new budgets. Policy-makers are already warning that money for schools and government services will be tight this year.
The local housing market has faired well amid the homes crisis so far, but it is starting to show signs of stress. Home sales and permits both fell.
County leaders are allready squirming on the fact that they cant raise taxes. Inspectors are getting the easy part. Thet are doing around 15 inspections per day where they were doing double that a year ago.
The good news as I see it. We had way to much speclative or quick move in home inventory on hand. The permits not being issued allow us to get this under control. I am seeing more foundations started and custom home starts. I think we have turned the page!
Keep posted for more local trends on my next Blog.
Your main challenge here will be to select the right person who will build what you can afford, on time and on budget with careful attention to detail. Talk with your system producer or local suppliers and building associations. Be systematic in selecting several to consider, and evaluate each carefully. Check references carefully and review each builder or contractor's standing in the building community. Also consider their communication skills and whether you have established a good rapport. Good communication is of the utmost importance, especially if you're building any distance from where you currently live and can only get out to the job site on the weekends. In addition to finding a builder you can communicate with and painstakingly checking references with past customers, visit finished homes to personally inspect the builder's work. Keep in mind that it usually takes several years for a home to completely settle and expose any construction defects. A three- to five-year-old home is probably the best example of a builder's art.
Before selecting your builder, check with the local contractor's board or similar state or regional authority, including your state's Attorney General's office, to see if the builder has been involved with litigation or judgments in the past. In today's litigious society, a lawsuit or two over the course of a career spanning decades may not raise a red flag. But multiple incidents in a shorter time frame would certainly be cause for concern. You don't want to entrust what is likely your largest purchase of your lifetime to someone who is not reputable. Conversely, don't expect a builder to create you The Perfect Home. There is no such structure on the planet. There will always be flaws, big and small. Your goal--and the goal of your builder--should be to minimize those flaws as much as possible through good design, effective budgeting and careful craftsmanship.
Let's get together and talk about your home buying plans. Call me at the office (803-233-7178) or on my cell phone (803-360-0491) or send me an e-mail (chip@modularhomesdirectsc.com), Or www.modularhomesdirectsc.com
There isn't one single formula for building a green home. Its much more like the sliding scale approach based on the building site, the clients budget, the local climate and a host of other factors. The greener the home the more it will cost. Thanks to testing, certification and increased cost and demand for high performance materials. Ultimately green costs end up competing for other features and amenity's.
But regardless of what green built standard the principals of green built focus on passive solar orientation. Best use of space, an energy-efficient envelope, water efficiency, renewable materials, easier maintenance, better in door air quality and the use of less toxic material.
Interesting fact...Situating the home on a north-south axis is the most energy efficient. An easy start to green building.
MAINSTREET COLLECTION POSITIONED FOR PRICE CONSCIOUS BUYER'S
Custom Homes and Carrion Builders has just launched their latest collection of new homes, the Mainstreet Collection. The latest collection focuses on entry level homebuyers who are price sensitive and looking for a quality home that still allows them to select options that are customized to their needs.
The Main Street Collection introduces five new model designs that include ranch, Cape Cod and two-story floor plans. Each model includes a list of options to choose from, including: optional master baths, garages, basement plans, additional bedrooms and kitchens. Offset elevations, window seats and gable treatments carry the collection's theme throughout each model. Each model is presented with a Traditional Elevation. This elevation will fit in any subdivision or lot in America. For those near the water or mountains, we provide an alternate elevation, the Coastal Elevation.
WE look forward to a new and prosperous future with these new entry
level homes and are excited to bring them to our customers.
Its finaly Friday! Time to unwind and spend time with the family. Its also a great time to catch up on that needed maintenance on a warm weekend after a long cold winter.
Start with your gutters. Clogged gutters account for about 50% of the calls I get on water intrusion. The gutters when clogged allow the water to run right back under the lower edge of your shingles and intrude down the walls. Causing major damage. A little maintenance goes a long way!
Chip Jefferson
As I sit beside her appreciating all that god has been gracious enough to give me ,my mind wonders to the waters and what lurks below the depths. Being a sportsman by heart and brought up fishing with my father on those very same beaches bring back fond memories of days gone by. I grab a rod and pass this along to my son. He manages to catch 3 large whiting for our afternoon dinner. 
803-360-0491 
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