st petersburg homebuilder: The Purpose of Business is To Create and Keep a Customer
- 05/19/11 11:42 PM
I came across this saying recently that "The Purpose of Business is To Create and Keep a Customer". I remember it from my classes years ago when I thrashed my way through college. Back then I recall that this seemed like such a simple, obvious statement that I didn't give it much thought. As a Tampa custom homebuilder, I see this statement in an entirely different light.
In the homebuilding business, there really are two different types of custom builders. There are those like ourselves at Javic Homes that believe our goal is to create a customer and keep them. … (3 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Things You Shouldn’t Buy For Your Custom Home
- 05/16/11 11:22 PM
I always see plenty of Top 5 or Top 10 lists of items you "Must Have" for your home. Actually, I think I've written a couple myself. I couldn't recall a list of items you didn't need, so I figured it was time to write about a few of the things that we think you can do without. Before I started pulling the list together, I knew that a list like this might get a few of our customers, suppliers and sub-contractor irritated. Regardless, here's our list in no particular order.
Jetted Tub - Unless you are Julia Roberts or a … (1 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Treat Every Customer As If They Sign Your Paycheck…Because They Do
- 05/02/11 11:32 PM
Nothing irritates me more than poor customer service. As a homebuilder, I unfortunately get to see far too much of it. Sometimes it comes in the form of our friends at the local utility companies. Other times it's the permitting and building departments that we must work with. And as good as I think we are at selecting our partners, it even happens with our sub-contractors and suppliers.
Many people believe that custom homebuilding in Tampa and St. Petersburg is primarily a manufacturing business. After all, we do make a very tangible product. Yet in my mind it is first and … (0 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Get Smart about Financing Your Custom Home – Part 2
- 04/23/11 12:11 AM
So you've been approved - congratulations! So now what type of loan should you choose for your new Tampa home? There are a lot of choices that your loan officer can describe to you, but the vast majority of our homeowners select a Construction-Permanent loan, or C-P loan. Just like the name says, a C-P loan has two components: a construction loan and a permanent loan that are rolled into one product. The construction part finances the purchase of the property, as well as the construction of the custom home. The permanent part takes over once the home is completed. The … (0 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: What Can I Expect After I Move In My Custom Home?
- 04/19/11 10:47 PM
Your dream home has been complete for a few months. You've moved the furniture in, decorated it, and hosted a housewarming party. Your home is the envy of the neighborhood and your friends rave about the attention to detail and craftsmanship from your Tampa homebuilder, but there are no perfect homes. The fact is that the construction of a new home is one of the few remaining things that aren't built in a factory under controlled conditions. The result in Tampa new homes is foundation settling and minor cracks appearing. Many of these appear because your home is adjusting to temperature and humidity changes. So … (2 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Five Common Disagreements Owners Have With Builders
- 04/18/11 10:48 PM
The relationship between a builder and owner often starts out like dating someone for the first time. There's the flirtatious little dance up front where everyone is star struck and no one can do any wrong. Yet as the dating continues and gets more serious, there are often disagreements. Here are some of the most common ones AND how I've learned to avoid them and you can, too.
Expectations Problem: The homeowner thinks that this is a shoddy builder. I never would've hired him if I had known this. The builder thinks that these homeowners have completely unrealistic expectations. I can never … (4 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Surprises That Could Inflate Your Custom Home Cost
- 04/13/11 11:49 PM
I don't remember getting much, if any, allowance as a kid. I can hear your pity already. I do remember with all too much clarity the yard work, pool cleaning and other household chores, but not the allowance. Now as an adult and a custom home builder in Tampa and St. Petersburg, I spend a lot of time giving allowances. It's not that I have a lot of kids, but I do have custom home projects that have allowances (or budgets).
Allowances are established by builders because selections are not always made prior to signing an agreement to build a … (2 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Why You Shouldn’t Use Friends as Subcontractors
- 04/12/11 11:09 PM
"I have a friend (or brother-in-law, or Uncle Louie, or insert friend here) who is willing to do the tile work in my new home for a discounted rate. I'd like to use him and save some money." I can't tell you how often I have heard this from people. My response is always that I'm happy to have him bid on the work and if he can provide us with insurance, licensing, acceptable references and sign our subcontractor agreement, we'll consider using him.
In reality, I've learned the hard way that it's not a great idea to allow a … (4 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
- 04/11/11 11:51 PM
A few years ago, my mom gave me Richard Carlson's book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and It's All Small Stuff. It's a famous book, which you've likely heard and read yourself. In it he said, "Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that, upon closer examination, aren't really that big a deal..."
Great advice for life and although I'm still trying to make it work in my daily personal routine, it's especially important during the homebuilding process. From my experience, the vast majority of people who choose to build a custom home have come … (0 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Choices, Choices, Choices
- 04/10/11 11:20 PM
If you've ever built a custom home or done a major home renovation in Tampa or St. Petersburg, you know that there are a lot of choices to be made. I can't stress then how strongly I recommend that you make your selections before construction begins. And I mean ALL selections - paint colors, cabinets, plumbing / lighting fixtures, flooring, appliances and the list goes on.
Many people will say that this seems bizarre. We can all agree that we won't be installing appliances or painting until months into the home construction. It all comes down to making sure that … (0 comments)
st petersburg homebuilder: Custom Homes: The Top 5 Places To Spend Your Money
- 03/10/11 01:51 PM
Building a custom home is likely one of the biggest investments that many people will ever make. As a custom home builder in Tampa and St. Petersburg, I think it's important that our customers put their money in the places where there is the most value. Here are our Top 5: Location: As if we don't hear this enough, so how about one more time - "Location, Location, Location". It's easy to design and build a custom home with fantastic finishes and great features, but if you build it in the wrong location, you're simply in trouble. If we've learned nothing … (0 comments)
I came across this saying recently that "The Purpose of Business is To Create and Keep a Customer". I remember it from my classes years ago when I thrashed my way through college. Back then I recall that this seemed like such a simple, obvious statement that I didn't give it much thought. As a Tampa custom homebuilder, I see this statement in an entirely different light. 
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