tampa homebuilder: 51% Would Rather Clean Than Be With Their Mother-In-Law…Happy Mother-In-Law Day!!! - 10/19/11 11:36 PM
Surprise, surprise – Would you believe the majority of people that iVillage surveyed would rather scrub, wash, wax and dust than spend time with their mother-in-law?  It’s not like we don’t like our moms-by-marriage, but I guess we’d rather clean than hang out with them.

Pretty disappointing news, since this Sunday, October 23rd, is Mother-in-Law Day.  It’s essentially Mother’s Day for the MILs.  Yet the survey wasn’t all bad news.  Apparently we are okay with our mother-in-law watching our kids.  A whopping 64% trust them for this duty. 
All of this got me thinking.  What can I do as a Tampa home builder for mothers-in-laws?
(3 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Decrease Your Chance of Roof Leaks with Peal & Stick Underlayment - 10/18/11 10:48 PM
Yes, we’re back to another exhilarating home building topic.  If only we could talk about beautiful cabinets, counters and flooring all the time.  Sadly, there is a lot going on with your new home or renovation beyond those areas.  Not many Tampa home builders spend much thought on the underlayment or membrane under the roofing shingles or tile.  Here’s why you should.

Water is the main enemy of new homes in Tampa.  Although plumbing leaks are a big source of these issues, keeping the water out of the home is just as important.  Roof leaks are the most common entry point. 
So how can … (3 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Tampa Bay in the Fall is Great! - 10/17/11 11:42 PM
Ok, maybe not today, since we have an 80% chance of rain, but every other Fall day is GREAT!  Seriously, what’s not to love?!  This really is the perfect time of year in the Tampa Bay area.  I'll concede that the leaves aren't going to be changing colors and dropping, but that always seemed overrated and a lot of clean up.  Here's my rationale on why this is the best time of year in Tampa.

Hurricane season and the wet humid days of summer are wrapping up.  Late October and November are the best.  There is still a lot of … (0 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Stopping Squeaky Floors in New Homes & Renovations - 10/16/11 10:47 PM
Why is it that every time that I need to walk quietly, my floors squeak and pop?  It’s a question we get asked a lot.  Most Tampa homes have concrete foundations, so the squeaking tends to be a problem on the 2nd floor.  So what can a Tampa builder do to address this issue?

First, what causes squeaky floors?  It is typically caused by the wood sub-flooring which is under the carpet, tile or wood.  The sub-floors tend to squeak when they rub against other wood or pipes because it is too loose or too tight.
To get it "just right", the solution is to get the sub-flooring right from … (2 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Innovative Energy Savings Options on AC - 10/10/11 10:47 PM
From time to time, we highlight our suppliers and sub-contractors in our blog.  Since AC systems are one of the largest users of energy in a home, we recently asked Paul Childers with Blair’s AC to give us his thoughts. 

Here is what he had to say -
There are a number of ways for Tampa home builders to control energy consumption.  When it comes to air conditioning there are a few that stand out.
Programmable Thermostats – These devices let you set temperature changes at various days and times.  They take the thought process out of trying to remember … (0 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Kick Butt Day - 10/09/11 11:04 PM
I know that I need a swift kick in the butt from time to time, but I had no idea that there was a day dedicated to derrière punting.  Today is that day.  Face it, we all need it from time to time.  Think about all the goals and resolutions you set at the beginning of the year.  All the promises you’ve made but haven’t kept.  We’ve heard and told all the excuses.  Today is the day to get our butts in gear.  No butts about it!

Ok, we could go on for a while with the butt references, but … (1 comments)

tampa homebuilder: National Kitchen & Bath Month - 10/04/11 10:59 PM
With children back in school and families not overwhelmed by the holidays, October is the most popular time of year for homeowners to address their kitchens and baths.  Kitchen & Bath Month has been around for some time, so we felt it's a good time to share some of the trends that we are seeing in Tampa custom homes.

Shake It Up:  Shaker-style kitchens, an organized, wood-paneled, cabinet-centric design, are having a huge comeback.  While people are still leaning towards traditional models, the Shaker utilitarian approach has been used in over 50% of our homes lately. Battle of the Floors:  Natural stone along … (1 comments)

tampa homebuilder: October Newsletter - Open Houses, Top Post & Available Lot Report - 10/03/11 03:47 AM
This month's Javic Homes newsletter is now available.   CLICK HERE or on the image below to access it.  As always, it contains updates on our upcoming Open Houses, our top blog post from the past month and the available lot report, which includes lots from the MLS, other home builders in Tampa and other sources.  Enjoy and contact us with any questions.

Follow us on our social networks –
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/javichomes
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/javichomes
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jon-solomon/4/547/660
YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jondsolomon?feature=mhum
(1 comments)

tampa homebuilder: National Coffee Day - 09/28/11 10:56 PM
Can 100 million coffee drinkers around the world be wrong?  With over 400 billion cups of coffee consumed each year (yes, that’s Billion), I guess it was time to throw this group a bone and give them their very own day.

Those numbers are overwhelming to me.  So who are these folks?  Well, believe it or not, nurses and physicians rank #1 and 2 as the top two coffee drinking professions.  I have no idea where Tampa home builders fall in this group, but I’m sure we could hang with the best of them, especially if there are donuts. 
To … (4 comments)

tampa homebuilder: National Good Neighbor Day - 09/27/11 10:42 PM
Seemingly straight out of State Farm’s marketing manual, today is National Good Neighbor Day.  It’s a pretty recent holiday that got established in 2003, but Presidents since Nixon have acknowledged it. 

So what should you do today?  How about something simple like a friendly smile and hello to your neighbor.  Offer to help them out and get to know them better.  Maybe it's time to organize a block party.
We do our best to be a good neighbor as a new home builder in Tampa.  We make sure to send an introduction letter to the neighbors near all our projects … (0 comments)

tampa homebuilder: House Siding Options – Stucco vs. Hardie - 09/26/11 10:44 PM
It’s not like these are the only siding options available.  There are plenty of brick, stone and other options, but most Tampa home builders offer these two options. 
Now for many people, this isn’t really much of a decision.  The style they want drives the siding.  Mediterranean homes require stucco and bungalow and craftsman homes need hardie.
For those who can’t make up their mind on the architectural style, this is a topic of interest.
So what is stucco and hardie?  Neither are structural elements of a home.  They are the material that is placed on the exterior walls of the … (7 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Home Energy Monitoring – Does It Really Work? - 09/26/11 02:01 AM
In the past few years, there have been a variety of devices introduced to the market that monitor electric usage within homes.  I’ve looked at these from time to time, but have recently decided it’s time to jump in and try one on my personal home.

To my knowledge, no home builders in Tampa have done these as a standard feature, so my thinking is it was time to use my family as the guinea pigs.
So how does an energy monitor work?
Very simply, they track a home’s electric usage through sensors placed either on the meter or the … (2 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Confessions of a Construction Lending Genius - 09/21/11 11:31 PM
We recently had a chance to talk with Ken Sale from BB&T.  Ken specializes in construction financing for new homes in Tampa.  Even he’ll baulk at the “genius” label, but he’s pretty darn smart when it comes to construction lending.  So we asked him some of the most common questions that we are asked by our prospects and customers.

What’s the best way to finance a custom home?
The best way to finance a custom home in Tampa and St. Petersburg is through the use of a construction/perm loan product.  A construction/perm loan finances the construction of the home and then when the home … (0 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Why Are New Homes More Energy Efficient Than Existing Homes? - 09/20/11 11:05 PM
This is a common question for folks that are considering all their options in the housing market.  They talk with Tampa home builders about new homes while they look at the existing homes that are listed for sale.  At some point, usually when initial purchase prices are comparable, the thought turns to the ongoing costs of each option.  We’ve discussed how home insurance is typically less expensive on new homes, but lets discuss how a new home's energy efficiency impacts your monthly utility bills.

The bottom line is that new homes take advantage of new building materials, products and processes that … (4 comments)

tampa homebuilder: The Top 5 Reasons NOT To Build With Javic Homes - 09/19/11 10:44 PM
It seems like there are Top 5 or Top 10 lists for everything.  I’m guilty of doing our fair share of them in this blog.  I have to admit that I was hesitant to do this list.  The thought of listing reasons why people wouldn't want to build with us...well that seemed counter productive.  Once I got started, I realized it was pretty easy and hopefully effective.  So here’s our Top 5 list of reasons NOT to build a custom home with Javic Homes.

You Want Your Home To Look Like Everyone Else:  If that’s your goal, don’t build with … (2 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Video Tour of Culbreath Bayou Custom Home - 09/15/11 08:12 AM
We just completed the photo shoot today at this home for Housetrends magazine's next issue.  It's a wonderful home for some exceptional owners.  Below is a brief video tour.  Hope you enjoy it and look for the article in the upcoming issue of Housetrends Tampa Bay.

(1 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Javic Donates to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society For Each New Facebook Friend - 09/13/11 02:19 AM
September is Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness month.  For every new Javic Facebook friend this month, we will donate $2 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  As you’ll see from their website, this group does an exceptional job at researching and finding cures for a variety of blood cancers.

I’m sure many of us know people who have been impacted by a variety of blood cancers.  I have a close personal friend that successfully fought a battle against non-Hodgkin Lymphoma several years ago and have been a contributor to the organization ever since.  More recently, my dad passed away last year from myelofibrosis, … (3 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Why Do People Want To Build A Custom Home? - 09/11/11 11:43 PM
There are probably ten times as many unflattering stories about building custom homes as there are custom homes.  So why do people want to build them?

Well, I’d love to say that it’s due to the magnetic personalities of custom homebuilders, but I don’t think that could be farther from the truth.  To oversimplify it, the reason usually falls into two categories.
Reason #1:  I Want To Be Creative
Some folks just love the ability of creating something completely unique.  A custom home really allows them to design the home to their exact needs.  Rather than selecting floorplans out of … (4 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Are You Ready For Some Football? No? Then visit our Open House on Sunday - 09/07/11 11:14 PM
I’ve been ready for the NFL to begin and really looking forward to the first weekend of football.  But even in my home, I know that this isn’t the case with everyone.  While my son and I are busily preparing our fantasy football team and watching every game and replay we can, my wife and daughter couldn’t care less.

If this sounds remotely similar to your situation, a compromise may be in order.  Let me suggest that you take a break at halftime and visit our open house.
Once again, we are lucky to have great customers that are allowing … (1 comments)

tampa homebuilder: Building & Code Staff Appreciation Day - 08/31/11 10:55 PM
This one is a real blockbuster of a holiday, but it’s time to show a little love to the folks that make sure that our buildings are safe and up to code.  I’m sure the building, zoning and other employees at the city and county departments throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas feel like a punching bag from time to time, but today, September 1st, is the day for us to show our appreciation for them.

Again this is one of those holidays where nobody can seem to find the origin, but I think we can guess which underappreciated group couldn’t care less.  … (3 comments)

 
Jon Solomon, Owners' Ace | The Homebuilder Guru (Owners' Ace)

Jon Solomon

Owners' Ace | The Homebuilder Guru

Tampa, FL

More about me…

Owners' Ace

Address: 4263 Henderson Blvd, Tampa, FL, 33629

Office: (813) 870-2838

Mobile: (813) 220-5787



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