RECENT BLOG POSTS
Ben Franklin was the oldest of the founding fathers. Most people don’t realize that he was more than twice the age of Thomas Jefferson when they signed the Declaration of Independence (33 vs. 70)! Ben had already had a rather full life. He was a tinkerer, an inventor, an observer, a writer, and a...
03/16/2023
First, an appraisal is simply an opinion of a home’s value. While a buyer may be in love with a home and make a “no way to turn it down” offer to purchase it, if you require a loan, the lender will want to make sure that the home is worth what you have offered to pay for it. If it isn’t, then the...
02/26/2023
“The only way you can predict the future is to build it.”, is a quote by Alan Kay, best known for his pioneering work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface (GUI) design. To extend his thought, the only way to build the future is by investing in the present. That’s ...
02/15/2023
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Today’s interest rates have many wondering, “What can I actually afford to pay for my new home?” The good news is, if you could qualify for a home loan before the interest rates increased, then you can probably still qualify today. However, you just may not qualify for as much of a home. Most hom...
01/31/2023
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Building technology is changing, but it is only changing incrementally. In the U.S., builders have used what is called light-frame wood construction as the primary method of building homes since the 1830s. Light-frame wood construction is a method of construction using many small and closely spac...
01/23/2023
Many homebuyers don’t even ask how their home will be built. Or, when they discuss it with a builder, they hear things like, “I have to,” or, “That’s the way we build; there isn’t a choice.” But that’s simply not true. It’s a victim mentality that says I HAVE to do something. Reality says that we...
01/16/2023
What Is Misdirection in Magic? Misdirection—or direction, as some magicians prefer to call it—is the subtle, deceptive art of directing an audience’s attention towards one thing (a magical effect) so it does not notice another (the method or mechanics of a trick). It can refer to both the impact ...
01/09/2023
In November of 2012, mortgage rates dropped to a record low of 3.35%. Before that time, mortgage rates had NEVER been lower. For some perspective, the monthly payment for a $100,000 loan at the historical peak rate of 18.45% in 1981 was $1,544, compared to $441 at the much lower rate of 3.35% in ...
01/03/2023
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Modular homes have become the target of some pretty tall tales over the years. Much of this has been derived from a general lack of understanding, or a general misunderstanding, about what they are and how they are built. In its infancy, 40-50 years ago, modular construction had humble beginnings...
08/16/2021
First, What Makes a Modular Home Modular?A modular home is basically a stick-built home that is built offsite and then transported to the site in modules. When designing a modular home the architect, engineer, or designer takes a standard home design and then based on that design, determines the ...
08/02/2021