custom home builder: Compound Interest - Is it Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy?
- 10/26/20 03:46 AM
“’Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.”
-Albert Einstein
Interest is simply the cost of borrowing money. If you finance your home, you are going to be paying it. It is going to be expressed as a percentage. Because of the Federal Truth in Lending Act, lenders are also required to provide you with something called an APR. It is the Annual Percentage Rate, and it is also expressed as a percentage, and it is usually higher than the loan interest rate. That is because it attempts to include other charges … (3 comments)
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custom home builder: The Gift that Keeps on Giving: A Tight Thermal Envelope
- 10/05/20 04:23 AM
We hear terms such as energy-efficient, green, resilient, zero-energy ready (ZER), along with many others every day. When you are a builder, or if you are into building science, you know (or should know) what they all mean. However, as a home buyer that just wants a home that is safe, comfortable, and has the lowest monthly utility bills possible, these terms can sound foreign. The common denominator that plays a role in each of these areas is something called the “thermal envelope”. It’s most basic definition is the line that is drawn between the outside of the house and the inside of the … (3 comments)
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custom home builder: Modular Brain: Rewiring the Brain for a Better Way to Build
- 09/28/20 04:27 AM
When a home buyer first discovers modular construction as an option to build their new home, they get excited. They begin to Google more about the construction method and learn more about it and its advantages. However, as an industry, many contractors don’t know anything about it. It’s different. They have been building for 10, 20, or even 30 years or more and doing it the exact same way. In fact, the construction industry overall lags every other industry in productivity growth. In a report by McKinsey & Company, the construction industry has only seen a 1% increase in productivity in … (2 comments)
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custom home builder: Clearing the Haze that Surrounds the Construction Loan Process
- 09/25/20 04:41 AM
Most homebuyers that are building a home will need a construction loan. And the typical homebuyer will only have built 1 to 3 homes over their entire lifetime. That means getting a construction loan is an entirely new process. Even if they have done it before, it has been 5 to 20 years in between new home projects and everything has changed since they did it the last time. A construction loan is one unique loan in the lending world. The bank is lending money on an asset that hasn’t been completely built. Banks don’t like risk and to them a … (4 comments)
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custom home builder: Modular Gives Homebuyers Exactly What They are Looking for in a Home
- 09/14/20 04:36 AM
Home sales today are off the charts. Interest rates are now at historic lows! Realtors and home builders are all busy. Homebuyers are doing their research and looking at homes on the internet. Four items seem to be at the top of the search list for those investigating building their new home. They are sustainability, durability, affordability, and the timeframe for construction. The internet is a great tool to do home construction research. What many are discovering is that modular construction is at the top of the list in each category. But what is modular construction, and how is it better? … (2 comments)
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custom home builder: Now is a Great Time to Build a Home - Despite Lumber Price Increases
- 09/08/20 04:54 AM
In the last six months, lumber prices have drastically increased. By drastically, we are talking by more the double the price they were at in March. This has driven the price of a house up sharply as we approach the end of the year. But we have also seen, historically, the lowest interest rates for a home mortgage. We are talking near record lows for a home mortgage. Most home buyers take out a 30-year loan to finance their home. So now we have what is called a quandary (i.e., a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in … (3 comments)
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custom home builder: Harnessing the Power of Off-Site Construction
- 08/31/20 04:43 AM
Residential off-site construction is the term used to describe the manufacturing, planning, design, fabrication, and assembly of a home’s elements at a location other than its final installed location. Building off-site allows for a home to be built more efficiently and faster. In some cases, the parts or elements of a home could be built at several locations and then transported to the job site for final assembly. Off-site construction is meant to optimize the planning and materials supply-chain for building a home that is better constructed and more cost effective than one that is built on site in the field. … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: Are We About to See a New Normal in Home Construction?
- 07/13/20 04:31 AM
Perhaps the most famous quote attributed to Henry Ford is this: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” While most people agree that Ford never actually said this, it does illustrate a great point. People don’t know exactly what they want until they see it. But once they see it, they will flock to it in droves. And typically when they do, it will happen fast! The main picture in this article illustrates this exact point. The picture on the left was taken on 5th Ave in New York in 1900. You see just one … (3 comments)
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custom home builder: The Seven Emotional Steps of Building A Custom Modular Home
- 07/06/20 05:44 AM
Building a custom modular home is a process. A process that is done successfully thousands of times across the country every year. You can look at builder websites, on social media sites, and at brochures and see beautifully finished custom homes. But it isn’t your home. You don’t know the effort and the process that it took to plan, design, deliver, and complete the home that you are looking at in that picture. It wasn’t magic. While modular construction makes the home construction process better and faster, it is still a home construction process. You will go through all of the … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough – Except When Building a New Home Onsite
- 06/02/20 04:04 AM
How do you know that the new home you are living in meets current building code? Does your state observe a written building code? Does your state, county, or city require a building permit to build a new home? What does getting a building permit really mean? Are there any inspections done on homes that are built to ensure they meet the building code required in your area? These are all good questions… and the answer to each of them may scare you. In about half of the counties in the U.S. there are no building inspections. Yes, you read that … (0 comments)
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custom home builder: Modular Isn't Just for Houses Anymore
- 05/18/20 05:07 AM
Hotels, colleges, franchises, and many others are facing the same issue as every custom home builder in the U.S. today, a shortage of skilled construction workers. Just like custom home builders, they require quality construction for their commercial construction efforts. Not only do they need quality, but they also need their projects to be built quickly and on budget. Those three items have been proving to be more elusive to the construction industry over the last several years. That means they have been moving more and more towards modular construction.
MARRIOTT JOINS THE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION REVOLUTIONMarriott, one of the best-known hospitality brands … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: Aim Small... Miss Small...
- 04/27/20 04:24 AM
“Aim Small… Miss Small...” While some might think that was just a line from the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot, it was actually the advice given to both Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger by the film’s technical advisor when teaching them how you aim a muzzle-loading rifle. If you aim at the man and miss, you miss the man, while if you aim for a button on the man’s uniform, you still hit the man. This trick works well for all forms of target practice. It’s also great advice when designing and planning to build a home using modular construction.
Building … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: The Power of Sanctuary
- 04/20/20 03:54 AM
There is never a time with perfect conditions paving the way for you to go forward.
There is never a “right” time to take a vacation.
There is never a “right” time to have kids.
And the list goes on.
But have you ever noticed that even though you can’t ever expect all the pieces to fall nicely into place, you’ve managed to pull through… and in most cases, better than ever!
During this time of crisis, you’re vulnerable to more than just the coronavirus. While that threatens your physical health, the “virus” of negative thinking can threaten your outlook.
It’s hard to keep yourself motivated when … (5 comments)
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custom home builder: You Have a Choice
- 04/13/20 05:57 AM
Have you ever stopped to think about how many choices you have to make on a daily basis? From the minute you wake up you are faced with an enormous amount of options. What to wear, what to eat, where will we go, what time will we leave, etc. The same thing happens when you build a home. What style, what floor plan, what type of flooring, what color flooring, etc. But, you also have a choice on how to build your home. Today, building systems are improving home building. Many builders “dabble” with building systems. They use roof trusses or … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: The 5 Rules of Social Distancing and Building a New Home
- 04/06/20 04:59 AM
Sheltering in place is here. The majority of Americans are bound by stay at home orders with other than essential travel prohibited. When this happened, many homebuyers were in the midst of the process of planning to build a new home. 2020 started out with a booming economy and the promise of better things to come as the year unfolded. Instead, we were struck with the coronavirus. Current news reports project that it may be early summer until we start back to our new normal. But being at home can’t stifle our imagination and our dream for our new home. Here … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: Express Modular Announces Rebrand to Impresa Modular
- 04/02/20 07:11 AM
The new brand reinforces the company’s investment in innovation and serves as an opportunity to remain unique in the marketplace.
Rebranding to Impresa Modular
Express Modular, established in 2008, started as a disruptive, technology-driven, custom modular home builder. We are changing our name to better reflect our identity-driven by rapid expansion. The company is changing its name to Impresa Modular to better reflect the company’s long-term vision of providing a range of high-quality, on-demand, reliable services to home buyers, builders and developers, as well as opportunities for franchising.
Modern modular construction is emerging as the preferred solution for custom home buyers. In this age of automation, modular … (1 comments)
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custom home builder: The Top 7 Reasons Your Mortgage Application Could be Denied
- 03/23/20 05:25 AM
If you are building a home and need a mortgage, the first step in the process is to talk with a lender and get qualified for a mortgage. With that information, you will know your budget and are ready to start planning for your new home. But for some, the lender may give them some bad news. They don’t qualify for a mortgage and their dreams of building are dashed. Here are the top 7 reasons your mortgage request could be denied.
REASON #1 – DEBT-TO-INCOME RATIO IS TOO HIGHIn a report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the main reason … (2 comments)
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custom home builder: Is There a Coronavirus Impact on Home Building?
- 03/17/20 06:08 AM
For home buyers that plan on building a new custom home this year, now is the time they are in full swing. Depending on the target move-in date, there is a lot to do between now and the end of summer or fall. But in just a few short weeks, the coronavirus outbreak has impacted many aspects of everyday life. For those building a home this year, it has sprung up right in the heart of the planning season. There are many ways to navigate the unknowns at this time. By many accounts, the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. … (0 comments)
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custom home builder: Building Systems Win BIG in Construction Scrabble
- 03/03/20 05:02 AM
In the world of Construction Scrabble, Building Systems Win Big! In Scrabble, Building Systems score a 24 while Site Built scores an 11. While this is just a metaphor, it illustrates a point.
In today’s world of flat and falling productivity in home construction, building systems can give a builder the edge they need to provide a better quality home. Using Building Systems can also give a homeowner the peace of mind knowing that their home was built with the quality and precision that can only be achieved using indoor construction.
WHAT IS A BUILDING SYSTEM?Most people are familiar with traditional home building, … (0 comments)
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custom home builder: Off-Site Modular Construction and Indoor Air Quality
- 02/24/20 05:06 AM
Comfort, health, and safety are important when you are building a new home today. What issue encompasses all three of these items more than Indoor Air Quality? We are building homes so efficient today that in many cases, the indoor air quality (IAQ) is worse than outside air quality. Don’t believe it? According to the EPA, the levels of indoor air pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. In some cases, these levels can exceed 100 times that of outdoor levels of the same pollutants! Let’s examine what you can do when building your new home to … (0 comments)
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“’Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.”
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