Housing Plans

Perhaps no word has been diluted to mean less in the real estate industry than "custom".  What is a "custom" home?  So many residential construction projects carry the "custom" marketing tagline that, for the sake of brevity, one might better ask what isn't a custom home?

How can a home be a custom home if it is built by a builder on a speculative basis for a buyer whom the builder has never met?  Has "custom" been marginalized to simply mean that the structure does not stand adjacent to an essentially identical structure?  Does "custom" simply mean that the home was not stamped-out by a national builder who replicates a few plans over and over with nominal tweaks to compensate for taste variances from one geography to another?  I hope not.

Artisan Custom Estates is truly a custom homebuilder in North Atlanta / Alpharetta, GA / Milton, GA.  Artisan works with clients from the site selection and the architect's drafting table through the final decorating details to create a unique, proprietary home that perfectly facilitates a particular family's lifestyle.  Artisan has never built exactly the same floor plan twice and likely never will.  Artisan does build a few speculative homes as part of the overall marketing effort - clients can more easily understand Artisan's vision for style and features, which are otherwise difficult to envision.

In the recent past, the willingness of regional/local banks to lend on a speculative basis has facilitated innumerable builders' entry into the "custom" home market.  Now, the unwillingness of those same lenders to continue to hold that risk is driving those same builders from the market.  Going forward, it is unlikely that the capital market will again rise to support commoditized customization as the banks themselves increasingly become owners of "custom" homes with no "custom"ers.  Perhaps, the departing builders and their sit-and-wait realtors will take their tired, misplaced adjectives with them as they exit - or perhaps they will surrender them to their bankers along with the keys to their speculative "custom" homes.  I hope so.

Such is the paradox of speculative "custom" homes: features that are ideally suited for one family may make a home undesirable for another.  In that sense, the builders of speculative "custom" homes have narrowed their markets rather than precisely reaching a client and completely fulfilling their unique needs. 

So what is a truly custom home?  One clue: the customer appears before the custom home.  Bankers will always be there to lend their support to such opportunities, long after The End of Speculative Customization.

While the recent credit crunch has certainly extend the nationwide downturn in housing, the much needed correction in unscrupulous lending programs and practices should set the stage for a much healthier and sustainable growth trajectory in residential real estate over the long term.   The painful medicine in the short term, however, is a lack of confidence and trust among financial institutions and between borrower and lender that continues to serve as a drag on new sales activity. 

Once confidence amongst all transaction parties is restored, the emergence of a more sustainable growth market should prevail over the medium and long term.  Many industry obserevers see the "bottom" for the capital market and credit crunch as the Bear Stearns bail out by the Federal Reserve.  Such sweeping Federal action and intervention is truly historic - and should continue to serve as a backstop of confidence for those who question how deep the credit crunch could go.

Word on the street is that the commercial credit markets are improving and more commercial loan syndications are clearing the market.  It certainly won't happen overnight, but this may be one sign of many that confidence within the global capital market is returning to a more functional level.  Eventually, an improvement in confidence should lead to more liquidity for mortgage backed securities, and a deeper pool of qualified candidates to purchase homes - whether custom homes, resales, foreclosures, or the like.  Ultimately, these are the seeds that must be planted to drive a full recovery in the housing market and set the stage for steady, sustabinable growth for the next several years.

Energy efficiency plays a central role in building any new home. Building a “green” home, however, requires energy efficiency and much more. “Green building” means taking a comprehensive approach to energy and resource efficiencies from design through construction and operation of the house. Certain components of a home’s construction contribute greatly to the success of such an approach.

Windows, doors, and skylights, in particular, have a critical impact on a home’s ability to conserve energy, reduce moisture intrusion, and keep utility costs low. Like the vent pipes in a roof, they are penetrations in the home’s structural envelope, only much larger and more widely distributed.

The average new house, in fact, has more than 20 windows and doors, each a potential avenue for outside air and water. In the past, windows and doors were not much better than open holes in the wall. They were designed to bring useable daylight into the home, provide views to the outside, and allow passive (or non-mechanical) ventilation in warm and humid climates. In order to keep their homes reasonably comfortable in cold seasons, our ancestors kept windows and doors to a minimum.

Fortunately, today’s windows and doors are designed to enhance a home’s energy performance. Though still relied upon for passive ventilation and views, windows and glass doors are now insulated in both their frame and glass design. High tech window construction and specially treated glass can reduce glare, unwanted solar heat gain and damaging ultraviolet radiation, which can fade rugs and upholstery. Windowsand skylights can also be designed to increase passive (free!) solar heating, reducing the amount of costly energy needed by the furnace.

Energy-conscious home owners can now choose among a variety of options in order to precisely matchwindows and doors to the seasonal climate conditions of their home’s location. To optimize the overall thermal performance of the house, windows and doors can also be selected according to which side of the house they will be installed. For example, south and west-facing windows can let in more solar energy than north and east-facing windows.

In addition to enhanced glazing options, new wood-based window and door frame materials are engineered to resist warping, thus minimizing the small gaps between the window or door and the wall that may develop over time. In better quality vinyl window and glass door frames, the hollow cavities are increasingly insulated to boost their effectiveness.

As professional builders concerned about the performance of your new home, we take care to select the best windows and doors for your new home. We also take care to find knowledgeable suppliers and trained subcontractors to ensure not only high quality products but also proper installation that will maintain the design performance values of the window and door products used.

Windows, doors, and skylights play an important role in any home’s appearance and overall performance. In a green-built home, they are critical elements in a range of integrated design and construction approaches that help reduce a home’s energy use and operating costs while increasing indoor comfort and air quality.

As you engage in the home buying process, gain a sense of how comfortable you are with each builder’s communication style during the sales process. These early communications often reflect how your builder will communicate to you during construction and after closing. In addition to imparting the sales message, builders who are effective communicators will encourage your input and provide satisfactory answers to questions you pose. Effective follow-up efforts that provide real information also help to establish a solid foundation for communication through the process.

As you reach a purchasing decision, make sure you are comfortable with how you and your builder will discuss the project and its progress. Many builders encourage periodic walk-throughs of the house at critical stages, such as during structural framing, electrical and plumbing rough-in, and once the interior walls have been drywalled. Find out about opportunities to conduct informal meetings or use other communication efforts (such as phone calls or e-mails), and ask how quickly you can expect a response from your builder when you have a concern.

You should also expect and talk through a detailed scope of work with your home builder, which outlines the construction process along a timeline or schedule. Use the scope of work as a guide that elicits questions about the construction of your new home to gain a better understanding of the process. The scope and schedule will also establish deadlines for key decisions you must make on time, such as selecting paint colors, lighting and plumbing fixtures and flooring materials.

An essential part of the owner-builder communication process is the “change order,” which is the procedure established by a builder for making changes after construction begins. Few projects are completed without some changes. You should be familiar with this process before the first dirt is moved. You should learn, too, the details of your builder’s warranty and service program.

Savvy and successful builders have a plan in place for communicating effectively with their homebuyers throughout the sales, construction, and warranty service process. Respect that process, while taking appropriate opportunities to express your needs and suggest slight changes within it to better suit your situation, preferences, and comfort level. Once you’ve settled on a communication plan, stick with it! It is a key to a ’safe and sane’ building process and providing you the home of your dreams.

Warm regards,

Dan Steurer, MBA
Sunwest Development, LLC
dan@sunwestdev.com
www.sunwestdev.com

One thing is for sure, if spring is a sure way to uplift the spirit, so are humor and good laughs!  Now, depending on when and where you will read this, you may or may not find it funny.  But let me tell you that I found it hilarious and God forbid, I almost peed in my pants! 

I wish you all a good laugh and unfortunaltly, the author of the following is unknow but I wish to thank homeimprovementsdepot.com for uplifting my spirits.  I feel much lighter!

Ten Signs That You Might Be Obsessed with Your Lawn

Last weekend I found myself standing outside in the pouring rain at 10 o’clock at night while I was trying to spread down some grass seed in hopes of taking advantage of the wet weather in a desperate attempt to give my lawn a jump start for the spring.I realized as I stood out there that maybe, just maybe, I’m going a little too far with trying to get my lawn to be green and thick this year. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to my lawn, I just want it to be green and thick and lush and nicer than all my immediate neighbors’ lawns. Is that too much to ask?

And while I don’t consider myself to be obsessed with my lawn (even though I was planting grass seed on a rainy weekend evening), I started thinking about what you might do if you were just a tad over excited about growing grass. Here, then is my list of signs that you might be obsessed with your lawn:

1. When no one is looking you try to eat off your lawn…just because you can.

2. You wish say “Good night, sleep tight!” to your lawn every evening and check it through the window each morning before you get your coffee.

3. You time your planting and fertilizing with lunar cycles, sun spot activity and astrological calendars.

4. When you mow your lawn you use a level.

5. For vacation you visit dozen different golf courses and take hundreds of photos, but you don’t play yourself because you can’t stand the idea of walking on something so beautiful.

6. You weed your lawn with a magnifying glass and tweezers.

7. Your mower blades are so sharp you’ve accidentally cut atoms in half.

8. You have 12 different cans of green paint in the garage that you use to paint the few blades of grass that aren’t completely uniform in color.

9. You can shoot the head off a dandelion with a .45 Automatic pistol from 100 yards away…and you know this from experience.

10. You’ve seriously considered knocking down your house just so you have a little more room to grow your lawn.

Wishing you all a Happy Spring and Healthy Lawn this year!

One thing is for sure, if spring is a sure way to uplift the spirit, so are humor and good laughs!  Now, depending on when and where you will read this, you may or may not find it funny.  But let me tell you that I found it hilarious and God forbid, I almost peed in my pants! 

I wish you all a good laugh and unfortunaltly, the author of the following is unknow but I wish to thank homeimprovementsdepot.com for uplifting my spirits.  I feel much lighter!

Ten Signs That You Might Be Obsessed with Your Lawn

Last weekend I found myself standing outside in the pouring rain at 10 o’clock at night while I was trying to spread down some grass seed in hopes of taking advantage of the wet weather in a desperate attempt to give my lawn a jump start for the spring.I realized as I stood out there that maybe, just maybe, I’m going a little too far with trying to get my lawn to be green and thick this year. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to my lawn, I just want it to be green and thick and lush and nicer than all my immediate neighbors’ lawns. Is that too much to ask?

And while I don’t consider myself to be obsessed with my lawn (even though I was planting grass seed on a rainy weekend evening), I started thinking about what you might do if you were just a tad over excited about growing grass. Here, then is my list of signs that you might be obsessed with your lawn:

1. When no one is looking you try to eat off your lawn…just because you can.

2. You wish say “Good night, sleep tight!” to your lawn every evening and check it through the window each morning before you get your coffee.

3. You time your planting and fertilizing with lunar cycles, sun spot activity and astrological calendars.

4. When you mow your lawn you use a level.

5. For vacation you visit dozen different golf courses and take hundreds of photos, but you don’t play yourself because you can’t stand the idea of walking on something so beautiful.

6. You weed your lawn with a magnifying glass and tweezers.

7. Your mower blades are so sharp you’ve accidentally cut atoms in half.

8. You have 12 different cans of green paint in the garage that you use to paint the few blades of grass that aren’t completely uniform in color.

9. You can shoot the head off a dandelion with a .45 Automatic pistol from 100 yards away…and you know this from experience.

10. You’ve seriously considered knocking down your house just so you have a little more room to grow your lawn.

Wishing you all a Happy Spring and Healthy Lawn this year!

While the spring season has seen an uptick in sales activity in luxury homes for our Atlanta / North Georgia niche market the negative after-effects on the home buyer's confidence from negative media coverage, tightening credit standards, and general pessimism in the residential real estate industry is sure to continue for some time. For those who have an interest in moving forward with a new home, but still maintain a "glass half empty" view of the industry, now may be the perfect time to consider a signifcant rennovation of an existing home.

For many homes that were purchased as new construction 5-10 years ago, the "new look and feel" has likely faded. As such, the opportunity to rennovate and create a custom kitchen, develop a new landscaping package and add a pool, or just incorporate luxury improvements throughout the interior and exterior of the home has tremendous appeal. Following a significant renovation, the market value will likely be significantly improved, increasing options for the home's resale potential for when the market does inevitably turn.

So for those who are looking for something new, but not quite ready to venture out to the point of a new purchase, the rennovation may be the ticket in the short term.

www.artisancustomestates.com

A recent development from the real estate swoon in North Atlanta has been an increase in the availability of quality land available for purchase - whether it be through the combination of multiple lots in an "in-progress" developments, or privately owned land that is now available for sale.  Because land in many areas of North Georgia is "generationally owned" meaning the cost basis for the owner is extremely low, there is generally less urgency for the owner to immediately sell, thus the pricing has stayed within a reasonably narrow range. 

That said, in the last several years, the quality land that has come available has almost immediately been scooped up by large scale developers.  With developers now facing an inventory overhang for their available land lots, developer purchases of raw land has slowed significantly and thus the private land that has come available on the market in the past 9-12 months has largely remained available.

Further, for developers that are in early phases of large luxury developments, there is an increasing amount of flexibility for combining land lots at discounted values.  Optimal lot combinations that would not have been available in prior years are now very much open to discussion.  Securing an optimal lot selection at a discounted cost basis in the early phases of a luxury development has historically been a tremendous investment.

While certain trends in home construction may come and go, land is certainly enduring, and demand for quality land in areas with solid long term demographic trends will almost certainly remain strong over the long term.  For those with an eye for long term investment and who prefer privacy for their primary residence or second home, now is the best market in years for private land purchases and custom home construction.

www.artisancustomestates.com

While many ask, "Have we reached the bottom in the current national decline in residential real estate pricing", the answer may very well be supported by the developing momentum in distressed asset funds that continue to draw significant investment interest.   Much of the investment in these funds is driven by European dollars - from a European investor's perspective, the US is offering a "once in a lifetime sale" with the combination of a historically low dollar, and a rare national decline in real estate values.

In the North Atlanta area, there are several funds that have been raised by some of the larger real estate developers, both from an opportunisitic play on the current market conditions, and also as a hedge against their long position in land development.  The regional funds I am aware of range from $50MM to $150MM in scale and primarily target bulk portfolio purchases from banks of foreclosed homes or large luxury home developments that were a little ahead of their time, and have now been repossessed.

On a national scale, there are many large funds being raised for similar purposes - Blackstone announced a new $11 Billion dollar fund this week per the attached link.  http://www.bloombserg.com/apps/news?pid=email_en&refer=&sid=aKkKno._qU14

This trend of distressed funds should be interesting to follow, and should continue to gather steam.  If from no other source, the supply and demand balance may ultimately be brought back into equilibrium by these opportunitic and well capitalized investment funds that underwrite a "long term hold" scenario for any distressed asset purchase they execute.

Are you ready for HDTV beginning February 17, 2009?  By law, television stations nationwide must switch from the old TV analog signals being transmitted to the new digital television on February 17, 2009. Digital television is an innovative new broadcasting technology that provides movie-quality pictures and sound, more channels, and even high definition television (HDTV) to consumers with HD television sets. The benefits of Digital Television are amazing and many households in Utah are at risk of losing television reception if they don’t take a few steps. How do I know if I will be affected by this change? Anyone that receives over-the-air television signals through antennas on television sets that are equipped with analog tuners-and who do not subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider.If you are one of the many that receive free, over-the-air broadcasting on analog sets you have three options for continued service. Purchase a DTV converter box that will convert the digital signal into analog for an existing television set; Purchase a new television set from www.rockymountainsound.com with a built-in digital tuner; orSubscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service. Learn more HDTV at www.rockymountainsound.com