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Showing posts from 2009

It's EASY Going Green!

Earlier this year Congress extended solar and alternative energy tax credits to take a bite out of the bill of upgrading your home energy systems. In addition, the EEM or Energy Efficient Mortgage is the new rage among borrowers needing up to 5% of your home's value to make energy efficient improvements..* Since when is energy from the sun considered 'alternative'? Isn't the sun our main method of heating the earth? Even primitive adobe housebuilders and cave dwellers knew which way to face their walls for maximum solar gain. The new 'alternative energy' credits mean that our federal government is providing a $2,000 credit paid to the builder on new homes whose space heating and cooling energy consumption is 50% below the annual consumption a standard home. Ask your accountant to research your rebates! Heck one guy I know has an entirely 'alternative' net zero home and it's not the first one he has built so these are not new ideas folks. They

PERFECT Time to Build Your Home!

What, are we crazy to suggest such a thing? Nope. Actually, like a good market contrarian , we can list a few very solid business reasons to build NOW. 1. Architects and Home Designers are either totally slammed working on major renovations for their top clients who may have decided to stay put or age in place... or extremely grateful for a nice plum ground up custom design to work on. 2. Builders are largely under-employed right now, so you will enjoy a choice of builders who are more willing negotiate your price and expect fantastic service. 3. Borrowers with high credit scores (720 or better) and sufficient assets to back up their project will have banks falling all over themselves to assist a custom project. 4. Builders can forget funding their own spec or custom homes (unless their client is taking on the financial risk) so you, Mr or Ms. Borrower will have all kinds of respect and control of your custom project coming your way. 5. Land values have plummeted due to the lack