LEED for Homes - What is a LEED home?

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization that developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. In 2008 the USGBC introduced LEED for Homes, a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. The LEED for Homes rating system uses eight different resource categories to measure the overall performance of a home. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has also developed a green rating system similar to LEED for Homes rating system, but it’s less restrictive and seemingly more accessible to be rated. Both are great systems to assure a properly built house, and time will tell what having two systems competing for attention will bring about.
LEED for Homes uses the following categories for awarding points:

Innovation and Design Process (ID)
The category that includes several types of innovative measures including: special design methods, unique regionally credits, measures not currently addressed in the Rating System, and/or exemplary performance levels.

Location and Linkages (LL)
The placement of homes in socially and environmentally responsible ways in relation to the larger community.

Sustainable Sites
The use of the entire property so as to minimize the project’s impact on the site.

Water Efficiency (WE)
The water conservation practices (both indoor and outdoor) built into the home.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
The improvement of energy efficiency particularly in the building envelope and heating and cooling design.

Materials and Resources (MR)
The efficient utilization of materials, selection of environmentally preferable materials, and minimization of waste during construction.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
The improvement of indoor air quality by reducing possible air pollution.

Awareness and Education (AE)
The education of homeowner, tenant, and building manager (as appropriate in larger multifamily buildings) about the operations and maintenance of the green features of their LEED Home.

Home Builders Cut Prices, Work Faster

Home builders have lost half their share of the U.S. housing market in the past two years, largely because of competition from cheap foreclosed houses. In 2009 only 7.6% of the homes sold were newly constructed, down from the average of about 16% over the previous two decades.

But home builders are fighting back, cutting prices, promising to complete homes faster, and warning about the risks of buying foreclosed property.

Their efforts may be starting to pay off. On Tuesday, D.R. Horton Inc., the second-largest U.S. builder, swung to a surprise quarterly profit, its first since the sector crashed, aided by improving business and a tax benefit. Donald R. Horton, the builder's chairman, said conditions remain challenging but he's optimistic as Horton focuses on low-priced housing for first-time buyers and controlling costs.
Builders can afford to lower their prices now in part because land is much cheaper. They're also able to squeeze their suppliers and subcontractors harder. Housing starts are running at less than a third of the 2005 level, making suppliers and subcontractors eager for orders and willing to work for less.

Builders are also trying to complete homes faster for people who can't wait the typical four to six months required for a new home. A large share of today's buyers are first-timers who want to qualify for a federal tax credit that expires April 30.

Special deals are also helping builders. Lancaster, Pa.-based Charter Homes & Neighborhoods offered 30-year mortgage rates in January that start at 2.87%, climb to 3.87% in year two, and then settle at 4.87%. In February, the starter rate increased to 2.99%, but it's still below current average mortgage rates of 5.10%. "People are definitely responding," says Rob Bowman, Charter's president.

In Las Vegas, Pardee Homes is using email blasts to tell potential home buyers about possible hazards of buying foreclosed homes. Banks are sometimes slow to respond to would-be buyers' offers, they warn, and former owners have often neglected or even trashed the houses. "Unapparent damage may include leaking water, rot, asbestos or rodent infestations," a Pardee email says.

Some buyers are also starting to suffer from "foreclosure fatigue," says Klif Andrews, Pardee's Las Vegas division president. as it gets more difficult to compete with cash-rich investors for foreclosed houses.

Still, in some cases the lure of real or imagined bargains remains strong. Jim and Penny Seawards used to buy a new home each time they moved. But in their most recent search, concluded in December, they looked only at recent-vintage foreclosed houses. "We felt we could get more house for the money," says Mr. Seawards, the sales director at a Cadillac dealer.

The couple bought a 3,600-square-foot house in Scottsdale, Ariz., for $425,000. They expect to spend $50,000 more on landscaping and other improvements, but their real estate agent, Jim Sexton of Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, figures a similar newly built house would have cost at least $625,000.

Some home owners avoid new homes for other reasons. Lew Reich, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Plano, Texas, says buyers are sticking closer to downtown Dallas and the city's established suburbs, eschewing lengthy commutes. They also worry that some home builders won't stay in business long enough to finish construction or honor their warranties.

Economists expect the foreclosure crisis to drag on for at least a few more years. So can home builders get back to their former pace of accounting for one of every six sales?

"I think we will get back there," says Bernard Markstein, an economist at the National Association of Home Builders, but, he says, it will take a few years. The NAHB forecasts that new home sales will jump 38% to 517,000 this year as the economy improves. But that would still be only about 9% of expected total home sales.

Perspective is Everything

Digital images give home buyers a vivid new perspective

Can you know what it feels like to stand in a house without actually standing in it? Can a computer-generated image of an interior that includes every detail, right down to the high-heeled shoes on the floor of a dressing room where the imaginary owner kicked them off, truly convey a sense of place?

These are not theoretical questions. As computer-generated virtual-reality images of homes become less costly to generate, many in the home-building industry expect them to play a central role in the buying experience.

If the two virtual-reality houses I saw at the International Builders Show last month in Las Vegas are any indication, the quality of the presentation will vary, and your reaction will depend on where you are in the buying process -- just beginning your search and surfing the web to learn about builders and locations, or seriously interested in a specific house and in pursuit of details about the finished product. Here's my take on two virtual presentations at the builders show: Builder magazine's "Builder Concept Home 2010: A Home for the New Economy" and the National Council for the Housing Industry's "New American Home 2010."

For the prospective buyer who's deciding which new-home communities to visit, the council's 1 1/2 -minute video provides just the right amount of information to pique interest. It shows only six of the 14 rooms in this 6,800-square-foot house, but the images are so detailed that , most viewers will think they are real. Buyers will find it easy to make the mental leap and imagine themselves walking behind the camera crew filming onsite RM Design of Bartlett, Ill., achieved such hyper-realism in part by incorporating the most minute detail of every material in the Las Vegas house (for example, the ridges on the roof tiles); a site-specific quality of light (the brilliant desert sun really does gives everything outside a washed-out look while colors in the shaded interiors are highly saturated); the climate (with little annual rainfall, most palm tree leaves in Las Vegas are covered with grit); accurate sun angles (rays of sunlight pouring through some windows become distorted as they hit different shapes of furniture); mirrored reflections on the windows as the camera takes you on a stroll around the exterior; and subtle signs that someone lives there, such as fish swimming in the large tank tucked into a niche above the living room fireplace.

By the end, I could navigate through the house with my eyes closed, but these computer-generated images did not give me a sense of what it would feel like to be in the house or how I would feel about 1,770-square-foot size. Would a king-size bed fit in the master bedroom? For the casual visitor, this virtual tour is overkill, but if I became seriously interested in buying this house, such information would be invaluable. To be fair, the site was created for home builders, not the general public.

Judged in terms of design and not the presentation, however, Builder's modest but flexible house can meet the needs of many households, and it may mark the beginning of a suburban home-building renaissance.

Designed by architect Marianne Cusato, it is a 2010 adaptation of a modest cottage-style house that was built all over the American East and Midwest from about 1860 to 1930. The traditional two-story cottage-style house has a first-floor living-dining room with a kitchen opening off one end, and three bedrooms upstairs. Cusato's version includes a second full bathroom on the second floor; a first-floor powder room; and, off the back, an "adaptable suite" with a third full bath, two walk-in closets and a separate entrance.

That suite can function as a master bedroom for parents with older kids, or as a family room, a grandparent suite or a separate apartment. If the family's finances go south, the adaptable suite could be rented as a studio apartment. (One closet has plumbing rough-ins for a kitchenette.)

A space on the second floor is also adaptable. In the basic house it is simply unfinished storage, but it could become a fifth bedroom, a sitting room for the master suite, a nursery for very young children or a home office. Finishing this space adds another 230 square feet, bringing the total for the house to 2,000 square feet.

From a marketing perspective, Cusato's design would suit a number of household types, and such broad appeal will certainly interest home builders. .

How much will Cusato's small house cost? A builder in upstate New York who is building two has said his costs are coming in at about $85 a square foot without a basement, according to Cusato. This works out to about $170,000 with a finished second-floor attic but doesn't include the land cost. This version, however, may be a plain one with limited appeal.

Home buyers who are interested may insist on upscale accessorizing. They may agree with Cusato that the era of the huge McMansions with their "lawyer foyers" and unused rooms is over and embrace the idea of smaller houses with flexible floor plans. But it's not clear that they are ready to give up granite countertops, upgraded appliances with stainless steel fronts, triple crown moldings, custom cabinetry and all the other must-haves that can quickly drive up a price.

Smaller Floor Plans Demand Creativity With Space, Design

Smaller homes are increasingly in demand by home buyers. Here’s how to designs spaces that sell.

As lifestyle choices, demographics, and economic realities shift home buyer preferences, more and more buyers are turning their backs on the McMansion and demanding small floor plans for homes. But no matter the reason, smaller does not—and cannot—mean sacrificing style, amenities, and, ironically enough, space.

“Everybody’s got to find a way to build smaller homes, because that’s where the market is and where it’s going to be for some time,” Boyce Thompson, editorial director for Builder magazine, told attendees at a workshop during the International Builders’ Show. While Thompson couldn’t rule out that McMansions may someday make a comeback, the reasons for their current passé status are hard to ignore: too much unused space, a shift to smaller families, lending constraints, baby boomers trading down instead of up, and echo boomers in need of space-efficient entry-level housing.

"Simply put, American homeowners no longer want so much “house.”

In addition, attitudes have changed. A Builder magazine survey of new-home shoppers found that two out of three fear job loss; at the same time, spending quality time with family has become more important and more homeowners are opting to stay in. “People aren’t looking to the house as an investment anymore,” Thompson said. “They’re looking at it to create the lifestyle they want to live.”

Indeed, meeting new footprint constraints shouldn’t mean sacrificing the comfort, warmth, or livability of the home (such dropping ceiling heights below 8 feet, a tactic tried by some a few years ago), explained architects William Devereaux of Devereaux and Associates in McLean, Va., and David Kosco of Newport Beach, Calif.-based Bassenian Lagoni Architects.

First and foremost is to know what your buyers truly need and what they aren’t willing to sacrifice. “Instead of a one-size-fits-all arrangement, you need to go into your market and see what works,” Devereaux said. In some of his East Coast markets, for example, buyers are more than willing to forgo formal living and dining rooms.

Here are a number of other tips for maximizing space without sacrificing design:

• Think about fewer walls and less compartmentalization: Focus on great rooms and eliminate the formal living room and dining room spaces.
• Create flex rooms that are multifunctional. These can be utilized in a variety of ways—such as a formal space or as a den—depending on styling and furniture. Kosco includes “respite” space in his designs—one room outside of the great room that allows for alone time.
• Don’t waste space for circulation.
• Don’t sacrifice warmth-inducing touches, such as built-ins and fireplaces.
• Expanses of glass and natural lighting can create the illusion of space. Think both horizontally as well as vertically. In one plan in California, for example, Kosco specified floor-to-ceiling windows, with transoms on top of traditional 6-foot-8-inch units. Multiple-panel patio doors and interior French doors also can contribute daylighting.
• Kosco also utilizes visually interesting ceiling treatments—such as a barrel vault ceiling in the kitchen or bath and wood beams in bedrooms—to broaden the visual space and create interest.
• Embrace storage opportunities. Utilize wasted space, such as under the stairs, for storage. Kosco also stretches kitchen cabinets to the ceiling, with smaller units at the top for rarely used items.
• Don’t neglect outdoor areas, from the porch to the patio. “You have to look at those spaces as a way to expand [the living area],” Devereaux said.
• Rather than a passé U-shaped kitchen, remove cabinets from one side and add a center island, which is a higher-value item in buyers’ eyes.
• Use color: White walls don’t inspire and make small spaces feel dull.
• At the entry, don’t just pour visitors into the living room, Kosco said; give them some sort of arrival.
• Think about “memory links”—those touches that stick in a shopper’s mind, such as a special detail like a window seat.
• Above all, don’t be boring or cookie cutter. The footprint of the home may be smaller, but there is always room for amenities and luxurious touches. “We have to keep some design in our housing or we’re not going to have anything to sell,” said Devereaux.

Article by Katy Tomasulo: deputy editor for EcoHome.

Home Plan Design Process

As each project has its own personality, so will the Design Process. These steps may be modified to meet the unique design goals of each of Aronson Architects clients.

Programming and Schematic Design:

• Meeting with Clients
• Determine all Requirements
• Determine What is Being Retained (pre-existing construction)
• Develop Concepts and Schemes for the Project
• Preparation of Preliminary Plans
• Review Project with Client 

Design Development:

• Finalize Space Plans
• Finalize Selections of Materials
• Finalize Lighting and Electrical Plans
• Prepare a Budget
• Present Plans, Specifications and Budgets for Approval 

Contract Documents:

• Prepare Working Drawings (after Final Approvals)
• Consult with any Professionals for Structural Specifications
• Prepare Bid Specifications

Contract Administration:

• Obtain Competitive Bids
• Review all Contracts by Subcontractors and Suppliers
• Arrange for Commencement of Work
• Schedule Work for Timely Completion for Client
• Make Periodic Visits to the Job Site
• Supervise Installations, as necessary

Space Planning, Floor Plans, Furniture Layout:

• Review of Architectural Plans
• Designing Additions and Expansions
• Create Space Plans that Flow with Work and Lifestyle
• Furniture Placement
• Room Expansions
• Office Build-Outs (Commercial)

Exterior Selections for Home and Office:

• Pavers
• Patios
• Patio Furnishings
• Windows Shutters
• Paints and Stains
• Roofs and Gutters
• Doors
• Fences
• Outdoor Lighting

Aronson Architects: For the ultimate in home and house plans.

Questions to ask Before Deciding On A Home Plan

You should know all of the following before deciding on a home plan:

1. Do the plans or blueprints include the electrical and the plumbing? - The rough plumbing should be included in the plans. It should have a detailed presentation of the pipes and where they come into the house. The electrical lightings and outlets should be included.

2. How will I customize my plans? If you want to customize your plans, you can buy a reproducible master copy printed on erasable paper. This erasable paper will allow you to make changes. You can ask your local draftsman or engineer to make changes for the plan and layout. This will also allow you to reproduce copies of the plan after the changes have been made. Customizing your plan is often necessary to make your plan perfect for your individual tastes.

3. What are the things included in the blueprints? - Of course a blueprint should be well detailed. It should include:

a. Foundation plan - a foundation plan shows how the foundations are built. This is where the thickness of the foundation walls are emphasized including the spacing, floor joint sizes, column locations, furnace, water and heater locations, plumbing, windows, doors and other miscellaneous details that are related to the basement and foundation.

b. Coversheet - a coversheet is a representation of the house when it is built. A coversheet may not be compulsory for a home plan but it would be better if it is presented. The purpose of a coversheet is to give the owner a perspective of how the home will look after it has been constructed. This may contain the front, top, rear and side view of the house. This is important so that the owner can give suggestions.

c. Floor plans- the floor plans indicate the construction and layout of each part or floor of the house. The ones naturally included are wall sizes, room dimensions, plumbing and electrical locations, doors, windows, flooring and the structural information and the special conditions related to the floor plan.

d. Elevations- this is a representation of the exterior of the house, its size, shape of the doors and windows, size of the trim, the dimensions and the height, the depth of the foundation, shingle types and moldings, replacement of materials, the pitch of the roof, and the gutters and downspouts.

4. Are the blueprints signed and approved by the architect? - This is very important to ensure that an architect has reviewed the blueprint and it has passed all the requirements of a home plan. You can also ask about the background of the architect who signed your home plan.

These questions are essential in choosing a home plan. Take the time to get the answers, this is your home after all. Visit Aronson & Associates "What's Included" page to get the full gamut of plans you will receive with your purchase.

Construction Industry Angry Over Provision In Senate Health Care Bill

Washington, D.C., USA (AHN) - Owners of small construction firms across the country are angry over a provision in the Senate health care bill that they say is unfair. At issue is a provision that treats construction businesses differently than other small businesses.

The Senate bill has a provision requiring businesses with over 50 employees to pay a fine of $750-per-worker fine for any employee who purchases subsidized health insurance on their own. However, the provision was amended to require construction businesses with more than five employees to pay the same fine.

The construction industry says that in these lean financial times the provision will result in many of them being forced out of business.

The amendment was inserted Wednesday morning in order to garner the necessary 60 votes to pass the bill.

Construction firms are crying foul over the provision that treats them differently from every other business with fewer than 50 employees.  The National Association of Homebuilders issued the following statement in reaction to the bill.

"This narrow provision is an unprecedented assault on the construction industry and unjustly targets an industry trying to keep its doors open during the worst housing downturn since the Great Depression," said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla. "If this provision were to be enacted into law, it would prove to be catastrophic for the home building industry. In short, this is a true jobs killer. Thousands of small builder firms struggling to stay afloat could go under. We strongly urge the Senate to reconsider and pull this onerous provision that threatens the viability of small home builders across the nation."

Before becoming law, the Senate health care bill still needs to be reconciled with the legislation passed by the House in November, and each chamber needs to approve the merged bill before sending it to the White House.

Tousa committee finds new targets for fraud suits

The creditors' committee for Hollywood home builder Tousa is taking aim at another group of defendants in their so-far successful lawsuits stemming from claims that a bail out and refinancing in mid-2007 of a joint venture in Transeastern Properties resulted in fraudulent transfers.

The committee already won judgment against secured lenders on claims that loans made six months before the Chapter 11 filing were fraudulent transfers. The bankruptcy judge required the lenders to post a total of $700 million in appeal bonds to stay enforcement of his October ruling that the transactions were voidable in bankruptcy.

The committee, in papers filed last week, wants authority from the bankruptcy court to sue another group of defendants to recover an additional $60 million in payments made during the Transeastern bailout.

The committee, if permitted, will sue for $50 million from Arthur and Edward Falcone, who were owners of the company that was Tousa's joint venturer in buying Transeastern in 2005. The committee says money given the Falcones and their companies in mid-2007 were fraudulent transfers.

The committee also wants the right to sue Kendall Land Development LLP, which also received payments as part of the settlement in mid-2007 regarding Transeastern.

Tousa filed for bankruptcy reorganization in January 2008. The company listed assets of $2.1 billion against debt totaling $2 billion. At the outset of the reorganization it was 67 percent-owned by Technical Olympic SA.

Exterior Remodeling Proves Best Bang for Your Buck, Realtors(R) Report

Despite a slow market and a slight decrease in the resale value of most remodeling projects, Realtors® report that the smartest home improvement investments may also be some of the least expensive. Results from the "2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report" show that small-scale exterior projects are the most profitable at resale, according to estimates by Realtors® who completed a recent survey.

On a national level, eight out of the top 10 projects in terms of costs recouped were exterior replacement projects that cost less than $14,000. Certain types of door and siding replacements, as well as wood deck additions all returned more than 80 percent of project costs upon resale. A steel entry door replacement -- a new addition to this year's list -- recouped 128.9 percent of costs, followed by upscale fiber-cement sliding replacements at 83.6 percent. Wood deck additions recouped 80.6 percent of costs.

"Once again, this year's 'Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report' highlights the importance of a home's first impression," said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz. "With exterior projects returning a high percent of project costs upon resale, Realtors® can help give your home curb appeal while adding value to the real estate transaction."

The "2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report" compares construction costs with resale values for 33 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 80 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 12th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Hanley Wood, LLC, was completed in cooperation with REALTOR® Magazine, as Realtors® provided their insight into local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets.

On a national level, the project with the biggest improvement from 2008 was the attic bedroom addition, recouping 83.1 percent of remodeling costs compared to 73.8 percent in 2008. The only other interior project that landed in the top 10 was a minor kitchen remodel with 78.3 percent costs recouped.

Other exterior projects in the top 10 include midrange vinyl and upscale foam-backed vinyl sliding replacements, which returned more than 79 percent of costs. In addition, several types of window replacements -- midrange wood, midrange vinyl, and upscale vinyl -- all returned more than 76 percent of costs upon sale.

Similar to last year's report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels and sunroom additions, returning only 48.1 percent and 50.7 percent of project costs.

Regionally, cities in the Pacific states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington once again outperformed the rest of the nation in terms of remodeling costs recouped upon resale. The West South Central region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; the East South Central region of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee; and the South Atlantic region of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia also performed relatively well.

The regions that generally returned the lowest percentage of costs were New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont), East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin), West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota), and the Middle Atlantic (New York and Pennsylvania).

Golder commented that remodeling projects are just one of many factors that contribute to a home's overall resale value. "As the first, best source for real estate information, Realtors® are experts in providing insight into what projects and investments will make a difference in your house. It's important to consult with a Realtor® who can explain the variety of factors that affect a home's value, such as location, condition of surrounding properties and the regional economic climate," she said.

Results of the report are summarized in the January issue of REALTOR® Magazine. To read the full project descriptions, access national and regional project data, and download a free PDF containing data for any of the 80 cities covered by the report, visit www.costvsvalue.com. "Cost vs. Value" is a registered trademark of Hanley Wood, LLC.

Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data, and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America's leading provider of home plans. Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $240 million company owned by JPMorgan Partners, LLC, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section. Statistical data, charts and surveys also may be found by clicking on Research.
REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. All REALTORS® are members of NAR.

Home Improvement Tips

If you're planning to remodel, you are invited to ask questions and take advantage of the resources on www.continuous-home-improvement-help.com , where guidance, information and support are always available to homeowners.

Home Building Review for 2009

2009 will go down in history as the worst year for housing production since World War II, when the nation purposely diverted resources from building homes toward the war effort. But builders may remember 2009 as much for events stemming from unprecedented government efforts to prop up housing starts and homeowner efforts to fight off the pernicious forces of unemployment and foreclosure.

Optimists among us may also remember 2009 as a year of rebirth. After hitting bottom during the winter months, and sending economists to dust off old stats in an attempt to figure out when times were last this bad, new home starts and sales steadily recovered throughout the year. From January through October, housing starts were on a steady march, increasing 31 percent, a rate that most housing economists expect to accelerate next year.

Much of the increased activity probably would not have happened without a series of government initiatives. Though officially announced in 2008, the Federal Reserve Board bought hundreds of billions of mortgage-backed securities throughout the year to keep up a flow of mortgage money. As lenders hemorrhaged red ink, the FHA and other government agencies stepped up big time to insure or write mortgages on half the new homes sold in this country, by some estimates.

Moreover, Congress replaced a largely ineffective, $7,500 loan program for home buyers with an $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers that was available through November. The tax credit worked some magic, stimulating sales throughout the country. Home building slowed, though, once time ran out to qualify for the credit. Thankfully, lawmakers extended the credit through April 2010 for signed contracts and created a new $6,500 credit for repeat buyers to boot.

Despite the government's efforts, 2009 was a year of great hardship. Unemployment rose to 10.2% as companies downsized. A record number of households lost their homes to foreclosure, despite government and bank efforts to stem the tide. And an unusual out-of-court agreement between one politician and the secondary mortgage market giants resulted in a new appraisal system that gave builders fits.

Negative economic forces accelerated the stress in the home building ranks, busting dozens of former leading players. A growing number of builders that had once completed 100 or more homes a year filed for bankruptcy, liquidated, or simply closed their doors. Bankruptcies grew even though after three years of housing recession far fewer builders were around to go under.

Given how many important events shaped home building this year, it wasn't easy. The inability to complete The New American Home 2010 due to financing difficulties, an event that drew national media attention, didn't make the list. Neither did a crisis over Chinese drywall that surfaced last spring and built monthly in intensity.

By: Boyce Thompson

Featured Home Plans by Aronson Architects

Come look at home plans that range from 1,000 sq.ft. and single story to two-story homes that exceed 5,500 sq.ft.  Your next home design is just a click away.

Model: 3063-0325

3063 sq. ft.

Model: 3722-0308

3722 sq. ft.

Model: 3869-0311

3869 sq. ft.

Model: 4020-0329

4020 sq. ft.

Model: 4073-0118

4073 sq. ft.

Model: 4224-9982

4224 sq. ft.

Model: 4241-9934

4241 sq. ft.

Model: 4375-2089

4375 sq. ft.

Model: 4628-0120

4628 sq. ft.

Model: 4713-0310

4713 sq. ft.

Model: 4762-0317

4762 sq. ft.

Model: 4779-0345

4779 sq. ft.

Model: 5030-9945

5030 sq. ft.

Model: 5030-9906

5030 sq. ft.

Model: 5176-0514

5176 sq. ft.

Model: 5204-9947

5204 sq. ft.

Model: 5315-0352

5315 sq. ft.

Model: 5412-2140

5412 sq. ft.

Model: 5445-0235

5445 sq. ft.

Model: 5480-0269

5480 sq. ft.

Most Desirable House Plan Features

Most Desirable House Plan Features

Your house is more than a place to call home. It is an investment in your family's future. Liken it to investing in the stock market. A bad decision in the stock market can cost you tons of money if you chose the wrong stock to invest in. The same is true if you chose the wrong house floor plan. It may look appealing in its presentation but, will it attract buyers once it is built? If the floor plan design includes the things most desired by a buying population, then the answer is absolutely!

House floor plans lay the foundation for a value packed home by including trends of today and being adaptable for future needs. When chosing from the thousands of plans out on the web or working with a designer on your custom home, include features in your floor plans that are not so unique to your style. Rather, consider the needs of potential future home buyers in your decision to ensure a healthy investment in your homes financial future.

Below are the features most desired by home buyers. Most house plans may not have all these features; however, the more you have included the better.

1. Spacious kitchen with plenty of storage - Women especially hone in on this area of the home. The floor plan should indicate plenty of counter space to work on. Cabinets are also very important for use in storage. The kitchen Space planning should allow two cooks to work together without feeling conjested. Pantry's are also a must.

2. Keeping rooms - This space is desired in larger homes with the available square footage. This room is more of a mid size family room adjoining the kitchen and breakfast rooms. For homes with 2 two story grand rooms and large family rooms, the keeping room provides a cozy spot for the family's day to day activities.

3. Master bedroom with a sitting area - Perhaps the one space the shares the top spot with the kitchen. The master bedroom should have enough space to accommodate a queen or king size bed with room to spare. The sitting area is a bonus within the master retreat allowing a space for at minimum a couple of chairs and an end table. A more elaborant sitting room has a fireplace with shelving and place for a television.

4. Master bath - Must have separate vanity's, tub, and shower, design to be open and bright with plenty of natural light. If the budget allows, a his and hers bath is an excellent upgrade. It should provide dual vanities, dual water closets, a shower for him with access for her and a tub for her.

5. His and hers closet - The bigger the better, especially for the woman of the house! While a single enormous closet is a nice feature, seperate closets are much more desirable. In addition, upgrading the closets with a closet organizing system is truely a good investment.

6. Bedroom on the main floor (applicable in 2 story home designs) - If the master is on the main floor, this is fine. A guest bed in addition to the master on the main is even better. However, if all bedrooms are on the second floor, adding a guest bed on the main floor is a wise choice. It can serve multiple needs in addition to lodging for overnight guest. Other uses could be a library or home office.

7. Mudroom - One of the most requested features. Provides the homeowner a place to use as a buffer between the outdoors and the homes interior. The mudroom serves as a docking area to drop off keys, jackets & coats, dirty shoes, umbrellas, and other nic-nak items without dragging these things into the main part of the home.

8. Bonus room - If the floor plan design allows for this, by all means, include this space. Bonus rooms are the wildcard's, giving homeowners the ability to personalize this room to their liking, starting from a clean slate.

9. Covered entrance - More and more homeowners are trending towards some sort of covered porch or covered stoop to provide shelter from weather conditions at the homes main entrance. Most come to this conclusion after living in a home that lacked this featured.

10. Storage - Need I say more! You can never have enough.
Combining the above design features in addition to the normal plan features (i.e. bedrooms, living, dining, family or keeping room), will afford you the best return on your house floor plan selection when its time to cash in on your nest egg!

Florida Style House Plans

A Florida style house plan embraces the elements of many styles that allow comfort during the heat of the day.

This one story Florida-style, Mediterranean home, from Aronson & Associates is designed with three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and a two-car garage. There is a huge kitchen and café opening to a family room. The luxurious master suite has a walk-in closet and regal master bath, which opens to a patio. Unique glass block around the spa tub brightens the interior of the master bathroom.

Checkout other home plans from Aronson & Associates.

House Plans from Aronson Architects

House plans are where the dreams begin! If you are looking at only a small selection of house plans that are available then you may never find the right house for you. Aronson Architects design and give you the selection of house plans that you crave.

Do you love looking at house plans? Some of us love to flick through magazines, dreaming about what it would be like to some day live in 'that' house.

The Internet has been a fabulous way for future homeowners to browse the sea of house plans that are available to them with simple the click of a mouse. Looking for your next dream house has never been easier!

If you do, then the Aronson Architects site is for you! Hundreds of home plans to choose from.

.... so what are you waiting for?

Top 10 Luxury Homes Topping the Market

Here are the top 10 priciest properties for sale in the U.S.

1. Hala Ranch Aspen, Colo., $135 million: Owned by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, this 95-acre estate boasts a 56,000-square-foot, 15-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion.

2. Fleur de Lys, Beverly Hills, Calif., $125 million: Suzanne Saperstein's 45,000-square-foot home is modeled after Louis XIV's palace at Versailles.

3. Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach, Fla., $125 million: In 2004 Donald Trump bought this property at a bankruptcy auction for $41.25 million. The refurbished version comes complete with a ballroom, conservatory, 100-foot-long ballroom, and 475 feet of ocean-front.

4. Tranquility, Lake Tahoe, Nev., $100 million: On the tax-free Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, this 210-acre property is owned by Joel Horowitz, co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger. The 20,000-square-foot main house is modeled after a northern European mountain home and has a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.

5. Three Ponds, Bridgehampton, N.Y., $75 million: This home on 60 acres features its own USGA-rated Rees Jones golf course. Surrounding the main house are 14 gardens, a 75-foot-long swimming pool, golf pro shop, grass tennis court, and a guest house.

6. The Portabello Estate, Corona del Mar, Calif., $75 million: Built in 2002, this home has eight bedrooms and 10 full baths in nearly 30,000 square feet of ultra-modern space on a triple ocean-front lot along the Pacific Ocean.

7. Malibu, Calif., $75 million: A beach home located on a flat seven-acre lot with two riding stables, a riding ring, swimming pool, tennis court, and private access to the beach.

8. The Pierre Penthouse, New York City, $70 million: This penthouse occupies the top three floors of one of the most posh hotels in New York, located on the edge of Central Park. The balconies and windows have 360-degree views of Manhattan, Central Park, the East River, and the Hudson River.

9. Belvedere, Calif., $65 million: This six-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot home offers breathtaking views of San Francisco, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the bay.

10. San Francisco, $65 million: This limestone mansion’s neighbors on billionaires’ row are the Getty family.

Source: Forbes.com, Matt Woolsey

Spanish style manor offers an enormous amount of living space

This Spanish style manor house plan offers an enormous amount of living space. Luxurious inside and out. Bonus room provides a cozy retreat to entertain special guests. Paneled double front doors with transom accent the covered entrance. Chef's dream Kitchen with eating bar and Cafe opens to the Family room. Luxurious Master Suite with enormous Walk-In-Closets with regal bath. Three car Garage with spacious work space. Four full bathrooms, two powder rooms and a Cabana. Three Bedrooms, Office and a library. Three Story.

Top 10 Best-Selling Consumer House Plans

These top-selling house plans speak volumes to current home buyer dreams.
By: Boyce Thompson

Builders know from sales history which of their homes buyers prefer. They can access databases to find out which of their competitors’ homes buyers prefer. But that kind of analysis only reveals what buyers may choose from what’s available.

When consumers buy house plans, like Hanley Wood’s 10 best sellers shown on the following pages, they act out a dream. They betray a longing for timeless elevations, informal living, and luxurious master suites. They dream strongly enough that they pay money to buy the plan.

Builder’s parent company, Hanley Wood, is the largest purveyor of house plans in the United States. Each year we examine their best-selling home plans to identify consumer trends. Interestingly, this year’s most popular plans, which average 3075 square feet, are a little larger than the average house plan, 2584 square feet, bought by consumers last year.

These top sellers read much bigger than they actually are. Nearly all of them feature porches, often multiple porches, typically with large windows that provide expansive views out the back of the house. These porches often read like rooms, with fireplaces, garden tubs, and more.

These top sellers are also long on first-floor, bedroom suites with sitting areas, a feature that builders may find expensive to provide in land-constrained markets.  An aging population looking to avoid stairs partly explains this preference as well, along with the fact that many house plans are built in Sunbelt states.  Morning kitchens and large master bathrooms were also recurring features.

10. Luxury Living on a Single Level

With its stately stone exteriors, this buttoned-down, one-story country manor would look at home in nearly any market, which may account for its popularity. An impressive, though not oversized, timber-framed entrance makes a strong first impression. It leads into a gallery flanked by a formal dining room and a great room with a window wall overlooking the rear patio. A huge master bedroom includes a sitting area and a walk-in closet that’s as large as the master bathroom. The gallery leads to a three-bedroom wing. The plan features an attached two-car garage, and a detached garage and workshop accessed through a covered breezeway.

9. Graceful Details

Here’s a classic design from Frank Betz Associates, a firm that understands the needs of production builders as well as dream home buyers. The plan packs a lot of features into 2246 square feet, including four potential bedrooms, an oversized master suite, and an optional bonus room on the second floor over the garage. The home’s otherwise geometric building footprint is punctuated by a bayed turret that houses a sunny master suite with tray ceilings and a canted bay sitting area. The plan features a vaulted great room that spills into a large, light-filled kitchen area with nook. As with many Betz plans, interior walls are kept to a minimum.


8. European Charm, American Functionality

The biggest among the top 10 best-sellers, this home would be right at home in an upscale subdivision of new California homes. A series of distinctive stone archways lead first to a garden courtyard then to the front door, with views through the back of the home. A big portion of the four-bedroom plan is devoted to family living space in the back—with a family room, kitchen, and breakfast room that function as one big space. It would be great for parties as well. If the home draws inspiration from European styles, it includes the latest American accoutrements as well--a game room, a planning center, a chef’s kitchen, and an oversized utility room.

7. Farmhouse for the Ages

There’s a timeless appeal to this 2090-square-foot farmhouse, with a porch that wraps all the way around the house. The garage almost looks like an attached barn. The classic rural elevation gives way to a modern floor plan, with a kitchen that flows into to a great room, and a large master bedroom wing complete with sitting area. A sun terrace and spa are located off the master bedroom. The formal dining room in this relatively open plan is defined by a low wall and by graceful archways set off by decorative columns. The kitchen includes a central island counter and a snack bar; it adjoins a laundry area.

6. The Eastern Shore Cottage

Who doesn’t dream of vacations enjoyed by the beach in a home like this one from legendary house plan designer William E. Poole? The Eastern Shore experience in this classic three-bedroom cottage home begins with a large screened front porch that leads to a foyer, with views through a vaulted great room to the backyard beyond. A more traditional, enclosed kitchen connects to a breakfast area that in turn opens to a great room. The plan keeps a formal dining room. The second floor features a recreation room with an additional bedroom and lots of storage space under the eaves.

5. Old World Charmer

The epicenter of this European one-story home is an imposing great room with a central fireplace on a raised stone hearth. It is flanked by a U-shaped island kitchen and a breakfast nook. The home’s old world charm extends into the master suite, which features a sitting area, built-in bookshelves, a whirlpool tub, a separate shower, a dual-sink vanity, a compartmented toilet, and a walk-in closet. Two additional family bedrooms share a full bath. A three-car garage completes the plan.

4. The Outdoor Connection

This plan accentuates connections between indoor and outdoor living. The master bedroom has private access to a small rear porch. A study connects via French doors to the front porch. Living and keeping rooms in the back of the plan both spill out to a screened rear porch. There’s even a private rear porch off the breakfast nook. The plan is ideal for a family that wants spaces to congregate and for privacy. Inside, the kitchen—equipped with plenty of counter space and storage—flows into a charming hearth-warmed keeping room with French doors.  Three upstairs bedrooms have their own baths; two enjoy walk-in closets.

3. Loads of Luxury

This stately, 4376-square-foot plan features a two-story foyer, a columned dining room, and a personal library complete with built-in desks. The main-level master suite is the real showstopper: it includes an L-shaped walk-in closet, a garden tub, a sitting area, and a morning kitchen. Three family bedrooms upstairs each have a full bath and ample closet space. In addition to the bedrooms, the option of a game room/billiards room provides plenty of space for casual entertainment. A three-car garage completes this plan.

2. Big Value Proposition

This classic one-story, great-room plan from Don Gardner packs a ton of living space into a mere 2097 square feet. A Craftsman elevation with stone and wood siding provides rustic curb appeal. The home features an impressive view from the front door, through a vaulted great room, to a screened porch in the rear. Cathedral ceilings grace the great room, breakfast room, and study. Interior columns announce the great room, with a fireplace and surrounding built-ins. Two bedrooms share a full bath. The master bedroom includes two, full walk-in closets. The plan includes a breakfast nook, a study that could also serve as a fourth bedroom, and a formal dining room.

1. Outdoor Living to the Max

With numerous sprawling porches, an outdoor fireplace, and a breezeway, this 3126-square-foot, one-story home is all about outdoor living. The open floor plan with wrapping porches provides many opportunities to enjoy calming views. Off the back of the house, a large covered porch with an outdoor fireplace provides a comfortable way to enjoy the outdoors. An open and airy kitchen leads onto a screened porch. Picture windows, a light-infused breakfast nook, and a vaulted lodge room continue the pastoral theme throughout the interior. The house features a vaulted foyer and dramatic dining room, which leads into the lodge room, complete with a stone fireplace and a vaulted ceiling.

From: BUILDER 2009

Florida Builders Generate Sales With Perfect Balance of Price and Product

Stock Development has found surprisingly safe “passage” through Fort Myers, Fla., which during the recession has held the dubious distinction of being one of the worst housing markets in the United States.

Stock, a developer and builder based in Naples, Fla., through early April had sold 259 of its 279 flats, townhouses, casitas, and single-family homes in the first phase of Paseo (which means “passage” in Spanish), its stylish neighborhood located in South Fort Myers. Since the beginning of this year more than 2,000 prospects have visited Paseo, and in the past 15 months alone Stock has sold more than 140 units there, according to Tim Clark, the community’s vice president of sales.

Claudine Leger-Wetzel, Stock’s vice president of sales and marketing, attributes Paseo’s success to her company’s philosophy “to continuously market and brand itself and its products.” At a time when other builders were tripping over each other to get out of Fort Myers, Stock Development was offering “a very lifestyle-oriented” community with all of its amenities delivered, including a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, pool, and restaurants.

Wetzel says Paseo, whose first phase features 18 model homes, has been drawing between 125 and 150 registered prospects per week. Stock stoked interest in this community by hosting a Parade of Homes there, as well as monthly music festivals (which it does at its two other communities as well.) Paseo also offers breathtaking vistas of nearly lakes and the Six Mile Cypress Slough.

But Paseo’s main attraction, Wetzel freely admits, is the community’s “aggressive” pricing: Prices for flats and townhomes, which range from 1,227 square feet to 2,084 square feet, start at $169,000. The neighborhood offers two-story and courtyard-style single family homes as large as 3,000 square feet. One such house—its Montessa model, at 2,293 square feet with three bathrooms—fetched $444,990 in a recent sale.

“We’re not making a ton of margin at Paseo, but we are selling product,” says Wetzel. Stock has released several models for Phase II of Paseo, where it plans to build 172 units.

Further evidence that Florida’s housing market is coming out of its coma are found at Neal Communities, a Lakewood Ranch, Fla.-based developer and builder that, through the first three months of this year, sold 109 homes, its best quarter in three years, confirms Leisa Weintraub, its vice president of marketing.

“We’ve definitely seen an uptick,” Weintraub tells BUILDER, which she attributes to several factors. First and foremost, “the prices are right.” Its 182-unit River Sound, a gated community with lots of amenities in Bradenton, Fla., that Neal opened on February 21, has made hay with a series of detached two- and three-bedroom cottages—ranging from 947 square feet to 1,648 square feet, alley loaded, and 20-feet wide on 27-foot-wide lots—that start at $109,600. “That [price] brought a lot of people in the door,” says Weintraub, a good number of whom were first-time buyers who didn’t have to worry about selling their existing houses.

At River Sound, Neal has a lender on site to prequalify borrowers. “We’re seeing a lot of people who are willing to buy to-be-builts as opposed to specs, which we see as a positive sign,” says Weintraub.

Neal Communities promoted River Sound with the tagline: “Everyone’s talking about change. We’re doing it.” It also did a lot of public relations, including a press conference that local dignitaries attended and three TV stations covered. The company reached out to local realtors, who are a focus of Neal’s marketing strategy. (Weintraub says that nearly half of the company’s sales this year have been through real estate agents, which is actually low by historical measures because there have been so many walk-ins at River Sound.)

Both Stock and Neal are optimistic about their future growth, based on the activity they’re seeing at other communities.

Through mid April Stock has sold more houses at Vivante, its waterfront community in Punta Gordo, Fla., than it did in that community all of last year. The listed prices for homes there range from $149,900 to $400,000, and have been “heavily discounted,” says Weintraub, who notes that the vast majority of buyers are paying in cash. Stock’s largest community—the 3,000-acre Lely Resort in Naples—sold 50 homes in March alone, at prices ranging from $180,000 to $1 million.

Neal is currently selling from 10 communities that include country-club and golf-course neighborhoods. It is currently building an 800-unit community, to be called Central Park, which Weintraub says should be ready for sale in early 2011.

John Caulfield is senior editor at BUILDER magazine.

Valrico Builder Chuck Fowke to Become Florida Home Builders Association President

TALLAHASSEE – Valrico home builder John “Chuck” Fowke is slated to become the President of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) this Friday, October 30 during a ceremony at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg. Fowke, who will assume the role from Punta Gorda builder Jay Carlson, will serve as President of FHBA’s 10,000-plus members for a one-year term.

Joining Fowke in leading FHBA members will be Tampa-area land use attorney Judy James. James will serve as FHBA’s Second Vice President – the highest ranking leadership position for an associate member.

FHBA is a Tallahassee-based trade association involved in Florida’s home building, commercial construction and remodeling industry. Known as the voice of Florida’s housing industry, FHBA has 27 local home builders associations throughout Florida, including the Tampa Bay Builders Association where both Fowke and James are members.

Fowke, the founder of Homes by John C. Fowke, is a leading Suncoast luxury home builder. He launched his career in the Tampa area in 1974 – more than 30 years ago – after a stint as a professional baseball player with the Texas Rangers.

James, a graduate of the University of Florida Law School, began her law firm in 1983. She is a longtime advocate for sensible growth, and is widely respected for her land use and permitting expertise.

Fowke and James will be installed as President and Second Vice President on Friday during a banquet being held in conjunction with FHBA’s Fall Leadership Conference.

About FHBA: The Florida Home Builders Association is a Tallahassee, Florida-based trade association representing more than 10,000 corporate members involved in Florida’s home building, remodeling and commercial construction industry. Known as “the voice of Florida’s housing industry,” FHBA is affiliated with 27 local home builders associations throughout Florida. Its subsidiaries include Florida Home Builders Insurance, Inc., which provides risk management and insurance services to members. FHBA was founded in 1949 as the state affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders. Visit us on the web at www.fhba.com.