Parade of Homes Finished

Sweeping up the garage or power washing the driveway as the parade viewers march up the drive, it really is seamless. It hard to call a finish point as the viewing and hosting begins really before you are ready. I really get charged up to meet new people and relax and see what they tell us we have done rights and yes what they would do different.

I am always amazed that the news and people say that housing is having a bad time and economy, not here. There is so much pent up demand to build that new home and yet always a hesitation due to the negative talk on TV. Well being the political season you find one thing in common with housing and politics, its all Local! and so the saying in Real Estate really is true its, " Location, Location, Location. Even down to one neighborhood vs another only a block away!!!
Some people are thinking that since gasoline is so high I'll just entertain at Home and might just as well have a nice new home. In any case we have a very robust market that is only showing signs of getting stronger. To have 160 viewer on a Friday night is just unheard of and many more on the weekend. All of them seem to be looking for something a kitchen remodel a new counter top landscaping or that special custom home.
One comment i have heard from experts is doing the upgrades that you house needs and enjoying it now until a higher selling price can be obtained.
Of course kitchens are one of the highest paybacks but you may not believe it but quality landscaping is almost double the average investment. We like that idea since we handle Crestwood Cabinets and do a great deal of landscaping,

• Rain Gardens
• Retaining walls
• Berms and rock garden type
  
• High quality kitchen renovations

Maybe you are considering such a project and would like to see if it will enhance your selling price in the future or even today, thru our real estate marketing we can tell you what your home should sell for with the improvement vs its current value.

Pick two or more services and you may qualify for a significant discount.
Well one last day of the Parade and i know it is already a great success and we hope you had a chance to view the homes made available thru the Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders.

Their web site is www.CedarValleyHomebuilders.com

Thanks

Craig Fairbanks
404-0412

Heading down the stretch

As we push hard to get our parade home done for the 20th its always a stressful time. But there is always a point when you can see the end and know it is all going to work. No one else sees it only the contractor, I've been here many times and can see that everyone is doing there job to the best ability possible. Frustrating yes satisfying much more. It takes many pieces of a puzzle to make it all work, hours have been spent just designing making selections and

then like magic the landscaping gets completed and the carpet and floor coverings go in and then you know, ya thats what I was looking for. Those landscapers and carpet layers get all the credit, and yet as a customer you know that it was by your direction that it happened. Your dream caused everyone to meet step up and make your dream happen.
Then when a customer allows you to show off their home in the parade of homes, now that is special. Many people think that it is the builder who gets to show off and yet without that quality customer your effort and work would never have a chance to get noticed.

Our parade of homes model opens at 301 Spruce Hills in Cedar Falls

next Wednesday the 20th of August. We will look forward to seeing you there. With that I would like to express my appreciation to all of the customers who for the last 12 years have made a parade home possible to exhibit what is possible in custom home building thru a common effort. It is hard yet satisfying at the same time for all builders who participate.

It seems like such a short time ago that the parade started and building in the Cedar Valley was very slow. The Parade of Homes seemed to propel the housing boom some 12 years ago that we saw here until last year. Now we are seeing the interest picking up tremendously as the predicted total collapse of the home market never materialize here in the Valley.

Many of the new building has been for the Boomer generation looking to build that final home. When almost 60% of head of households in the area are over 45 it just makes sense why that is happening. Maybe this type of home is just what you have been looking for.


Hope to see you there this next week thru the 24th.

Craig the Builder
Build Buy or Sell Homes.com

Got Energy!!????

Previous Post July 2008

My daughter Laura and husband Peter just had their 2nd child in the Netherlands. Baby is healthy and all are doing well. Every time I think of my daughter living there it brings to mind how great it is to live in the good old USA. They have to constantly be aware of even the most insignificant use of energy. What is costs them to drive anywhere, heat and cool their home and would have most of us on our back begging for the good old days of the energy costs we are dealing with today.

This is a great lesson on how not to deal with energy other than conservation. Most of their energy in controlled by Russia for their natural gas heating. They are powerless to make any change at all unless it is to accept what prices are dictated to them. They had no energy plan until it was already to late and it became a finite source. Are we here in the US headed to that sub standard of living or will we finally stop playing political games and do what needs to be done to make us self sufficient.

There are many debates out there and none of them are totally right or totally wrong about energy solutions. All of the ideas that are being kicked around should be considered and used to get us out of the mess that we have created for ourselves. The only debate worth having is how to take the politics out of the equation. All I see so far are silly statements on both sides that if you asked them to prove what they are saying, none could do it. You seem to be able to say anything you want with no science data to back it up.

Most of our home building customers are educated enough to realize this is a fact and that they are going to start today to incorporate as many energy saving systems, methods and better construction principals into their homes to reduce their consumption. They have all realized that the payback for better insulation products, geothermal and ICF( Insulated Concrete Forms) is going to continue to shorten the payback period for the extra costs that are incurred.
Last year we completed a ICF home that was built as a duplex and uses geothermal heating and cooling and am told that their heating and cooling bills average $40.00 per month.
This year our parade home is geothermal with a closed cell foam used in the exterior walls and a soft foam used in the attic. You can already tell in the humid summer that it is cooler inside with out even have the systems up yet. I am anxious to see the energy bills on this one. It incorporates other methods that are less expensive than the ICF homes.

The location of this home is in Cedar Falls at 301 Spruce Hills Dr. It is one of our Craftsman Bungalow style Villa Homes. The parade states August 20th and continues thru the weekend. We hope to see you there to appreciate the amenities these homes have to offer.

Craig Fairbanks
Owner
Build Buy or Sell Homes

Parade of Homes push ( Final Green Touches)

This time of year is just a blur with the Homebuilders parade of homes coming starting next Wednesday the 20th. Our biggest push right now is installing 3 rain gardens and the burms required to make them work properly.

For the last 2 days we have been stripping out the clay and installing new top soil and compost to make the yard absorb the rain water that comes off the home roof and from slope run off. The object is to get the water back into the ground water and filter it as quickly as possible to keep it form being contaminated. Our last step is to install the materials into the rain garden that will facilitate this process when the big rains come. Its sort of a holding area when bigger rains come. Its a lot of work but virtually eliminates standing water problems or running water on your neighbor that is always an argument point between neighbors.

The cost to install them is not terribly expensive but is labor intensive. You are able to control the rain run off from the roof right away and get it directed to the best location to avoid things like having it sit close to the foundation where it has a chance to seep into the basement at unprotected waterproofed areas.

One thought that I had was:

"why are these not being installed in existing homes where water is a problem!!!"

its a much easier fix this way than trying to regrade the yard every year to solve a water problem that may not go away.
Sometimes the best solution is not fight the problem but accept it and use the issue to make something that looks great and good landscaping will add instant value to your home. Most landscaping projects will add double the value of cost to the value of your home. Most interior home improvement efforts may make your home sell faster but are at best a break even.

Think about green first when investing in your home!!! GREEN SELLS EVERY TIME!!!!


Craig Fairbanks
Owner

Build Buy or Sell Homes