Household Features Buyers Want

Posted on by

The National Association of Home Builders recently polled over 400 developers and real estate agents to find out what buyers want—and don’t want—in their new home. Green tech and energy efficiency are tops on the list, with ample organization, storage, and utility space following close behind. Here’s a rundown of the most desirable household features for new homes and renovations. These features are key to increasing a seller’s return-on-investment.

55% of home buyers seek a newly built home in a fresh subdivision, or a custom home built on their own land, and 45% prefer a pre-owned home. Buyers expect a median of 2,226 square feet and a home price of $203,900.

While the lot size is only important to 25% of buyers, over 65% are seeking a house with “living space and number of rooms that meet their needs,” which most often includes 3-4 bedrooms and at least 2 bathrooms.

In evaluating a potential home’s features, most buyers focus on quality and appearance when looking at cabinets, doors, floors, and countertops, but when it comes to appliances, they focus on both quality and brand-name.

There are 11 features ranked as “most wanted” 85%+ of home buyers. Energy-Star appliances and windows coupled with a high LEED or Energy-Star rating for the whole home ranked are strong features on the list.

Utility and storage are also big on the list with the laundry room, bathroom linen closet, garage storage, and walk-in kitchen pantry listed as particularly desired.

Certain household fixtures are particularly important to home buyers, who want exterior lighting, ceiling fans, and exhaust fans in the bathrooms.

Home buyers want table space for eating in the kitchen, which leaves the formal dining area free to be used as an office or home theater.

With all the talk about what homebuyers are looking for, it’s also good to know what they absolutely do not want. Unsurprisingly, 70% of home buyers do not want an elevator in their home. 66% do not want to live in a golf course community, and 56% do not want to live in a high density community. 51% of home buyers do not want a master bath featuring only a shower stall, however magnificent that stall may be.

Multifamily Construction Projects Continue to Dominate

Posted on by

The National Multifamily Housing Council’s quarterly survey reveals that apartment markets continue to climb. The breakeven level of the NMHC’s Survey of Apartment Market Conditions is 50; the market tightness index rose from 56 to 68 from the first quarter of 2014. While this improvement is partially seasonal, “the index is higher than the average for the July quarter since the survey began 15 years ago.” There are four major reasons why multifamily housing has picked up in recent years.

1. Attitudes towards home ownership have changed Between lower levels of financial stability, the desire to live near active urban centers, and seeing people lose their homes (and all their equity) to foreclosure at alarming rates, many potential buyers have been put off of home ownership since the Great Recession.

2. Student loan debt is delaying home ownership With pay rates and career opportunities failing to outpace student loan debt payments, Millennials are choosing to continue renting rather than buy a new home.

3. Baby boomers are downsizing Aging boomers have found that the expense and effort to maintain their large suburban homes is both financially and energetically exhausting. Instead, empty-nesters are choosing to relocate to senior-centered multifamily residences near city centers which are convenient to activities, shopping, and medical facilities.

4. Lot shortages Because the housing bust of 2008-2012 flatlined real estate development, there are fewer development-ready properties in the development pipeline. As a result, developers are looking to acquire urban lots that are already zoned and on the utility grid that can be turned into multi-family high-rises, rather than trying to buy lots that can be built out into a subdivision.

The fact is,  multifamily construction serves both ends of the economic spectrum. Between cash-flush boomers and retirees looking for luxurious but smaller quarters and financially strapped Millennials unwillingness to tackle home ownership, the demand for multifamily living will remain high for the foreseeable future. This is especially true of cities that are taking steps to revitalize their urban centers. The demand for multifamily housing is rising despite a looming inventory shortage and rather than struggle to acquire and develop new housing communities, many developers will be pouring their capital into remodeling, renovating, or replacing urban multifamily residences.

Austin Construction Market Picks Up Steam

Posted on by

As HBW subscribers have no doubt already noticed, builders in the Austin metro area have been very busy of late. Multifamily high-rises in downtown Austin join luxury housing communities in nearby Katy in making Austin the fastest-moving and most competitive housing market in the country. Properties in the Austin area are on the market for an average of 10 days, and the average price has increased 14% over last year to reach to $266,000. Building trades professionals seeking residential construction job leads would do well to look towards Texas’ capitol city.

StreetLights Residential’s luxury high-rise, The Catherine, is in the process of being completed now and will begin leasing later in the Fall of 2014. The Catherine will feature a resort-style pool with sky lounge, a deluxe fitness center, Wi-Fi in common areas, and “hound grounds” dog parks with pet washing stations. geared toward young professionals looking to live in Austin’s urban core, The Catherine offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom floorplans with USB outlets, steel fixtures, granite countertops and hardwood floors.

Two new residential developments are coming to Katy, just north of I-10. Meritage Homes’ Westlake and the Reserve by Toll Brothers are offering luxury homes and pre-construction sales. Focused on eco-conscious luxury living, the 112-lot Westlake will showcase energy-efficient design, materials, and appliances as well as low-flow fixtures in its 3800-4500 sq. ft. multi-level homes, with prices starting in $370,000 range. The Reserve’s 298-site community will feature 3,000-5,000+ sq. ft. luxury homes starting in the $400,000’s. From the signature stone-and-brick patterned masonry exteriors to the multi-car garages and the chef’s kitchens, sweeping staircases and multiple interior balconies, the Reserve emphasizes refined elegance and classic design. Both communities feature resort-style pools, community centers, and walking trails.

A number of commercial projects are also in the works for downtown Austin. Several multi-family projects are being built, such as the Bowie, Capital Studios, and 211 Lamar. Several high-end hotels, office buildings, the Mexic-Arte Museum, the New Central Library, and Travis County’s new Courthouse and DA office building are also in the planning and early construction phases.

Travis County building trades professionals seeking residential and commercial construction job leads should check out the Toll Brothers and Meritage projects listed in HBW’s Austin building activity reports. Building professionals who are proactive and informed can count on HBW’s newsletter to deliver the latest in building trends, construction technology innovation, and regulatory activity. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Bio-bricks: Cheaper, Greener, Building Material

Posted on by

LEED certification is a credential avidly sought by many businesses and homeowners, for both the bragging rights and the tax incentives LEED brings. Rising energy costs, awareness of the huge carbon footprint generated by traditional building methods, and the desire to spur local economies through sourcing materials locally has converged to drive the search for greener building materials. One new material is the so-called bio-brick.

Bricks are long-lasting, durable, and relatively inexpensive building materials. But due to the immense carbon footprint generated by the firing process, bricks aren’t necessarily the most ecologically sustainable building material. This drawback has led many materials scientists to start developing heat-free brick building methods.

University of Edinburgh design student Peter Trimble developed “Dupe,” a living, sustainable alternative to concrete. Dupe is made primarily from Sporosarcina pasteurii, sand, and urea. It requires 1/6 the amount of energy that is used to make traditional bricks. It has 70% the compression of concrete and it may be molded in-situ, which makes it ideal for use in developing countries. The process cam be employed by anyone with access to sand, bacteria, water, and urea can build with Dupe, and Trimble is currently working with NGO’s to use Dupe in Morocco.

Ginger Krieg Dosier, CEO of the North Carolina-based bioMASON, has developed a similar product. Inspired by the way coral reefs and shellfish build their shells, Dosier started developing her recipe, which also uses Sporosarcina pasteurii, sand, and urea, over several years of experimentation in her spare bedroom in Raleigh. After a stint teaching design in the United Arab Emirates, Dosier and her husband returned to the US with a perfected recipe, ready to seek capital. In 2012, BioMason was founded to produce bacteria-based bricks for sale to the residential homebuilding market.

Oklahoma City’s Southwest Showcase of Homes Kicks Off

Posted on by

From now until August 3, the Southwest Home Builders Association and the Moore Home Builders Association will be be showing in the I-240 corridor area. Tours run from 1pm to 7pm and are free and open to the public. The showcase is somewhat smaller than in previous years because home sales have been brisk. Event chair Aaron Tatum relates that “Builders just don’t have as much inventory as in years past.” The building boom in the Southwest OKC-Moore area doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and the builders featured in this showcase plan to build between 40-60 new homes apiece this year alone. Subcontractors seeking residential home building leads might want to check this showcase out.

The southwestOklahoma City area offers stable interest rates and steady job growth in the metro area, both of which Tatum cites for creating “the perfect environment for home buying.” With its nearness to Tinker Air Force Base, quality school systems, uncongested roads, and easy access to the interstate, houses in southwest Oklahoma City and Moore are in high demand by home seekers. The demand is also related to the commercial development boom that has come to Southern Oklahoma city. As shopping, dining, business, services, and entertainment opportunities have sprung up, interest in residential development began to take off.

In keeping with its commitment to civic betterment, the sales proceeds from two of the showcase homes will go to charity. The Southwest Home Builders Association charity property at 821 Lago in Sendera Lakes was built by Meeks construction. It is a 3000-sq ft 4 bed/  custom home with custom cabinetry, granite counter tops, oil-rub bronze fixtures, iron fencing, wood floors, and gorgeous views of the pond.

The Moore Home Builders Association charity property 1812 NE 27 in Siena Ridge, built by Affinity Homes, features custom Knotty Alder cabinetry, a chef-caliber kitchen with a gas range, Carrera marble tiling, hand-scraped wood floors, and a privacy fence.

Other contractors participating in the showcase are: Evans Fine Homes, Sun Custom Homes, 4 Corners Homes, Paul Frolich Homes, R&R Homes, Huffman Construction, Aaron Tatum Custom Homes, Marvin Haworth Homes, Dub Stone Construction, Harbor Homes, Mashburn Faires Homes, Scissortail Homes, Elie Quality Homes, Vesta Homes, E-Z Living Homes, and Erich Cheatham Construction.

Office Depot Helps Builders See Green

Posted on by

The South Florida chapter of the US. Green Building Council has partnered with Office Depot to create a Green Group Savings program for members of the South Florida USGBC chapter. Office Depot Inc.’s partnership with group-purchasing organization Windfall, Inc. follows hot on the heels of Office Depot’s merger with OfficeMax.

Sandra Lee, President of the USGBC South Florida Chapter says that the chapter is “proud to be the first organization in the USA to offer Windfall’s new Office Depot Green Group Savings Program…This is an exciting new benefit that helps our members get discounts on greener products for their everyday needs.”

Office Depot‘s Yalmaz Siddiqui, who is the Senior Director of Environmental & Supplier Diversity Strategy, adds that USGBC builders “who are supporting the growth of the green building movement have a natural propensity to also want to buy green. This new program simplifies their access to greener products, while providing substantial savings.”

Group-savings experts Windfall partnered with Office Depot to create a program that will provide members of the USGBC South Florida Chapter with substantial savings on the wide range of environmentally conscious office products available from Office Depot. The program will focus on the products available through Office Depot’s Green Book and the company’s GreenerOffice website.

Everything from paper products, ink & toner, break room supplies and storage solutions will be available through the program. This is the first program for USGBC chapters that focuses on group purchase power for greener products.

Windfall, Inc is excited that this “new program brings together two local champions of environmental sustainability.” Windfall CEO Donna Marks adds that “Both organizations have proven that building green is a sound economic strategy, and now with this program they’re helping make buying green even better for the bottom line.”

In the decade prior to the merger, Office Depot has collaborated frequently with Windfall to create group purchase savings programs for businesses, associations, and other nonprofit organizations. Following an established trend, this Green Group Savings Program is free to members of the USGBC South Florida Chapter, and there is no requirement that buyers meet a minimum volume threshold of purchases. The group savings plan applies to both in-store purchases and online orders.

To learn more about Office Depot’s new Green Group Savings Program, or to become a member of the USGBC South Florida Chapter, please visit www.usgbcsf.org/groupsavings.

Developers Prep for Manatee County Housing Boom

Posted on by

As HBW subscribers have no doubt already noticed, developers have been buying up hundreds of acres in Manatee County during the last nine months. This move is expected to jumpstart a home building boom in southwest Florida. In the first week of July, D.R. Horton and WCI accelerated their land run by purchasing hundreds of acres in East Manatee. The Florida-based firms of Neal Communities and Medallion Homes have also joined the development rush in the area. Those seeking residential homebuilding job leads should check out Manatee County.

D.R. Horton spent an estimated 5.83 million to purchase 665 acres along Upper Manatee River Road from the E. L. Reagan Residual trust.  The site, which comprises the southern third of the Reagan Ranch land holding, will be home to Del Tierra, one of D.R. Horton’s signature subdivision communities. Del Tierra is expected to have 610 home sites with construction scheduled to begin in August. The local community is somewhat divided over the development, with opponents citing excessive traffic congestion along Rye Road and classroom overcrowding in Gene Witt elementary school as primary objections.

WCI purchased 57 lots in The Links at Rosedale for 4.22 million from Ohio homebuilder M/I Homes. This deal was part of a 150-lot, 11.6 million purchase in the 44th Avenue Subdivision. The Links, a luxury master-planned golf course community, will see an infusion of high-end, custom two- and three-bedroom homes.

After heavy profits following the upswing in home sales, Neal Communities decided to join the development rush with 39 lots along Pope Road in East Manatee for a 120-home development. Bradenton-based Medallion Homes will build a 139-home subdivision in the 70 acres it purchased along Upper Manatee Road back in May.

Neal Communities President Pat Neal recognized the boom potential early on, saying, “We’re going to have a boom and everybody I know is trying to bulk up on land for the cycle,” he said,  “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it since 2002 or 2003.” medallion Homes is planning to build a The shortage of housing in southwestern Florida has kept house prices strong, and with 300,000 people expected to relocate to the area, prices won’t be dropping anytime soon.

HBW serves building trades professionals in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. This brief overview is just one small example of the sort of depth and detail that HBW customers get from our construction activity reports and white paper reports. Building professionals who are proactive and informed can count on HBW’s newsletter to deliver the latest in building trends, construction technology innovation, and regulatory activity. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Keep It Clean: Swimming Pool Sanitation Alternatives

Posted on by

When summer’s here and the heat is high, the last thing anyone really wants to worry about is keeping their swimming water clean and fresh. Inexpensive and easily available, chlorine has been the method of choice for decades. But problems with allergies, skin irritation, and mucus membrane sensitivity led swimming pool designers and engineers to develop new methods for water sanitation. Here’s an introduction to the three of the most popular chlorine alternatives:

Saltwater: Saltwater sanitation systems are increasingly popular in new pool installations. Saltwater systems work through the principle of hydrolysis, a process that converts water and food-grade salt into pure sodium hypochlorite. Hypochlorite is the primary active ingredient in chlorine. Saltwater systems are a way to get the benefits of chlorine without the chemical additives and stabilizers of conventional chlorine.  One drawback to saltwater systems is that the water can cause corrosion in fittings, pipes, and drain grates as well as the underwater lighting fixtures.

Ionizers: Ionizers use a low electric current to create copper and silver ions that attract and kill algae, bacteria, and viruses. The two most common ionizer systems use either an electric ionizer, which uses electricity to charge the ions, or the mineral cartridge ionizer, which capitalizes on the water’s flow through a mineral cache to release a steady stream of ions. Ionizers do not oxidize the water and the systems are very expensive, but the diodes only need to be replaced every three to five years and the ionized water does not harm pool equipment.

Bromine: Conventional wisdom dictates that chlorine is for pools and bromine is for spas, but pool owners who want to avoid the clouds of chloramine gas generated by the pool’s sanitation process often opt for bromine, which remains in its liquid state and retains its sanitizing effectiveness, unlike chloramine, which does not. Because bromine becomes unstable in sunlight, it is best used for indoor pools and spas. It’s also a weaker oxidizer, so it takes longer to break down waste in the pool. On the bright side, while bromine does generate an odor, it is nowhere near as pungent and irritating as the smell of chloramine gas.

 

 

Avoid Health Hazards for a Safer Remodel, Part 3: Utility & Appliance Hazards

Posted on by

Home remodeling is a fairly complicated process, and it’s easy to forget that it can also be a hazardous one as well. In order to ensure the safety of yourself, your crew, and the homeowners who you’re working for, keep an eye out for health hazards during the remodeling process. Today in the final installment of our 3-part series, we will be talking about home remodeling health hazards posed by utilities and appliances.

Part 3: Utilities & Appliance Hazards

1. Underground oil tanks

Prior to the advent of gas and electrical home heating, many homes were heated by an oil-powered furnace. Many of these furnaces were fueled by a large oil tank that was buried near the foundation and about 7-8 feet underground. Many homes that received upgraded heating systems still have an empty old oil tank festering beneath their backyard. These old tanks are usually made of steel, which gets corroded over time and begins to leak. When it does, the soil and groundwater become contaminated, which poses a serious health risk. The elevated level of petrochemicals in the soil are also a fire hazard. Areas with a lot of rainfall or high groundwater are at elevated risk for dangerous oil tank leaks.

 

Buried oil tanks usually come into play during renovations to expand the home. Before you schedule the digger trucks, have water and soil testing performed, and order an oil tank sweep from a reputable company to see if you have an oil tank to deal with.

 

2. Electrical hazards

Electrical wires run through nearly every wall of the home, through the exterior walls, and oftentimes into the yard, so they can pose a serious health hazard for remodelers. Shock and fire are always risks posed when remodeling a home. This is especially true of remodeling or adding on bathrooms and kitchens, where plumbing and wiring changes are involved.

 

Given that electrical fires claim 485 lives and cause $868 million in property damage each year, it’s no surprise that electrical alterations are one major reason that homeowners choose to have their remodel done by construction professionals. One thing that should be done prior to home remodels involving electrical work is a thermal imaging scan to diagnose energy issues in the wiring system.

 

3. Combustion appliances

Combustion appliances make life much more convenient, but they can also pose serious risks during the remodeling process. Furnaces, clothes dryers, space heaters, boilers, and gas stoves are fueled by gas, oil, coal, wood, kerosene, or petroleum. Most folks know to hire professionals to move large combustion appliances, but they aren’t always thinking about how these appliances can affect the air.

Extra caution should be taken when moving these appliances or disconnecting them from vents and fuel lines, when rebuilding ventilation systems to vent the CO2, and when building new walls or placing new doors near the combustion appliances. Over 150 lives per year as lost due to carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly vented appliances.

Although these issues aren’t nearly as interesting to deal with as choosing new fixtures, colors, and upholstery fabrics, they certainly merit serious forethought. But with proper caution and preparation, all three of these home remodeling health hazards can be easily avoided.

3 Hot Tips for a Sizzling Outdoor Kitchen

Posted on by

GC’s and subcontractors who are keeping up with the latest design trends know that more and more homeowners want their new home equipped with an outdoor kitchen. Unfortunately, one challenge many builders face with outdoor kitchens is that they are working with materials and conditions traditionally handled by landscapers, pool installers, and deck designers. Keeping these three tips in mind will help ensure that you’re building the very best outdoor kitchens your clients could wish for.

1. Basic Design Principles are All-Weather Concepts

Good kitchen design is good kitchen design, period. Make sure that the layout of cold areas (refrigeration), dry areas (prep counters), hot areas (grill/stove/oven), and wet areas (sinks) in the outdoor kitchen is efficient and functional  as the kitchen layout indoors is. Each zone should have proper space and appropriate proximity to the other areas.

2. Light, Climate, and Power

Locating the grill, refrigerator, and stove to maximize their access to the home’s utilities is a no-brainer. But don’t forget that outdoor kitchens have an even greater need for adequate task lighting in the different function zones because there is no ambient lighting coming from the rest of the house and much of the entertaining outdoors is done at night. You’ll also need to address outdoor cooling and heating needs if the homeowners wish to extend the seasonal use of their outdoor kitchen. This is doubly true if they client plans on having an outdoor dining room.

3. Durability

A well-designed outdoor kitchen demands two kinds of durability: design and equipment. A durable design is one that uses sturdy materials and closely matches the design elements of the rest of the house. Repeating tile patterns, brick types, colors, and exterior wall coverings ensures that the outdoor kitchen blends so seamlessly into the overall design so that the client won’t feel the need to remodel the space later on. Durability in equipment means installing countertops, sinks, and cooking gear that is specifically meant for outdoor kitchens and can weather the elements well season after season. It also means planning space for the clients to install any equipment (warming drawers, ice makers, an upgraded grill) they may choose to add later as their entertaining needs grow.