What are the Benefits of Building a New Home?

I've just read an interesting article on GoBankingRates.com about he benefits of building a home vs. buying an existing home. There are many benefits to building a new home. Below is an expert of the article.

Benefits of Building Your Own Home

I found building a new home came with benefits such as:

• Discounts from the builder: At the time I built my house, I was able to get $10,000 in free upgrades (which allowed me to finish my basement) and there was no lot premium. I was able to choose a private lot that backed to trees for my home (which was #1 on my must have list for my new house).
• Everything was new: I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy moving in to a home that hadn’t been “used” before.
• Annual Savings: Since my furnace and air conditioner were new, I was able to save $360 a year by omitting a the service plan I carried at my old house. I also saved $125 a year on my homeowner’s insurance.
• Designing the Home: Everything was as I wanted from the start, I didn’t have to spend additional funds redoing the home after I purchased it.
• 
  

The  National Association of Homebuilders also has some not so obvious benefits of building a new home. These include:

• Build a Community: Building a community with your new neighbors is often overlooked. Since everyone in the neighborhood is relatively new, great bonds can be formed over the years with your new neighbors.
• Easier Entertaining: Entertaining is easier because new homes have an open floor plan and more open space to support large groups.
• A Clean Slate: You create your home from the start and you don’t have to deal with the decorating styles of the previous owner.
• Outlets: More outlets in the right places which most older homes don’t often have.

Read more: Is It Cheaper to Build or Buy a House? What Would You Do? 

Floor Plan Friday: The Sonoma

Today we feature another home design and floor plan from Walker Home Design. This is certainly not your average cookie-cutter design home. This unique design would be stand out beautifully in any neighborhood.

Interested? We can also help you find the lot to build on. Visit our contact page or call our offices at
385-313-0656.

Sonoma
1-1856

Well thought out plan allowing for comfort and efficiency. Attractive smaller home with many extras, including a three car garage, covered front entry, large master suite with walk in closet, and open living area. Lots of room for expansion including craft or hobby room, family, game, or theater rooms, and many storage possibilities. Easy to build and own. A great value

Floor Plans

Main Level

Lower Level

Specs and Features

BASICS
Levels	2
Bedrooms	3
Potential Bedrooms	5
Baths	2.5
Garage Stalls	3
STYLES
Modern
DESIGNER NOTES
This Mediterranean plan is available in a number of different styles, including Traditional, Craftsman, French Country, Mountain Rustic, Southwestern, Modern, and Victorian. If you have a favorite exterior style not mentioned, we can do it. Talk to our design professionals and tell us your special “likes”.
FEATURES
Attractive smaller home with many extras. Three car garage, covered front entry, large master suite with walk in closet, and open living area. Lots of room for expansion including craft or hobby room, family, game, or theater rooms, and storage space. Easy to build.. A great value

DIMENSIONS
Width	65
Depth	52
Height	23
SQUARE FOOTAGE
Above Grade Square Footage	1856
Total Square Footage	3660
Main Floor	1856
Basement	1739
Garage	1000
Porch	70
Patios	optional
WALL INFORMATION
Exterior Wall Constr	2x4, 2x6
Exterior Wall Finish	Hardy Board or Similar
ROOF INFORMATION
Roof Framing	Trusses, Wood Beams
Roof Pitch	8.12
CEILING HEIGHTS
Ceiling Main	9
Ceiling Details	optional
FOUNDATIONS
Basement
Unfinished Basement

Get Expert Advice on Remodels & Tear Down/Rebuild

As land gets harder to obtain, we will start seeing more and more older homes being remodeled or torn down and rebuilt. We have put together a panel of experts, including a builder (us), general contractor, designer, architect, lenders and real estate agents to answer all of your questions about remodeling and tear-down/rebuilds.

With low lot inventory and more people investing in real estate,you'll want to catch all of this valuable information and even learn how to build equity right away utilizing this option!

When: Thursday, May 29th from 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Lake City Loft at 29 W. 800 S. Suite 300, Salt Lake City, Utah

It's free to attend, we ask that you let us know you are coming on the Facebook event page so that we have plenty of refreshments.
https://www.facebook.com/events/789850527693595/

Contact Rochelle Greetham Owens for more info: 801.414.7440 or email rochelle@influencerealestate.com

A Home with a $0 Energy Bill? Is it possible?

As the temperatures start to soar as we head into late spring/early summer, energy efficiency is on our minds as we contemplate how to reduce the growing electricity bill associated with central air conditioning.

Have your ever thought of building an energy efficient home out of concrete as a solution? One man did and he expects a $0 energy bill this year.

Contemporary Patio by Victoria Design-Build Firms NZ Builders ltd

Read more about this fascinating story and check out the pics from Houzz.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27285792/list/Houzz-Tour--See-a-Concrete-House-With-a--0-Energy-Bill

Floor Plan Friday: The "Bandon"

There is a lot of room for expansion in this unique home. 

Well thought out plan allowing for comfort and efficiency. Attractive smaller home with many extras, including a three car garage, covered front entry, large master suite with walk in closet, and open living area. Lots of room for expansion including craft or hobby room, family, game, or theater rooms, and many storage possibilities. Easy to build and own. A great value

Floor Plans

Main Level

Lower Level

Specs and Features

BASICS
Levels	2
Bedrooms	3
Potential Bedrooms	5
Baths	2.5
Garage Stalls	3
STYLES
Craftsman
DESIGNER NOTES
This Craftsman plan is available in a number of different styles, including Traditional, Mediterranean, French Country, Mountain Rustic, Southwestern, Modern, and Victorian. If you have a favorite exterior style not mentioned, we can do it. Talk to our design professionals and tell us your special "likes".
FEATURES
Attractive smaller home with many extras, including a three car garage, covered front entry, large master suite with walk in closet, and open living area. Lots of room for expansion including craft or hobby room, family, game, or theater rooms. Lots of storage. A great value.

DIMENSIONS
Width	65
Depth	52
Height	21
SQUARE FOOTAGE
Above Grade Square Footage	1830
Total Square Footage	3641
Main Floor	1830
Basement	1715
Garage	1000
Porch	70
Patios	Optional
WALL INFORMATION
Exterior Wall Constr	2x4, 2x6
Exterior Wall Finish	Shakes, Hardy Board
ROOF INFORMATION
Roof Framing	Trusses
Roof Pitch	4.12
CEILING HEIGHTS
Ceiling Main	9
Ceiling Details	optional
FOUNDATIONS
Basement
Unfinished Basement

Education - Prairie Style

For some reason, Utahn's get the reputation for being "behind the times".  We tend to get stuck in one style and stick with it for awhile.  One of our goals this year is to educate the public on all the different styles of homes.  How you can build the exact same plan, but put a different facade on the front.

Today's style is "Prairie", since we're seeing this trend move here to Utah.

Developed in the Midwest by architectural trailblazer Frank Lloyd Wright, the prairie style was built based on the idea that a home should serve all practical needs without being overly embellished or showy. It was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement and features many of the same concepts such as built-in furniture, simple materials and open floor plans. But prairie-style homes also feature long flat roofs, rows of windows, horizontal lines and organic patterns.

You will start to notice a lot of the same materials, such as brick, stucco and hardy board.  Just a lot more simple in style.

Eye on Housing

Read the Latest News from the National Association of Home Builders

"Starts and Permits over One Million

Housing starts exceeded one million for first time since last year and housing permits were over one million for a third consecutive month. The increases were almost entirely in multifamily rental construction.
Multifamily construction soared 40% to 423,000 starts, the highest since January 2006 and permits also rose 20% to 478,000, the highest in almost six years. Multifamily starts were particularly strong in the Midwest where they more than doubled from an unusually low 42,000 to 100,000."
Read more: http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/05/16/starts-and-permits-over-one-million/