The RAB Spring Showcase is Here!

The Rochester Area Builders Spring Showcase of Homes is here!  We are really excited to showcase a home that we completed about 2 months ago!  It is a ranch style home with 4848 total square feet.  The large windows allow natural light to flow through the open floor plan.  The main level features 10' ceilings, maple cabinets and built-ins, as well as beautiful hardwood flooring and granite counter-tops.  Whether  you are looking to build a new home or just want to get out, this home is a must see!

House address: 2089 Shannon Oaks Blvd NE, Rochester, MN

The dates and times the homes will be open are:
     Saturday, April 14  12-5
     Sunday, April 15   12-5

     Saturday, April 21   12-5
     Sunday, April 22   12-5

The Rochester Area Builders have a great mobile tool that you can use as you tour the showcased homes.  It provides information on all of the homes.  Visit http://www.rochesterareabuilders.com/showcase/index.php to check it out!

We hope to see you there!

List your home now if you are wanting to build!!!

Get those homes on the market now if you are considering building a new home this spring.  I had 3 of my clients this past week alone sell their current homes and all are now ready to go on their new home project because of it.  The market has been an amazing one this early spring so far.  The homes selling are not all new listings either.  With the surge in existing home sales this spring, this year looks to be a great one for people looking to get their current home sold prior to building.  Rates are still at historic lows and I have had a few of my clients quoted rates in the mid 3% range on 30 year mortgages.  This cannot last, so take the steps now to get your existing home ready to sell.

2012 RAB Spring Showcase of Homes

It is that time of year!  The 2012 Rochester Area Builder's annual Spring Showcase of Homes is fast approaching!  We will have one home entered this year.  It is a ranch-style home located in Shannon Oaks that we just recently finished.  The homeowners have been gracious to allow us to show off their beautiful home!  This home has a unique layout with many upgraded amenities and a beautiful finish.  A lot of time and energy was spent on making this exactly as our clients dreamed it to be.  It is a must see!

The Spring Showcase is held on April 14 & 15 and April 21 & 22 from 12:00 to 5:00.  We hope to see you there!

***Watch for additional information as the dates approach!***

A different approach to the way Energy Star has directed us to go!

This past year Energy Star has published a new version of the way they score homes and determine their HERS score.  I wrote a few topics about how homes were scored in a recent blog.  Energy Star recommended builders to now start using R-10 exterior foam in the areas below ground level.  I have always been a believer in using minimal insulation below ground level to allow the heat transfer to occur vs this newer version of the R-10.  My philosophy is our ground temp throughout the course of the year in MN runs around 55 degrees.  Frost in the winter and hotter temps in the summer play a factor in this going up or down as you get closer to the surface of the earth, but the average temp is pretty consistent.  My argument to them is that with this 55 degree temp we have below grade, we can use this to gain heat in the winter and lose heat in the summer months.  It is a free way to allow the heat to transfer and by adding more insulation to the exterior block or concrete wall we are eliminating this from the equation.  The same holds true with the under slab insulation and they agree with this.  It is recommended not to install 2 inches of foam below your concrete unless you are installing in floor heat with water piping under the concrete.  My solution to the dilemma fell on deaf ears, but I feel it is the best possible option.  I believe we should have the 2 inches of foam installed on the block or concrete wall just 12 inches or so below ground level.  After this point, we would be much more efficient running the same 2” of foam at an angle 4’ away from the home.  I would then carry only 1” of foam down to the footing of the home.  My only logic for keeping the 1 inch of foam running down the wall is to make a condensation point for water on the exterior of the block or poured wall.  Basically what I’m trying to create is a constant wall temperature along the block or poured wall in the lower level.  The 2” in foam angled away from the home prevents frost or heat from entering the ground vertically and allows us to maintain a constant 55 degrees along the vast majority of the outside of the wall.  I’m happy to present this diagram to anyone interested in seeing it.  I truly feel it is a better way to incorporate the ideas Energy Star has pushed into the new version.    

COLORING CONTEST 2012!!!

It is that time of year again for the annual Coloring Contest.  If you were at the Rochester Area Builder's Home Show and stopped at our booth, the kids had a chance to enter into the coloring contest to win $100 gift card to Toys R Us!  We have posted the entries on our Facebook page "Med City Builders of Rochester, LLC".  All you have to do is like your favorite picture.  The two pictures with the most likes will win!  Good luck to all of our contestants!

What a difference a year makes

To say the least!!!  We went from record snowfalls to record lack of snow in one year.  Both years have lead to very little frost to deal with in the ground, so both years have been good for a winter full of building and an early start this spring.  One of this years benefits is that the lack of moisture in the ground and air should lead to better building materials this winter and a lack of the nail pops and or sheetrock cracks that occur because of it.  We are already starting to see the spring market heat up.  Several of my listings have seen an upsurge in showing activity and several of the clients waiting to sell prior to building are seeing the same results.  I typically have the spring rolling and underway once the Home Show is finished, so now is the time to begin the planning process.  The show is only a month or so away and by the time plans and financing get completed, we are a month away already.  I have several homes underway right now for any potential client to preview as well as a 100 or more homes from the past that we can look over as well.  I have super relationships with past customers and am happy to take the time you need looking at possible floor plans.  The spring looks to be a busy one for me, so call today to ensure we can accommodate all of your needs!

Would you pay 1% more to have your entire home be 100% American Made?

I recently read about and watched a report on ABC News about the effects on our economy of buying American Made products for building new homes.  They stated, if all home builders in our country bought just 5% more American made products than before, we could generate some 250,000 new jobs in our country.  I currently use many of the products on the list ABC published, but was looking for feedback for our own region on if buyers would be willing to pay the 1% difference in price they discussed if I used ALL American made products.  I really would appreciate your feedback.  I plan on making a conscience effort to purchase more American made goods regardless, but would love to hear your feedback.  I will post this on Facebook as well and would appreciate your input!

Should we drain our water heater???

I know many of my past customers use this blog as a tool for making their homes more efficient.  During all of my final walk throughs, 30 day walk throughs, and even the one year walk through with my past customers I mention emptying their water heater yearly.  While most don't ever even touch this appliance once it is turned on, there are some very inexpensive things we can do to make it last much longer than the typical life expectancy.  To drain your water heater, simply turn the switch to the unit off.  It is typically located near the floor where you would also adjust the temperature.  Once it is shut off, find the main line of water into the water heater.  This is located just above the water heater usually.  Now that the power and the water source is off to the unit, attach a garden hose to the screwed outlet on the water heater.  Once the hose is attached and ran to the floor drain, take a flat head screw driver and use it to open the valve next to the screwed outlet.  It typically doesn't take long to drain the water out, but by doing it this way the sediment on the bottom of the water heater leaves as well as the water.  This sediment is typically what accumulates over time and will eventually cause the water heater to rust from the bottom.  Once the water heater is drained of the water, screw the valve closed completely.  Then open the water valve on the top of the water heater back up to fill the unit up.  Remember not to turn the water heater on before any of this.  Doing so can damage the water heater due to how fast the elements can heat up.  Once the unit is filled and no water is leaking from the valves, turn on the water heater switch to start the heating of the water once again.  This is really that simple to do and it will more than likely add years of worry free operation to your homes water heater.  

Wait till spring or start now?

Simple question and most would say waiting till spring is the right answer.  I can't totally disagree with them either,  but we are in the perfect storm right now.  Building costs and labor costs have been suppressed for years now and the pent up demand is starting to build in our industry.  I have first hand seen the costs starting to tick up the wrong direction for the homeowner looking to build down the road.  While waiting till spring has his merit, the idea of an interest rate going from the low 4% range even to a 6% range decreases a buyers buying power by tens of thousands of dollars.  I also wrote blogs in the past discussing the ideas of the materials being so much dryer in the fall and winter months.  Come spring the materials have had a chance to gain moisture from the snow and the increasing humidities in the air.  This is the first cause of a home seeing nail pops and sheetrock cracks.  I monitor the homes I build a year after they are completed and have definitely noticed a difference on the homes we start in the fall vs spring.  The fall homes have much less movement and much less for cosmetic cracks over time.  That all being said, I'm not against spring building.  It is obviously the busiest time of the year for me.  I just don't want to see someone miss out on a valuable opportunity when while we are sitting in the eye of this perfect storm.  Call or email your requests today!!

We are rolling again!!!

I just wanted to drop a line to all my past customers and friends for their support over the past few years.  It has been a struggle in this business and I have managed to stay busy with all of your support.  We just dug one basement for an expanding family in NE Rochester getting ready for twins!!  I am just finishing up with a large project in the metro area of Lake Elmo and hope to post some finished pictures when completed next Friday.  6400 sq ft fully finished home on an acreage and finishing on the day we scheduled 5 months ago!  We have 5 more to dig prior to the fall rush and hope to have several more to start before the snow starts to fly.  One of our projects is going to be in Northfield on the Country Club golf course there.  Should be a fun project and a super couple to work with.  Another home to start is in NE Rochester for a couple expanding their business and getting closer to their family.  It is a gorgeous Ranch on a super lot in Shannon Oaks.  We then plan on digging a home for another expanding family in ManorWoods west of Rochester.  We are just getting going on the selections and should be digging by mid October.  We should be starting another home in NW Rochester sooner than the homes listed above.  Another up and coming family who is currently getting all their new home selections dialed in for us to roll along.  Lastly, we are looking at a larger 2 story in SE Rochester for a developer.  This home would be a great home for any family looking to expand and will be ready for a move in by the time the snow would start to fly.  I really do appreciate all of your support and hope the summer found you all some fun family times.  Drop us a line anytime here with thoughts and ideas you have.  We are all ears and appreciate the feedback!!!

Is Fall a good time to build a home???

I have heard many of my clients express concerns about building too late in the fall or winter.  I have built a few hundred new homes in the Rochester and Surrounding communities and meet with my clients at the one year point of when we closed on their new home.  I do this to not only meet up with my past customers, but also to gauge how the home we built reacted over the past year.  One of the surprising things I have found is that the homes we build through the winter actually show much less movement than the ones we build in the spring.  There are a couple factors attributed to this I believe.  First, all the raw materials going into the home are at a point where they are the driest point of the entire year.  The humidity is virtually gone in the fall and winter months.  Secondly, I feel with the lowered humidity the home doesn't actually take on moisture while we are building.  When wood takes on moisture, it swells.  If this wood doesn't dry out prior to the vapor barrier going on or the sheetrock, it is much more likely to cause nail pops and sheet rock cracking over the next year.  Building in the fall and winter can have its challenges as well.  Heating costs may be higher, but due to the fact we are able to build these homes in a 2 to 4 month window we don't see that as much of a factor in our homes.  The bottom line is that potential clients should not have concerns about building in the winter months if the builder they choose is capable of handling the conditions that come with it.  You might be surprised how well the home will function for you if you do! 

Does Your Builder Come Highly Recommended?

I am sure you have all heard horror stories about how time consuming, expensive and stressful building a new home is.  That doesn't have to be the case!  Building a new home can be fun, easy and within budget!  Plus you get your dream home with everything YOU want!  The key is to pick the right builder.  As a builder, it is our job to figure out all of the small details and put it together...basically taking the stress off  your shoulders!  

The best recommendations you can receive about a builder are from past clients.  They have been through the process and can honestly tell you their first hand opinion and experiences.  This is why when we meet with prospective clients, we include a reference list along with a letter of recommendation.  We encourage our clients to check up on us.  Whether you are building or buying a house, it is a big event in every person's life, so it is important to us that our clients feel comfortable with their choice and are confident in our work and service.

I have included a recommendation letter from a client that recently built a new home with us.  

We would love to hear what you expect out of your builder, whether you are thinking about building, currently building, built in the past or have never thought about it!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Our Best Energy Star Rating Yet!

We have posted in previous blogs about the Energy Star Rating and what that means for both us as a builder and our clients.  We recently completed a home and got the best score to date, which is 26 points above the Energy Star standards!  For more information on Energy Star, visit http://www.energystar.gov/.

Win Dinner for 6 at Osaka AND a Toys R Us Gift Card!!!

As you may have read in a previous post, we are giving away Dinner for 6 at Rochester's new Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse.  In addition, we have decided to add a $100 GIFT CARD TO TOYS R US!

Heres how you can win BOTH!

Come and visit us during the Rochester Area Builder's Parade of Homes at 1121 Maplebeck Enclave, Byron (Somerby Subdivision) during the showtimes listed below and pick up a floor plan for you and/or your child to draw your dream floor plan.  If your child enters his/her drawing, you and your child will be eligible to win the Dinner for 6 AND the Toys R Us gift card!

Parade Times:
Saturday, April 30th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday, May 1st 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.

Saturday, May 7th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday, May 8th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.

And remember, entries will be voted on our Med City Builders of Rochester, LLC Facebook Page.

Please see our previous blog, dated April 12, for additional entry information.
 

Win A Dinner for 6 at Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse!!!

We will be giving away a dinner for 6 at the new Osaka Steak and Seafood. You can design your own floor plan and your group along with your friends and family can vote for you to win. Pick your 6-person group that you'd like to enjoy drinks, appetizers, steak and/or seafood, and dessert with.  Print it out the floor plan and submit your drawing.

To Be Eligible, You Must:

Ø Complete your customized plan and submit to Med City Builders of Rochester, LLC.  The only restriction is to use the plan we provide, otherwise, it is yours to be creative with!

o  Email to jenni@medcitybuilders.com

o  Mail or drop off to

§  2518 Superior Dr NW, Suite 103

Rochester, MN 55901

Ø Visit our website, www.MedCityBuilders.com and “Like” our Facebook page

Ø The finalists will be posted on our company’s Facebook page.  The winner will be determined by how many “likes” each finalist receives.

Ø Encourage friends and family to vote “Like” for the winning picture!

Ø Pictures must be submitted by May 16, 2011.  Voting will be open May 17, 2011 – May 23, 2011 at Noon.

Ø The winner will be posted on our website, Facebook, and our blog.

Ø Have fun!!

Why Spray Foam Insulation?

Spray foam insulation is a common word used in the building industry, but still not as readily used in our market.  There are typically 2 types of spray foam used today.  One is an open cell foam insulation and the other is a closed cell foam insulation.  I will spend my time discussing the closed cell products.  

Many of my clients begin discussing things they'd like to do in a home to make it a "Greener" home.  Often I hear of possibly using geo thermal heating systems, solar panels, and even wind to power their homes.  Once price is discussed these items often get pushed back on the wish lists either due to the cost or the fear of appraisals not being able to be achieved.  Appraisers need to form an opinion of the property by the homes around it.  If it is the same home as the neighbors, but has a $40,000 geo-thermal heating system in it they feel most buyers are not willing to pay that difference.  Therefore the appraisal will come in less than needed to complete the project and the difference needs to be covered in the form of cash by the homeowner.  At this point, I typically discuss spray foam to allow them to enhance the homes efficiency and do so without spending an excess of money.  Often, I can spray foam a homes sidewalls for $3000 to $5000 more than a typical fiberglass insulated home.  This is a workable number for appraisals and one that can typically be included in the price of the home without outlaying additional cash from the homeowner.  The biggest difference in the way spray foam acts vs typical fiberglass insulation is the removal of air movement between the interior and exterior of the homes wall which I will call the stud pocket.  I tell people that there are 3 ways heat is gained or lost.  It happens through conduction, convection, and radiation.  Radiation typically occurs through the windows of a home, while conduction occurs through the pass through of walls.  The best way to describe conductions path of heat transfer is when you put a metal rod in the fire.  You will burn your hand if you hold on to the end that is not in the fire eventually.  The last way is convection.  With spray foam insulation, convection has a difficult time occurring because we fill the entire stud pocket with the foam.  Often people can feel air movement in the outlets of homes built in the past.  This is typically not the air directly from the outside, yet the air spinning in the stud pocket behind the sheetrock.  In the winter, the homes internal wall temp is around 70 degrees so the air in the stud pocket starts to rise.  As it gets to the top, the air hits the outside wall where the temp can be minus 10 degrees so it begins to drop.  The more dramatic the temperature difference between the two surfaces, the faster the air spins in the wall.  This is why a typical fiberglass insulated wall actually loses R-value as the temperature difference increases.  A home with an R-value of R-19 is based on the fact there is only a 10 degree temperature difference between the inside of the home and the outside.  This is where closed cell spray foam shines.  If we fill that entire stud pocket with something that does not allow any air movement, we eliminate one of the three ways heat can be transferred in the home.  R-values on spray foam homes stay very stable despite the temperature changes.  It does 2 other great things as well.  It strengthens the outside walls and it makes for a much quieter home in the inside.  I have talked in depth about the Energy Star ratings on homes and the one thing I'd like to mention is that our homes Energy Star ratings don't differ that much when we use one type of insulation or the other.  We are still able to build an extremely tight home with fiberglass insulation.  The true benefit comes through the energy bills my clients receive, although I don't have a true idea on the payback that each home will receive.   If I spend $5000 extra to put spray foam in and it performs like I've mentioned above, the payback is much easier to achieve than a $40,000 Geo-Thermal heating system.  I hope this helps you better understand the homes possible insulation systems.  

      

Med City Builders of MN????

Just a quick heads up to let you all know I do plenty of traveling for clients looking outside the Rochester area.  Over the past few years I have spent time building cabins in NW Wisconsin, a home in St Boni which is located on the west side of the Twin cities, will be building a large custom executive home in Northfield this spring, and am soon to be starting a very large executive custom home in Lake Elmo which is located in the NE part of the Twin Cities.  I appreciate all of the referrals in the Rochester area my clients have passed my way, but wanted to extend the range of my company to all of you.  I still send the same crews to the job sites which allows me to control the timelines, selections, as well as the superior workmanship my clients have grown to expect.  If you or someone you know is looking outside the area, feel free to drop me a line. I'm happy to gas up the Med City Builders truck and take a drive!!

Win a full course dinner for 6 at Osaka Seafood and Steak!!

Win Dinner and drinks for 6 at the new Osaka Steak and Seafood!  We will be in the Spring Showcase of Homes coming up, so we will get updates on the times and dates soon.  During the Showcase we are planning on another contest, but this one is for the adults.  A Design Your Dream Home contest where we will give you the blank floor plan and you can submit your best home layout.  We will be voting for the winners on Facebook like we did before with the Coloring Contest.  We plan on giving away a 6 person appetizer, drinks, dinner, and dessert at the Osaka Steak and Seafood located at the old West Fire Grill in Rochester.  I tried it for a trial run and it was some of the best food I've eaten!!!  I hope to see you at the Showcase and email us if you can't so you too can get your floor plans to submit.

Custom Home Building

This is a term that is used pretty loose in our industry and can mean many things to many people.  To some a custom home is one that is simply modified from an existing floor plan.  To others a custom home is one that is created from just its most basic level in just thoughts to the final product.  Custom home building in Southern MN takes on many other aspects as well.  Whether or not to incorporate energy saving ideas or not and how to orientate a home to achieve the most desired result.  Selecting a builder that allows you to explain your ideas and that listens to what you want vs what they might want is a tough choice for some people.  One of the biggest obstacles I face day in and day out is to determine what people are trying to say when they are really not saying what they want.  That has come from helping many clients design many homes and many hours up front with them figuring out how they wanted to get there.  It happens during the design process and many times through the selection process.  One of the biggest tips I can give any of my clients is to trust your gut feelings.  I have taken many clients full circle only to end up doing exactly what they thought they wanted in the beginning.  A true custom home builder's job is to make this idea a reality for you no matter what level of custom you feel you are on.  Call anytime to get your dreams set in motion!!  

Attention Air Exchangers!!!!

Depending on the price points needed to be attained by my clients, I include Air to Air Exchange units as often as I can.  On average, I install them in 85% of the homes I build.  The clients I build homes for have these systems explained to them them several times during our many walk throughs, but as we all know our lives take over and we forget what we should be doing with them once we are in the home.  One of the first things I try to make clear is the air exchanger is actually the diamond shaped center core inside the box hanging from the ceiling.  The box around it has a fan that makes the center air exchanger an active system.  That center core is where the heat is extracted from the warm moist air leaving the home and where it blends with the cold air coming in. This is the reason for the 2 screen filters on the unit.  Once filter or screen is for the air coming in and one filter or screen is for the air going out.  Both air flows have dust in them and both need to be filtered so they don't dirty the center core or air exchanger.  By keeping the 2 screens around the center core or air exchanger clean, it will allow the system to do what we installed it for.  If these screens get dirty, the air cannot go through the air exchanger as easily and it also can potentially clog it.  To clean the screens, simply open the door on the unit and remove it.  Then slide the two screens off the center core and tap out the dust or soak them in hot soapy water if very dirty.  Make sure they are dry before installing them onto the center core or air exchanger and vacuum out any other dust you might see in the housing around the center core.  This should be done at least monthly or whenever you change your furnace filter.

Once a year, I recommend removing the center core and soaking that in hot soapy water as well.  Fall is a great time to do this just prior to turning the system on for the winter months.  I described the running schedule in an earlier blog.  Again, make sure this core is dry before putting it back into the housing.  At this same time, I recommend cleaning the intake screen at the exterior of the home.  The air exchanger will run in the summer months and will be bringing on dusts when running the bathroom controls to remove moisture.  This is the reason fall is a good time to clean the filter to make sure the air coming into the homes air exchange unit is cleaned before it even gets to the unit.

One of the most important things to keep in mind with these systems is that they work best when kept clean.  It is impossible for you to expect a dust free home if the appliance in your home responsible for bringing in the fresh air is clogged.  A little bit of maintenance goes a long ways with these types of systems.  They are designed for making a home more efficient, but one of the most beneficial things they do is cut down on air born allergens.  If you keep it clean, your home will be healthier and greener!!!