The news is full of economic woes and horrible housing statistics, however, I ran across an interesting statistic which I found pretty amazing. Taken from the website www.housingpredictor.com; “There are an estimated 78 million homes in the U.S. today, the highest number in history and according to a study by the National Bankers Association more than 40% are paid-off without mortgages.” Wow – according to the local and...

Energy tax credits for existing home owners have been extended into 2009. The array of items you can get tax credit for may be a simple as a storm window or new insulation, or it might be full installation of a new geothermal heating system. If you aren’t sure if your renovation is included in the list of available tax credits keep good records and bring them to your tax accountant. The record for each product should include: Name and ...

We’ve been promoting a combination of Timberframe and System Built technology for quite some time. If you are intrigued with the concept but have a hard time visualizing how it might come together, make sure to watch This Old House for the fall 2008 season. They are going to show you step by step how one couple designed their timberframe home and combined it with system built technology to arrive at a new home with the look and feel of the...

Times are tough for everyone and when times are tough, the tough get going. That goes for individuals and for businesses alike. So how do small businesses survive the economic crisis? According to an article written by Dennis Romero, You Can Weather the Economic Storm, posted at msnbc.com, “the core values and goals that inspired entrepreneurs to launch their dreams are the same ones that will carry proprietors through this...

How can a firm in Oakland, CA be of any consequence to building in rural Maine? Michelle Kaufmann, owner of Michelle Kaufman Designs, Inc. – “a full service architectural design firm that specializes in sustainable, innovative, high quality design” is actively promoting Sustainability Labeling. She has recently released a white paper on her website outlining a proposal that each home has a label, based on the idea of nutrition...