Existing home inventories are at an all-time low. There are very few good houses on the market for sale. If a good home finds its way to the market, then there is a bidding war for it driving the price upward for the eventual winner. …
The Impresa Blog
Building to the Label
Labels are just another way to say a standard. There is information overload for homebuyers in today’s marketplace – smart homes, construction standards, appliances, color selections, building materials, etc. When you build a home, there is a lot coming at you and many decisions to …
HIGHER is the 2021 Word for Housing
Housing is BOOMING in the U.S. HIGHER home prices, LONGER delivery timeframes, and GROWING interest rates are coming for 2021! While the economy still has a question mark on it, the home buyer’s confidence is doing well and growing. But, according to the National Association of …
When Good News Can Mean Bad News: 2021 and Increasing Interest Rates
It was a tough 2020 for most people across the country. Jobs were lost or changed. Budgets were stretched. Kids are being taught at home, changing our lives and the way we live in our home. The good news is we have a vaccine. 2021 …
The Night and Day Difference
In life, we use the term night and day difference to refer to opposites, things that are completely different. We also use terms such as left or right, in or out, up or down, etc. All of these can also characterize the choices you make. …
Compound Interest – Is it Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy?
“’Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” -Albert Einstein Interest is simply the cost of borrowing money. If you finance your home, you are going to be paying it. It is going …
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: A Tight Thermal Envelope
We hear terms such as energy-efficient, green, resilient, zero-energy ready (ZER), along with many others every day. When you are a builder, or if you are into building science, you know (or should know) what they all mean. However, as a home buyer that just wants a home that is safe, comfortable, and has the lowest monthly utility bills possible, these terms can sound foreign. The common denominator that plays a role in each of these areas is something called the “thermal envelope”. It’s most basic definition is the line that is drawn between the outside of the house and the inside of the house. It is a boundary. The goal is to make it a solid line (continuous boundary) that keeps water out, allows moisture to escape, and eliminates air movement in either direction.
Modular Brain: Rewiring the Brain for a Better Way to Build
When a home buyer first discovers modular construction as an option to build their new home, they get excited. They begin to Google more about the construction method and learn more about it and its advantages. However, as an industry, many contractors don’t know anything about it. It’s different. They have been building the same way for 10, 20, or 30 years or more doing it the exact same way. In fact, the construction industry overall lags every other industry in productivity growth. In a report by McKinsey & Company the construction industry has only see a 1% increase in the last 20 years. To overcome this lack of productivity they recommended action in several key areas. Here are a few: improve procurement and supply chain, rethink design, and infuse technology and innovation. That describes offsite modular construction. But for many todays builders a new way is a wrong way to build.
Clearing the Haze That Surrounds the Construction Loan Process
Most homebuyers that are building a home will need a construction loan. And the typical homebuyer will only have built 1 to 3 homes over their entire lifetime. That means getting a construction loan is an entirely new process. Even if they have done it …
Modular Gives Homebuyers Exactly What They are Looking for in a Home
Home sales today are off the charts. Interest rates are now at historic lows! Realtors and home builders are all busy. Homebuyers are doing their research and looking at homes on the internet. Four items seem to be at the top of the search list for those investigating building their new home.