Custom Homes | The Latest Bathroom Design Trends

Custom Homes | Ceramic subway tile has been popular since 1904, when the durable, long-lasting tile was used to decorate subway stations throughout New York. The tiles are designed to stay in place for decades, with some manufacturers insisting that the grout and adhesives will need to be replaced before the ceramic tile wears out. That means that when you use subway tile to decorate your bathroom, you can be rest assured that you’re getting a quality product that will last for a lifetime. If you plan to remodel your home with subway tile, you can purchase it in hardware stores and online on sites like . The selection of subway tiles that some stores offer is almost endless, and so are the design options.

New House Builder | Tax Tips for First-Time Homebuyers

New House Builder | If you bought a home in the past year, congratulations! We know that buying a new home is stressful, but that it’s also exciting and very rewarding. With tax season around the corner, it’s time to consider the federal tax implications of your purchase.
Here are a few tax tips:

Most Likely, You’ll Start Itemizing on Your Federal Return

For many non-homeowners, the standard deduction is a no-brainer – it’s easy and you barely have anything you could itemize anyway. Once you own a home, however, the math changes: You can deduct your mortgage interest payments. This deduction, in combination with other deductions, will often exceed the standard deduction.
In 2014, the standard deduction is $6,200 for taxpayers who are single or married and filing separately, $9,100 for head of household filers and $12,400 for those married, filing jointly.

Home Building Trends | Separate Bedrooms for Siblings...Not Necessary!

Home Building Trends | If you have siblings, you probably shared a room growing up and may have some fond memories of that time. Somewhere along the line as families started shrinking and suburbia took over with its McMansions, sharing a room became a sign of not having enough space. But the truth is that separate bedrooms for siblings aren’t necessary: Most children actually benefit from sharing a room and enjoy the feeling of togetherness.

Home Builder Jacksonville | A Guide to Homeowners Insurance

Home Builder Jacksonville | Many newcomers to home buying get a surprise as they inch toward closing: the requirement to purchase homeowners insurance. That mandate comes not from state or federal law but from your lender, which wants to protect the investment in you – and in your home.

But in addition to satisfying your lender, homeowners insurance provides some real help for you, often in ways you didn’t even know about when you purchased it.

A standard policy typically consists of six parts: Dwelling, other structures, personal possessions, loss of use, personal liability and medical payments. Let’s look at what each of these parts covers and what you may not know about each.

New House Builder | Protecting Your Home From Flood Damage

New House Builder | Many people think a homeowners insurance policy includes coverage for flood damage, but it doesn’t. Flood damage is only covered by flood insurance, which is a separate policy. Unfortunately, even though the average flood policy costs just $600 a year, only 13 percent of U.S. homes are protected by flood insurance.

Even if you don’t live near water, it’s important to consider buying flood insurance. According to the National Flood Insurance Program, almost 20 percent of all flood claims come from areas considered to be at a low to moderate risk for flooding. To give you a good idea of the damage that can occur, Porch.com compiled data in this infographic on the total damage caused by Hurricane Sandy along with preventative and reactive measures that were enacted after Hurricane Sandy’s landfall.

Custom Homes | Cooling Your Home Without AC

Custom Homes | Want to keep your home cool without turning on the A/C this summer? There are plenty of alternatives that can lower both the cost of your utility bills and the temperature in your house. Consider these ideas when you’re looking to cool your house without air conditioning:

1. Check the ceiling fan.

During the spring and summer, your ceiling fan should be set to turn counterclockwise to push cool air down and pull hot air up. If your fan was set to turn clockwise during the winter — pulling cold air up and pushing hot air down — change the rotation now. This way, your room feels cooler. And you spend less on electricity to run the ceiling fan than you do to run your HVAC system.

Moving Tips | What Not to Pack When Moving

Moving Tips | You have gone through the packing drills: “Boxes? check; Tape? check; Precise type of boxes? check. Ready, set, go! Start packing!” Wait a second! Hold it! Before you pack every tea cup and toy car in your home; take a break and step back. There are some items you should first set aside; these items should not be packed. Certain valuables should always be kept close to you during a move, other items can be dangerous and some items simply should be left to the pros to pack to prevent injury and breakage.