Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Brunswick County, NC New Home Builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes Encourages You to Be a “Tourist in Your Hometown”!

Brunswick Town State Historic Site will host a Colonial Christmas in Winnabow, NC on December 5^th, 2009 at 10:00 AM. Visitors can view Colonial Williamsburg inspired holiday decor and taste colonial holiday goodies. Staff and volunteers will be dressed in interpretive colonial clothing at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. Other activities include guided tours and musical entertainment. Admission is free. For more information, visit their website!

Jacksonville, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share a recent RealtyTimes.com article outlining the future of Green Building. A new study from the U.S. Green Building Council estimates how many jobs Green building will support and how much money Green building will generate.  Below is an excerpt and to read the complete article, click here!

“The USGBC writes on its Web site that ‘buildings in the United States are responsible for 39 percent of CO2 emissions, 40 percent of energy consumption, 13 percent water consumption and 15 percent of Gross Domestic Product per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity.’ The study found that from 2000 to 2008, $178 billion in gross domestic product was contributed to the economy and 2.4 million direct/indirect and induced jobs were created or saved which generated $123 billion in wages.

‘Our goal is for the phrase ‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and retrofits green — and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,’ said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of US Green Building Council.

Fedrizzi says, ‘This study validates the work that the 25,000 people gathered here at Greenbuild, and every member of our movement, do every day.’ According to the press release, ‘The study also assessed the U.S. Green Building Council’s 19,000-plus member organizations and found that they generate $2.6 trillion in annual revenue, employ approximately 14 million people, come from 29 industry sectors and include 46 Fortune 100 companies.’ It further included results from workers including architects, construction laborers, truck drivers—all aspects of the green building industry.”

St. James Plantation, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is featured in the October/November 2009 issue of Concrete Homes Magazine! The highlighted Green home in Wilmington, NC, which was framed using LOGIX Insulating Concrete Forms, is only the second LEED Platinum Home in North Carolina. (LEED Platinum is the highest attainable certification for Green-built homes from the U.S. Green Building Council.)

Below is an excerpt and to read the complete article, click here or pick up a copy of the latest issue on newsstands now!

“Up to 50 percent of LOGIX blocks, by weight, are made from recycled materials, and the ICF product produces minimal waste, which can then be fully recycled. LOGIX foam panels are made from 10 percent recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. LOGIX webs, which hold rebar within the form, are made of 100 percent recycled polypropylene.

Building with the LOGIX ICF delivered the first 26 LEED points by itself.

[Kevin] Johnson said the exterior walls are a foot thick: 6 inches of concrete sandwiched by 2 3/4 inches of LOGIX foam panels on each side, providing an R-50 insulation standard.   

The 114 cubic yards of concrete used to fill the ICFs was provided by Hughes Ready Mixed Co. in Wilmington, and was a 30 percent fly ash mix.

‘If I were building a home for myself, I certainly would build it with ICFs, especially in this coastal region where we know we are going to get hurricanes and other storms.’”

Pender County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share a completed New Homeowner Survey by one of our most recent clients. We completed a new custom home for Mr. and Mrs. Steven Ashton and this is what they had to say about the Mark Johnson Custom Homes building experience!

New Homeowner Survey

Please rate the overall effectiveness in meeting your expectations (please check one):

• X      Extremely Satisfied – Far Exceeded Expectations
  •         Satisfied – Met Expectations
  •         Extremely Dissatisfied – Far Below Expectations 
• If not Extremely Satisfied, what could we have done differently?

Describe your experience with the staff of Mark Johnson Custom Homes, Inc.

Overall experience was exceptional, the office staff and Mark answered our concerns and questions in a timely manner and kept us informed of events that affected the construction of our new home. 

Would you recommend Mark Johnson Custom Homes, Inc.? Why? 

Yes, we would recommend MJCH because of the following:

1)     Integrity of organization and ownership

2)    Quality of products / workmanship

3)    Customer Service

4)    Price vs. value received 

On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the highest), how helpful was our Client Progress Portal? What improvements can be made? 

Scale = 4 

The best improvement can be made is by adding a 2^nd progress portal for photos of the construction process so they can be shared with family and friends. Currently the photos are located in the same area as the confidential information of the builder and homeowner such as the contract and building plans. 

A large part of our marketing is based on client testimonials. If you are willing to provide a testimonial for us, please do so here: 

“We would highly recommend Mark Johnson Custom Homes to anyone. MJCH builds a high quality home at an extremely reasonable price with many quality features built in to the home that you would not find offered as a standard option by any other builder. MJCH stand behind their work during and after the construction has been completed. The most important thing we found outstanding was the integrity of the organization and that of Mark Johnson, they stand behind their word and the finished product we call HOME.”

Steven & Elaine Ashton

Brunswick County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like all of our readers to be well-informed before making a real estate purchase. So we would like to share a recent RealtyTimes.com’s article by PJ Wade that outlined the “Seven Things All Buyers Ought to Know”. Below is a short excerpt for each item and to read the complete article, click here!

1. “Knowledge is bliss”

2. Generalizations are self-defeating when evaluating properties since it is how each is unique that addresses specific value to a specific buyer.

3. Assumptions cost money and waste time.

4. Fear has driven too many buyers to act in haste and repent in “if only I’d…” whining that can go on for years.

5. The impossible may just take a little longer in real estate, but the impossible can happen.

6. The unexpected must be expected when buying a home, cottage or investment property.

7. Cashflow is king.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Wilmington, NC November 17, 2009 — The Concrete Producer and Concrete Construction magazines selected projects in eight categories for its Second Annual GreenSite Awards. All winning projects best exemplify the concrete production industry’s contribution to sustainable construction. Among the award winners were Southeastern NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes for The Primrose at Landfall, their Energy Star and LEED Platinum Certified home in Wilmington, NC. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects are overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED Platinum Certification is the highest attainable certification.

“We are proud to have constructed such a beautiful yet environmentally conscious home and are thrilled about the savings the homeowner will enjoy for years to come,” said Kevin Johnson, Vice President of Business Development. “In five or ten years these energy efficiencies will be standard construction practices, but for the time being, we are thrilled to be viewed as pioneers in our industry”.

Visit www.MarkJohnsonCustomHomes.com for more information on Mark Johnson Custom Homes and The Primrose at Landfall. Visit www.theconcreteproducer.com and www.concreteconstruction.net for information on the award winners and a slide show on each winning project.

About Mark Johnson Custom Homes, Inc

Mark Johnson Custom Homes is a family owned small business, licensed unlimited builder that focuses on new residential custom home construction. We have excelled in custom home building, multi-family construction, concrete construction, LEED for Homes Platinum, energy efficient/sustainable remodels and renovations. We have been recognized nationally and locally for our craftsmanship, safety and “Green” initiatives.

We pride ourselves on excellent customer service, and 100% of our past clients eagerly refer us to friends and family because we ensure that every client has:

• A Professional and Courteous Staff
• Web-Based Tools That Keep Them “In the Know”
• Detailed Plans That Eliminates Timely and Costly Mistakes
• A Knowledgeable Team of Trusted Trade Partners and Associates
• The Use of the Latest Technologies Available

Jacksonville, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages all of our readers to understand why energy efficient homes are important to the environment, human health and land resources. When building our Energy Star home in Wilmington, NC we utilized the services of Above and Beyond Energy in Wilmington, NC, a third-party independent company that strives to help homeowners minimize their home’s carbon footprint through improved efficiency and durability.

We’d also like to share a recent article from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide by Wisconsin Green Building Alliance member Tate Walker in which he outlined the reasons homeowners should be aware of energy efficiencies. Below are the points he addressed and to read the complete article, click here!

What are the environmental costs of energy waste in U.S. homes?
Can you scale the big picture down to the homeowner’s perspective?
What are the health benefits of more energy-efficient homes?
What are some of your favorite innovations or design ideas for energy efficiency?
What got you interested in green remodeling?

In a previous blog post, St. James Plantation, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes introduced you to WARM, the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry. WARM aims to help those in need, including the elderly and disabled, living in substandard housing. In an effort to raise funds for WARM, the United Methodist Church will host a Pancake Breakfast at their Family Life Center at 4008 South College Road from 7:30 – 11:00 am this Saturday, November 14th. Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased at the door.

For more information visit WARM’s website!

Brunswick County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages everyone this Veterans Day to send a personalized e-card to a veteran. You can chose to send one to a particular veteran or service member, or an anonymous hospitalized veteran. Honor our troops today by showing a small token of support at the Paralyzed Veterans of America website!

The Paralyzed Veterans of America Mission Statement

The Paralyzed Veterans of America, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946, has developed a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of our members—veterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.

Paralyzed Veterans will use that expertise to be the leading advocate for:

To enable PVA to continue to honor this commitment, we must recruit and retain members who have the experience, energy, dedication, and passion necessary to manage the organization and ensure adequate resources to sustain the programs essential for PVA to achieve its mission.

Jacksonville, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes’ LEED Platinum home was recently featured on the cover of Cape Fear’s Going Green magazine. The issue also included a re-cap of the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance’s 5th Annual Solar and Green Building Tour, which Mark Johnson Custom Homes’ LEED Platinum home in Wilmington, NC was featured in. Below is the complete article and for more information, visit Going Green’s website!