Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Pender County, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from Broderick Perkins of RealtyTimes.com. Perkins examined the rising amount of homebuyers that plan to purchase a home as an investment in recent months. Below is an excerpt and to read the complete article, click here!

“More than 12 percent of homebuyers today plan to purchase a home as an investment, compared to less than half, only 5.6 percent, just seven months ago, according to a recent Move.com Homeownership Survey.

Foreclosure buyers account for 25.3 percent of consumers interested in purchasing a home and 42 percent of potential foreclosure buyers regard their purchases as investments, while 57.6 percent plan to live in the foreclosed home themselves.

‘This latest Homeownership Survey validates what many had hoped to see in the housing markets — affordable prices and ample inventories are restoring the appeal of real estate to investors while providing opportunities for first time home buyers to enter the market,’ said Move, Inc.’s chief revenue officer, Errol Samuelson.”

Brunswick County, NC home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an informative article by Custom Home Magazine’s Stephani Miller. Miller examined the investigation into the adverse health effects of drywall made in China. Below is an excerpt from her article and to read more, click here!

“Late in October 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released preliminary findings of the investigation it has been spearheading into drywall imported from China that is suspected of damaging homes and affecting homeowner health around the country. CPSC has been leading the coordinated federal effort since January 2009, tracking complaints from homeowners, conducting interviews and field measurements in homes, performing tests on samples taken from affected homes, and tracking the provenance of the defective drywall boards to locate their source. To date, 1,900 complaints of “rotten-egg” smells and corrosion of metal components and mechanical systems in homes, as well as asthma-like symptoms, headaches, and bloody noses, have been lodged with the CPSC from residents in 30 states. Most of the complaints have come from homeowners in Florida and Louisiana, likely due to the massive rebuilding of homes following hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

According to the preliminary findings of CPSC’s elemental and chemical testing, higher levels of two elements—sulfur and strontium—have been found in certain Chinese-made drywall products than in drywall manufactured elsewhere. More testing is being conducted to determine the relationship between the elevated levels of these elements and reported health symptoms or corrosion in homes, however, researchers have determined that the levels of strontium present in samples were not high enough to impact human health. Chamber studies conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to detect chemicals emitted from drywall also determined that the Chinese-made drywall in question emits higher levels of volatile sulfur gases than drywall manufactured elsewhere. Further testing continues, including exposure and risk assessments.”

Landfall custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to introduce our readers to the 800 Plus series from Bosch Appliances. The 800 Plus series uses 1.5 gallons of water per cycle—70 percent less than the average dishwasher—with energy and sound efficiencies of 180 kilowatt-hours per year and 40 decibels, respectively. Its triple-filtration system removes debris and small particles, and an improved sensor recognizes the quantity and type of dishes loaded, automatically adjusting water consumption levels to provide the best washing results. For more information, visit Bosch Home Appliances’ website!

New Hanover County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share that Wilmington will host an antique show this month. WECT reporter Bob Townsend posted the following article today and stay tuned to WECT for more information on the antique show that will come to downtown Wilmington!

“WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – While the beach draws visitors to southeastern North Carolina when it’s warm, the cold month of January brings in people looking for treasure.

A huge antique show will take place in Wilmington at the end of the month, but the antique business is prominent in the area year round.

Wilmington’s history dates back into the sixteen hundreds, but it is antique items much older than that which brings many antique lovers into the port city.

Most of the city’s antique dealers had their shops on Front Street for many years, but many have moved out of the downtown area, to just a few blocks away, here on Castle Street, and have transformed that part of the city into a true antique district.

In all, there are about 20 antique stores spread across Wilmington with about 250 thousand square feet of display area. 

Each has it’s own special niche, some specializing in large furniture items and other in small trinkets. Moore says right now, he is seeing a lot of customers looking for the small collectibles.

Bettie Biggagi has been in the antique business for years, mostly in New Hampshire, where she ran a collectible business and small store. She feels the antique business in the South is far ahead of Northern States.

Whether you are looking for a small item or something bigger to fill up a room, January is a great month to buy, because store operators say they are ready to deal.”

Courtesy of: wect.com

Wilmington, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to introduce our readers to the latest in Green technology! Green Footstep is an online calculator that helps architects, designers and builders note the carbon emission reduction goals for new construction and remodels. Below is an excerpt from the Custom Homes Online article by Stephani Miller and to read more, click here!

“Green Footstep gives designers the tools to make more informed design decisions by allowing them to estimate a building’s life cycle carbon footprint. The program accounts for a project site’s intrinsic carbon storage and weighs it against the carbon emissions generated by site preparation, construction, and operation of the building. Users can see the areas in which their projects fall short of carbon reduction or energy performance goals and make changes accordingly.

‘Green Footstep allows designers to adjust design targets, such as building energy use intensity and incorporating more renewables, that will get the building out of carbon debt, edging the building closer to carbon neutrality,’ said Michael Bendewald, the Rocky Mountain Institute analyst who developed the calculator in a statement announcing the online tool.

RMI recommends designers, builders, architects, and other users employ Green Footstep for a project as early as the pre-design phase and then test multiple target design changes, as necessary, throughout the design process. Users simply input project information—including location, site characteristics, and building characteristics—and the program generates a carbon emissions building performance report.”

St. James Plantation, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share these natural pest control strategies from the Green Home Guide’s Doug Smeath. Below are the home building and design considerations for your home and to read more on nontoxic strategies and ongoing maintenance tips, click here!

“Include no wood-to-concrete connections or separate any exterior wood-to-concrete connections—such as posts, deck supports and stair stringers—with metal or plastic fasteners or dividers.

Use solid concrete foundation walls or concrete-filled block. Foundations are particularly vulnerable to many subterranean pests, include termites.

Keep all wood, such as siding and trim, at least 12 inches above soil, as opposed to the 8 inches typically required by building code.

Use a sealed-to-the-wall vapor barrier for homes with crawlspaces on the floor or beneath a concrete slab to limit moisture intrusion and a damp environment that will appeal to insects.

In areas prone to termites:

• Use non-cellulosic wall structures. That means avoid wood, straw, and other plant-based wall materials.
• Treat any cellulosic material, such as wood framing, with a borate product to a minimum of 3 feet above the foundation.
• Install a sand or diatomaceous earth barrier.
• Install a steel mesh barrier termite control system. These mesh systems are installed around pipes coming up through slab and outside walls to keep termites from finding their way through gaps.

Pender County, NC home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share that the Cape Fear Fencing Association will be hosting a North Carolina Fencing League event on January 23, 2010 in Wilmington, NC. Below is the press release from the CFFA and for more information, visit their website!

“The Cape Fear Fencing Association (CFFA) will host the North Carolina Fencing League’s (NCFL) January 23 tournament at CFFA’s Wilmington location: the lower level of St. Mary’s Tileston Gym at the corner of 5th and Ann Streets.

Established to promote the sport of fencing in high schools in North Carolina, the NCFL offers youth fencers the opportunity to compete at events around the state.  The CFFA’s primary youth team has been competing regularly at NCFL events this season, often finishing in the top-five for their events.  CFFA will be putting together additional youth teams to compete at this event as well.

On January 23 the CFFA will host youth fencers from around the state as they as they arrive to compete in the NCFL tournament.  Turnout is expected to be significant.  More than 50 individual fencers have competed at past events and this will likely be one of the largest local tournaments held.

Tournaments hosted by the Cape Fear Fencing Association are always free to the public, and spectators are encouraged to stop by for a chance to learn more about the sport It is a great opportunities to get an up-close look at a traditional Olympic sport.”

Brunswick County, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes has previously blogged on the benefits of making your home more energy efficient. One very integral step in ensuring this is to get a home energy audit. 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. CNNMoney.com’s Steve Hargreaves published an article today detailing energy audits, including what to look for in an energy contractor. Below is an excerpt and to read the complete article, click here!

“The average American home wastes a lot of energy.

A complete energy retrofit – which could include caulking and insulation as well as new windows, appliances and boiler, could slice a home’s energy consumption in half, according to Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at Natural Resources Defense Council.

But getting all that work done might run into the tens of thousands of dollars. And any new federal program – which is still being drafted and is not guaranteed to become law – would cap the government reimbursements at $12,000, said Burt.

Homeowners need not despair. There are some simple improvements that are relatively cheap and can pay for themselves quickly.

Just adding the insulation, caulking and lights might run an average homeowner $5,000 to $7,000, he said. That could shave about 30% off a home’s energy bill each month. And if the government picks up half the cost, the payback time for homeowners would be just a few years.”

New Hanover County, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share that the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has been ranked as one of Kiplinger’s “Best Values” among public universities in the nation and one of the top four in North Carolina! Below is the press release from UNCW’s Dana Fischetti and to learn more about UNCW, visit their website!

“Kiplinger’s ranks four-year schools that combine outstanding economic value with top-notch education. For 2010, UNCW is ranked 27th nationally as a ‘best value’ for in-state students and 25th for out-of-state students.

In North Carolina, Kiplinger’s ranks UNCW as the fourth best value in public education for 2010. Kiplinger’s has rated UNCW in the top 5 public universities in the state since 2003. Other UNC institutions that made this year’s rankings were UNC Chapel Hill, NC State and Appalachian State.

Of UNCW’s 15 peer institutions, which are determined by the UNC Board of Governors, 10 appear in the 2010 listing of Kiplinger’s top 100 best values in public colleges. The top four best values among UNCW’s group, comprised of public master’s institutions, are James Madison University, the College of New Jersey, Truman State University and UNCW.

Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates, as well as on cost and financial aid. The complete list is available at www.kiplinger.com.

This year, UNCW also has received top rankings from U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review. For the twelfth consecutive year, UNCW was named one of the top 10 public master’s universities in the South in the annual college rankings by U.S.News & World Report. U.S.News ranked UNCW sixth in its 2010 edition. UNCW also received the 2010 ‘Best in the Southeast’ designation by The Princeton Review.”

Wilmington, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages our readers to take advantage of all that Wilmington and the Cape Fear area has to offer! A press release from the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau outlines nearly every event, festival, sporting event and award-winning restaurant in the area and more! Click here to read the press release for more information, including details on the 63^rd Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival, the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the North Carolina Jazz Festival, Wrightsville Beach Surf Camp!