Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Previously, Landfall custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes introduced our readers to two series of Energy Star certified Bosch Appliances – the 800 Plus Series Dishwasher and Vision Washer and Dryer. Now we’d like to highlight the Evolution 800 Series Refrigerator. Complete with a door alarm to notify you if the door was accidentally left ajar, the Evolution has external temperature controls which allow you to make adjustments (such as changing the temperature, locking the icemaker, etc.) without having to open the door. This ensures the inside of your refrigerator maintains a constant temperature and keeps food fresher longer. And because it’s Energy Star Qualified you are guaranteed that it will minimize energy use and maximize efficiency, which will reduce energy bills and help protect the environment. Visit their website for more informaton on the Evolution and other energy-efficient appliances!

Energy Star Bosch Appliances were used in our LEED Platinum Green home in Wilmington, NC. Click here to watch an HD video on the home and learn about its Green features!

New Hanover County, NC home remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from the Kitchen and Bath Association emphasizing that today’s market is ideal for home remodeling projects to be done! Below is an excerpt from Victoria Hale’s article and to read more click here. If you are looking to do a home remodel or addition in New Hanover, Pender or Brunswick County, we encourage you to contact us!

“A recession provides a unique opportunity to remodel your home. Labor is cheap, commodities are 60 percent less expensive, and there’s significant promotional pricing being offered in an effort to move product. These factors, when taken together, can reduce the overall cost of the remodeling project by 25 to 30 percent. The bottom line is that there are plenty of opportunities to increase the value of your home over time.

It’s also the perfect time to include floor heating in your bath or kitchen remodeling project. Floor heating was among the top 10 features most wanted by homeowners in a 2008 study by Residential Design & Build magazine. Floor heating can be the extra feature that helps close the deal if you’re selling your home in this buyer’s market. Even if you aren’t in the market to sell your home, you can reap the daily benefits of warm floors in your kitchen or bathroom while increasing your property value. Many families congregate in the kitchen, and heated floors keep those gathered comfy and cozy. There’s also nothing like a warm bathroom floor on a chilly autumn morning to start the day off on a positive note…

Make this recession work for you by improving your home and your quality of life.”

Courtesy of: Victoria Hale, the Loyalty Marketing Manager for WarmlyYours, a radiant electric floor heating manufacturer based in Long Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. WarmlyYours has been featured on both HGTV and in the New York Times. For more information, call (800) 875-5285 or visit www.WarmlyYours.com.

Wilmington, NC builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is a proud supporter of our local businesses and encourages our readers to become a Facebook Fan of “Do It Downtown”, a site built to promote historic downtown Wilmington, NC’s events and attractions. Below is more information on Do It Downtown and click here to join their Facebook Fan Page!

Overview: DO IT DOWNTOWN’s Facebook page was started and is hosted by a group of volunteers who are passionate about the huge amount of fun and interesting things there are to DO Downtown: You can DO IT DOWNTOWN at 5 Live Theatres, 5 Cool Museums and 20 Galleries. You can DO IT DOWNTOWN on the Riverwalk, a Cruise or on Fun Tours. And you can DO IT DOWNTOWN at over 100 Unique Shops, 50 Restaurants and 20 Nightclubs. But you can’t DO IT DOWNTOWN at any Chain Stores because there aren’t any!

If you are interested in becoming a Friend of Downtown and helping us get the message out about all the cool things there are to DO Downtown we would love to have you join our efforts! Direct any questions or inquiries on this project to: Perspective Internet Marketing, Lori Lorusso, 
lori@perspectiveim.com.

Mission: To invite you to see downtown Wilmington, NC! Park First Hour FREE in the City Decks!

Products: The place to go for:

• Free Parking 1st hour in City Decks!
• 5 live theaters.
• 5 cool museums.
• 20 galleries
• 100 unique shops.
• Segway tours.
• Riverboat tours.
• 50 restaurants.
• 20 Nightclubs, etc
• ZERO chain stores

Brunswick County, NC luxury builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share the latest from the Brunswick Beacon on a new theatre in our area. Playhouse 211 is an intimate, 83-seat theatre on Southport-Supply Road and will host its first production January 22, 2010. Local plays, musical guests and foreign films are all on the horizon for the county’s latest addition. Below is an excerpt from Sarah Shew Wilson’s article and to read more from the Brunswick Beacon, click here!

“‘I’m really excited about the opportunity to bring eclectic entertainment to the area,’ [Ron] Lee said.

‘Ron has been an unbelievable help in getting the building done,’ Linda Sundman said.

She also praised his work to bring other acts to the theater.

‘The more variety, the better it is. I do think the community wants it here. It’s been a pleasure meeting all these interested people,’ she said.

Lee is quick to mention that neither his group nor Playhouse 211 are competing with Brunswick Little Theatre, based at the Odell Williamson Auditorium, nor Stage II Productions, based at the Amuzu Theater in Southport.

‘We’re just doing things that may not be right for them,’ he said. ‘We’re going to be more intimate and more avant-garde.’

Other groups, including The Winding River Players, based at Winding River Plantation, are also eager to use the new theater.”

Courtesy of: The Brunswick Beacon

St. James Plantation, NC builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share nine essential elements for a Green bathroom from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide. Lili Wright outlined the eight components below to ensure you have a safe, clean, healthy bathroom in your home and to read each in more detail, click here!

• As an alternative to vinyl flooring consider linoleum, made from wood flour, resins, and linseed oil.
• For vanities and cabinets, avoid materials like particleboard that contain formaldehyde.
• Countertops offer another opportunity to be creative.
• Consider recycled glass, ceramic, or porcelain tiles for the walls.
• Safer, green alternatives to conventional caulking are now available.
• Older toilets use as much as 5 gallons per flush (GPF), compared to new models’ 1.6 GPF.
• Consider what will flow out with the water as it leaves the bathroom.
• Effective ventilation makes for a more enjoyable and healthier bathroom.
• Designing for longevity is central to the issue of sustainability.

Landfall luxury builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes has experience with Energy Star Appliances – we used them in our Energy Star Certified home in Wilmington, NC! And we’d like to keep our readers informed on the latest developments for Energy Star windows, doors and skylights. As of January 4^th, 2010 they will need to meet new performance levels. It will still be easy to find these high-efficiency products: just look for the ENERGY STAR label. And remember, Energy Star qualified windows, doors and skylights reduce energy bills by about 7-24 percent, increase comfort, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to achieve precisely the look you’re after. For more information on the new requirements, product benefits, federal tax credits, FAQ’s and more, visit their website!