Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Wilmington, NC builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages those in the Cape Fear Area to attend UNC-Wilmington’s Intercultural Week (iWeek) events beginning February 15, 2010. The Office of International Programs at UNC-W will be hosting iWeek, which will culminate with the Intercultural Festival on Saturday, February 19^th, 2010. This year’s theme is “Connecting Communities through Social Justice,” and below is the week’s agenda and for detailed information on each, visit their website! All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted on UNC-W’s iWeek website.

Monday, February 15

• Around the World: All Day, residence hall lobbies
• Love in Any Language:12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, FSC, Masonboro Island Room             
• Children in the Fields: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM, FSC, Clock Tower Lounge
• The Fight for Water: 7:00 PM, Lumina Theater
• Jonathan Kozol, Joy & Justice: An Invitation to the Young to Serve the Children of the Poor: 7:00 PM, Kenan Auditorium

Tuesday, February 16

• Creating Social Justice through Latino-Serving Community Resource Centers: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, Java City, Randall Library
• Discussion of Afro-Brazilian Studies: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM, FSC, Wrightsville Beach Room
• Bilingual Dramatized Readings: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Randall Library Auditorium
• UNCW Goes on a Gender Bender: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, DeLoach Hall, 114
• Close to Home: 7:00 PM, Lumina Theater

Wednesday, February 17 

• Cultural Diversity in Harmony – Shanghai and the World Expo 2010: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, FSC, Wrightsville Beach Room
• Fulbright Scholarship Opportunities for Faculty: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, CTE/CFL Conference Room
• Who is a Battered Immigrant & What Immigration Remedies Exist in Our Community?: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, FSC, Bald Head Island Room
• Israel – Land of Many Cultures: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, FSC, Sunset Beach Room
• Delwende: Get Up and Walk!: 7:00 PM, Lumina Theater

Thursday, February 18

• African American Read-In: Activist Authors: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Java City, Randall Library            
• Friendship Bridge in Guatemala: Micro-Lending and Education to Improve the Lives of Women and Families: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, FSC, Sunset Beach Room
• Afro-Latinos – The Untaught Story: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Computer & Information Systems Hall, 1008
• Music from Around the World: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Lumina Theater               
• Prisoner of the Mountains: 7:00 PM, Randall Library Auditorium
• Friday, February 19
• US Immigration – Know Your Rights: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, FSC, Sunset Beach Room
• Social Justice and the Study Abroad Experience – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, FSC, Wrightsville Beach Room
• Ralph Bunche Awareness Presentation: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, FSC, Wrightsville Beach Room
• “We Know That if we Build a 15′ Fence, Then That’s Just a 15′ Ladder” – A Comprehensive Look at DHS Policy, Activism and Immigration on the Arizona/Mexico Border: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, FSC, Wrightsville Beach Room

Saturday, February 20

• 18th Annual Intercultural Festival: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Burney Center 
• A Grain of Sand and Becoming: 8:00 PM, Lumina Theater     

Ongoing Event: Monday, February 8 – Thursday, February 25

• Activist Authors Exhibit

Ongoing Events: Monday, February 15 – Friday, February 19

• International Cuisine at Wagoner Dining Hall      
• A Window to the World, Westside Hall Display Case

Landfall luxury home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an informative article from ConcreteNetwork.com on how to design and what elements to include for the ideal outdoor living area for your home. Below are the ways to use concrete to build your perfect outdoor space and for more information on each, click here!

“Decorative Concrete Surfaces
Start by installing stamped, stenciled or stained concrete patios and walkways to establish the basic floor plan and design scheme for your outdoor room. You can even pattern your outdoor floor with a permanent, weatherproof rug that adds visual interest and helps define dining and conversation areas.

Cooking
Something to cook with, such as a barbecue grill or wood-fired pizza oven, and countertops for food preparation and serving are key elements in a well-designed outdoor kitchen. Concrete countertops offer the advantages of weather resistance and versatility, since they can be formed into any shape you desire to suit the space. A coat of sealer will simplify cleanup by protecting your countertop from stains. Other amenities, such as concrete bartops and outdoor sinks with plumbing, can expand your entertainment options.

Hearth
Wood-burning or gas fireplaces, firepits, chimineas and portable patio heaters extend the enjoyment of outdoor living well into the evening while creating a cozy conversation area for people to gather around.

Furniture
No outdoor room is complete without ample furniture for dining and lounging. Attractive high-quality outdoor furniture also provides a smooth transition from the indoors to the outdoors and helps define the space as an extension of your home. Concrete seat walls and cast concrete couches or chaises, softened with pillows or cushions, can be used as permanent, weatherproof outdoor seating.

Water features
If space and budget allow, installing a concrete swimming pool, spa, waterfall or pond can provide beauty, relaxation and tranquil sounds.

Architectural accents
Add elegance and character to your outdoor room with decorative details such as concrete statuary, fountains, landscape borders and cast stone columns.

Lighting
Use pathway and landscape lighting to add ambience, accentuate key architectural features, and extend outdoor enjoyment well into the evening.”

Information and Photo Courtesy of: ConcreteNetwork.com

St. James Plantation, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages our readers to view recently uploaded photos of our projects, both past and present, on our Flickr and Facebook Fan pages. View our Photo Sets on Flickr, including our luxury homes in Wilmington and Hampstead, NC. And become a Facebook Fan of Mark Johnson Custom Homes to not only view photos, including our LEED Platinum Green home in Landfall, but keep up with the latest Mark Johnson Custom Homes news!

For more detailed information on these homes and available lots in Wilmington, NC visit our Inventory Page!

New Hanover County, NC luxury home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share a press release from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and MetLife Mature Market Institute. A survey conducted by the organizations found interesting data on the housing preferences between 55-to-64 year olds and the 65+ age group. Below is an excerpt from the article and to read more, click here!

“The data uncovered a strong similarity in housing preferences between the two groups, with a few exceptions. The younger age group showed more interest in technology-heavy features, while the older group expressed a stronger preference for a single-story floor plan or one with a first-floor master bedroom, and a variety of universal design features.

One striking difference, according to John Migliaccio, director of research at MetLife’s Mature Market Institute, related to the desire for home services and community services.

‘Very telling,’ said Migliaccio, ‘is that the younger group of mature consumers reported enthusiastically that they want services like home maintenance and repair as part of their next home purchase, along with services typically connected to older homeowners, such as housekeeping, onsite health care and transportation,’ noted Migliaccio.

According to Migliaccio, all of the aforementioned were ranked higher than the desire for organized social activities – a surprise, inasmuch as social activities and amenities have been thought to be valued quite highly by this group. This finding, he said, supports an emerging trend among builders to look for ways to partner with providers of such services to the residents of their active adult/lifestyle communities.”

Courtesy of: HousingZone.com

Wilmington, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share our most recent client testimonial from Mr. and Mrs. Jim Edens. Our award-winning customer service stems from exceeding client expectations and we are excited to share with you what our latest clients had to say about the Mark Johnson Custom Homes building experience! Click here to read what other clients have said about Mark Johnson Custom Homes!

New Homeowner Survey

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

We enjoyed working with your staff very much. Also, your subcontractors were very willing to work with us.

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

Yes. Quality materials, subcontractors and a willingness on everyone’s part to work with us was always Mark’s biggest concern.

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

Five. None

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:

“Beverly and I have enjoyed the total process from design, estimating, construction,(Mark was very receptive to changes made during the construction) and the punchlist process. We have shared this testimonial with our friends and prospective home building clients in the past and are happy to do it now per your request. Again,we were very pleased with Mark Johnson Custom Homes on this project.” – Jim Edens

Brunswick County, NC builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes introduced our readers to the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry last year and encourage those in the area to help them in their fundraising and volunteer efforts. WARM will be having a Pancake Breakfast next month to raise money and hope you can attend!

WARM volunteers repair an average of five homes per month for those in need, including the elderly, in our area. Locations and schedules change frequently and volunteers are always needed. For more information, call 910.399.7563 or visit their website!

Wilmington, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes aims and exceeds customer expectations both during and after the home building process. And an important part of offering award-winning customer service is being aware of current trends in the home building industry. An article from MarketWatch outlined the five trends below to be on the lookout for in 2010 and to read more, click here!

The live-in kitchen.

Living within our means.

The Green kitchen.

The wellness kitchen.

Cooking for fun.

Pender County, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share a recent article from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide. The Green Home Guide Staff detailed the environmental benefits and impacts of Green insulation and explained the pros and cons of each type of insulation. Below are their findings on cellulose insulation and to read more on cotton, fiberglass, foam, polyisocyanurate (polyiso), polystyrene and polyurethane, click here!

“Cellulose insulation is made primarily from recycled paper. About 75 percent of the material used to make cellulose insulation is post-consumer waste paper, giving it the highest average recycled content of all insulation types. The manufacture of cellulose insulation involves a fraction of the energy use and pollution required to make mineral wool and fiberglass insulation. Additionally, scrap cellulose generated during installation can be reused, cutting down on waste.

Cellulose insulation has no significant effect on indoor air quality. Offgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contained in ink on newspaper waste in cellulose insulation is not a health concern, since some ink is removed while recycling paper into pulp and much of the ink used is vegetable based. The amount of boron used as a flame retardant in cellulose is harmful only if ingested.

Cellulose insulation is blown into wall and ceiling cavities as well as onto attic surfaces, though to stick to attic ceilings it must be held in by netting or sprayed on wet with an acrylic binder to prevent settling. Like all sprayed or blown insulations, it can be installed into wall cavities through a series of small holes drilled in the wall, causing minimal disturbance during remodeling. It is not suitable for application below grade (below or at the perimeter of the foundation) or in other locations where it would be exposed to moisture.

Cellulose can absorb moisture, decreasing its R-value over time, and if it is exposed to moisture for long periods it will rot and grow mold. In some instances a vapor barrier should be installed once the insulation has fully dried (typically in two weeks) to prevent moisture from reaching the insulation. Good sources of information on construction practices that minimize moisture problems are the climate-specific Builder’s Guides available from the Energy and Environmental Building Association.

Loose-fill cellulose typically costs 25 percent less than fiberglass, though installation may be more expensive. Proper installation is important to prevent undue settling. Wet-spray or dense-pack installations are typically more expensive than fiberglass installation. However, installing cellulose installation with these methods is extremely airtight, so the nominal (rated) R-values are more commonly achieved than with fiberglass batts.”

Landfall custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages those in the area this Valentine’s Day to take advantage of all that the Cape Fear area has to offer! The Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau released a press release this morning detailing how you can celebrate in the Wilmington, NC area. Below is a list and for more information, click here!

• 30th ANNUAL N.C. JAZZ FESTIVAL
• 8th ANNUAL WILMINGTON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
• HOLD-YOUR-HONEY-TIGHT HAUNTED TOURS
• VALENTINE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDE.
• SWEETHEART CRUISES ABOARD THE HENRIETTA III
• WILMINGTON GARDEN SHOW
• BIRDING TOUR
• THAT’S A MORAY! VALENTINE DINNER
• 60th ANNUAL CAMELLIA SHOW & SALE

St. James Plantation, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes, a proud member of the National Association of Home Builders, would like to share a recent press release from the NAHB. Two condominiums in Tennessee have received the first multifamily certification from the National Green Building Standard, the Green certification for homes from the NAHB Research Center. Below is an excerpt from their press release and to read more click here. And to learn more about the eco-friendly features of our Green home in Wilmington, NC, watch our HD video!

“The bronze-level certification was awarded to the first two buildings completed in the Park Run community at McKay’s Mill in Franklin, Tenn. When completed, the development will comprise 23 buildings for a total of 92 condominium homes. The Jones Company, a top-100 single-family builder, also has certified dozens of single-family green homes.

‘Green certification has value to all home owners, both single-family and multifamily,’ said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a builder and developers from Tulsa, Okla. ‘Growing numbers of today’s home buyers want the benefits of a home that’s built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind.’

The National Green Building Standard is a scoring tool and certification protocol that assures projects have met stringent benchmarks in energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and lot and site design. In addition, the builder must provide education and a manual for home owners to help ensure the home is operated and maintained to retain its green advantages.”