Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

As both a proud member of the National Association of Home Builder and a Green home builder, Wilmington, NC luxury home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share with our readers a recent press release from the NAHB. Below is the complete press release on “Project ReEnergize”, a program that was addressed at the NAHB’s International Builders’ Show aimed to generate Green jobs and weatherize homes.

“January 21, 2010 – A weatherization program that created jobs while it made homes more energy-efficient worked in Minnesota – and can be one model for successful programs in other states.

A remodeler, a window manufacturer and the executive officer for the Builders Association of Minnesota explained how ‘Project ReEnergize’ worked during a press conference on Wednesday at the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show.

As part of its economic stimulus package, the Obama Administration made money available to state agencies for the purpose of weatherizing homes and generating jobs.

When some Minnesota agencies could not disburse the funding quickly enough, the state turned to the home builders association, which quickly trained and certified contractors and insulation installers to make improvements to 1,400 homes, said Pam Perri Weaver, BAMN’s executive officer.

Consumers were eligible for rebates when they hired certified contractors to replace windows, but they received even more money if their home’s insulation was upgraded as well. That was an important incentive because it’s hard to convince home owners to make improvements that in the end, they can’t see, said Minnesota remodeler Shawn Nelson, a Project ReEnergize participant. ‘Air sealing is not a visual upgrade,’ he said.

About 90 percent of the windows in today’s homes are older, single-pane glass styles – much less efficient than modern double-pane, triple-pane and argon-filled products, noted Maureen McDonough of Andersen Windows. A new federal energy-efficiency tax credit and supplying windows for Project ReEnergize contractors were important factors in enabling the manufacturer to call back 600 employees who had been laid off, she added.

Participating home owners had no income limits, but the homes could be no larger than 3,000 square feet and had to be built before the year 2000, when more stringent state energy codes were mandated. The average size of each home was 1,800 square feet and the average age was about 45 years old, Weaver said.

The home builders association stands ready to funnel more money to consumers to make upgrades should additional federal funding become available. ‘We have a list of people who are waiting,’ because most consumers are unwilling to make the upgrades without the financial incentives, Nelson said.”

Courtesy of: www.nahb.org

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

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

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.

Wilmington, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from BankRate.com’s Paul Bomberger with tips on how to approach remodeling your home without a home equity loan. Bomberger addressed the points below as well as pointing out that almost one-third of the country’s homeowners have near negative equity on their home. To read the complete article, click here!  

• Personal savings
• Credit cards
• Hold a garage or yard sale
• Sweat equity
• Borrowing from family

Last year we shared with our readers an article from the World Floor Covering Association on how to care for your pre-finished hardwood floors. Now Wilmington, NC luxury home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share the WFCA’s reasoning for opting for hardwood or bamboo flooring, complete with links to more of their helpful articles. Visit www.WFCA.org for more information on all flooring options!

Why hardwood?

It’s not hard to answer. This flooring product offers many features and benefits to the home. And, perhaps, to your home.

Come along and let’s find out! Read more to learn if hardwood is the flooring solution for the way you live. Hardwood certainly answers the need for beauty in your home.

The elegant look of a hardwood floor can add warmth and character to any room. In fact, the natural characteristics of wood add depth and a visual appearance that many other types of floors try to duplicate.

Rich, inviting hardwood floors are not only beautiful to live with, they can also add value to your home at resale time. Plus, today, hardwood types, options and applications are more diverse and delightful than ever.

As the consumer demand for hardwood floors has grown so has the manufacturer’s ability to produce better quality finishes and superior construction techniques.

The result of those advancements is that wood floors can now be installed throughout the home and over a wide variety of subfloors.

Why bamboo?

The answer is easy, exciting and environmental. Unlike hardwood, bamboo is not a product of trees, it’s a fast growing grass.

Bamboo can grow from sprouts to harvesting in three to five years, thus an acre of bamboo can provide more flooring than an acre of trees.

When bamboo shoots are cut the roots remain intact and fresh new sprouts grow in their place.

The dense root mass of bamboo helps prevent soil erosion and provides a viable crop opportunity in hilly acres where other crops cannot grow.

The species used for flooring is harvested from selected groves in Southern China. And, good news — this species is not eaten by Pandas.

Bamboo can be an attractive alternative to hardwood because it is eco-friendly, is dimensionally stable, 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard Maple, can either be nailed-down, glued-down or floated, and it’s resistant to flammability.

Bamboo flooring comes in planks and is installed just like engineered hardwood floors. These floors can be installed over many different types of subfloors.

If you think wood rules, we invite you to come explore the other sections on beautifying your home with hardwood.

Wilmington, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from the Wilmington Star News’ “Master Gardener” series on how to protect your plants during the cold winter months. Below is their coverage on how to avoid damage to your plants and to read how to provide extra protection for your plant containers, knowing your hardiness zone and determining how much damage may have been done to your plants click here!

“Pruning plants in late summer or early fall can make them more susceptible to winter injury because the new growth that results in response to pruning does not have enough time to prepare for winter. For this reason do not prune woody plants after midsummer, to ensure their new growth has enough time to harden off for winter. Applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers in fall or winter can also increase winter damage by encouraging tender new growth. Avoid putting out nitrogen fertilizers after late summer to reduce the possibility of winter damage. Also, do not apply nitrogen to lawns and landscapes too early in the spring. Slow-release fertilizers can be applied to landscape beds in March, but gardeners should wait until mid-April before fertilizing lawns.

Other nutrients help increase plants’ cold hardiness, particularly potassium, which is often referred to as potash. To find out if your soil is low in potassium, submit a soil sample to your local Cooperative Extension office for testing. Soil testing is free to N.C. residents and is the only way to accurately know which nutrients your soil needs. Potassium applied during the spring and summer will help plants survive winter.”

Learn more

If you have questions about protecting your plants from winter injury or how to help them recover, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. In Pender County, call 259-1235 or visit online at http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu and post your questions using the “Ask an Expert” widget.”

Wilmington, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages those in the area to take advantage of FREE ADMISSION to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, NC. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day the Fort Fisher aquarium will waive all admission fees on January 18, 2010. Exhibit gallery highlights include alligators, sea stars, stingrays, sea turtles, clownfish and a rare albino alligator! For more information, visit their website!