From Houzz to House
Do you ever see a picture on Pinterest or Houzz and think that’s it! That is what I want my _______ (insert here) to look like. These websites are a blast to look at (oh the hours I could spend) …
Investor Series Part 2: Deciding Where To Build
One of the most critical decisions you’ll make when building on spec is where you want to build. I find that most of our investors tend to build where they live. And that makes sense. They already know the area, …
Timing Is Everything
How many times have you been the victim of poor timing? Maybe it’s hitting the morning commute at just the wrong time. Or missing a flight. Or burning dinner. Timing in our busy lives has become so important. In building …
Investor Series Part 1: Deciding to Build On Spec
Have you ever considered building a home on spec? It is hard to drive around northern Virginia and not notice all of the new building going on around us. And with all of the “flip” shows on TV, real estate …
Guest Post: When Site Work Costs Go Wrong
How much will my site work cost? I get this question a lot and it isn’t always easy to answer. Many of the sites we manage for our clients and most of the sites managed by our clients are fairly …
Guest Post: Doing Your Own Site Management
Have you been trying to decide whether to manage your own site development? Most of our clients decide to manage it themselves. In fact, we only manage about 30% of our client sites. And when it comes to managing your …
What Does $XX Per Square Foot Buy Me?
I’m asked this all the time. People have a hard time believing we can build a house (with indoor plumbing) for less than $100/square foot. Much less actually. Our top three sellers in 2014 are all priced under $100/square foot. …
Building Your Own Custom Home Series, Part XXV, Final Stage
How in the world is this house going to be ready (on time)? This is often a question that comes to mind as I’m touring a home in the final phase of construction. It’s quite remarkable all of the things …
Building Your Own Custom Home Series Part XXIV: Prepping the Site for Completion
As the construction of Great Falls Street (GFS) comes to a close, there are some things we need to get done on the site. We’ve established final grade around the house. We’ve prepped the lead walk, driveway apron, and sidewalk …
Building Your Own Custom Home Series, Part XVIII: Cabinetry, Seeing Your Selections in 3D!
One of the most exciting moments while building a custom home is finally seeing your selections installed in your home. Color selections are made months in advance of actually installing them. I made the selections for this house back in …