What unique times we are living in! I don’t intend to discuss the financial mess our country is in and how it is affecting us all. My wife routinely kicks me under the table if I go off on a "politics rampage." So, I will simply discuss how current events affect the housing market.

The Cap and Trade bill which has already been passed by the House of Representatives will have a huge effect on our industry if passed by the Senate and signed into law. Building codes have always been a local and state issue. If finalized, Cap and Trade will mandate that the federal government take control and the entire country will be forced to adopt California building codes. It will raise new home construction cost anywhere from 10% to 20% immediately and possibly much more as the feds continue to gain control.

The national deficit has exploded since the first of the year. I see several indications that the dollar will weaken even more as congress enacts more budget busting programs. The printing presses are running over-time! Many economists are predicting that inflation will start setting in next year.

In spite of all of the above, life goes on. We at Jim Beard Homes have adapted to the new realities by developing programs to give you maximum "bang for the buck" in your new home. We are pleased to say we are busy building new homes!

We begin by guiding you through the plan process to achieve the "look" and "space" you desire while giving you maximum energy efficiency and keeping you on budget. After the plans are developed, we price your home using our "value engineered quote". We provide you with a highly detailed specification sheet and a quote sheet that prices the plans as drawn and additionally provides several alternatives to save cost that you may want to consider.

Once we start construction on your home you will find us to be an extremely thorough custom builder. Patti and Lee personally take you to various suppliers to pick out items such as windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, cabinets, tile, hardwood and carpet. We also introduce you to any sub contractors you may want to talk with such as HVAC (heating & cooling), electrical and plumbing contractors. We are prepared to help you with geo-thermal systems, solar panels, tank-less hot water heaters, and any other energy saving system you may have an interest in.

As your home is being built, you will be kept informed as to how well you are staying on budget. You are given a detailed report each month so that there are no surprises and that the entire process is both educational and FUN!

To sum it all up, folks will continue to build new homes. We are seeing, though, that they are more conscious about what they build and take every opportunity to make their new home one that has long term appeal while maintaining maximum energy efficiency.

In other words, you want it done right the first time. We at Jim Beard Homes have a history of building homes that fulfill our client’s requirements for style and energy efficiency. We look forward to working with you on your new home!

Happy reading!

Jim Beard