Saturday we got this forecast from the Oracle of Omaha.

[Within] a year or so residential housing problems should largely be behind us, the exceptions being only high-value houses and those in certain localities where overbuilding was particularly egregious. Prices will remain far below “bubble” levels, of course, but for every seller (or lender) hurt by this there will be a buyer who benefits. Indeed, many families that couldn’t afford to buy an appropriate home a few years ago now find it well within their means because the bubble burst.

Read the entire article

A recent White House statement on the home buyer tax credit was music to the ears of home builders and buyers who believe this valuable incentive should be extended beyond its Nov. 30 expiration date. On Oct. 5, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged that “there has been quite a bit of success” with the $8,000 tax credit, and added that President Obama is considering extending it to help strengthen the economy and create jobs.

Is this a good idea? The National Association of Home Builders thinks so in this statement. “The tax credit has clearly had a positive effect on housing demand and in the job market,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla. “We stand ready to work with President Obama and the Congress to extend and enhance the tax credit to help reduce foreclosures and excess housing inventories, to stabilize home values and to push housing and the economy on a glide path to recovery.”

This home was built on Gun Lake in Western Michigan. The windows are Jeldwen vinyl and the siding is Crane in the clay color.

Think you need to be rich to build a Leed Certified Home? This manufactured home built in Cobb County, Georgia is the first home of it’s type to get a platinum LEED certification. The builder New World Home has shown us that even manufactured homes can be built with the environment in mind.

Heated floors, glass tile and on demand hot water heaters are all things to consider in your next home. See all 10 in this interesting article.

I watched this incredible show today on the HGTV channel about log homes. The program “Amazing Log Homes” will air several more times before the end of the year. See the schedule here and make sure you catch this program. These homes are incredible. Be sure to check out the slide show.

I have felt for years now that the builders and contractors who use the minimum code to complete projects are really doing a disservice to their clients. In the last three weeks I have found a show on TLC that has a contractor that would like to change the way we construct projects and would probably like to rewrite the code books. Watch this show to see many of the failures of todays contractors.

Mike Holmes of Holmes on Homes has this to say:
“I’ve been fixing a lot of sloppy, lazy and dangerous work for the past
two decades,” says Holmes. “I think it’s time to expose the work of
these so-called contractors and help some homeowners make informed
decisions. I want to take the word ‘minimum’ out of the construction
industry and stop the slow death of craftsmanship”.

This is a great show and here is the schedule in the US.

Here is a post from a blog I read on a regular basis. I think the author gives us some good stuff to think about before trying to tackle a major home improvement project.

India’s richest man, and the fifth richest man in the world, is
building the first billion-dollar home in Mumbai. Mukesh Ambani; head
of the India-based petrochemical giant, Reliance Industries; is
constructing a 27-story skyscraper costing nearly $2 billion. Here is a link to the full story. Be sure to check out the pictures and video, this place is amazing.

Take a look at this link about a barn that was transformed into a great living space.