All Entries in the "General" Category
Bullet Tools EZ Shear – Flooring, Laminate, and Siding Cutter
I had the opportunity to watch a live demonstration of the Bullet Tools EZ Shear this week. This product demonstrated its ability to slice through construction materials like butter. In the demonstration done for us at McCabe Lumber, the main focus was the tools ability to cut cement board siding and trim. All I can [...]
Mortgage rates will stay between 5 percent and 5.25 percent for the rest of the year?
A guest post from Jennifer Ward from Sibcy Cline Realtors Projections about where credit rates will go in the next year vary widely, but most mortgage analysts think the effect of the Federal Reserve’s move away from the market won’t be dramatic. FTN Financial Capital Markets predict that mortgage rates will stay between 5 percent [...]
Green Homes Face A Red Light
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Lots of people, especially those trying to battle high utility bills, believe in energy-efficient homebuilding. But there’s something holding green technology back: It simply costs more to include it than it adds to resale value. Appraisals for newly built green homes do not fully reflect the cost of green technology, and [...]
Angie’s List: Most stay in homes, spend on improvements in 2010
Tampa, FL — According to a recent nationwide poll of Angie’s List members, 87 percent of respondents have plans for a home improvement project in 2010 and they plan to spend an average of 4.8 percent of their home’s value doing it. “This optimism might surprise some given the state of the economy in the past year, [...]
McCabe Lumber has an incredible showroom
I had the opportunity to visit a Cincinnati lumber dealer, McCabe Lumber, that has one of the most impressive showrooms I’ve ever seen. They have even built a real house inside the showroom to show off featured products. The vast amount of displays allows the homeowner to start dreaming about the finished product. Equally impressive [...]
Home Buyer Tax Credit, New NOL Rules Signed Into Law
In a major victory for NAHB that will boost the fledgling housing recovery and help struggling business owners nationwide, Congress last week approved legislation that will extend the first-time home buyer tax credit beyond its Nov. 30 deadline and expand it to a wider group of home buyers. The bill also provides relief to cash-strapped [...]
Housing Not Out of the Woods Despite Growing Economy
I just read this article in the NAHB news letter and think anyone in the building industry should take a look and see what we might expect. Here is an excerpt from the article. “Housing could improve faster than is generally expected, or it could hobble along without reaching healthy levels until far into 2011. [...]
Will The Home Buyer Tax Credit Be Extended?
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 [...]
Toilet For Two – You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Me
Okay………..who in the world comes up with this stuff. I like my privacy and there’s no way I would use this product. The TwoDaLoo is billed as the world’s first toilet two people can use … at the exact same time. It brings couples closer together and conserves our water supply all with one flush. [...]
Grand Rapids Fall Parade of Homes 2009
15th Anniversary Fall Parade of HomesSM September 25 through October 10 1-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays The Fall Parade will feature 17 different homes on this year’s tour. Homes are located in many communities, including Ada, Byron Center, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Jenison, Rockford and Wyoming. They range from $100,000 to [...]
DeWalt Heavy Duty 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Top Handle Jig Saw
DEWALT DC330K Heavy-Duty 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Top Handle Jig Saw Kit comes with an all-metal lever-action keyless blade change for quick and easy blade changes. This saw’s all-metal keyless shoe bevel features detents at 0-, 15-, 30- and 45-degrees for versatility and easy bevel cutting. Also included is a 4-position orbital action for added control [...]
Leed Certified Homes For The Average Family
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.
Contractor Credential Registry
I realize in Michigan that contractors are required to have a builders license to perform work, but wonder if Pennsylvania’s Attorney General isn’t on to something here. Michigan has a bunch of people out of work and I believe that many of these workers turn to contracting in tough times. I think the information that [...]
Little Giant Ladder
Little Giant 250-Pound Duty Rating Ladder System with Work Platform Little Giant multipurpose type 1 ladder system with work platform and 250-pound duty rating Works on uneven surfaces, stairs, ramps, curbs, and docks Extension ranges from 9- to 15-feet and stepladder ranges from 4- to 7-feet Separates into two scaffold trestles Weighs only 32 pounds [...]
Support the 2009 Holland Parade of Homes
The 2009 (Holland) West Michigan Lakeshore Parade of Homes begins tonight. I would like to personally thank the builders and local non-profits who have entered the parade this year in what continues to be tough economic times. I encourage everyone to go out and support these businesses. Businesses like these are what brings our area [...]
2009 Holland Parade of Homes
Looking for something to do this weekend? You can come out to the West Michigan Lakeshore Parade of Homes. I have looked through the Parade book and it looks like we’re in for another great year of beautiful homes. You can visit Mark Phillips Design and see what he has drawn this year for Baumann [...]
No more Mosquitoes in your yard
I have a terrible mosquito problem this year and think I may have found the answer to my problems. I hope my neighbor doesn’t buy one and run them back my way. The Mosquito Mister bills itself as “the fastest way to clear your yard of mosquitoes.” Anytime of day or night, you’re never more [...]
11 Must See Green Building Products
I’m not going to try and tell you I know all about the green movement, but I do believe we should try and recycle everything we possible can, to prolong the existence of planet Earth. I ran across this blog post from The Daily Green (Funny Name) the other day that I wanted to share [...]
