A home is constructed of thousands of parts with the involvement of hundreds of people. We thought a Homeowners Manual that outlines the processes from beginning to end would be a good idea, so did our customers.
John
VisitAbility in our homes
January 7th, 2012VisitAbility is an international movement promoting safety and flexibility through smart residential construction design. Objectives are to provide for basic access and extra space for the home’s residents or visitors with physical disabilities.
Several features of VisitAbility design are;
At least one No-Step Entrance- This is for ease and safety when laden with bundles, moving furniture, opening doors or providing access to individuals with mobility difficulties or limitations.
A Bath or Powder Room on the First Floor which can accommodate wheelchairs or walkers.
Wide entrance and interior doorways with wider hallways for ease of access.
Go to http://www.visitabilitypa.com/builders.php4 for more information on this subject.
When planning your new home or considering renovations or additions to your existing home, you’ll find that these ideas add little to no additional costs, if planned and designed before you begin building.
Thoughts of Home Design
December 20th, 2011Liberty Homes of the Pocono Mountains is finishing, what has proved to be, a very good year. Vacation homes and people looking to retire but remain active have been a steady market.
Liberty did concentrate on ranch homes or styles that featured at least a first floor bedroom. This meant that the new home buyer would not have to relocate or perform major renovations to accommodate any future mobility or aging issues, for themselves, family or friends.
Liberty Homes also sought the advice of architect Sarah Susanka. In her book, “The Not So Big House”, Ms. Susanka advises home buyers and builders to design homes “with each space in use every day”. Following this line of thought allowed us to build without wasting so much space. It also allowed “right sizing homes” while adding the details that our customers found most important to them.
If you are interested in building or remodeling, I suggest to visit Sarah Susanka’s website for some helpful and interesting information. http://www.susanka.com/
Thanks for reading,
john
Mortgage rate article in Wall Street Journal
June 13th, 2011By DREW FITZGERALD
Home mortgage rates fell again to a fresh 2011 low as a week of downbeat jobs data fueled concerns over a possible economic slowdown this year, according to the latest survey from Freddie Mac.
The decline in fixed rates represented the eighth-straight weekly fall and comes after the Bureau of Labor Statistics this week said employers added far fewer private-sector jobs than expected.
“The housing market continues to be fragile across the nation as well,” Freddie chief economist Frank Nothaft said, with Federal Reserve data released Wednesday showing weak sales and prices in most districts.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.49% in the week ended Thursday, down from 4.55% the prior week and last year’s 4.72% average. Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 3.68% from 3.74% the previous week and 4.17% a year earlier.
Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 3.28%, from 3.41% last week and 3.91% a year earlier. One-year Treasury-indexed ARM rates decreased to 2.95%, from 3.13% the prior week and 3.91% a year earlier.
To obtain the rates, fixed-rate borrowers required an average payment of 0.7 point, while the adjustable-rate mortgages required a 0.5 point payment. A point is 1% of the mortgage amount, charged as prepaid interest.
Write to Drew FitzGerald at andrew.fitzgerald@dowjones.com
What do Baby Boomers want in that new home?
February 8th, 2011It’s Time For A New Home, Dear!
That’s might be what your spouse is telling you, especially if you are baby-boomers.
Did you know that “boomers” are the leading home buyers now? It’s true, according to the National
Association of Home Builders and Liberty Homes is right on the trend.
So what do boomers want in a home? For one, a nice home office so that they can keep their hands in their career in the comfort of their own home is one of the biggest requests. Most people are now working beyond age 65.
Another often requested feature is better lighting. More windows and extra lighting features can quickly accommodate this request. One floor living, or first floor bedrooms and bathrooms fit the needs of this group of housing
buyers. At Liberty Homes, we have several innovative floor models that meet this important requirement. Check out the Arden, the Jellico or the Newport models.
All floor plans can be adapted to your specific requests. We are ready and willing to roll up our sleeves at Liberty Homes to build you the home you want.
Recently the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has awarded Liberty Homes a citation of honor for its growth and use of best practices, as part of the Team Pennsylvania Foundation.
Let us build the home of your dreams to fit your needs now!
Fire Sprinklers Now Required in New Homes
December 1st, 2010A new state law requires the installation of sprinklers in all new single-family homes and duplexes starting in the new year. The state adopted the construction code regulations late 2009. Under the provisions, builders are mandated to install sprinkler systems in all new residential construction as of Jan. 1, 2011.
If permits are applied for before January, December 31, 2010 at the latest, they don’t need sprinklers. Any pending projects must therefore have their applications for permits in or will otherwise incur additional costs.
The sprinklers are heat-activated and only those closest to a fire spray. They put out about 15 gallons of water per minute, 10 times less than a fire hose. Malfunctions are uncommon and designs can be aesthetically pleasing.
However, for those thinking of starting a new home without wanting to incur any additional costs, now is the time to talk to a Liberty Homes agent.
Build a new home or buy an existing?
November 20th, 2010Why buy a home in this market at all, let alone decide between new and used.
Though the housing market is slow, people are still buying homes in the Poconos and Northeast Pennsylvania. And with the number of houses on the resale market, we at Liberty Homes are still building new homes for our clients, though not near as many as we have in the past 3 years.
We asked our owners why they built as opposed to buying resales and foreclosures, some at very low prices. The overwhelming answer was that they wanted this home to be specific to their lifestyle. Other reasons included not wanting a used house; the age and efficiency; the repairs and renovations needed to bring it close to their desires. As for foreclosures, the reports of improper paperwork and procedures questions the validity of accurate real estate transactions; much too uncertainty in this economic atmosphere.
Let me state here that many of our recent clients are building their retirement home. These homes are not necessarily small, but are smaller than their present or previous residences. Clients are looking for comfort, maintenance free and more energy efficient.
The Not So Big House, one of nine books authored by Sarah Susanka, was a revelation to me and others that do not see a home as “quantity instead of quality”, as stated by Ms. Susanka.
If contemplating or even just dreaming, let me know if you would rather build a new home or find something already on the market.
John Holahan
Liberty Homes
Pocono Mountains
Pocono Halloween Activities
October 20th, 2010Whether you have children or an empty nest, there are several activities that are spook-tacular this Halloween. Take a look below for all the fun in the Poconos.
The Crossings Premium Outlets will celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 29, 2010. Children ages 12 and under are welcome to trick or treat at participating stores (those displaying pumpkin signs in their windows). Trick or treating runs from 4 to 7pm.
Let the night unfold at the Artful Pumpkin Storytelling Dinner on October 30th. Embrace visions of skillfully crafted pumpkins, listen old-fashioned poems, prose, and ballads and tap along to the sounds of “Two Steps Back,” an old-fashioned string band. The cost is $58 per person. The gathering is hosted by The Settlers Inn at Bingham Park in Hawley and begins at 6:30pm with dinner at 7pm. Reservations required; please call (570) 226-2993.
Mount Airy Casino Resort is hosting a Hollywood Halloween Party. Walk the red carpet and win great prizes in the celebrity look-alike contest. Enjoy Bacardi Torched Cherry drink specials, including Bloody-tinis and Monster Mojitos. The party starts October 30th at 9pm.
Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry presents Peec-A-Boo, a non-scary, family-oriented Halloween trail. Families will be guided down a short trail and will stop at activity stations. The cost is $5 per child; no charge for adults. Snacks will be available for purchase. Peec-A-Boo will be held from 4-7pm on October 30th. Please call (570) 828-2319 to pre-register for trail time.