It is a tough time to be a home builder or subcontractor these days with new home construction in Southwest Florida at a near-standstill.
In North Port, it is at a complete halt: As the Herald-Tribune's John Davis found out, no new home permits were issued in North Port during July.
Davis also noted that construction in Sarasota County was at a 20-year low in 2008, with $318 million worth compared to $2 billion worth just before the boom went bust in 2006. In Manatee County, building for the first seven months of this year was down 36 percent compared with the same time frame last year.
Things have gotten so bad that the area two builders' groups recently merged into one to swell the new organization's ranks.
In April, the Home Builders Association of Manatee County and the Sarasota Building Industry Association merged into the the Home Builders Association of Manatee-Sarasota with about 600 members.
Membership in the Florida Home Builders Association, which is included with membership in the regional groups, dropped from roughly 22,000 at the height of the housing boom in summer 2005 to about 14,000 now.
So against that backdrop, it is nice to be able to report some positive news about some local builders and of an incentive plan to protect people who buy new homes against a decline in value.
Local builders garner industry awards
Self-billed as the "Grammys of the Home Building Industry," a pair of local builders garnered several Aurora Awards at the recent 2009 Southeast Building Conference in Orlando.
Manatee County's Neal Communities took home three awards for a pair of models in River Sound, one for company's Lake Cottage model, which ranges from 947- to 1648-square-feet, and two for the 1,200-square-foot Rose Cottage design.
"This is important recognition for our company and the many professionals who work with us," builder Pat Neal said in a statement.
Lakewood Ranch's John Cannon Homes won two awards, one for the Kaleeya, a 5,164-square-foot model home located in Rive Isle in Parrish and another for the Brisbane, a 4,287-square-foot model home in Antigua Cove in Ruskin.
The awards recognize excellence in several categories of construction by home builders, remodelers, commercial complexes and in architectural design.
"The Aurora Awards are the Grammys of the home building profession," Stephanie Henley, the chairwomen of this year's contest, said in a statement.
"The Aurora symbolizes tremendous achievement, honor and distinction among building industry professionals."
Builder offers money back if new home loses value
Called "Total Assurance," the guarantee is designed to sell homes, of course, but also to let buyers who may be on the fence worrying about the direction of the housing market take advantage of today's low mortgage-interest rates.
"With Total Assurance we've made buying a new home easier than ever," Steve Kempton, division president for Taylor Morrison in South Florida, said in a statement. "We believe we have the best product out there and this program helps us demonstrate that to our customers."
The guarantee is available on new homes in Taylor Morrison's single-family home communities in Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples.
In this region, Taylor Morrison offers five new-home communities -- one of them starting in the $80,000s: Aberdeen and River Plantation in Parrish; Bradford Manor in Sarasota; Crystal Lakes in Palmetto and Palma Sola Trace (coach homes in that subdivision exempted) in Bradenton.
The fine print says a buyer must buy a Taylor Morrison home, live in it as their primary residence for five consecutive years, maintain it and stay current on any homeowners association dues to be eligible for the refund.
1 comment:
If you think the price is fair enough, you may pay it in full price and negotiate for a lower interest or ask for a smaller down payment. Try to maximize the opportunity so that you would have a great deal of your money.
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