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My refinancing revelations
by Rob Heselbarth - Thursday May 24, 2012
It’s a rare day that something truly shocking happens. Last month, I was shocked. My wife and I are going through the process of refinancing our mortgage, and one day in May we received a call from the bank with the results of our appraisal. I wish we missed that call. We expected a low number, but not this low. Zillow.com is way, way off the mark. Not even close, really. Equally as significant as the low home value was the number of foreclosed or distressed homes in my neighborhood. I’ve known that Illinois has had one of the highest rates of foreclosure in the country, but when reality hits so close to home, like I said, it’s shocking. Aside from realizing how depressed my local housing market is, another realization was how the... -
Are you LinkedIn and linked up?
by Bonnie Pickartz - Thursday May 17, 2012
Social media can be a bit overwhelming. You're working hard to stay afloat. You've reinvented your business by adding new products and services. You spend more time working on proposals, beating the bushes to keep work in the pipeline, and trying to do more with less staff. And now you hear that you should be more active in social media. Well, you're hearing it right. And while you're using your social media outlets to make yourself more available, to let people know that you are open for business and to establish your authority in your field, you can easily miss yet another advantage social media offers. Social media can be an educational resource. Use it! Recently a client asked about the pros and cons of different window materials... -
Top 5 Outdoor Living Design Elements to Make Your Garden Extraordinary
by Kathy Richardson - Wednesday May 9, 2012
Taking an ordinary garden to extraordinary is rooted in the details. Here is a list of five design elements to consider when creating your own unique outdoor space to help you weed through the many options. Natives. What if you could have beautiful plants, ideally suited for your planting region that require little to no maintenance at all? You can. It is called nativescaping. Native plants are evolved to grow in your region’s weather conditions, which means that once they are established they don’t need watering and require very little maintenance. Many native plants tend to be larger and not as showy as their ornamental cultivars but they are tough, long lasting and can be used in all types of gardens. A sprinkling of natives... -
Use Social Media To Show You're The Expert
by Todd Vendituoli - Thursday May 3, 2012
In today’s construction market every business needs to use every avenue possible to enhance their position and social media is a great tool for doing that. It makes no difference whether you are a large or small builder. By not using this source you are hurting your business’ position and bottom line. Social media provides an opportunity to enhance your authority and reputation, and make you stand out among the many other builders that a potential buyer has to choose from. What you will you gain by using social media? You have the advantage to show that you have expert knowledge and experience as a builder. In a crowded market with so many builders trying to attract potential buyers, setting yourself above the rest is a key part... -
What happens when inspiration hits at the wrong time
by Todd Mather - Thursday April 26, 2012
I had just awoken from a short night. Having flown in the night before to Salt Lake City to meet with my clients for a new home, my schedule was already busy early this morning with last minute binding of drawings and sketches. I was presenting my two-week’s intensive conceptual design work in less than an hour. While they are always prompt and I certainly try to be on every occasion, I had to call them to do the unthinkable: Postpone the first presentation. This is a scary moment for a designer. If late to the first meeting, they may have second thoughts about their decision to hire an out-of-state architect. Trust lost is the doom of any project. Sometimes you have to take risks. That was just the first one. I wasn’t just late...

