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A Note From Ethan: Now is the Time to Build
By Ethan Collier | April 23, 2008
In the last several newsletters, I have intentionally avoided discussing the economy. It has most certainly been on my mind because we are dealing with a struggling housing market. When the market slows and houses aren’t moving, it does have an impact even on a custom home builder.
A week has not gone by this year without someone asking me if Collier Construction was keeping busy. And I have been hearing concerns from several of our trade contractors that work is slow. Unfortunately, several of our subs have had to let people go, and a few of them have confessed that almost all of the work is coming from Collier. But while the residential building industry is suffering and the housing market is weakened, things are not all bad.
I can remember back about three years ago when I was frequently asked if now was the best time to build. At that time, interest rates were the lowest they had been in years, financing was easy to get, and there was no shortage of properties to be bought and flipped. For these reasons, I agreed that it looked like a good time to build, but there were even better reasons why it was not the best. While I’m no economist, I remember from school this concept of supply and demand. As demand increases supply becomes more expensive. Well, during the housing boom we saw exactly that, but not only did prices go up, the product’s overall quality decreased.
For example, I can recall good trade contractors that were the busiest they had been in years and doubling their size over the course of several weeks. They were hiring new employees every week to keep up with the demand. Likewise, builders had so much to do they were hiring employees with little or no training and sending them out to build more homes, flipping more houses.
The problems with code enforcement the industry has today is in large part the result of this period in the housing market. Builders often stopped inspecting their own work and relied too heavily on the customer and building inspectors for quality control. As the demand continued to increase, we saw more contractors lacking the necessary experience and skills to build, and many became the newest breed of paper contractors. They relied on trade contractors and sales men from the supply house for project supervision while the inspectors took care of quality control.
And as I think back to this time, I do recall answering the question with a statement about it being the worst possible time to build—you save a few points on an interest rate, but in turn you get a high priced low quality house. What a great trade off.
I say today is the best time to build. Interest rates are still very low, and now builders aren’t so busy. That means prices are good and the quality even better. We have seen some of the best prices in years just in the last month, and because now each trade contractor has to compete for work, customer service has improved dramatically. Contractors only get more work if they have a good reference, and that takes increased quality.
Furthermore, materials are less expensive than they have been in years. Previously, manufacturers were producing at a stimulated rate in part because of the housing boom and also because of the hurricanes. The slow down on the housing side coupled with unexpected lack of hurricanes has given us the best building prices in years. Now is a great time to build—probably the best I have seen in my lifetime. Interest rates are low, building costs are down and quality is up.
If you had the choice between building in the last ten years or right now, now is the time to build.
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Featured Project: A Grand Reveal
By Cathy Collier | April 23, 2008
As with all building projects, the beginning and the end are the most dramatic of times. Completing the Oscar-Bean custom home over these last weeks has been like a grand reveal. As I headed up Signal Mountain, I wondered what I might find. Pulling up to the back of this 5,200 square foot home on the edge of the East Brow, the gable roof line laid dark against a gray sky. In the brisk wind I walked to the front of the home that seemed to invite me inside. By bringing the warmth of the indoors outside in using detailed lighting, featuring the front porch mountain stone fireplace, and accenting the teak hand rails, this home is masterfully matched with it’s environment.
Inside this craftsman style home built to EarthCraft standards is a spectacular display of craft and design. Through the front door, the repetition of simple design elements creates both an openness and cohesiveness lending itself to a warm atmosphere. The examples of craft are at every corner, from the three beautifully-stained ash beams and custom cabinetry by Ana Woodworks to the extraordinary Brazilian cherry hardwood floors as well as the specialized bathroom’s tile work and stamped tin library ceiling. With four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a library, media room and work out room, this home features the highest in home air quality, energy efficiency and sustainability. This home has a whole house fan, Hardi board siding, Weather Shield windows, spray foam insulation, natural gas wood starter, an energy efficient swimming pool and spa and the list goes on. It is with the seamless work of designer Karen Payne and Collier Construction’s commitment to building a better way that this house stands out as truly embodying superior construction. And I found something unexpected, exceeding warmth on the inside and outside with a unity of craft, design and construction from beginning to end.
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Featured Trade: Ana Woodworks & Showroom
By Cathy Collier | April 23, 2008
As a general contractor, Collier Construction deliberately works to create better relationships between its customers, subcontractors, vendors and trades. When a potential customer decides to hire Collier Construction to build or remodel his or her home, we bring the very best tradesman with us to the project. Often times, however, our customers will have developed a relationship with an architect, designer or craftsman who they bring into the project. Case in point, when we began the Oscar-Bean project we were introduced to Ana Woodworks, owned and operated by Mike and Carol Mackinnon at 1403 Williams Street in downtown Chattanooga. Their completely custom, high-end cabinetry and millwork is unique in this hyper speed informational age because they successfully remain a word of mouth business.
From the hand drawn designs of Ana Woodwork’s interior designer Laura Hertle to the hand crafted cabinets, trim and beam work of master craftsman Mike Newsome, the thirty plus years of experience from each of them is more than evident. The mutual friendship and genuine commitment Ana Woodworks had to the Oscar-Bean’s ideas was out of our hands—Collier Construction simply stood back and recognized the magnificent art that Ana Woodworks created for our customers. In fact, we kind of see the Oscar-Bean kitchen and library as symbolic of our role in bringing a great design and building project to fruition. For more information about Ana Woodworks contact: (423)-266-3190.
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Calculating your Carbon Footprint
By Cathy Collier | April 23, 2008
All of the environmental issues, claims of global warming, and green marketing trends combined are important because, if for nothing else, they raise important questions. A whole lot of time and energy is spent looking for answers and sustainable solutions, but often times we have no idea what our individual impact really is. Our everyday choices have an affect on our environment. Before building, remodeling or buying a new vehicle, consider finding out what carbon footprint you are leaving behind. Your carbon footprint is measured in the amount of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases you create in a year. You are probably already making choices that reduce your impact on the environment, but knowing exactly where you stand can help you make bigger decisions. Calculating your individual impact is good, calculating your business and traveling impact is great. Collier Construction is committed to finding the information you need and being the resource and filter for that information. Here are a few websites that will help determine your carbon footprint.
Environmental Protection Agency: Personal Emissions Calculator
TerraPass: Calculate and Offset
Live Earth: Carbon and Lifestyle Calculator
