Rocky Pusateri of Elite Homes talks about 2012 Homearama at Shakes Run
Rocky Pusateri of Elite Homes talks about many of the benefits of building a Homearama home in 2012 at Shakes Run.
We figure Rocky hit on all the high points, so we’ll list the bullets here and you can watch the quick video for the rest. He summarizes it well as he usually does.
- Shakes Run gives you the feel of the country (think Spencer or Shelby county but without the bedroom community feel) but has the city life within three miles at the Gene Snyder in Middletown (think churches, Target, Kroger, schools, and restaurants like Wild Eggs).
- A home in Shakes Run (or any Homearama site) would give you an instant value. As Rocky states, many of the contractors and subcontractors want to put their best foot forward. Often times they are willing to discount new products or services in order to get the massive free publicity that a Homearama home gives.
- Shakes Run has lots of green space, lakes, and many walk out wooded lots. Balance this with a clubhouse and pool, and you have the suburbs meet the country.
Perry Lyons of P.L. Lyons just finished up a home in Shakes Run. He knows the ground, the restrictions, and the process. He’s also a respected builder in the community, and serves alongside Rocky on the board at the HBAL. Needless to say, we’d love to build a contract home or Homearama home for you at Shakes Run.
If you’d like to visit Shakes Run, we’d he happy to give you the nickel tour, simply fill out this convenient form or call us at 244-0114 to set it up.
New pictures of some of our custom homes in the Louisville area
Since we primarily build new custom homes in Louisville and the surrounding areas, we wanted to take a minute to share a few pictures of some homes we’ve recently completed.
These three homes were all built in the Fox Run subdivision in Eastern Jefferson County. We build to suit your needs and have built custom homes and completed custom remodels and additions in a number of prestigious areas and neighborhoods in Louisville including:
- Anchorage
- Lake Forest
- Douglas Hills
- Plainview
- in Briar Hill Estates
- Beckly Woods
- Hunters Point
- Winchester Acres
- Fairway Crossing
- Fox Run
- Glen Lakes
If you’d like to learn more, please contact me today.
Share on FacebookGroundbreaking event at A Winning Smile Dental
PL Lyons has recently broke ground on a new commercial construction project for A Winning Smile Dental Center. The process actually started about a year ago, but we were challenged somewhat with different zoning regulations and stipulations.
We’ve worked hard to get everything squared away and we now officially have the building permits in hand. The pictures and video below show the initial demolition that took place as well as where the actual new addition will stand.
Stay tuned as we document the progress of this job up to its finishing stages. We look forward to working with Dr. Witte as he expands his practice to better serve his patients.
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Looking at building a Louisville custom home? There are some cool communities in the area
Maybe you’re one of the lucky people out there who already knows exactly what neighborhood you want to live in, what type of house you’re looking to build, and everything else is just details.
Doesn’t sound quite like your situation? Don’t worry, that’s actually not the case for most people. In fact, the process of deciding to build a custom home, choosing the perfect neighborhood, and finding the right custom home builder doesn’t always come easy.
Louisville offers some great neighborhoods in many different locations around town, so no matter what end of the city you want to live in, at least you can rest assured that you’re bound to find a neighborhood that is perfect for you and your family.
Ready to start researching communities in the Louisville area? This tool is a great place to start. It’s the Greater Louisville New Home Guide and provides maps, information, and resources to help you narrow down an area, find a custom home builder, and even search communities in surrounding counties.
The homebuyer guide walks you through specific details to keep in mind when searching for communities, builders, and the price range of your new home.
Once you’ve found a few locations you’d like to see, I’d love to talk to you about building a custom home in your chosen neighborhood. I’ve been building homes in Louisville and surrounding areas for more than 30 years and am a trusted registered builder. I can even help with your neighborhood selection process. Contact me to get started!
Staying busy: a list of our current projects
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I tweet out a lot of industry information like housing starts, mortgage rate information, real estate statistics, and much more. Sometimes you may get a bleak outlook from those tweets. Although things aren’t exactly rosy, we do have several proverbial “irons in the fire.” We’re always looking for more though. If you’d like to build a new house, a Homearama contract, or look into a remodeling project, we’re here to help.
In the meantime, we thought we’d update you on a few of the current and future projects we have going. If nothing more, this should give you hope for a brighter day. Recently, Dave Ramsey, financial author and speaker, tweeted out that hope is the one thing no one can take away from us.
We’re currently:
- Finishing a custom basement remodel in Oldham County, which includes a bathroom, fireplace, media room, family room, laundry room
- Finishing a basement in English Station which includes a media room, hobby room, family room, and bathroom
- Working on a custom room addition in Plainview—this is an all-weather type sunroom
- Preparing to start a custom contract home we’ve signed in Shelby County on a 14 acre farm
- Finishing a custom basement with a media room, family room, and bathroom in Jtown
- Finishing a custom master bathroom remodel in Jtown
- Covered deck with enclosed custom screening in Jtown
- Beginning a commercial dental office addition and renovation—with this job we had a 13 month rezoning process
- Finishing master bathroom and bedroom remodel in Douglas Hills
- Finished a custom home in Shakes Run
- We’re bidding three custom contract homes
- We’re bidding another commercial build-out
Q&A with Perry: I am looking at buying a developer-owned lot, should I get a soil impaction test?
Here’s a question that was recently submitted through our website, along with my personal response. We appreciate your questions, comments, and interactions on our site. If there’s a question you have, I encourage you to ask me.
Question:
I am looking at buying a developer-owned lot to build a new home on. The lot is sloped and I will plan on building a half basement. I was talking to a builder three lots from mine and he said that he had to remove excess fill dirt to get to the sub grade to pour foundation. This was an extra cost to the homeowner. Does the developer have to disclose if a lot has been filled in with fill? If not, should I get a soil impaction test prior to buying the lot?
Answer:
Most developers will disclose any information they have concerning lots. However, the detailed construction drawings will show lots that are filled with soil and or debris. The construction drawings may not show rock formations and or subterranean soil problems that may require additional monies for building.
As an individual buying a lot, it is ALWAYS best to have a builder or his engineer inspect a lot before purchasing. They usually can inform you if the lot requires additional costs to build.
It is customary to do the additional requirements ie: rock removal, additional fill for poor soil conditions, hillside construction, etc. on a cost-plus basis, as it is usually more cost effective to the customer to do it that way verses having an engineer test, estimate rock removal and or fill, and then do the required work after he has included his fees. In some cases, an engineer’s report is required.
As a builder, we have purchased lots knowing there was fill on that lot and it would have to be removed for the building process, and we include an allowance or a fixed cost for that work, adding it to the cost of the structure. The same has been done with rock removal. However, we have built on a lot that had sub soil conditions that were not known by the developer or his sales team, and it was deemed the responsibility of the purchaser to either move on with the project or abandon plans. Because of already incurred costs, they moved on with the project.
Share on FacebookMeeting the needs of the future buyer
As children, most of us heard it a thousand times. As parents, we probably even said it ourselves a time or two, especially when we wanted those chores to be completed: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” You may be wondering what that has to do with today’s home building. Well, I’ll tell you.
Home builders are being faced with tough decisions right now. We are being asked to make changes that meet the needs and challenges of tomorrow’s buyers. We need to be aware of what the market is demanding, and how the market is changing. Thus, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
It is well known in our industry that more than 87 percent of new home buyers (94 percent of buyers age 25-44) have visited a website more than 12 times before choosing the builder they are going to contact. It is important that we have good information for the buyer to review. It is also important to help educate buyers and give them as much information as possible to help them make an informed decision. That is why we blog, share articles and information on Twitter and Facebook, and keep our website up-to-date.
Today’s buyers are much different than yesterday’s, and ten years down the road future buyers will be even more different than now. We’re keeping up with how the market and its buyers are communicating so we can better communicate with them and hopefully gain their trust when they decide to build their custom home.
Check out our blog for an array of information-based topics about the housing industry, custom home building, Louisville neighborhoods, and more. If you can’t find a topic you’re looking for, let me know and I’ll do my best to address it.
Why you should choose a registered builder
If you read my blog or newsletter, you know that I’m a pretty big advocate of choosing a registered builder or remodelor to complete your construction project.
The Home Builders Association of Louisville (HBAL) recently put this video together explaining some of the reasons why it’s better to work with a registered builder. If you’re looking for a custom home builder in Louisville, please contact me with any questions you have. I’ve building and remodeling homes in Louisville and surrounding areas for more than 30 years.
We hope you enjoy the video.
Share on FacebookSaving money on your summer energy bills
Imagine that you are in a very, very cool place. Close your eyes and picture yourself in the snowy mountains…for those in the real world—the real hot world of Louisville, Ky, it’s hard to concentrate on anything other than to stop sweating!
We haven’t even officially reached summer and already we’re seeing temperatures in the 90s. Louisville is known for its hot, humid, and dry summers, which in turn can lead to high-cost energy bills. As a custom home builder and remodelor for more than 30 years, I’ve experienced a lot of hot Louisville summers, but have also helped many home owners save money on their energy bills. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your home is running as efficiently as possible.
- If you live in an older home, you could have leaky windows and doors which literally allow hot air in and makes it hard to keep rooms cool. Sealing or caulking around windows or doors could be an easy fix to ensure no air gets in or out. If you’re ready for a more expensive investment, consider replacing your windows altogether. If you’re thinking about remodeling your house or are in the middle of a remodel, don’t forget about upgrading your windows.
- For newer homes, a less extreme fix is to simply keep your blinds and curtains closed during the day when your home is in direct sunlight. Also, keep ceiling fans running when you’re at home so cooler air is circulating.
- Grill out and avoid using the oven when weather is extreme. This will keep your kitchen cool and prevent the furnace from running on overdrive.
Remember, with the furnace running as much as it does, don’t forget to replace your air filter every month! If you would like to speak to me about a remodel or other creative ways to save money on energy bills, contact me today.
Share on FacebookCommercial construction project in east Louisville
Today we wanted to share a couple of before videos with you. This was a commercial project we finished up a few weeks ago in east Louisville. The most difficult part of this project was the time frame. We had only three weeks to complete the project. The renovation took place inside of a warehouse area. I’ll be going back to get an after video and we’ll post that as well.
P.L. Lyons does commercial new construction and commercial remodeling in and around Louisville, KY. Although our mainstay is residential custom building and remodeling, we know our way around a commercial code book, too. If you have a commercial or residential project you’d like to talk to us about, we encourage you to contact us through our website or give us a call at 502.244.0114.
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