• zip code
• year built
• total living area
• flooring type, roof type, construction type etc.

Included in the Reconstruction determinations are estimated costs for Contractor’s Overhead, Profit, Architect’s Fees and Debris removal. Many costs are included. It is the old adage that if you purchased a car, a piece at a time in would cost a million dollars, homes are the same way.
In 2011, the U.S. experienced nearly $38 billion in insured losses, and experts predict that severe weather will likely continue. Add to that, increasing building costs. For example, in the 15 months between the second quarter or 2010 and the third quarter of 2011, the following materials rose significantly:

• > Copper Pipe +26.5% > Drywall +5.5%
• > Steel Rebar +15.8% > Plywood +11.0%
• > Structural Steel +13.0% > Lumber +11.7%

Bottom line, construction costs are increasing and buildings constructed just two years ago cannot be rebuilt anywhere near the original cost. How does that affect me? That’s easy, as the economy returns, existing homes for sale, should increase in value and the difference between new construction homes and existing homes should widen. New home construction continues to go up, for existing homes for sale, this is great news. If you need to review your home owner’s insurance coverage, call me for a list of great insurance companies to consider.

1. Know what you can afford before you fall in love with your dream home. A pre-approval Letter, from a recognized lender give the seller a sense of confidence that you have the ability to buy their home.

2. Consider additional expenses that come with owning a home like property tax, insurance, and repairs. Maintenance is also something to consider. A new home reduces those concerns.

3. Be flexible on the little things. It would be wonderful to find a home with everything you want, but those are hard to come by – distinguish nice-to-haves and must-haves early. There is never a perfect home, buyer a home is a series of compromises.

4. Have imagination and look beyond paint colors, wallpaper, or other easy and affordable things you can change. Paint and carpet are easy and inexpensive to change. Look at the big picture of the neighborhood, the floor plan and overall condition of the home.

5. Don’t compromise on the big things, such as enough bedrooms to accommodate additions to the family or space for an office if you work from home. As your REALTOR we will also know the other questions to ask and look for. We know the market and what you have overlooked.

6. Always inspect even if the surface looks great; it’s important to know if anything major is wrong and what it will cost to fix. As your agent, we always recommend a third party inspection, even if it is brand new construction.

7. Think about the future in regard to the neighborhoods, surroundings, schools, and developments. Small issues today, could be major challenges in the future. As your agent we know what is going on in the community and how to give you additional guidance in what to look for.

8. Don’t overlook the fact that as your agent, we are in the market everyday and see hundreds of homes and are involved in negotiations daily. This is what we do for a living and we are full time professional agents, here to assist you in what is probably your biggest financial decision of your life, your home.

To access the magazine online, please click here.

If you want to watch the ads in advance, check out this link, you can access and view the most talked about ads for this year.

We did it again!  Ebby salutes The Rayburn Group for an incredible 4th quarter!