2012 Housing Predictions for Wausau Homes of Cedar Valley

Tomorrow night is the deadline.  You have just over 24 hours to nail down your New Year’s resolution.  When I googled the top resolutions for 2012, the first three were lose weight, get organized, and spend less.  In your new Wausau Home, getting organized and spending less are much easier.  Unfortunately, you’ll have to talk to the holiday treats on the weight loss one.

Being the premiere home builder of Wausau Homes in the Cedar Valley, we seem to have a different task for the beginning of a new year.  Here, we spend our last weeks of the year attempting to project and forecast how many homes we will build and how we can best care for our customers in 2012. 

As we move forward into 2012, (drum roll please)…. we are, hesitantly, excited for what may be ahead for the housing industry.  If I had the magic 8 ball of the housing year, we could say “signs point to yes”. 

Just before Christmas, the US Commerce Department reported that housing starts reached an 18-month high in November with overall 684,000 starts.  In addition, the NAHB Housing Market Index showed the third straight month of gains.  Overall, 2012 may be a pivotal year for housing nationwide.

In addition, on a regional level, 2011 ushered Iowa into an “improving” category as far as economic outlook goes. 

On a more local level, we have seen much growth in the Cedar Valley.  New businesses are opening up and thriving.  Schools and infrastructures are growing and improving.  There is a general overall positive outlook for our economy in 2012.

But, of course, as the old adage says “only time will tell” what the new year will bring.  In the meantime, Steere Home Builders will continue to provide our customers with housing that is on time, with a firm price, your way.  For more information on our homes, visit us on the web.

Refer your friend to Steere Home Builders and you get C*A*S*H!

                                           

If you have spent any time reading about Steere Home Builders lately, you’ll notice that buyers understand our commitment to building your dream home ON TIME, at a FIRM PRICE, YOUR WAY.  And if you’ve purchased a Wausau Home from Steere Home Builders and you think your friends or family would enjoy one as well, simply refer them to us and you’ll receive a check when they begin construction on their home.  It’s part of our referral program, and it’s just one more reason our buyers say “I love my builder!”. 

Are you in the process of searching for a new home in the Cedar Valley? Wausau Homes offers so much more… and we do it ON TIME, with a FIRM PRICE, YOUR WAY.

Right now, buyers can take advantage of our winter building promotion.  Build your home with Steere Home Builders from January 1 to May 1, and you can quality for up to $4000 in FREE FURNITURE. 

Want to learn more about Steere Home Builders?  Call our office at 319-352-1013, visit our Design Center at 89 East Bremer Ave., Waverly, or visit our website at www.wausauhomes.com .

 

            

Featured Home Plan: the Tahoe

 

Steere Home Builders has built this popular layout for several satisfied customers. The most recent owners are thrilled with the layout and the wonderful view it offers them of the beautiful Iowa countryside. Lots of windows in this home offer lovely natural light. The two story, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath layout is perfect for a variety of families and lifestyles. Our experience with building homes affords you the assurance of proven, well-designed floor plans with endless options to customize your home exactly as you want it.

Wausau Homes gives you the confidence of an exact move-in date and a firm price at signing to keep surprises at bay. We build through winter, so you could be enjoying your beautiful new home just in time to enjoy spring! We are offering a special promotion for customers who build from January through May 2012: you may qualify for $4,000 toward furniture for your new dream home. Now you can afford to build the home you’ve always wanted and furnish it, too! Contact us today at 319.352.1013 to find out how Steere Home Builders can make the building experience better than you ever imagined!

Making a house a “Home”

At Steere Home Builders, we build houses.  But in reality, our crew-family doesn’t believe that.  The core of who we are… is being a part of building your “home”. 

Many would agree there is a difference between a “house” and a “home”.  And quite honestly, it’s fascinating to get an inside look at building homes.

In this business, houses do not begin with a piece of paper or a blueprint, they begin with a dream.  Your dream. Dreams of watching children grow… of grandchildren pattering through the hallways.  Dreams of dinner parties and holidays and summer gardens. 

And in the process of building homes, we have the privilege of gaining a private window into the hearts and dreams of those we build homes for.

This Thanksgiving season, we say thank you.  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to share your dreams with you.

Fall Home Maintenance

As magical and beautiful as new homes are, they still need regular maintenance. 

It’s important to protect your investment by regularly inspecting and following good maintenance practices on your new home.

Maintenance can be taken care of by just a few tasks at at time, or several all at once.  We encourage out customers to establish a routine for themselves to avoid the work being overly time-consuming when you are enjoying the beautiful autumn season in Iowa. 

A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur. If necessary, use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later.

Fall is the time in Iowa to get your home ready for the impending winter weather…the most grueling season for homes.

If you haven’t developed your own “Fall Home Maintenance” list, here is one to get you started in 2011:

1.	Have furnace serviced by a qualified service company.
2.	Make sure the drain pan under the cooling coil mounted in the furnace plenum is draining properly and is clean.
3.	Disconnect power to the furnace and examine the forced-air furnace fan belt for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.
4.	Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.
5.	Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
6.	Remove the grilles on forced-air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
7.	Turn ON gas furnace pilot light if your furnace has one.  Set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate.  Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.
8.	Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.
9.	Check bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods to be sure they are operating properly.
10.	Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries
11.	Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.
12.	Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks
13.	Ensure windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weather-stripping, as needed.
14.	Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Replace door weather-stripping if required
15.	Cover outside of air-conditioning units and shut off power.
16.	Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roof, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof
17.	Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close interior valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost-proof hose bibs.
18.	If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
19.	Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.

component construction vs. stick built

Last week, someone asked me what the difference was between component construction and stick built construction. 

Component construction is our building method of choice at Wausau Homes.  We begin by engineering your home on a 3D computer system so our engineers can be sure it will be structurally sound.  This 3D system interfaces with our material order management system to be sure that everything we need to build your home is ordered when we need it.

Components are built as floor panels, wall panels and roof trusses in our state of the art production facility in Wausau Wisconsin. The 3D engineering system interfaces with computer controlled saws to accurately and efficiently cut material. Specialized equipment is used to build the components in a quality and efficient manner. And the best part is that the components are built indoors in a controlled environment, which minimizes weather damage and job site theft.

Components are loaded onto trucks and delivered to the job site. A typical home is delivered on three loads.

At the job site, we put in the foundation and assemble the components onto the foundation using a crane. The crew generally completes all of the framing in 2-5 days depending on the size of the home.

Exterior completion material such as siding and shingles are delivered with the framing components. As soon as framing is complete, we begin the installation of the roofing and siding.

On the inside of the home, we coordinate plumbers, electricians, insulating contractors, sheetrock hangers and drywallers.

Once drywalling is complete, Wausau Homes delivers the remaining interior completion materials such as cabinets, countertops, interior doors and trim. We then install these interior components .

Stick Built Construction refers to the building method where the entire home is built at the job site stick by stick. Today, few homes are built completely as Stick Built Construction because most homes use components that are built in a factory such as roof trusses, windows, pre-hung doors and cabinets. Component Construction just continues the trend by building walls and floors as components.

Both Component and Stick Built Construction follow the same local building code and use the same traditional framing details. Component Construction builds inside in a controlled environment, on specialized equipment with all of the materials within easy reach. Stick Built Construction builds outside on the ground in all types of weather and has to work with material wherever the lumberyard dumps it.

The main advantages of Component Construction are that the builder has much better control of their costs, the homes are framed in much more quickly and there is less weather damage and theft at the job site.

“Like” our page on facebook – and you can see many photos of our construction process.  https://www.facebook.com/SteereHomeBuilders

Eliminating Home Buyer “Angst”

One of the things that sets Steere Home Builders apart from other local builders is our commitment to eliminate the home buyer’s angst during their construction process.

“Angst” as defined by Webster is "a feeling of anxiety,apprehension, or insecurity.”

Many things give homebuyers “angst” when building a home.  The questions they ask are:

1. When will my home be finished and ready for me to move in?

2. Are there unknown or hidden costs that I am unaware of?

3. Can I build the house the way I want it?

At Wausau Homes, we promise our homeowners that their home will be: On Time, Firm Price, Your Way.

On Time – When we begin construction of your new home, we know when it will be completed and ready for you to move in.

Firm Price – Our cost estimates are firm.  There are no hidden or fluctuating costs.

Your Way – We take the time at Steere Home Builders to go through your home in detail, paying attention to the things that you care about.

Premier Builder Award

Wausau Homes is proud to announce that Steere Home Builders of Waverly has earned the designation of Premier Builder within the exclusive network of Wausau Homes’ builders for 2010.

The award was based on criteria such as builder competency, home quality, customer satisfaction and commitment to the Wausau Homes promises of “Firm Price, On Time, and Your Way.” The ranking of Premier Builder is based on scores from previous customers. Shawn Steere, vice-president of Steere Home Builders, said, “The Premier Builder Award means a lot to our team. It is an award given to us by the people that matter the most to us in our business: our customers.”

Jay Schuette, President and owner of Wausau Homes, commented, “Steere Home Builders has long been a valued builder within our network, but it brought us great pleasure to confirm this by speaking with their customers.”

Steere Home Builders has been serving the Waverly area as the exclusive Wausau Homes Builder for over 40 years. The business is determined to earn this recognition next year as well by continuing to provide an exceptional home building experience to its customers.

Wausau Homes, Inc. is “Redefining the Building Experience” by taking the stress out of the home building process. There are no surprises; the home buyer knows exactly what the price will be, receives a firm move-in date and, through the use of 3D software, the ability to view and walk through their home before construction begins.