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To have a house that one actually design and built according to one’s taste is practically everybody’s dream. Instead of just buying or renting a house that was already made, you would of course want something that you yourself have planned to suit your preferences. However, designing a home could be quite a difficult ordeal. It is quite expensive to hire an architect to draft your plans, and it is also very hard to put what is on your mind on paper. Luckily such a predicament may be a thing of the past with the help of home design software.

Here are some reasons that make home design software so advantageous:

-Home design software could enhance your capacity to make beautiful home designs that are efficient, while matching the limits you have with you budget.

-With home design software you can add your personal touch to every design since you will be the one to make it.

-Home design software has so much more capabilities beyond the usual sketching and drafting.

-Home design software allows you to customize everything instantly from the changing of dimensions to remodeling floor plans, you can even fit in cabinets and furniture without even having to waste paper and pencil.

-Not only can you design your floor plan with home design software, you can also design your landscape as well, allowing you to known what types of plants would best fit your space and how much you need to fill it.

-You can also gain some useful and systematic insight regarding your electrical wiring, and plumbing. The software itself would tell you what types of power, water, cooling, and heating systems you would need.

-With home design software, you are not limited to just viewing boring blue prints on flat paper, you can see 3D views of your dream home, and you can even see the cross sections of your future house.

-Best of all, home design software is so fun to use. Planning your home would be as enjoyable as playing a game on the computer. This would motivate you even more to continue planning.

Things to look for when buying Home Design Software:

1. Features – the software you buy should have features that are beyond just basic floor planning. There should be a wide set of tools such 3D views, infrastructure incorporation, among many others. The software should also allow for great customization and freedom of designing, because after all, it is your house that is being designed.

2. Ease in Usage – the software should be very easy for you to use, whether or not you have a background in architecture. The main reason you are getting the software is that you are not an expert with home designing, and thus the software you buy should have an interface that you can use quickly and intuitively.

3. Ease in Installation – the software you get should also be very easy to install. The program should include the entire designing package. There should be no more need to download other applets save for free updates that might come farther in the future.

4. Functional Help Desk – you can expect the software to be a little more complex and thus you would need some assistance as you use it, thus there should be a functional help documentation included that provides simple and easy-to-follow solutions for your problems.

One man’s problem could be another man’s prosperity. For instance, the current housing market is witnessing an increase in the number of distressed homes for sale, opening up vast opportunities to the savvy buyer who takes full advantage of market conditions. A distressed property could be the best value for home buyers such as you while helping pressured owners become freed from a heavy burden. Let’s take a look at what distressed properties are and what the benefits of buying such a home could be for you.

Home foreclosure rates are on the rise and not expected to drop anytime soon. Higher mortgage payments, increased fuel expenditures and other factors are pushing a larger number of homeowners into the distressed seller category. These other factors can include:

Divorce
Death
Poor Health
Job Loss
A Myriad of Other Reasons
Together, once dutiful home owners are finding it difficult if not impossible to keep up with their mortgage payments. Therefore, within a three to four months timeframe a homeowner could see their home foreclosed.

One way that distressed property owners can avoid foreclosure is to attempt to sell their home before things totally spiral out of their control. In a soft real estate market, a distressed homeowner could find themselves selling a home for a price well below its value. However, this could still be an attractive option for the seller as the responsibility for paying for the house would be removed from their hands. For the buyer, a distressed home means paying less than market value and gaining a home that they possibly could not have been able to afford under normal market conditions.

In most cases distressed property isn’t the same as a fixer-upper but it could be. Likely, the current owner had been keeping up with maintenance, but recently fell upon hard times that have triggered the “sell now, before foreclosure later” action on their part. If the home has been neglected all along, a distressed property may not be the value you think that it could be especially if much needed repairs must be done. If that should be the case, your so-called “deal” could end up being no deal at all.

A distressed property seller may be more receptive to allowing you to pay a reduced price for their home if you negotiate the deal apart from a realtor. Usually, this type of seller is featuring their home on a For Sale By Owner {FSBO} site in the hopes of saving themselves the cost of realtor fees.

When dealing with a distressed property seller, sympathy and understanding on your part can go a long way toward clinching the deal. Chances are the current owner is embarrassed about their financial plight and doesn’t want to be too forthcoming about what lead up to their current troubles. Be prepared to close on the deal as soon as possible, therefore a pre-approval letter from a respected mortgage lender is essential to helping you secure the distressed property.

The South Shore of Puerto Vallarta is known for both luxurious real estate and resorts and for untouched and tranquil Mexican jungle and seaside. There is less development to the south of Puerto Vallarta, in fact some of the villages and seaside communities are only accessible via boat or water taxi. If you are in the market for real estate, the south shore of Costa Vallarta will offer you a variety from which to choose including high rise or small complex condominiums, single family homes, luxury residences and build-able lots.

As we move south from Conchas Chinas, towards the famous Mismaloya, you find yourself in what most call the South Shore of Puerto Vallarta. This is an area where the jungles of the Sierra Madre Mountains truly creep down to meet the water of Banderas Bay and because of its proximity to Puerto Vallarta; there are a number of high rise condominiums and luxury homes dotting the landscape. Many have ocean access or ocean views and there are several residential developments available as well. In fact, Sierra Del Mar, located on the South Shore was one of the first gated residential communities in this area and remains to this day, luxurious and full of lovely homes. Phase II is also in development and newer, larger luxury homes are starting to crop up in the Puerto Vallarta real estate listings. In this area you’ll find all options available including build-able lots, condominiums and houses anywhere from $200,000.00 up to $12 million.

Mismaloya comes next along the south highway, arguably the most famous village in the Puerto Vallarta area and home of the on location filming of the classic film, Night of the Iguana. The tiny village is so named because this is where the Mismaloya creek meets the waters of Banderas Bay. The love affair that was sparked between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton while filming the John Huston classic has made this a favored location for tourist and expatriates alike. The filming location was turned into a restaurant and while the beach is popular, many are drawn into the jungle and cove areas which are wonderful to explore on horseback. Additionally, the Los Arcos National Marine Park is close by offering snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, and nature watching for all. This town also offers a variety of Puerto Vallarta real estate opportunities including build-able lots, condominiums and homes from $66,000 up to $4 million.

South of Mismaloya lie several secluded beach communities which don’t offer the variety of Puerto Vallarta real estate you find in the northern part of Costa Vallarta. Most of these beach communities are only accessible via water and they include Boca De Tomatlan, Los Animos, Quimixto and Majahuitas. The first of these quaint small seaside villages is Boca De Tomatlan which sits at the mouth of the Tomatlan River where it meets Banderes Bay. This is a bustling fishing village and home to many locals in the fishing industry as well as port of call to a number of water taxis to the other tiny, remote beaches like Las Animas which is only accessible by water. In Las Animas you’ll find several rustic restaurants that serve visitors who work up appetites snorkeling in the calm waters. Quimixto is another of these secluded, water accessible villages with traditional palapas offering simple Mexican fare and a gorgeous waterfall. South of Las Animas and Quimixto is Majahuitas the home of a secluded, remote and luxurious resort that is popular among those who seek elegance and seclusion in the unspoiled beauty of Banderas Bay.

Finally, again by water only, you come to Yelapa, the largest of the southern villages on Costa Vallarta. This town only recently incorporated water and electricity into its infrastructure and is home to nature enthusiasts and a thriving artist community. There are dozens of small hotels and restaurants and although real estate is scarce, the wonderful South Seas feel of this community is attracting buyers as well as tourists. There is a yacht club and also a thriving educational community offering courses on everything from meditation, to drumming to Spanish language.

As you can see, the South Short offers many unique Puerto Vallarta real estate opportunities. No matter what you are seeking in Mexican real estate, Puerto Vallarta truly offers something up for everyone. City living, rustic retreat or luxury residence; they are all available at reasonable prices in the beautiful Costa Vallarta.

If you ever wanted to enjoy living in a log cabin this is for you!

Hi, Pat Ritrosky here to share my story of my little log cabin.

I always wanted to build a log house, but for one reason or the other the need to live and my desire could not come together.

Then one day I had an idea, why not put an addition on and make it out of stone and logs!

This would be my own little log cabin that I always wanted. I needed an extra bed room so why not?

I began building the house in 1983 and added on in 1993 and 2003 (2003 log addition)

Finally my dream was going to come true. After some research and numerous in curries about logs from manufactures, I decided to go back in time and do it the way they use to in “the Olden Days”. After all I self taught my self to hand cut sand stone with a Hammer and Mason chisels, why not do the logs my self!

Laying up 3-6 feet of hand hewn foundation stone I began to lay up the logs only on 3 sides. The reason for this is I used pine logs that were dead for a few years yet were not rotten or bug infested. I needed to keep them out of the weather as much as possible, with over hangs and prevailing weather patterns, keep the logs dry at all times. The back wall is all stone so the rain, snow, and sun can reek havoc on that all it wants!

This was a very labor intense build by hand and little help, but the out come was so satisfying and rewarding! The look is very 1800s with a touch of 21st century Tec knowledge, vinyl windows and poly filler for joints made it warm and cozy.

The cost was very affordable because all the material was free except shingles, windows rafters, and sheeting.

Estimated 100 + tons of stone and 75 logs that were all hand cut, and laid with love and compassion. Inside the fire place is10’ wide by 14’ high and 14’’ thick out of sand stone that was harvested in the area of my travels in western Pennsylvania.

The entire house is heated with a wood fired boiler in the basement that my dad and I built out of junk that was lying around. The water is pumped through pipe into the old cast iron registers that someone was throwing away! All but the log addition has piping in the tile floor and the fire place. We keep it about 75-80 degrees in mid winter with no extra heating cost.

So if your thinking about building your own “log cabin” it’s only a dream away!

You can do it if you only wish to and talk to me!

In a slower Miami housing market, buyers are not eager to take risks, and therefore are less willing to purchase houses with problems. The reason is that buyers are less disposed to repair damages, even minor ones, after they buy a house.

Whatever needs to get fixed has to be repaired before the house goes on the market. That implies that sooner is better than later because with a slowing Miami housing market, the first house on the block that is listed for sale has an upper hand in the competition.

Sellers usually miss many of the things that will capture the attention of the buyer when they do get a house ready for sale; especially the home inspector or other professional that a buyer employs to make a point that the house he or she is purchasing is worth the dollars being spent.

A possible way that one might get around such trouble is obtaining a pre-inspection before listing a house for sale on the Miami housing market. This would ensure that all the minor details a buyer may notice will be covered, especially for the reason that homeowners usually overlook these details by forgetting to see their homes through a buyer’s lens. What this entails is taking a professional home inspector into service in order to come up with a list of stuff that the buyer’s inspector might hit upon after the house is on the Miami housing market. Taking an action of knowing these beforehand might render the chance to correct them in advance, thus causing the transaction to proceed much more smoothly. Furthermore, you would be virtually ensured that your asking price won’t be cut down because of roof replacements or a new heating and cooling system, for instance.

Nevertheless, depending upon where they are coming from, two inspectors could view your house in completely differently ways, and their lists could have just a few similarities as a consequence. For example, one home inspector that a first home-buyer may notice mold behind a wall in the second-floor bathroom and the condition of a roof that calls for replacement, while another home inspector hired by a second buyer may notice the mold as well but sees the roof to be in pretty good shape. This is a very typical example, and one that admonishes the seller of the different opinions that could arise from different home inspectors. Therefore, even if hiring a home inspector your own home inspector to check up your own house, it does not necessarily follow that he sees the same faults as another inspector that a prospective buyer might employ does. Two different sets of eyes don’t necessarily see the same thing. Although hiring one for yourself can give you a worthy guide to start working on the aspects of your home that obviously does need some fixing.

Real estate agents are generally polarized with regards to their opinions about pre-inspections. Some agents do not encourage this idea, but other do because it means that sellers can get a head start on the problem and get the house quickly sold on the Miami housing market, which is becoming a buyer’s market as of the latter part of the third quarter of 2006.

The subsequent few months in the process of constructing a new Miami real estate home could prove to be quite an overwhelming and time consuming task. One must realize how difficult it is, if not impossible, to ascertain that the whole venture is going to proceed smoothly, without too many hang-ups.

When buying a home in the Miami real estate market while it is under construction one must be aware of some key notes. First, the contract of purchase and sale must be clear and elaborate enough in delineating the buyer’s expectations. Hence, it must describe the specifications as well as the details of the materials used and labor employed that will satisfy one’s buying agreement. These forms of agreement are designed to provide an enforceable agreement between the selling developer and the buyer.

If the Miami real estate developer requests for a deposit or down payment make certain that the payment is going to be deposited into a trust account because if the agreement should default, return of the deposit to the payee is imperative. On the other hand, if the Miami real estate developer wishes to hold the deposit as a stake holder, it may be more difficult to have it returned. In addition to the standard contract of purchase and sale, one should also include a sheet for specifications and the plans for the house. Building contracts are quite long, complex documents and both the selling builder and buyer should obtain legal advice prior to engaging into a building contract.

Insist that before the date of turn-over, both parties should conduct a walk-through of the property. Make sure that all the work is completed as agreed upon. At this moment, both the buyer and the seller should sign and date the list. Both parties should procure copies of it.

Finally make sure that the Miami real estate developer inserts a clause in the contract stating that the occupancy certificate must be obtained on or before the completion date. Nevertheless, landscaping and other outside work can still be in the process of completion. The occupancy permit merely allows the buyer to move into the new home.

In 2003 my husband and I self contracted a custom lake home. This process was a learning experience for both of us.

In the design phase, we thought about what we wanted and what would be ideal for our lakeshore lot. We discovered that lakeshore homes have unique design elements that are different from other homes. Prior to designing, we spent quite a bit of time just looking at various lake homes to get ideas. Because we were designing a custom home, we had many choices to choose from. Choices are not always plenty when it comes to lakeshore as many lakeshore lots are irregularly shaped and/or narrow in width, some lots can severely limit your choices of design if you are not building custom.

We finished our home a little longer than we had anticipated, but within our budget, so I can say the process was successful! Along the way though, I learned at least one thing: There are a few “must haves” when building a lake home.

The most important feature in a lake home is windows on the lake side, and large windows. This is unique to lake homes. There are just not many designs for homes with a large quantity of windows on the back of the house. But with lake homes, this is a “must have”. Views of the lake are very important. You cannot get enough windows on the lakeside of your lake home. During the design process, you will want to decide which rooms you want to have that view and place them accordingly. If you have space limitations, the living room and master bed/bath should take priority.

When you own a lakeshore home, you will acquire stuff - boats, boat trailers, jet skis, docks, water toys, ATV’s, snowmobiles, etc. Lakeshore owners also own trucks to haul their boats as well as the family car.

You will need as much garage and storage space as possible. If you are building, and especially if you have space constraints, contemplate an “under-garage”. An under garage actually sits under the garage where you park your car, usually separated by a large span-crete floor. Another thing to consider is a garage on the lakeside, often called a “ready room”. It is called a ready room, because it is intended that everything you need for the lake will be ready for you there. It is a good spot to park your snowmobiles and other small motorized vehicles there for maintenance. Many people store their water accessories, fishing poles, etc. in ready rooms which can really come in handy if you do not have a boat house by the lake.

Because a lot of entertaining is done in lake homes, another “must have” is a separate ice making machine. Not the one on your refrigerator, but a stand alone ice maker. It sounds like a small appliance and it is, however, when you live on the lake, it is definitely a “must have”. I can’t tell you how many times you will need to fill up your cooler with ice to bring it to the boat or to the back yard, or in a wine bucket at thanksgiving.

The latest trend in home design is outdoor living spaces. Lakeshore homes provide an opportunity to create the most wonderful outdoor living spaces. When designing your outdoor living space, consider a covered roof so you can incorporate pillows and furniture that are not necessarily intended for outdoors. Lights and curtains will help to enclose the area and make it feel more like an indoor space.

My fifth and last “must have” is a large master bedroom and bath on the lakeside. There are a few money features you need to consider when building a lake home and this is one of them, especially when it comes to resale value. Many people are building master bedroom suites with lavish spas, fireplaces, and closets bigger than the bedroom. Make sure you consider your lake views in this area as well.

I hope that what I have learned will help you when designing (or redesigning) your new lake home. The design phase is really a crucial part of the building process and much thought should go into it, not only to stay on budget, but also because it will make your lake home as functional as it can be!

To mix cement plaster, the cement, with or without 10% of lime, should be mixed thoroughly with sand until the colour is uniform. The water is then added gradually while mixing continues and until the required consistency is obtained or until it is just plastic enough to be spread and to hold to the building wall. It must be used within 45 minutes of mixing and no plaster that has begun to set should be remixed with water and used.

To mix cement-lime plaster, the cement, lime and sand may be mixed dry in the required proportions, then mixed wet with sufficient water to give the required consistency. With this method, the plaster must be used within 45 minutes of mixing and no re-tempering of partly set plaster should be attempted. More often, the lime and sand are mixed together first, to form what is known as the ‘coarse stuff’, this allows for further hydration of the lime before using and makes it easier to apply, more plastic and quicker setting. With this method mix 1 part of lime with 6 or 41/2 parts of sand (depending upon whether the mix is to be 1:1:6 or 1:2:9), first dry and then with sufficient water to give a stiff mix, adding the water gradually. The mortar should then be formed into a heap, covered with wet sacks and left for a week to 10 days. Then, immediately before use, the coarse stuff should be mixed with cement, using 1 part cement to 6 or 9 parts of coarse stuff, adding water if necessary to bring to a workable consistency, just right for plastering a building. After the cement is added the mortar must be used up within 45 minutes and no re-tempering of partly set mortar should be attempted.

To mix lime plaster, mix 1 part of lime with 3 or 4 parts sand, first dry and then with sufficient water to make a stiff mix. Heap, cover over and keep damp and allow it to mature for 7 to 10 days. Then work up again, adding water if necessary and it is ready to use. Lime mortar, if kept damp may stand for 3 or 4 weeks before using. Sometimes, up to 10% of cement is added to the coarse stuff to quicken the setting, in which case the mortar must be used up within 45 minutes of mixing.

Another method applicable to either cement plaster or cement-lime plaster is to mix the lime with water to a thick cream and allow to stand for 24 hours to seven days before mixing with the sand.

The building surface to be plastered must be cleaned free from paint, oil, dust, dirt, etc. As it is difficult to make plaster adhere to a very smooth surface, it is advisable on brick and block building walls to rake out the joints about ½ in. to provide a mechanical key, or to strike off the joints roughly with the face of the building wall relying on the roughness to form a key. Joints should be raked while the mortar is still soft.

Dense concrete blocks should have a rough surface, which is best obtained by wire brushing while they are still ‘green’ and the moulds should be treated with whitewash instead of oil. Dense in-situ concrete should also be wire brushed while still ‘green’, since, if allowed to harden, the surface will probably be so smooth that it will have to be hacked to provide a satisfactory bond for the building plaster.

If a key is not formed by roughening or hacking the surface of dense concrete, either cast-in-situ or in blocks, a ’spatter-dash’ coat of mortar should be applied. This consists of a mix 1 part cement to 1 ½ parts of coarse sand first mixed dry and then with sufficient water to give a fairly wet mix. This is dashed onto the building wall in an uneven manner, usually with a coarse brush, using a strong whipping motion at right angles to the face of the building wall. This coat should be kept damp for at least two days and then allowed to dry out.

New brick and concrete walls should be allowed a reasonable time to dry out before plastering. When the wall has been prepared by cleaning, raking joints, roughening or given a ’splatter-dash’ coat, it is ready for plastering.

If the building wall is irregular and out of plumb and it is desired to have the finish plaster surface a true plane, it is necessary to ‘make up’ or ‘dub out’ the low spots by successive making-up coats, each about 3/8 in. thick. These should not be carried to a ‘feather-edge’ but should stop back forming a ledge about 1/8 in. thick. When the making-up coats have brought the building wall to a reasonable plane surface the actual plaster coats can be applied.

Phoenix growth is exploding, thanks to its great winter weather and good job client. If you are considering relocating to Phoenix, building your home is a possibility here. But for most of us, it won’t be a custom home. Instead, you’ll have a choice of floor plans and a few variations in the outside of the home. If you are considering having your home built in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area, consider these 5 tips:

1 If you don’t read anything else, read the subdivision report! Home builders are required to submit a subdivision report, which contains information about the subdivision and what is nearby. The report will spell out whether any of the subdivision is in a flood zone, where the water will be coming from, the nature of the soil, and other important things you should know before you buy.

2. The big builders’ homes look boxy because boxy is more cost effective. Subdivision homes look the same because they are easier to build that way. Home builders work to keep costs down and one of those ways they keep costs down is to make the architecture of the home simple to build. Unless you have over $1.1 million to build custom, settle for some nice stone work in front, call in a designer for the interior and concentrate on making your back yard really cool. After all, Phoenix is all about outdoor living.

3. Check for Incentives. Though builders don’t normally drop the base price, they do throw in incentives. Get your own real estate agent and have your agent shop those incentives for you if you have more than one builder to choose from. You don’t get a better deal when you come in the builder’s sales office without an Agent, you just don’t get represented. If you are relocating to Phoenix, get an agent! There are many details about homes here that may be different than where you live now.

4. Get an inspection. Call in an independent inspector to check the home, at least before your warranty expires. When you sell your home, the buyer will have an inspector look at the home, so why not find those defects while the builder will still fix them for free.

5. Builder extras equate to mega-dollars. Builders generally overcharge for extras. Consider your extras carefully. Some homeowners have saved over $10,000 by putting in their own upgraded tile after they bought the home. Expect a mess though. Your pristine new home will have to be re-cleaned once the tile is installed

Home trends are the-David who turns into Goliath-of the construction industry. More than whimsical “fads”, trends can and do take entire markets for a tailspin. Taking a look into the not-so-distant past we can see homes built without air-conditioning, homes with one bathroom, single car garage, no microwave, and little to no insulation.

Speak to a prospective home-owner today and not only are these things “must haves” but you best include amenities like a dishwasher, garbage disposal, two car garage with remote opening doors, first floor master-bedroom (with a walk-in closet), an entertaining space such as a deck or patio, and please ensure that the laundry room is on the main floor.

These home trends have crept into the building industry and have changed the shape of the modern home. According to the Home Builders Association, “The features that average home buyers want today used to be considered optional and were standard only in upscale luxury homes”. The average person decades ago has likewise up-scaled their own lives and is thus looking for these “luxuries” today.

These people are the “Baby Boomers” and they will drive the industry trends for the next 10 years. In 2003 there were 3.5 million baby boomers who turned 55. In 2010 there will be a total of 30.5 million baby boomers who are 55 or older. What does this mean? That the size of the home will get smaller, as retirees opt for less maintenance, and the quality of the homes will increase as they ask for more amenities and luxuries.

Couple this with trends towards greener and healthier homes and you have a market about ready to explode. Builders can study these trends now and prepare and profit from the trends ahead of time. This is the career launching pad for the future builder, the “innovative builder”, who is looking for a niche, a competitive edge and increased profits.

The builder of the future will have addressed future trends in his homes, now; plotting along trends lines, nailing down profits all along. Trends are simply an inquiry into the buying customer’s mind. This information is readily available to the inquisitive and news-attentive builder.

Homes tomorrow will be more client-centered, or trend-ready. These homes will address concerns of today: flu epidemics, water pollution, environmental pollution, energy conservation, and energy harnessing via solar passiveness and collection, and aging populations who need medical responsiveness, all of which will be addressed by the home builder of the future–or now.

When a builder can accurately foresee trends and position the business to capitalize on them by forming venture partnerships with those providing solutions, then there is synergy. There is innovation. There are problems solved. There are customers served and there is money, waiting on the table.