Designing and Building Your Dream Home

On this episode KT welcomes Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA and Alan Barley, AIA. Alan & Peter are Founding Principals of Barley/Pfeiffer, a well-respected architectural firm in Austin, Texas. They are authors of the book; Buying Your New Home, A Guide to Home Buying, Second Edition. 

Buying or building a home is the biggest financial decision most people ever make — and there's far more to it than price per square foot. This concise primer walks buyers through assembling the right team, choosing a lot, understanding contracts, budgeting realistically, and moving in with confidence. When buyers are informed, clarity replaces stress and expectations are easier to manage.

Buy the Book here: https://www.builderbooks.com/buying-your-new-home-products-9780867188257.php

Select the e-book, for single copy purchases at $8.99.

The other purchase option is a 10-pack for builders and architects for $49.99.

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Michele Grace Hottel, AIA I has been practicing Architecture with her namesake firm since 1994 and is licensed in the states of California and Arizona. Prior to that she worked in Architecture and Engineering firms before, during and after attending Cal Poly, Pomona for Architecture.

Ms. Hottel has been a Commissioner and Subject Matter Expert for the California Architects Board, served three terms as an appointed City of La Mesa Planning Commissioner, and the past Chair of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Custom Residential Architecture Network (CRAN) for the AIA San Diego and Palomar Chapters and was the Chair of the Committee for AIA California's Inaugural Housing Forum for attainable housing. She is currently on the AIA National CRAN Advisory Group (AG).

One can read her blog and listen to her podcast, "I've never met a woman architect before..." a blog about my life... , the trials and tribulations, as one could say, of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a volunteer, a public servant, and last but not least, an architect.

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This program is focused on some of the things residential architects and custom home builders can do to improve their firms marketing success - resulting in strong sales growth. HOUZZ has a tool called HOUZZ Pro that many builders and architects are finding success with. Today’s program will help these building industry professionals better understand how this tool can help them to really “level up” their sales and marketing activities

Our guest is Liza Hausman, Vice President of Industry Marketing at HOUZZ. HOUZZ is an innovative residential building and design platform and community, including the all-in-one software solution for industry professionals HOUZZ Pro. Houzz has transformed the process of home remodeling and design by applying mobile, visual, and business management tools that are driving design in today's digital age and helping the trade community win projects, collaborate with clients and teams, and run their businesses efficiently and profitably. Ms. Hausman is a frequent speaker at events across the country, including the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the International Builders Show (IBS). In her role at Houzz, Ms. Hausman is focused exclusively on the trade community, from architects, interior designers, and luxury builders to brands and manufacturers. Ms. Hausman has experience spanning advertising, consulting, marketing and social strategy for Fortune 500 brands and a host of innovative startups, and shares her expertise on topics ranging from brand-building to the economic and structural trends that are changing the home design and construction industries. Liza graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and earned her MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. During her many years at Houzz she has brought in architects as well as interior and landscape designers to create a special home for herself and her husband, two children and dog Suki in Palo Alto, California. To learn more about HOUUZ and its tools for building industry professionals go to https://www.houzz.com/pro

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SCOTT SEVON, GMR, GMB, CGP, CGR, CAPS

Scott's ascent to becoming a Custom homebuilder and remodeler began when he was a child growing up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. His father, an accomplished carpenter, often took a young Scott to his construction sites. "I guess you could say from an early age, building has been in my blood. I went to college, even thought about law school, but in the end, I decided I really wanted a career in construction."

While working for a northwest suburban builder as a project manager, Scott began building homes on his own. Ultimately, he decided to leave the builder and on June 9, 1983, Sevvonco, Inc. was born. For the next 25 years, Scott and his team built well over 260 homes with a cumulative total over $500,000,000.00. Although many of these have been high-end residences located primarily in the North and Northwest suburbs, there have been exceptions. 

"At one point or another, we've built homes ranging in size from 1,400 square feet to 30,000 square feet and prices ranging from $150,000.00 to over $5.5 million and in locations from Oakbrook to Huntley," says Scott.

While Scott is known primarily for his design/build custom homes, there is an ever-growing design/build remodel division that takes on projects of any size. Scott has remodeled, renovated and built many additions over the years.

Scott is very active in the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, for which he serves on many committees. He is also involved in the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council where he currently or has served on many committees such as: Trustee on the Remodelers Council Board, Chairman of the Remodelers Council Membership & Communications sub-committee, Chairman of the Remodelers Council, Chairman of the CGR Board of Governors, Chairman of the CAPS Board of Governors, NAHB Build-Pac Trustee, Chairman of the NAHBR Green sub-committee, NAHB Design Committee, and NAHB Convention Committee. Scott is one of a very few “Senior Life Directors” of the NAHB Board of directors. 

He is dedicated to maintaining standards and healthy practices throughout the building industry and is fanatical about professionalism. His peers seem to gravitate toward him as he is always being consulted by industry professionals and is continually elected to positions of influence throughout the industry. The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago awarded Scott Builder of the Year in 2004 and Remodeler of the Year in 2006. Scott was also awarded from the National Association of Builders/Remodelers these awards for the entire nation, 2006 NAHB Graduate Master Builder of the Year, 2010 NAHB Graduate Master Remodeler of the Year, 2015 NAHB CAPS of the Year and the 2016 NAHB CGR remodeler of the year.

Scott is also very active in Green and Healthy building projects. On these projects, Scott works with the American Lung Association and Health House. In 2001, Sevvonco built Illinois’ first, award winning, American Lung Association Health House, in Glen Ellyn. Sevvonco, Inc. is also the first ever Illinois American Lung Association approved builder. In 2010, Scott was a consultant for the Museum of Science and Industry “Smart House: Green and Wired” that opened on the museum property.

In the fall of 2008, Scott teamed up with Remodel One to create MAW CHICAGO LLC and became the managing partner in Belgravia Plus LLC, a renovation firm specializing in renovation within the city limits of Chicago. MAW CHICAGO LLC is extremely active in the city of Chicago’s renovating market. MAW CHICAGO LLC is also recognized by HOUZZ as a premier builder and remodeler.

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Thinking of remodeling your home? Would you appreciate some expert guidance on how to maximize your Return on Investment (ROI)? In other words, remodeling your home in a way that allows you to minimize the money you spend on the improvements, while simultaneously maximizing the value of your home?

Our guest today is Todd Tomalak, Principal Advisor of Building Products for Zonda, a housing market research and advisory group. Zonda produces research reports on various aspects of the housing market. These tools help buyers, home owners, builders, remodelers and product manufacturers make better informed decisions.

In this program, Tom discusses Zonda’s highly respected Cost vs. Value Report (CvV). This FREE, annual report will tell you which remodel project investments are most valued (financially) by future property owners.

For more information on the housing market research tools offered by Zonda go to: www.ZondaHome.com

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In this show we make the case for creating your dream home from an historic home, a Landmark home. These are properties built from the 1950’s back to the Victorian homes built in the 1800’s. Remodeling Landmark homes is not for the faint of heart, and yet, those who undertake this journey will be rewarded with a home that will be recognized by all as an architectural treasure in their community.

Our distinguished guests, Stuart Cohen, FAIA and Julie Hacker, FAIA; practice residential architecture in the greater Chicago area. Their expertise is in taking gorgeous historic homes and remodeling them to serve the needs of a modern family; while preserving and enhancing the aesthetic features which make these homes. One-of-a-kind, works of art.

Remodeling an historic home, is a lot different from remodeling other homes. Landmark homes are often located in recognized historic districts. To maintain the character of that community, you will typically find the city has appointed a committee to oversee any proposed changes, to any property located in the community. And, proposed changes which could affect the exterior of the home, are especially frowned upon.

Julie and Stuart walk us through some of the things that you should be aware of, and how best to handle them. For example, is the work you are proposing for this historic home best classified as a remodel or a restoration? Should the proposed changes to the historic home be indistinguishable from the existing home, or should it be clear which portions of the home are original to property and which components are new? What role does contextualism play in the remodel of an historic home. You’ll hear answers to these questions and others in this program.

Stuart, a professor of architecture, also shares a little history of residential architecture in Chicago and helps us to appreciate how much beauty Landmark homes add to a community, and, how truly fortunate you are if you get to call one of these gorgeous historic homes - yours!

Website:             http://www.cohen-hacker.com/

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Welcome to Designing and Building Your Dream Home. Our guest today is Christina Lindal, President of Lindal Cedar Homes. Lindal is a 3rd generation, family owned custom home builder. Founded in 1945, Lindal has delivered more than 50,000 homes to families worldwide. In today’s program, Christina describes several home design styles, including “post and beam”. She also explains the advantages offered by a beautiful, flexible, “system-built”, home. Christina helps us to understand what goes into the design and buildout of a custom home, as well as discussing the ways your custom home can be a unique reflection of your family’s experiences and lifestyle.

Contact:             Christina Lindal, President, Lindal Homes, 6840 Fort Dent Way Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98188

Phone:                (206) 725-0900

Instagram:         @lindal_cedar_homes

Pinterest:           @LindalCedarHomes

Email:             www.Lindal.com

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MethodHomes.net. Custom-designed, prefabricated, modular homes. If offsite fabrication and construction techniques can improve the quality of certain components of your new home; what about building the entire home offsite?

Brian Abrahmson, Founder and CEO of Method Homes, a leader in prefabrication, helps us to understand modular construction and the impact it’s having on the custom home market.

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My guest today, Brandon Bryant, discusses just how important elegant design is to the successful creation of a custom home. A home you can be truly proud of! As he says; “Red Tree builders builds beautiful custom homes - that also happen to be high-performance homes.” 

In this interview, Brandon discusses the importance of having your builder address a number of essential elements of a successful project; including indoor air quality! He further explains that you should expect more than just a gorgeous home from your builder. Brandon explains that custom home builders should take the time to think through, and implement, a well-defined customer engagement process. That process should make the construction of their new custom home a truly enjoyable experience for the owners!

Brandon is a highly-awarded custom home builder from Ashville North Carolina (NC). He is the President and Owner of Red Tree Builders; he serves as President of the NC Home Builders Assoc. as well as on the Board of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He is a Master Certified Green Builder (Master CGP) who prides himself in building healthy, environmentally sound, and sustainable homes in the mountains of Asheville, NC. Brandon can be reached at RedtreeBuilders.com.

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