JBA Central Blog System

It’s often that people drive through all sorts of housing communities on the quest to find their next home. One of the things that turn people away from their potential dream home is the neighbors. Whether people admit it or not, pulling up and looking at a nice house that sits beside a house with a nasty, unkempt yard will turn even the most liberal minded individual away. Homeowner Associations have been put into place to help curtail this lack of motivation in regards to the lawn, as they can impose fines and give the homeowner quite a bit of grief. Neighbors may also be inclined to give these unmotivated people a hard time as well. Keeping your community presentable and clean helps draw in new home buyers, thus increasing the value of your home, as well as encourages businesses to open up near the housing community. The more businesses that are near your community, the more equity your home can net when it’s time to move.

A lot of people have pretty specific ideas about who they want for neighbors. There's nothing wrong with this- most people got those ideals one of two ways: by experiencing it and recognizing that it is what they desire or because they lived in a situation where they were unhappy about their neighbors and so came up with their own ideas about who they want to live next to and near.

For some people, affordable housing doesn't sound like the kind of neighborhood that would be desirable, while for other people who have had great mixed income housing situations in the past, affordable housing is just one part of the whole picture. Ultimately, the truth is this: affordable housing is needed, and it needs to be safe for children and families. What better way than as part of a mixed-income community? Certainly this is a better living opportunity than to have affordable housing lumped in solely with low income areas.

A few years ago, water filters were made to fit on the end of the sink to produce better, healthier water for people to drink. This same water is found in bottles at the store, ready for you to purchase for a few dollars. As it turns out, by using the water filter on the end of your faucet will not only save you the money from paying for bottles of water, it will also reduce the amount of manufactured plastics, thus helping lead to a better world.

Since we use so much plastic, recycling isn’t catching it all, and for those that decide to burn things as their answer to waste disposal, burning plastic is quite harmful to people. Filtering water at your home is also a guaranteed way to ensure that all of the impurities are removed, as you are doing it yourself. Not to mention that the money you will be saving will allow you to do other fun things with your family.

When it comes to construction loans for new building projects, it might be worthwhile to stop and consider the many grants and incentives there are currently being offered for green building techniques. Obviously there is a need for this kind of awareness at the planning level; one cannot just suddenly make a building green in the building process, although substitution for more sustainable materials is one way that this could be done. However, if eco-building techniques are considered in the planning process such that when it comes time to apply for loans there is clear evidence that it will be a "green" building then it can be much easier to secure specials that only apply to those who are building green. Even if you just look at it in terms of solar, the opportunities for making that a more affordable option are many.

Growing up, everybody has aspirations of wanting to be great at something or another - One trade or skill that will hopefully net them large sums of money and from that, sprout happiness. As it turns out, very few people find their niche in the creative side of their lives. But, for those that try to find their creative home, drawing and painting are gateway to greatness. Painters can transform images in their mind’s eye into a beautiful scene on a canvass. The more unique the painter, the more of their own unique twist and interpretation that they put on things while they paint. What may look like just a single red line on a white canvass to one person, may symbolize solidarity or something else to another. Painters often leave their artwork open to interpretation, especially from those people that are willing to spend money on these works of art. Painting from the soul gives the painter the chance to share their views with others in hopes to get their point across.

Whether you live by yourself on a farm, in the city in a multifamily housing unit or anywhere else, home is a place to hang your hat, to nourish yourself and your family and to feel comfortable in. One of the ways that comfort can be increased is through the use of art. Art is more than decoration- it speaks to the spirit in a way that cannot be underestimated. Being surrounded by that which you find beautiful or meaningful is part of what makes a space feel your own as well. Calming imagery, inspiring imagery, even whimsical imagery can make your house feel unique and special to you. Garden spaces, even if only a few potted plants on a doorstep or windowsill can also add a cheery sense to the home, making it feel welcoming and cared for- two things that people inherently seek in a space.

Kermit the Frog said it best when he said his signature line, “It ain’t easy being green.” This creed speaks volumes, especially as we look at the current state of affairs in the world. Companies are constantly trying to go green in order to be more eco-friendly, since being green has become the norm. While this may look good for stockholders and the bottom line, consumers have to pay the ultimate price, getting substandard products, which inevitably may lead to recalls. Saving trees is a good thing; reducing waste is just as valiant, however, to what expense? Giving consumers products that have the potential to cause harm because the company wants to cut a few corners here and there? Regardless of what companies do to go green, it will never be easy. Going paperless has merit, but seems all but impossible as companies require files to be held for so many years. Relying on recycled goods is another good thing, but how to you recycle when there is nothing to recycle because we have ended the use of plastic? Again, it ain’t easy being green.

While it might well be the case that most people don't associate green homes with affordable housing that doesn't mean that the two don't have something in common. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that if there is anything that tends to have a lesser carbon impact it would be multifamily housing. Anyone who has taken a carbon footprint test while living in various types of housing will tell you that the larger one's home, the bigger the footprint. Living in an apartment building or a dormitory is probably the best way to find yourself with a smaller footprint.

Obviously, there are many other components to being green when it comes to housing, from building materials to energy efficient appliances to the lifestyle choices of those living within. All said and done, such factors such as location will also play a big role because of the amount of driving required on a regular basis. That being said, with more and more building projects embracing environmentally friendly designs and the fact that multifamily homes are often more green, affordable housing may become a greener and greener choice over the coming years.

Probably one of the best jobs in the construction industry would have to be demolition. There is nothing more fun than rigging an implosion or bulldozing a building. Imploding buildings are known to draw quite the crowd. People are drawn to the excitement of watching a building come crashing down, or trees being pulled out, stump and all. Granted, nobody likes to really see trees butchered since they help us breathe and all, but regardless, old dead trees are fun to watch as they are removed. But it doesn’t just stop with buildings or trees, demolition men also deal with removing snow and other debris. Snow removal is vital in the northern states just as debris removal is vital in areas where tornadoes and natural disasters can occur. Construction companies employ the use of many different types of workers in order to give the best service all the way around.

When it comes to the world of construction, there have been a lot of setback suffered by people who were in the middle of the building process when the market collapsed around them. If you were in the process of applying for construction loans when this happened, or if you had been planning on starting that process soon, now is likely the time where you are looking around to see if the storm has passed. Well, the good news is that worst of the storm does seem to have passed, but the market isn't quite yet on its feet again. Whether you were looking at a small bank or had been considering something more along the lines of Freddie Mac Loans you want to take a look and see where things stand now. One the one hand, you will benefit from far less inflated prices, but on the other- you may need to be able to prove your ability to afford such a building project in advance in a way that wasn't he case prior to the collapse.