By Halsell Builders | Published on 02.17.2015 3:14 p.m.

Halsell Builders of Santa Maria is pleased to announce Mitch Massey has joined the team as director of sales/marketing/communications.

As an organization we are in a tremendous growth mode and the opportunity to add someone of Mitchs marketing strength and his positive reputation on the Central Coast is a perfect fit for our vision, said Joe Halsell, CEO of Halsell Builders.

Massey, who is well known for being a former TV sportscaster in the region and then led the marketing department for 14 years at Heritage Oaks Bank, will be responsible for leading the companys sales, marketing and brand strategies.

I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to be joining a team whose family roots are deeply rooted on the Central Coast, Massey said. "We have the ability each day to build something that will support a communitys economic and social vitality."

Named the 2014 Builder of the Year by the Home Builders Association, Halsell Builders projects range from building custom and residential homes, wineries, commercial parks and remodels.

Its an exciting time to be building on the Central Coast because the need is there for all scopes of development and building," Halsell said, "and Mitchs talents will help us take full advantage of these opportunities.

Click here to see some of Halsell Builders' new home development projects.

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Mitch Massey Joins Halsell Builders of Santa Maria as Director of Sales, Marketing

Cotswold Urban Infill Luxury New Construction
704-345-3400 Cotswold luxury new construction Charlotte NC by local custom home builders Grande Construction, Banister Homes, and HomeArama builder Evans Cog...

By: Roger Holloway

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Cotswold Urban Infill Luxury New Construction - Video

As Scott and Andrea Stritzke contemplated a move to the Dane County area from their two-dog home in Des Moines, Iowa, the question of whether to build new or buy an existing home was deceptively simple.

The couple had searched the available home inventory, which remains limited as the market continues its slow recovery, and couldnt find what they wanted, making new construction to meet their needs a logical choice.

But the home also couldnt be too close a fit, they were warned, if they hoped to re-sell it easily one day.

Ive seen some homes that are so custom-built that it really has to be sold to someone who is just like (the original owners), and maybe one other person out there, said Michelle Ames, a Keller Williams agent whos helping the Stritzkes with their new home, to be designed and built by Mount Horeb builder Jim Campbell.

Make sure you build a new house for you and what you need, but at the same time, you cant make it so specific that you wont be able to re-sell the house, Ames tells all her buyer clients. Then youve spent a lot of money that youre never going to see again.

Campbell also offered advice as he helped the couple decide how to position the planned four-bedroom, ranch-style home with a finished basement on a 6.5-acre, wooded site between two valleys south of Belleville.

Its just a really pretty area, said Andrea Stritzke, a lawyer whos been living in a rented Madison townhouse since September, when she started working for a local insurance company. We wanted a house that would fit well with the land and accommodate our lifestyle. We have two dogs and no kids.

Campbell said designing a house so it complements the surrounding landscape is his No. 1 duty as a builder, while working with clients who arent open to the push-and-pull of sharing ideas is his biggest deal-breaker.

Its really in the first 30 seconds you know if youre going to get along or not, Campbell said. Our process is just so personal. I tell people its like a marriage: if it doesnt start off good, its never going to get better.

More broadly, Campbell and other industry sources warned potential buyers to be ready to pay more to build a new home, after material costs rose sharply over the past year and building activity increased since 2012.

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New home requires partnership between builder, buyer, with eye toward resale

Fernandina Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 12, 2015

Arthur Rutenberg Homes is pleased to announce that Plantation Housing Corp., an independent franchisee of Arthur Rutenberg Homes, has opened a new fully furnished and professionally decorated Arthur Rutenberg Homes luxury custom model home, the St. Thomas, in Fernandina Beach on Ameilia Island.

The St. Thomas is Arthur Rutenberg Homes newest custom luxury model home in Florida. The two-story home features 3364 square feet of inside living area, with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 half-bath, and a den and bonus room as standard features.

The St. Thomas is Arthur Rutenberg Homes newest fully furnished Arthur Rutenberg Homes model built in Fernandina Beach. This model home offers a spacious and open floor plan with a California Contemporary theme. The home features a spacious covered lanai & cabana, with an outdoor kitchen. This home is perfect for family get togethers or for entertaining friends. Guests and residents can view the ocean from one of the two front decks.

The home features an expansive great room-kitchen-casual dining room combination ideal for accommodating family and friends. This great room designed home features a glass wall with 10' tall 20' wide stacking sliding glass doors which brings the outdoors in and provides an open airy feeling. The huge gourmet kitchen features a 6' x 10' center island with under-counter seating and a pass through window to the lanai. This kitchen has GE stainless steel appliances, custom wood cabinetry, and a decorative tile backsplash.

On the lanai there is a casual sitting and dining area open to the outdoor kitchen complete with stainless grill and granite top, sink and refrigerator.

The first level also includes the luxurious Master Suite with a stand-alone tub, his and her vanities, a great walk in shower, plus his and her custom closet. There is an extra large den and a guest suite with full shower bath.

The second level opens up to a spacious bonus room with game table, wet bar and a media area. French doors lead to the covered balcony which overlook the ocean. The second floor guest suite could be a 2nd master with a king size bed, double vanities, huge walk in closet and ocean view.

Click Here to see the St.Thomas model home floor plan and get details on the model.

About Fernandina Beach

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New Arthur Rutenberg Homes Model Home Opens in Fernandina Beach, FL on Amelia Island

Buyers interested in purchasing affordable new homes have far fewer selections than they did just a few years ago, a new study shows.

The number of new Orlando-area homes priced at $150,000 or less shrank to just 282 during the fourth quarter. Three years earlier, buyers had triple the offerings in that range, according to research firm MetroStudy. While construction has eased off lower-priced homes, it has ramped up on the high end. New homes priced at more than $500,000 ballooned to 637 during the fourth quarter from 112 three yearsearlier.

And housing starts in the Metro Orlando area's most popular price range $250,000 to $299,000 have quadrupled during the last three years.

"I think what you're seeing is a shift," said Sean Strickler, vice president of sales for Pulte Homes in Orlando. Builders are no longer able to pick up the deals on property that had languished following the 2007 housing bust and was then sold off at a discount by lenders, he added.

What is not increasing much are Central Florida wages. The region's median income increased 1.2 percent to $56,193 in December from a year earlier, according to the federal government. Even though price increases for new homes were unavailable, existing home price for the core Orlando market increased 6 percent during the last year.

The price growth has forced builders to move away from first-time buyers and chase a pool of move-up buyers. Housing starts for last year were pretty flat from 2013, according to the MetroStudy report. The firm researches new-housing permits, starts and occupancy.

Builders facing a trio of higher land costs, reinstated impact fees, and rising labor prices have been able to tap out-of-market buyers. Buyers from higher-priced markets in the North have been able to sell their homes for a profit that they are willing to use as a down payment, Strickler said, as well as international buyers.

One factor softening the blow of fast-rising prices is that interest rates continue to be at historically low levels, which keeps monthly payments more affordable, said Anthony Crocco, regional director for MetroStudy. In December, interest rates on a 30-year mortgage were 3.86 percent.

Fast-rising land prices have also started to slow a building spree in Winter Park, where custom builders have razed dozens and dozens of old houses in recent years in order to build new ones. Winter Park infill lots are quickly becoming so pricey that builders are seeking individual lots to other neighborhoods.

"In Winter Park ZIP codes, the market is softening because of price growth but you will see a push out to College Park, Colonialtown, and Lake Eola Heights," Crocco said.

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Orlando home builders shift focus to upper-end houses

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For years, Las Vegas has been a place where thoughtful architecture goes to die, with cookie-cutter stucco homes, strip malls and mid-rise office buildings blanketing the valley.

The luxury-home market is no different, with supersized Tuscan-style mansions stuffed with the same toys and amenities.

Homebuilder Tyler Jones, however, is adding a dash of style to this look-alike landscape.

Jones, through his Las Vegas company Blue Heron, is developing three communities of high-end, desert-themed luxury homes in Henderson and has built custom homes around the valley. He founded the company with his father and has been in business for a decade, getting project sites that flopped under previous owners and racking up numerous design and environmental awards from construction-industry groups.

The 37-year-old Las Vegas native tries to blend indoor and outdoor space, and subtly packs his cube-shaped homes with electronics.

The design, he said, is Vegas Modern.

At his four-bedroom, 5,800-square-foot model home at Sky Terrace a development off Sunridge Heights Parkway near Eastern Avenue most doors are automated, glass pocket-doors that glide completely into the walls. Outside, the courtyard has a water wall, fire pit and flat-screen TV. There are three other fire pits, including on the rooftop skydeck, which also boasts a wet bar.

There are more than 20 flat-screen TVs scattered around the house, with several hidden behind mirrors, including two alone in the master bathroom. The kitchen bleeds into the living room, and walking around the house, it can take a while to realize that bedrooms and hallways are nowhere in sight.

We want it to feel open, Jones said.

Most luxury homes in the valley not only look the same but often have the same perks movie theaters, elevators, gyms, wine cellars, massage rooms, libraries, gaming and billiards rooms, outdoor kitchens, and manicured landscaping with palm trees, ponds and swimming pools.

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Vegas Modern: Builder adding twist to re-energized luxury-home market

Approximately 125,000 housing industry professionals packed the aisles at Design & Construction Week, organizers say. Now in its second year, the co-located mega-event included the National Association of Home Builders' International Builders' Show (IBS), the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the International Window Coverings Expo, The International Surface Event and the Las Vegas Market.

Official attendance for IBS was 55,237, which was 8 percent higher than last year's show. More than 1,200 exhibitors filled 478,000 square feet of space with everything from the latest in kitchen and bath design to millwork and marketing services. Overall, Design & Construction Week boasted 3,750 exhibitors and 4.7 million net square feet of exhibit space.

"This has been the best show we have experienced since the economic downturn," said Jerry Konter, chair of the NAHB Convention and Meetings Committee. "You felt a great energy the moment you hit the show floor, as builders and exhibitors continue to benefit from the recovering economy."

On the show floor, exhibitors fielded questions about technologies that didn't even exist five years ago, including smart phone-controlled home automation systems for security, lighting and entertainment that have only been available for high-end custom homes with big price tags.

Attendees crowded the aisles for a show that almost overwhelmed taxis, hotels, and restaurants in what the Las Vegas Conventions and Visitors Authority believe to be a record-setting week for visitation.

"The exhibit halls were packed from end to end and the energy on the show floor was amazing," said newly elected NAHB Chairman Tom Woods, a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo. "Design & Construction Week was truly a unique one-stop shopping extravaganza for all those involved in the residential construction industry, and this mega-event will be a great springboard for housing in the year ahead."

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125,000 Attend 2015 International Builders' Show, Design & Construction Week