I went to a seminar many years ago in which government staffers were going to explain the details of a new federal program.

The meeting was at a hotel where a large open area had been sectioned off with room dividers so several sessions could be held simultaneously in smaller rooms.

In the room I was in, there was a space of about two feet where the room divider fell short of reaching the wall.

The two men in charge of the seminar grabbed it and and tugged at it aggressively until they pulled the room divider all the way to the wall, filling the gap. But in doing so, a gap was created at the other end.

One of the men turned to us and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed government solving a problem."

Everyone laughed - but no one disagreed.

That's why when a government program works, it's worth pointing out.

And it sure looks like the city has a good one going.

Last year, the Mason City Council approved a program in which residents could receive tax abatements for new construction or remodeling an existing structure.

It wouldn't be a government program if it didn't have a lot of details to it, but basically, it works like this:

If a property owner makes improvements that increase the assessed value of residential property by at least 10 percent or 15 percent for commercial property, they get a tax abatement. It's a five-year, 100 percent abatement on residential properties and a 10-year, sliding scale or three-year, 100 percent abatement on commercial properties. There is a $75,000 cap on the abated value of residential property.

The idea was to give a tax break to property owners, provide work for the construction industry and show people thinking about moving here what a progressive community we have.

So far, the city has received 42 applications - four commercial, 13 single-family houses, 11 garages or accessory buildings and 14 residential remodels.

Pam Myhre, director of growth development and planning, said the figures represent an estimated $13.8 million investment and over $4.2 million in residential improvements.

And someday, when the abatement periods are over, more money will flow into the city's tax base.

There don't appear to be any losers in this one, folks.

The room divider is covering the entire wall.

Reach John Skipper at john.skipper@globegazette.com or 421-0537.

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John Skipper Column: A program that appears to be working

17-02-2012 02:03 Simple picture montage start to finish showing a room getting torn down, wall paper and old paint getting removed then painted. Carpet was removed and solid wood floor was exposed.

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Image Montage with Music Of Remodeling a Room - Video

Chuck Badger Construction, Specializing in Kitchen and Bath Remodels, New Construction, and Room Additions, Shares New Trends and Ways to Define Kitchen Space

Inland Empire, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2012

As America’s economy strengthens, remodeling and home renovation are once again on the rise and kitchens are no exception. According to Kitchen and Bath Business magazine, this year a whopping six million homeowners will remodel their kitchens.

Kitchens have always been the epicenter for cooking, dining, spending family time, and entertaining family and friends. In addition to sheer enjoyment and function, kitchens also capture high resale cachet and can help sell a home. The importance of a kitchen area makes it one of the most critical remodeling projects a homeowner takes on. So where should a homeowner begin when considering a kitchen remodel?

“Many people start by picking out the style of kitchen they like best, but it’s important that you start by determining how you want to use the space,” says Chuck Badger, who has more than 20 years experience in the construction industry and is owner of Chuck Badger Construction. “Consider how your kitchen fits your lifestyle and how you need it to function. Do you have ample space to work efficiently, do you have enough storage, or do you need a space to pay bills or a computer workstation for your child to do homework? Once you know what you need from your new kitchen you can move forward.”

One new emerging kitchen design trend is to move away from an open floor plan with a combined kitchen, dining, and great room in favor of more defined rooms. Open floor planning is great for entertaining and family gatherings, but the combined space can become too noisy, lose a sense of intimacy, and expose kitchen clutter to guests.

In new mid-market to upscale homes, many homeowners are designing specific areas for a family room and a dining room set around a kitchen. When remodeling, there are a number of ways to define spaces such as using lowered ceilings, soffits, built-ins, and cabinetry.

“Remember the design process takes time,” says Chuck, who enjoys staying up-to-date on all the latest trends. “Hire a general contractor who is a careful listener and provide as much upfront information as you can on your ideas and expectations.”

Chuck Badger Construction has been building new homes from the ground up, remodeling, and providing room additions for 20 years. Experienced and skilled, Chuck Badger is able to perform 90 percent of the work himself instead of relying on subcontractors, allowing better overall control of the project and improving lines of communication.

For more information about this company that offers personalized service, please call (951)-306-4295 or check them out on the Web.

About Chuck Badger Construction

Since 1992, Chuck Badger Construction has been providing new construction, remodels, room additions, and home repair and built his excellent reputation by word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers. His attention to each individual client and timely and superior quality craftsmanship has earned him an impeccable reputation in the Coachella Valley. Chuck Badger Construction serves the Southern California desert community including Palm Springs, Indio, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and La Quinta.

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Charles Badger
Chuck Badger Construction
(951) 306-4295
Email Information

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Palm Springs Kitchen Remodeler Chuck Badger Construction Shares New Design Trends for Kitchen Remodels

13-02-2012 15:10 customdesignbuilders.net Straightforward ad about your skills at helping customers remodel or refurbish their home, whether for a single room or several. New housing costs have you overwhelmed? Why not spruce up your existing home with help from the experts? With the proper skills, tools and experience, we specialize in a wide range of remodeling and renovation services. We work with you to create an exciting design, then our experienced and knowledgeable crews work quickly to complete the job to your satisfaction, while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Whether you want to remodel a single room or your entire home, call us today.

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Custom Design Builders - Video

Osage Beach hasn't adopted a public indoor smoking ban, but some of the city's restauranteurs are instituting their own smoke free policy. The owners of the City Grill and Blue Room became the latest to declare their restaurant smoke free and will adopt the self-imposed ban once a remodeling project is finished this spring.

"It's going to happen regardless. There's going to be a statewide ban at some point," City Grill co-owner Joey Homm said.

Major cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Jefferson City have adopted bans of smoking in restaurants. In Osage Beach, the Board of Aldermen debated a public smoking ban in the summer of 2011, but has not taken any action on the proposal since August.

The Homm family has owned restaurants at Lake of the Ozarks since it opened Jo Jo's in 1952. The family opened City Grill in 2003. After experimenting with non-smoking nights in the Blue Room nightclub on Wednesday nights, the family voted to go smoke free this spring.

"It was a family decision. We all agreed that we are in favor of going non-smoking. Not only for personal health reasons, but because so many customers come through the front door and the sense and the smell of the smoke drives them away from our place," Homm said.

In an effort to balance business decisions and keeping customers happy, contractors will build an outdoor smoking patio on to the restaurant. The patio will have 20-25 seats, propane heaters and outdoor televisions.
"We're not turning our backs on our smoking clientele, because we know that they're out there. We want to be proactive in trying to keep them with us," Homm said.

City Grill joins Osage Beach restaurants such as J. Bruner's, Half Sauced BBQ, the Cozy Cafe and Hideout Bar and Grill in going smoke free.

Debate over an all out smoking ban in Osage Beach died away in August because aldermen grappled with the question of whether or not banning smoking in restaurants infringed on the rights of the individual business owner.

“It’s a business owner’s decision, period,” Alderman Steve Kahrs said in August. “I feel that the government sticking its long arms into private business takes away liberties.”

The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen could pursue other smoking regulations such as creating a ballot issue that would allow voters to decide on a ban, regulating ventilation and enclosures in restaurant smoking sections, or impose a smoking ban on non-bar businesses.

In a community survey taken in 2011, 68 percent of the 1,509 respondents said hey would support an indoor smoking ban in Osage Beach bars.

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Businesses in Osage Beach to decide on smoking ban

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In a competitive market, it's important to stand out from the crows if you want to sell your home quickly. One way to do this is with upgrades and renovations. Unfortunately, even small remodeling projects can get costly -- and you don't want to spend more money than you'd make on the sale.

Fortunately, it's possible to buy paint, home siding, light fixtures, and just about anything else a contractor ever needed at huge discounts by buying used. The stuff is usually good quality, and looks brand new in your house. So, if you're planning on remodeling before you sell, why not save a bit of money?

Habitat ReStore

Habitat for Humanity builds and restores homes for low-income and needy families. The charity builds homes all over the U.S. and ends up with plenty of left-over materials or salvaged pieces from old houses. Habitat for Humanity opened retail stores, the Habitat ReStore, across the nation to sell the extras. The store is a remodeler's dream. You can find everything from door frames to stained glass windows at huge discounts. And if you're upgrading or remodeling a historic home - the ReStore has you covered. You can find all sorts of upgrades - like claw foot tubs and ceiling medallions - that buyer's love to see in older homes.

Your Contractor

If you're working with a contractor, he may have extra supplies on hand or know where to buy them at a discount. Contractors often know of clearance sells and going out of business deals from local material suppliers. Since you're going to be selling the house and not living in it, it probably won't matter to you if the granite counter tops are a different shade than what you ideally would have wanted, and you can save a lot by not being picky.

Home Improvement Stores

Small upgrades - like new bathroom faucets or door knobs - can make a huge difference to potential buyers, and local home improvement stores often sell them on clearance for next to nothing. For examples, stores like Home Depot and Lowe's put over stock items on clearance several times a year.

To save even more - look for gallons of unsold paint. If the paint department mixed the wrong color of paint, or made a mistake in the shade, they'll sell the unsold gallons at a huge discount. If you have a room with stained or faded walls, pick up a gallon or two of this unwanted premixed paint. It may not be the color you'd choose for your own home, but you'll cover up those unsightly walls before the first open house.

Your Neighbor

Garage sales and classified ads are great places to find cheap home building materials. I once bought four doors for a rental property for $15 a piece at a garage sale. Check out the garage sale ads in your area and look for sells that mention building materials, recent home upgrades, or remodeling sales.

If you're going to hunt garage sales and local listings, have an idea in mind of what you want to buy. Consider upgrades that a buyer would care about like updated flooring, fresh exterior paint, or upgraded appliances and then seek out those items. These sellers often sell left over tiles, extra gallons of paint and their old appliances.

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First Person: Pre-Sale Remodeling Doesn't Have to Be Expensive

HartmanBaldwin Design/Build was recognized for its contemporary kitchen remodel with a 2011 Gold Master Design Award from Qualified Remodeler magazine.

Claremont, CA, (PRWEB) February 10, 2012

HartmanBaldwin has been named a 2011 Master Design Awards winner by Qualified Remodeler magazine. The national and prestigious annual awards program, now in its 33rd year, recognizes outstanding achievement in residential remodeling projects in 22 categories. HartmanBaldwin won a Gold Master Design Award in the Room Remodel category.

The project chosen for the award was the Oshay Residence, which the panel of judges selected based on its aesthetic appeal, construction techniques, financial value, functionality of space and positive overall impression. The scope of the project included a comprehensive remodel of the home’s common areas: the kitchen, family room and game room. The focal point of the project, a double-sided stone fireplace, visually connects all adjacent spaces.

The home, originally built in 1994, now features a new floor plan that delineates spaces while still providing a cozy, inviting living area conducive to family and social gatherings. This next-generation take on the “great room” concept includes a kitchen that promotes an upscale artisan quality, a living room that strikes a balance between formality and function and a game room that features a billiard table in its center and an impressive corner wet bar.

The Gold Master Design Award is regarded as an accomplishment by HartmanBaldwin, as the firm appreciates industry recognition. “We are so proud to receive this award and share it with our clients,” Karla Rodriguez of HartmanBaldwin says. “Whenever we start a project, our focus is to achieve the client’s dream without compromising the quality of the remodel. We are so happy to have achieved that with the Oshay Residence project, and this award is proof of that.”

Profiles of the projects selected as winners of the 2011 Master Design Awards were published in the October 2011 issue of Qualified Remodeler and appear on the magazine’s website at QualifiedRemodeler.com. The projects will also serve as cover story focuses for the next 12 months. As the year draws to a close, HartmanBaldwin counts the Oshay Residence Project among its most esteemed accomplishments of 2011.

About HartmanBaldwin - HartmanBaldwin Design/Build has been remodeling and restoring homes for nearly 30 years. It has won over twenty-five local and national awards for design and building, including the Gold Nugget Grand Award, sponsored by the Pacific Coast Builders Conference and Builder Magazine; several Renaissance Design Competition Grand Awards, sponsored by the NAHB Remodelers Council and Remodeling Magazine; and numerous Architectural Commission Excellence in Design Awards.

About Quality Remodeler Founded in 1975, Qualified Remodeler magazine was the first magazine dedicated to serving the residential remodeling market. The magazine, which provides leading-edge information to help remodelers remain competitive in a changing economy, is published by Cygnus Business Media and serves an audience of more than 83,000 residential remodeling firms nationwide.

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Karla J. Rodriguez
HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
909-670-1345
Email Information

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HartmanBaldwin Design/Build Kitchen and Family Room Remodel Wins Master Design Award

10-02-2012 19:21 Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com Finished Basements By Bob Testimonials Dear Bob, We want to thank you for our beautiful finished basement and office. You did a great job and we will recommend you to all of our friends. Your professionalism, courtesy and workman like manor put you in a league of your own. Thank you again for a great job well done. North Brunswick, NJ Dear Bob, When our neighbors had their basement finished we were so impressed that we decided to do the same. You were our only choice. You worked in a timely fashion and your neatness was quite impressive. We love our new family room. South Brunswick, NJ Bob is a dedicated men to neatness and to getting the job done right. Bob helped us design the layout of our basement and we could not be happier. Our office space turned out very nice with the glass wall looking onto the living space. He is truly experienced and he leaves no details untouched. He did an excellent job putting our in-wall speakers and hiding all the cables for our home theater. He was the 3rd finished basement company/person I consulted with and he was the most knowledgeable and he gave me a better deal than the rest. Give him a call, you won't regret!. -Matt North Brunswick, NJ Contact Bob Faccone Phone: (732) 821-0707 Fax: (732) 821-3199 North Brunswick, NJ 08902 Contractor License# 13VH03449400 Fully Insured. ebizmarketingconsultants.com

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Finished Basements By Bob, eBiz - Video

28-01-2012 14:52 bennettbuilders.com A family-owned builder and remodelers for five generations, Bennett Builders and Remodelers has built or remodeled over 3000 new homes in the Cleveland area. We can design and build nearly every kind of new home or remodeling project, including kitchens, bathrooms, basements, attics, garages, laundry/mud rooms, family room additions and master suite renovations. With a reputation for trust and integrity since 1949, you can be assured you will receive an enjoyable remodeling experience with Bennett Builders and Remodelers. Bennett Builders serves all of the greater Cleveland area, especially Westlake, Rocky River, Bay Village, Avon, Avon Lake, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Lakewood and North Ridgeville. Call 440-835-3277 today for a FREE design consultation and estimate.

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Remodeling Contractor - Builder - Avon Lake, North Olmsted, Fairview Park, Lakewood - Video

09-02-2012 18:58 http://www.homeremodelingchapelhill.com Straightforward ad about your skills at helping customers remodel or refurbish their home, whether for a single room or several. New housing costs have you overwhelmed? Why not spruce up your existing home with help from the experts? With the proper skills, tools and experience, we specialize in a wide range of remodeling and renovation services. We work with you to create an exciting design, then our experienced and knowledgeable crews work quickly to complete the job to your satisfaction, while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Whether you want to remodel a single room or your entire home, call us today.

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Oldenburg Builders, Inc. - Video