Girard Pointe homes in Philadelphia – tour of units 6 and 7

Credits:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/homepage/20100221_Builder_s_winning_formula.html
Virtual 3D building tour by arie@schinnar.com of BIMarchitects
(Happy Go Lucky music track composed by Jonathan Atkinson; home furnishings from Google 3D warehouse)
Marketing: Tali Marketing and JDT International.

The Flats at Girard Pointe is a JDT International, LLC development consisting of seven single-family homes located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. The townhomes were manufactured by PennLyon, a leading manufacturer of custom residential modular homes—www.pennlyon.com. Five unique floor plans are offered, designed for eco-friendly city living. Each three-story residence has an 8 ft high full basement, and is accentuated by aesthetic facades and modern finishes. For additional information contact: www.girardpointe.com.

Location: 1221-1233 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Property Owner: CRL2 Associates, LLC.
Architect of Record: Leonard J Ciccotello, AIA.
Sales office: Star Real Estate Group.

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“Green” Energy Efficient Log Home Roof Construction

Golden Eagle Log Homes supplies energy efficient roofing systems that can reduce the temperature of your house during the summer and maintain heat in the winter.

www.goldeneagleloghomes.com

Log Homes and Log Home floor plans Cabins by Golden Eagle Log Homes

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The Obama Plan in 4 Minutes

Learn the basic principles of President Obama’s health insurance reform plan as presented to Congress on September 9, 2009.

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Sean Pollard-3D Solar Arctic “Ice” House- View 1

A 3D Home walk-through. Courtesy of Confidential Records Art & Multimedia (C.R.A.M.))- Designs @ Davortex Laboratories- Baltimore, MD.

Designed by Sean Pollard- Multimedia Artist. For digitial designs or floor plans, please email: pollardpower@gmail.com

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Pc Phone Adding More Value to VoIP Services

The launch of communication websites have gone a long way to make the PC Phone a very interesting phenomenon. People have now started to abandon their traditional networks and are opting for services provided by the PC phones. It is extremely beneficial as one can easily forward calls to distant places at charges that are extremely low.

While making PC phone calls, the users can also send messages and see the person to whom the call is being forwarded. Thus it helps to build intimacy among callers. People can also forward calls and simultaneously share files with the callers. It is thus evident that a caller enjoys the connectivity option provided by websites. It has redeemed telephony and people have started to understand its benefits.

With PC to Phone calls one can easily connect to others on their mobile phones. It means that a caller may be dialling a number from one’s computer but then the call can be forwarded to another computer or a mobile phone as the case may be. So, users can be in touch with others even when the receiver is outside home. Thus the system is being applauded all over the world for the connectivity options that they provide. Moreover, research has made it evident that the connectivity offered by the websites is not restricted to a particular region. The reason is that the technology being digital allows people to stay in touch with others. The digital technology allows people to make PC to mobile phone calls.

Data and files can be easily shared with the PC phone calling method. It is possible for callers to send messages and share files with others. Not just this, people can also indulge in a conference call. Moreover, it is possible to make PC phone calls from any place of the world. Users just need to register themselves with the sites. Then they can access services provided by the communication websites from any place of the world. Users would just require to log into their personal IDs and access the services provided by these websites.

The registration process is also very simple and it just takes to fill in an online form so as to get registered with a site. Then people can start accessing the services after getting registered to the site.

Information about the PC to phone calls can be accessed from the internet. One can also find out the websites that cater to offer such services. Just on placing a search on search engines, users can find a list of sites that cater to bring communication services to people. Thus a person can easily choose a website and get registered for accessing the service. The site that offers good calling plans should be opted by people for availing connectivity.

Nisha Garg
http://www.articlesbase.com/voip-articles/pc-phone-adding-more-value-to-voip-services-702346.html

Why Pick a Modular Home?

Modular homes, a factory product, are built as different sections so that they can match with all state, local or regional building codes of where you wish to live. These sections are then transported to the home site where they are raised onto foundations and fixed there permanently.

Generally, modular homes are designed to be initially stronger than site-built homes for example by replacing nails with screws and adding glue to joints. This helps the modules to maintain their structural integrity as they are transported on trucks over major highways to the construction site. Even though the modular home is found to be stronger than a stick built home, it is hard to predict the final building strength as it needs to withstand transportation stresses that the site-built homes never experience.

The modular home construction process is smooth and efficient. The construction time period needed to construct a home may vary depending on the home selected. As modular homes construction is constrained in a climate-controlled situation, the chance for moisture, rain or weather to delay construction, presence of dampness etc will be very less. Mold and mildew have little opportunity to grow in your new built modular home. For families with very sensitive members, the final product is an allergy free home to lead a healthier life.

Another advantage of modular home to be noted is in terms of durability. Modular homes have to travel a lot to reach the final site. Manufactures make out modular homes with this idea in mind and provide a durable product that can withstand the side effects of transportation. True modular homes have more flexibility as compared to on-frame modular homes. A perfect modular home can be built from existing plans or from custom plans generated by an architect. Also, a modular home producer’s uses computer generated plans to meet all national, state, and local building standards.

Material waste is very much less when compared to site built homes resulting much saving of money to home owners. This is because the lumber that is removed after construction of one house can be taken for the construction of the new house.

The uniqueness of modular home is it is built in a climate-controlled factory and building in this way reduces the chances of weather related delays or problems. To add to it, the fact that building supplies are stored in on-site warehouses, it also virtually eliminates the chance that wet materials will be used when building the modular home.

Don’t jump into a decision. Have a talk with manufactures to help design your own modular dream home. Make your dream home into a reality by exploring additional features and benefits of modular homes.

Daya
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/why-pick-a-modular-home-118983.html

Increase the Value of your Home – Build or Extend

This article is part one in a two-part series on making home

improvements.

Once upon a time, investing in property was a sure-fire way to make

money, but as the property market has slowed down over recent years,

homeowners need to be wise about how they maintain and improve their

property in order to make money from it as buyers are becoming more

demanding. There’s a wide range of upgrades that can be made, from

large-scale property development to a spot of DIY. A great deal of

capital will be required for the former and isn’t a realistic option

for many people, but self improvements needn’t cost the earth and if

done well can make a big difference to property value.

A word of warning though: you won’t always get back what you put into a

property – you’ll need to spend your money wisely in order to make a

profit. The biggest mistake that most people make is to focus too much

on cosmetic improvements without making a real difference to the key

features of the property. What homebuyers always want is space, so

whatever improvements you make, you should aim to create more space (or

ensure that whatever changes you make aren’t at the cost of space). As

a general rule, the more bedrooms the better – this is what sells a

house (although only if they are all a reasonable size).

There are numerous ways in which to increase the space in your

house – converting a loft or cellar, adding a garage, building an

extension or conservatory, redesigning the garden or moving interior

walls.

Loft conversions are a specialist job and should be done by an expert.

There are various building regulations that must be adhered to. For a

start, most lofts aren’t designed to cope with the loads that domestic

use would entail – in many houses even the cold water tank is mounted

between the roof rafters as the loft floor isn’t load-bearing. The

ceiling and floor will therefore have to be strengthened, and the roof

may also have to be altered to ensure that it can support the windows

that will be fitted. Fire safety is another aspect that must be

considered – materials must be fire-resistant and the space must be

designed so that there is a suitable escape route. This will affect the

design of the staircase, doors and windows. To be on the safe side,

it’s best to employ the services of an architect or structural engineer.

If you have a cellar in your home, you may be able to convert it into a

utility room, a playroom, a gym or even a home cinema! Bedrooms, living

rooms, dining rooms and kitchens in a basement space aren’t a good idea

unless you’re able to fit windows, as they can be dark and need

constant artificial light. Cellar conversions are also best done by an

expert, as they are also subject to building regulations. You’ll need

to waterproof and insulate the floor and walls to make the space warm

and dry. This will involve coating the walls and floor in a damp-proof

membrane and installing drainage and a sump for channelling any water

or moisture. Fans and/or humidity controls may also need to be fitted

to ensure adequate airflow.

Building an extension is a major undertaking. You’ll need to employ an

architect or a surveyor to draw up plans to submit for planning

permission and building regulation approval by the local council before

you start building work. Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want

done, the next step is to work out the costs involved in the building

work and draw up a clear financial plan. Costs often spiral out of

control once the work is underway and it can be difficult to keep

within budget. Factor a contingency fund into your plans when working

out how to finance the project to cover unexpected expenditure. The

most common methods of paying for extensions are by remortgaging or

taking out a personal loan. Speak to your mortgage provider and

various banks to work out the best deal for you.

Think about how the extension will affect the existing space before

making any decisions. If the garden is very small, the finished house

will be completely out of proportion to the plot and may reduce its

marketability. Garages are valuable storage places, so think carefully

before knocking down a garage to make space for an extension as it

could end up backfiring – a large house with no garage and no car space

may be very difficult to sell. Instead, consider extending over the

garage if it is attached to the house, or knocking down a detached

garage and building a new one adjoining the house so that you can

create living space above it. If getting rid of the garage is the only

feasible option, try to redesign the garden to allow plenty of driveway

space as it can be very difficult to find street parking in many urban

areas.

A much simpler option for increasing living space is to get a

conservatory.

Compared to extensions they can be much cheaper and they don’t always

require planning permission – although you should always check before

undertaking any work. It depends on the size and type of the existing

property (detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat), whether it has been

extended before, the size of the planned conservatory, the amount of

space in the garden, and whether the property is in a conservation area

or is a listed building. Speak to your local council for advice. The

cost of building a conservatory can vary dramatically – a conservatory

kit from a DIY store is the cheapest option, but even between

professional companies there can be a big difference in prices. Get

plenty of quotes before making any decisions.

If you’re daunted by the prospect of having major building work done,

you may want to think about redesigning the existing interior space in

your home. It’s easy to knock down old partitions and put up new ones,

but of course you’ll need to check whether any of the walls are

load-bearing and it’s best to speak to an expert before you begin. One

large bedroom could be divided into two, or an ensuite toilet could be

added. Make sure that you don’t end up decreasing the actual living

space though. Dividing an existing bedroom in order to create an

additional one will not add any value if the two new rooms are too

small – in fact, it could end up decreasing the value of the property.

Alternatively, you may simply want to move a wall to increase the size

of a key room such as your living room at the expense of an adjoining

room, as long as the adjoining room will still end up a reasonable size.

Even redesigning your garden can make an enormous difference. Think of

your garden as outdoor living space – a deck, terrace or patio can make

a garden much more useable. Car space is also an important feature for

homebuyers nowadays. If you don’t currently have any off-street

parking, think about building a carport or driveway.

Whatever you decide to do to your home to increase its value,

bear in mind these useful tips:

Do your research – find out whether the work will be worth the

expenditure.

Always check whether you need planning permission.

Speak to an expert for advice – there may be many potential snags

and pitfalls that you’re not aware of.

Work out a budget in advance.

Only do what you can afford – don’t overstretch your finances.

Benedict
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/increase-the-value-of-your-home-build-or-extend-100276.html

Old Centex Home Floor Plans?

I am looking for an old Centex Homes floor plan, the first home that I could find built with that floor plan was in 1999 and the last was in 2005. I am fairly sure they stopped building this floor plan, but I would still like to try and find it online somewhere. If anyone knows a website (besides one of the Centex ones) that I could use to search for this floor plan, or if anyone knows the name of this floor plan, I would be very grateful! Thanks!

http://images.mlsearthview.com/idx/fthoodidx/picts/156813a.jpg
^—– one of the houses built with the floor plan I am looking for. Some of the floor plans have a single door garage and are flipped with the garage on the right, instead of the left.

Anyway, thanks. I know that if I want to order the floor plans I need to buy them, but I would still like to be able to at least look at them online. =)

call large "track"/sub division home builders and ask them.

Question about building a Log home???

I am a bit confused as to what is generally the best breed of wood to use for building a log home. I want a wood that is durable low maint, and looks beautiful. What is the best method of building and placing logs to ensure energy efficiency, and cost effective building. I am planning to build in central California south of San Francisco about 100 miles. Any other log home information, Ideas, or insight would be most helpful, thanks.

In Fla. it’s popular to use cypress & cedar for their natural bug resistance. Dont let anyone talk you into pine it’s like termite candy.
http://www.cumberlandvalleyloghomes.com/
This short cut is to find a log home dealer in Cal.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu9AP1hxH0lYAcEVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExN3BqYWMwBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAwRsA1dTMQ–/SIG=125pmid3j/EXP=1193158543/**http%3a//www.bkcypress.com/build/dealers/California

how do i get plans for an old early 20th century home in NJ?

i would love to get the origional or a copy of my homes plans. Does anyone know were they can be found?

County Clerk, Or Title Company.