Custom Smart Homes

Modular homes aren't a new form of construction, but lately builders and home owners are making this construction style very popular.   There's a reason why CustomSmart Homes chooses to build Nationwide modular homes for our customers.   Modular construction is efficient and inexpensive, and it gives our clients a unique way to design their homes.   A lot of people know about the efficiency of these homes, but there aren't too many people who know about the history of making modular homes. Origins In order to understand the history of modular homes you need to know about another popular home style: kit homes.   Kit housing could be considered the predecessor of modular homes.   Modular homes are built in sections at a factory and shipped to the building site for assembly, but kit homes were literally shipped piece by piece to customers.   Customers who ordered kit homes would receive every piece of material they need to build pre measured, c...

There are an array of benefits that come along with owning energy efficient homes .   Owners have to pay less for their utilities, they receive a nice tax break for their home, and have modern well built homes.   Green home builders and environmental activists have argued in the past that eco-friendly homes also benefit bankers and mortgage lenders since green homes are typically worth more than regular homes.   A recent study has shown that green homes are for more beneficial for mortgage lenders and banks than people previously thought.   The Institute for Market Transformation in conjunction with the University of North Carolina did a study on the connection between energy efficient homes and the risk of home owners defaulting on their mortgage.   The study looked at 71,000 single family homes, and 21,000 of the homes had Energy Star certifications.   The study revealed that energy efficient houses were 32% less likely to go into default in c...

"I am proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is I could be just as proud for half of the money.”–Arthur Godfrey The tax season has officially begun, and from now until the end of April people will be scrambling to file on time and find as many tax breaks and credits to use as possible.   The checks you've written for charities and the items you've donated can help you a lot when the time comes to file, but people with energy efficient houses could be missing out on receiving some great credits.   There have been rumors that Congress cut tax credits for environmentally friendly home improvement projects, but on New Year's Day Congress extended the tax credit for people filing their taxes for both 2012 and 2013.   It's important to remember that home owners can receive up to $500 in tax credits for each eligible home improvement they’ve made since 2006, but if you've claimed the full credit for home improvements since then...

A new kind of green mortgage The demand for energy efficient homes and buildings has been growing steadily over the past decade, and people around the world are learning about the numerous benefits of building eco-friendly architecture.   Along with helping the environment, energy efficient buildings and homes also consume less energy which helps owners save thousands of dollars on HVAC and electricity bills.   There are a lot of people in the US that want to live in an energy efficient house, but don't have the money to purchase one.   If you're interested in owning an eco-friendly house but don't think that you have the funds to do so, there is a way you can afford one. The Beginning In 1980 the federal government developed special mortgages for people who want to own energy efficient homes, or make improvements on their current home.   Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) is an umbrella term all of the different kinds of energy mortgages that are de...