LOVE This Kitchen Sink

Now and then we find a product that is simply outstanding. Hats off to Kohler’s “Stages” kitchen sink. It is installed in the kitchen at the LIFEhouse, a concept house featuring universal design which will be opening soon at our Newport Cove waterfront community near Antioch, IL. 

The house is a collaboration between builder New American Homes Inc. and the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA) at the University of Buffalo – State University of New York.

This sink comes with a host of accessories: a utensil tray, “flip” tray and wooden cutting board (all fit into the sink’s contour and slide across it), plus six prep dishes that nest into the trays. The sink itself is extra deep; adjacent is a wet work surface perfect for draining and drying. The whole setup is a cook’s dream.

At Newport Cove we team up the 33-inch “Stages” sink with Kohler’s Hi-Rise stainless deck-mount bridge faucet.

This sink allows chopping, rinsing, holding and cleanup all within a single space. With a “Stages” in your kitchen, who needs a sous chef?

New Custom Homes Save Energy

Energy savings in a typical American home target three main consumption areas: appliances, heating and cooling systems, and the building envelope (floors, windows, doors, walls and roof). Energy-efficient new homes offer the comfort of clean indoor air, good lighting and controlled temperatures that eliminate drafts and cold spots. Such homes are protecting the outdoor environment as well by reducing emissions.

Refrigerators and water heaters alone account for about 20 percent of a home’s energy use. As much as half of your energy bill goes towards heating and cooling. Good building practices save energy costs throughout the lifetime of a home.

Appliances
Today’s appliances are several times more energy and resource efficient than earlier products. Find out how much money you save by using the ENERGY STAR Savings Calculator. New home buyers should look for the Energy Star label. Estimated savings: at least 20 percent annually.

Heating & cooling
Programmable thermostats allow you to turn the unit off and on automatically to provide heat when you need it and reduce the temperature settings when you are not home or when the family is sleeping. Savings estimate: $180 per year.

Well-sealed and insulated ducts efficiently move air from a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump. Instantaneous water heaters heat the water only when you need it, offering a cost and energy saving solution. A solar attic fan can prevent heat from building up in the attic.

Building practices
U.S. Department of Energy studies show that homeowners living in a home built using energy-efficient building practices save on energy costs. This may include high-performance windows, increased insulation, and durable low-maintenance fiber cement siding and trim. Ask your home builder about these energy-efficiency solutions. Estimated savings: up to 30 percent annually.

Currently, there are strong economic incentives for choosing energy-efficient products and methods. Custom home builder New American Homes’ Newport Cove lakefront community near Antioch, IL offers Energy Star home packages that allow buyers to receive an additional $2,000 tax credit. Energy-efficient Pella windows, Whirlpool appliances, Carrier furnaces and HardiePlank concrete fiber siding are standard in Newport Cove homes.

Protect the environment
According to energy experts, nearly 70 percent of U.S. electricity is generated with coal and natural gas, which release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Efficient homes use less energy and help reduce their impact on the environment.

Details - Part II

At New American Homes we love details.  One of our favorites is niches.  If installed during construction, they cost only a few extra dollars, but they make a space more interesting, and they're practical, too.  Here are examples from our own custom homes:

At left is a kitchen area with two niches - one for the mixer and another behind the stove for cooking condiments and oils. 

In the photo at right is a shower wall with three stacked niches - perfect for sponges, shampoos, soaps, shower gels, even a rolled bath towel or two. 

The bottom photo shows a front hallway niche - a decorative feature that adds a welcoming touch to a home.

At Newport Cove, our waterfront property on the Chain O' Lakes near Antioch, IL, we build niches into all our new home models, inexpensive touches that make a house feel custom and thought-filled, built especially for its residents.

Home Builders Report Favorable Conditions

This afternoon brought some encouraging news for those in the new homes market. The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index rose to 17 in February, up from 15 in January.  This was the first gain in five months.  One year ago the index was 9; it hit a low of 8 in January 2009.  (The index assesses builders' perceptions of current new homes sales, sales expectations for the next six months and traffic of prospective buyers.)

Custom home builder Susanne Tauke, president of New American Homes and owner of Newport Cove, a waterfront community on the Chain O' Lakes near Antioch, IL, agrees with the report. "Since the first of the year," she said, "we definitely have seen an upswing in activity.  Interest rates are low, prices are competitive and there is pent-up demand.  Because of the recent economic conditions, people have postponed new home purchases. It now seems as if that trend is changing.  People are simply tired of bad news and want to move past it."

Tauke recalls similar situations at the beginning of the 1980s and 1990s.  "Then, too, the economy was in the doldrums.  No one was buying custom homes. Suddenly, sales picked up and Americans started moving again.  The new homes market can change quickly. Those who act ahead of the trend often get the best deals in selection and incentives."

5 Reasons to Buy a New Home

To buy a new home or a used one? Today that’s often the question.

New American Homes, the owner of the Newport Cove waterfront community on the Chain O’ Lakes near Antioch, IL. has been both building and remodeling Chicagoland homes for a quarter century. The company cautions buyers to study the complete cost before making a purchase.

Here are some things to consider:

1. A new custom home, like a new automobile, is less expensive to operate.  Repair costs are minimal.

2. Most new homes are under warranty.

3. The products that go into today’s homes – windows, insulation, heating/cooling systems and appliances, for example – are significantly more energy-efficient than their counterparts of even a few years ago.  That translates into lower energy costs.

4. There’s the advantage of being able to design the spaces you want (more or fewer bedrooms, perhaps a spa or home office). This allows you to more efficiently use the space you own and not pay for rooms you never step foot in.

5. Finally, in new homes, you can pick your own finishes, be it cabinets, gourmet appliances, flooring or trim, so your home has the amenities and style you desire.

Buying a used home – or, in today’s market, a foreclosed home – is usually less expensive – initially. However, many foreclosed homes have not been well-cared-for and do not include today’s energy-efficient products, so expect maintenance and utility costs to be considerably higher.

The cost to remodel is often (and this surprises many homeowners) more expensive than building new, not to mention the time and mess involved. If you expect to make “a few changes” to the used home you plan to buy, be sure to understand the cost of these changes before you sign on the dotted line.

Great Time To Buy??

Now is an excellent time to buy a new home – perhaps the best in  years. Why? Three reasons: 1) Because of the economic downturn, homes are competitively priced. 2) Interest rates are at 40-year lows and NOT expected to remain at these levels. 3) Uncle Sam is offering excellent tax credits (until the end of April).

First-time homebuyers contracting to buy a new home by April 30, 2010, and closing on that home by June 30, 2010, can receive an $8,000 tax credit. (A first-time buyer is someone who has not owned a home for three years.)

Existing homeowners contracting to buy a new principal residence by April 30, 2010, and closing before June 30, 2010, may be eligible for a $6,500 tax credit. Existing home owners can claim this credit if they have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight.

The income eligibility limits to claim the full credit amounts are $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

Newport Cove has three homes available for immediate occupancy. For further information, call us at 847.726.2727.

Swans on Bluff Lake

For the third February running, the swans are back at Bluff Lake, swimming in the open waters around the piers at Newport Cove's marina.  (They seem to "hang" at the marina - they must like the fishing!)  A dozen or so of these elegant birds, reportedly of the "tundra" swan species, stay for a couple weeks in the late winter and again in the fall, a short respite in their travels north to southeast, from the central Arctic region in northern Canada to the Chesapeake Bay area.  The flyways for many migrating waterfowl follow the Fox River.

Cottage Details - Part I

At New American Homes, Inc., we love details - little touches that make a home special, make it belong to YOU.  In our new homes at Newport Cove, our waterfront community (and marina) on the Chain O' Lakes, the details have a cottage flair.  Here are two examples that do not cost much, but help give a home a custom look:

New knobs can completely change a room.  In our Stillwater model, themed knobs add a "smile" factor to the laundry.  Besides the knobs, the laundry room's white cabinets have bead-board inserts in the doors, while the wallpaper features old-fashioned beach photos.  Similar knobs can be purchased online or in specialty hardware stores.

In a another cottage home, high wainscotting (made by simply applying strips of lath and chairrail over drywall, then painting), gives a normally utilitarian powder room a coastal feel.  A tilt-type mirror plus a "period-style" toilet and pedestal sink from Kohler add to the overall summer home ambiance.

The Great American Lotus

Ever heard of the American Lotus? One small colony of these giant aquatic flowers was spotted last summer inside the little bay on the north end of Newport Cove, our waterfront community on Bluff Lake.

In the late 1890s and early 1900s, many of the lakes on the Chain O’ Lakes were literally covered with American Lotus flowers. They were so prevalent that boating companies gave tours during the blooming season. Chicagoland visitors - especially those who could take the new Milwaukee Road train from the City – vied for seats on the "Egyptian Lotus" tour boats. Grass Lake, because it was shallow, often was covered with lotus blossoms from shore to shore.

The American Lotus is a larger cousin of the water lily. The plant's simple, round, bluish-green leaves grow up to two feet in diameter. Its pale yellow flowers are large (up to 10 inches across).

Next July or August, while cruising on the Chain, keep an eye out for one of the beds of American Lotus still decorating the lakes and backwaters.  Picture the Victorian women in their white summer dresses, the gentlemen with their straw hats.  Picture them floating - on a lazy summer afternoon - through the beds of these grandiose blooms.