Jason Stevens

I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the season of change. Here in Chicago it is cold outside, in fact today as I type this it is in the single digits. What better time to talk about a hot topic in a cold climate. As the mercury drops we become more aware of heating costs and how efficient our homes are. Although there is little you can do to change the price of natural gas and or electricity. There are many actions you can take as a responsible homeowner to make sure your home is more energy efficient this winter.

Change your furnace filter

A dirty furnace filter will require your furnace to work much harder to pull air through itself. Changing the filter once a month will help your furnace run at peak efficiency and help to eliminate airborne particles

Seal rear of electrical boxes on exterior walls

Feel a draft coming from the exterior walls?

Remove the switch plates on exterior walls, (make sure to turn off the breakers) pull out the switch or outlet and put a piece of metal tape across the back of the box to eliminate air leakage.

Programable thermostat

By purchasing a programmable thermostat you can control the energy usage in your home during different times during the day. Be careful not to swing the temperature to extreme because this could cause damage to the home and could increase your utility bills. IE: While your at home you enjoy a home temperature of 72, when you leave for work only swing it 5 or 6 degrees to 65-66.

As you can see there are inexpensive ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home. At Del Webb we take extreme measures to ensure the homes are operating a peak efficiency. Just to name a few:

-Dow foam blue board for exterior sheathing (increase the R-Value by 3 vs. OSB which is virtually 0)

-Double paned argon filled windows with Low E glass on them

-90%+ efficiency furnace

-Behind the walls we seal up all exterior penetrations with caulk or an expandable foam

If you would like further information on how to protect your wallet against the freezing temperatures this winter, feel free to contact me.

Till next time, keep on selling,

Jason Stevens

Good morning everyone:

Wow, what a week, gas prices are way down (this is great news) we elected a new president and real estate is on the come back. With the latter in mind it is extremely important to know whether the builder you are buying from has a warranty in place. In this blog I will briefly cover our warranty and what to expect from a builder's warranty in general. Our warranty breaks down into: a 1 year warranty, 2 year warranty, 5 year warranty and a 10 year warranty.

In Illinois the state does not require new home builders to warrant their construction. However, the state does have the law of habitability in place. Which is simply the home has to be habitable for the buyer to close. Most new builders (at least the ones I have been employed by) have the buyer waive this law of habitability by accepting the new home builders' more detailed warranty. Here is how our warranty breaks down:

1-year warranty:

Covers the materials and workmanship of how the home was constructed, keep in mind all personal items in the home are covered by the manufacture (IE: fireplaces, cabinets, appliances, and etc.)

2-year warranty:

This covers the plumbing, electrical systems, heating systems, and air conditioning.

5-year warranty (we are one of a few new builders to offer this)

This warranty provides protection against water leaks in basement spaces, windows, bathtubs/showers, roof, flashing, piping, faucets, and water ponding on the roof (during normal weather)

10-year warranty:

This warranty covers the structure of the home ie: footings, beams, bearing walls, girders, trusses, rafters, bearing columns, lintels, posts, structural fastners, sub floors, and roof sheathing.

If you any questions about this blog or another blog I have posted please feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

Till next time, keep on selling,

Jason Stevens

Hi again,

First off I would like to Thank everyone and active rain for such a warm welcoming! It feels like I found a new home and I look forward to learning from everyone. On to business....

I often get asked the standard questions of a new build, what is standard, what is included, why are there premiums on certain lots, what are the warranties, more importantly what is the price.

In this blog I am going to touch on something I feel is very important for everyone who has a client who is looking at a new home whether it be from Pulte, Del Webb or another reputable builder. How involved is the builder you're clients are buying from?

We have put in place a 7-step process to make sure that we, not just the sales team, are involved with building you're clients new home. This is how the 7-step process breaks down

Step One: Pre-Construction meeting

-Before concstruction begins we guide you through the entire process and introdcue you to your entire construction team. Here at Grand Dominion we also guide you through the plat as well!

Step Two: Pre-Drywall Frame Walk

-This guided tour allows you the opportunity to see the home prior to drywall and insulation (Great time to take photos of electrical and plumbing) and view the quality components first hand

Step Three: Quality Assurance Inspection

Your construction team will conduct a thorough quality inspection (usually last 2-3 hours) to ensure everything is in perfect working order and at the highest quality standards

Step Four: Pre-Closing Orientation

The home is complete and closing is just around the corner! During this orientation we take you on a detailed, room-by-room tour to demonstrate the quality features and operating procedures for all aspects of your new home

Step Five: 30 Day Follow-up

After you close and the transaction is complete we are still here for you and you're clients! Once everybody is all settled in, we check back to ensure you're completely satisfied.

Step Six: 3-Month Follow-Up visit

To reinforce our commitment to your satisfaction we schedule a follow-up viist approximately three months after you have moved-in.

Step Seven: 11-Months inspection

Our commitment to satisfaction continues with another follow-up visit to ensure you are 100% satisfied

In my next blog I will cover some warranties on new builds and what that does and does not include.

Till next time, keep selling!

Jason