Top 5 Reasons to Own Not Rent

1. You get more for your money. Larger yard, larger home and better privacy.

2. Great way to save. Most people are not good at saving money, but buying a home is kind of like forcing one to invest each month.

3. Personalized living space. Owning one of our homes allows you to choose the model perfect for you. Choices are pretty limited when choosing an apartment.

4. Now is the time for Mortgages. A 30 year loan is about 4.3% now. You can’t beat that.

5. You pay less taxes. Mortgage interest is deductible and you can also deduct real estate taxes. The bigger your mortgage the more you save.

Posted in Financing, Owning a Home | Comments Off

Keeping the Pollen Out of Your Home

It’s that time of year again. If you have allergies you’re probably wiping your sneeze off your computer screen now. Let’s talk about keeping that yellow flower power out of your home.

This may seem like an obvious one, but don’t throw open your windows to “air things out” or “get some fresh air.” Pollen is all over the place now-a-days. Now if you must there are screens designed to keep out pollen, dust, or pores. Continue reading →

Spray Foam Insulation Facts

Spray Foam Insulation Explained

Independent and Government studies indicate that a minimum of 40% of our energy is lost to inefficient building practices and homes which leak costly conditioned air. Spray Foam Insulation fills all cavities expanding rapidly sealing the studs, sheathing, conduit, plumbing pipes, ducts, electrical boxes, completely eliminating voids and channels for air movement between walls.
Continue reading →

A Maintenance Schedule Makes for a Happy Home

Just like a car needs new oil every 3,000 miles, a home also has many parts that need to be cared for on a regular basis.

What better time to put your home on a maintenance schedule than January! This could be a New Years resolution that will really pay off.
Continue reading →

Season for Giving

Good afternoon,
I am Matt of Caroline and Matt in Cotton Lakes. I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for the recent contest and tell you a story about God’s plan in it. So, first I would like to give a big thank you to you and the people there at Goodwyn Building for granting the community a chance to participate in the contest. It was nice to not only have a quality and affordable home but to get to show it off. It was neat to get to see each persons visions cast on the canvases that are the homes that you built. To make the experience even better, there was some pretty sweet prizes that could be won. Caroline especially enjoyed that the picture contest finally coaxed me into “finalizing” my closet, but I guess she didn’t get the memo that men never finish projects. She and I thank you guys so much and it was a lot of fun to be part of.
Continue reading →

Best Room Contest Winners

We have reached the end of our Best Room contest! We got lots of great photos of beautiful, fun and creative rooms. After much deliberation here are the winners…

1st place and an iPad 2 goes to Brandon and Brooke Hilyer! We loved the hand-painted wall decorations!
Continue reading →

The Potential of Our Media Closets

Matt Morse recently participated in our contest showcasing the best rooms in our homes. He showed us great potential in a small room that we don’t usually give much credit to.

My favorite room is the smallest in the house. I will explain why I think it is most influential room in the house.

When I first saw the media closet I thought it was useless security system hub that I would never use, but during the walk through with George, he took the time to explain exactly what this closet could do. After some careful planning and research or as the fiance called it “procrastinating”, I assembled all the components that I wanted to house in the closet and began the project. With less than half of a Saturday and less than $200.00 I converted the once empty canvas into a full blown media closet. Continue reading →

Energy Testing Results in 5 Stars

Walter Wahala of ARC Energy Consulting has completed comprehensive testing of a new Cotton Lakes home and we are very pleased with the results. Walter performed blower door test and duck blaster test. These test ensure that the home is tightly sealed and has no leakage in the HVAC system.

The results of this test are available as a PDF download. Home Energy Rating Certificate

Home Loan Rates Drop to a New Low

Just when we think mortgage rates can’t get any lower, it happens again.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage this week fell below 4 percent for the first time, to 3.94 percent. On Thursday, Freddie Mac said the average rate dropped from 4.01 percent this past week, the previous low.

Average rates on a 15-year fixed loan have sunk to 3.26 percent, also a record. The 15-year loan has dropped for the sixth straight week, according to the Associated Press.

Hogs and Hens Cook-Off

The staff of Goodwyn Building had a great time Friday at the Hogs and Hens Cook-Off. This event was held at the Union Station Train Shed in downtown Montgomery. Businesses from all over Montgomery such as Hyundai, Region’s Bank, Dreamland BBQ, and Jim N’ Nicks all brought their best recipes and finest grill-masters to find out who’s best.