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| Guides and Calculators |
» Credit ScoreAn approximate rating of your credit score as a guideline for loan qualification.
» Amortization CalculatorDetail how much of your payment goes to principal and interest annually over the life of your mortgage loan.
» Mortgage Loan CostCalculate the total cost of your mortgage (effictive loan amount and APR) with your interest, points and closing costs.
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| Did You Know? |
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The National Association of Home Builders, in its report "Housing at the Millennium" examined the trends in the home building industry. They predict, based on consumer preferences and emerging trends, that home buyers in the second decade of the 21st century will find that the average new home has:
- 2,200 or more square feet.
- More energy efficient heating and cooling systems.
- Three or more bedrooms.
- Two and a half baths.
- A garage for two or more cars.
- An average lot about 1,000 sq. ft. smaller than today.
- Universal design features to allow aging in place.
- The master bedroom and laundry area on the main floor.
- More flexible and adaptable interior designs with spaces that can be converted for a variety of purposes, including home office space.
- Modular wiring systems.
- High-speed data access.
- More factory-built components which will reduce on-site labor costs.
- More engineered wood products.
- An increased use of steel and concrete.
- An increased use of recycled products.
- Materials and products that require less maintenance.
- Neighborhoods with smaller lots, narrower streets and less paved area.
- More mixed-use communities and neo-traditional designs.
- More homes with security systems, multiple telephone lines, energy management and light control systems.
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New Home Guide - Building Systems and Technologies Used In New Home Construction.
The following is a list of information and resources on building system technologies that are available for new home construction, including insulated concrete forms and precast walls, structural insulated panels, engineered wood, and modular building systems, that can be used in construction of a new home shell.
These new building technologies can offer benefits such as superior strength, increased energy efficiency, and reduced construction time when compared to traditional frame built homes. They can often save the homeowner money through tax credits, additional incentives offered by local utility companies, and lower monthly heating and cooling bills.
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Home Building Envelopes, Walls and Building Systems |
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Insulated concrete forms and precast walls, along with concrete block, can be an energy efficient alternative to traditional building practices. Concrete has long been a successful building material, and is increasingly used in home construction. Solid concrete construction can be a quality alternative to typical wood- and steel-framed houses. Benefits can include faster building time, minimizing construction waste, easy maintenance, quieter living environment, lower insurance rates, and ease of maintenance. Access information about concrete homes at www.cement.org/homes.
Engineered Wood - The American Plywood Association (APA) is a nonprofit trade group that has evolved with the nation's engineered wood industry. It was founded in 1933 as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, and later changed its name to APA – The Engineered Wood Association to reflect the range of products manufactured by APA members. For more than seventy years the organization has focused on helping create structural wood products of outstanding strength, versatility and reliability. Combining the research of scientists at APA’s research center with knowledge gained from decades of field work, and the cooperation of their member manufacturers, the APA promotes solutions and improved processes that benefit the building industry. APA members include well-known industry leaders, whose mills produce the majority of the structural wood panel products manufactured in this country, and new products that include glued laminated timber (glulam), composite panels, wood I-joists, and laminated veneer lumber. www.apawood.org.
The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) is a trade association representing manufacturers, suppliers, design professionals and builders who are committed to providing quality structural insulated panels (SIPs) for the construction industry. SIPs are high-performance building panels for floors, walls and roofs. Each panel is typically made using expanded polystyrene (EPS), or rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB), but other surfaces are also available. Using SIPs can result ins a building system that is strong, energy efficient, and cost effective. www.sips.org.
The Modular Building Systems Association (MBSA) promotes builders and manufacturers to fosters a strong link for consumers when making a home building decision. They also work as a communication channel for the home buyer to locate potential builders. Current modular systems are based on efficiency and quality. The building process begins in the design phase, and modular producers use state-of-the-art, computer-assisted design stations that aid them in customizing floor plans and producing drawings and material requirement lists. Once the modular system has been designed, the building process begins. The process is similar in outcome to the construction of site-built houses in use of materials and attention to detail, building codes, and standards, but stresses efficiency. The association provides consumer information at www.modularhousing.com.
The National Frame Builders Association (NFBA) represents post-frame construction, manufacturing, and marketing companies, as well as code and design professionals and is the only trade association representing the interests of the post-frame construction industry throughout the United States. Today, industry professionals are working together as never before to build a strong and powerful Association. www.nfba.org.
Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries—International (AWCI) represents acoustics systems, ceiling systems, drywall systems, exterior insulation and finishing systems, fireproofing, flooring systems, insulation, and stucco contractors, suppliers and manufacturers and those in allied trades. Their web site offers publications on products, technologies and finishes, subjects such as fire protection and mold resistance, and also contains a database of material suppliers and products for further information. www.awci.org.
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Durability by Design: A Guide for Residential Builders and Designers.
Few people intentionally consider durability when designing a home, but rather rely on experience and market acceptance to make design decisions. This approach to design works best in a stable housing market where architectural preferences and material choices do not change or change very slowly. The housing market, however, tends to be dynamic rather than stable and new materials and preferences influence the market continuously, sometimes in dramatic ways. This dynamic condition also places a responsibility on designers and builders to properly apply their experiences, which are often based on older construction methods and materials, to new materials and design conditions. As a result, it is important to understand why certain practices have been effective (or ineffective) in the past so that they can be properly interpreted and considered in the design and construction of modern homes.
Durability by Design PDF guide from the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing is intended to raise the awareness and understanding of building durability as a design consideration in housing and covers basic concepts of durability presenting recommended practices including numerous construction details and design data for matters such as moisture management, ultraviolet (UV) protection, insects, decay, corrosion, and natural hazards.
Weather-resistive barriers are a part of exterior wall systems that protect building materials from exterior water penetration. They perform like a shell for buildings—liquid water that has penetrated the exterior finish does not pass through, yet water vapor can escape. By keeping building materials dry, a weather-resistive barrier improves building durability, decreases maintenance costs, and reduces the risk of moisture-related problems such as bugs, mold, mildew, and rot. Some weather-resistive barriers also reduce air infiltration, cutting utility costs and increasing comfort.
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