Learn more about building a new home:

Important Elements of a Contract
A contract can help set expectations on both sides
When you are sitting down with your contractor to finalize the home you are building, they will most likely bring a contract for you to sign. Ma...
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What is an Environmentally Sustainable Home?
A home built using common sense
Most people think of sustainable homes in one of two ways: The first, it’s an elaborate process of using unusual alternative building principles to make your home...
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Does it matter if I like my builder?
Choose a builder you like, trust, and respect
"If a builder has a good reputation, does it really matter if I like him?”
Yes, it matters. Don’t sign a contract with a builder you don’t like, trust, ...
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What goes into the price of a home?
One of the reasons I like Open Book is the complete transparency contractors share with their clients. If you are contemplating an Open Book (also known as Cost Plus) agreement, these are types o...
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The Design-Bid Approach Can Lead to Problems
Hiring a builder based on bids is incomplete at best
One of the ways to go about designing and building a custom home is the design-bid method. The design-bid approach is when homeowners first f...
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Contracts without a fixed price, Part 1
Contracts without a fixed price, part 1Cost Plus, with or without GMP, also known as Open Book
Cost Plus with No Gross Max Price (GMP)
Cost Plus with No Gross Max Price (GMP), commonly called "Cost ...
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