Articles

Housing Passes a Milestone

Posted By Post Date: July 20, 2012

The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing “experts” that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing. Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. “We finally saw some rising home prices,” S&P’s David Blitzer said a few weeks ago as he reported the first monthly increase in the slow-moving S&P/Case-Shiller house-price data after seven months of declines. Nearly 10% [...]

South Florida Housing Prices Are Up Year Over Year

Posted By Post Date: April 26, 2012

It looks like home values hit bottom in late 2011 — retreating to 2002 levels — and are creeping upward now.But experts caution that the trend may not last. Say good riddance to the bottom of the housing market. After giving up a decade of value, home prices are on the upswing in South Florida and ahead of much of the nation, according to two key national indices released Tuesday. Some [...]

The Perfect Loan File

Posted By Post Date: April 5, 2012

The media has it all wrong – securing mortgage approval and satisfying credit underwriting guidelines are not the difficulties plaguing mortgage consumers. It’s in meeting the rigorous documentation requirements that most people fall flat. The good news is, the fix is simple. Just scan, photocopy, fax, and deliver every aspect of your financial life. Then, shortly before closing, check everything again. Mortgage consumers who enter the mortgage approval process ready to [...]

Putting the ‘Kitsch’ Back in Kitchen

Posted By Post Date: March 6, 2012

Kitchens have become so serious. All that granite, dark wood and stainless steel. The heart of the home these days is more like a sleek and severe shrine to haute cuisine. But kitchens don’t have to be as stressful as an episode of Top Chef. Designers are increasingly turning to retro, whimsical touches like coffee cup wallpaper, bright vintage dishware patterns, and colorful appliances and electronics to bring the fun [...]

Builder Magazine’s Top Design Trends Of 2011 Could Have Been TreeHugger’s

Posted By Post Date: January 24, 2012

Builder Magazine’s annual roundup of the top design trends usually doesn’t have much to say to TreeHugger types, but his year is very different, as the ideas we have discussed for years make their way into the mainstream. Trends include Make Mine Mini (malist), the shrinking of apartments and houses. People don’t need as much; one architect notes that “These kids use the city as their living room and [...]

Kelly Hoppen 2012 Design Tips

Posted By Post Date: January 24, 2012

Multi-award winning designer, Kelly Hoppen MBE, releases interior trends report for 2012 and shares with you all the knowledge you need to for this year. “This past year has been an exceptionally busy year, an endless whirl of designing interiors, launching products, writing a book and filming the first series of my Channel 5 show Superior Interiors. (more…)

9 Ideas Coming to a Kitchen Near You

Posted By Post Date: January 24, 2012

Anything that can help us stay organized and handle tasks efficiently is a real bonus for today’s families. In this niche, the necessities for breakfast are in one spot next to the refrigerator, making it a breeze to get breakfast ready. It all gets hidden behind the lift-up door. (more…)

Hollub Homes Featured on ION Network as Top American Builder

Posted By Post Date: January 12, 2012

Not So Green

Posted By Post Date: November 26, 2011

I am expecting to get some criticism on our down play on Green construction.  We have found, especially in our local market (Miami and Boca Raton), if Green costs more it is a tough sell.  If the Green product saves energy or has a better life expectancy our clients will at least listen.  However, just because something is Green does not do it in our market.  We have had [...]

Bright White

Posted By Post Date: November 21, 2011

Whether you enjoy trend-spotting or wrinkle your nose at the very thought, recurring trends are worth paying attention to, if for no other reason than what they say about the public taste vis-a-vis the times we’re living in. We’re talking about the return of the white kitchen, and if you’ve been in the business long enough, you’ve seen the trend before. So, why now? Depending on your point of [...]