Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Builder

When interviewing builders to potentially build your dream home, these are some of the more important questions that can be asked:

1. How long have you been in business?
2. How many homes do you build in a year?
3. What is your average price point of home that you normally build?
4. How stable are you financially?
5. Have you ever, or are you currently involved in any legal disputes?
6. What is your ratio of projects to project managers that you average?
7. What lien prevention measures do you have in place?
8. What kinds of warranties are offered with your home?
9. What kind of post-build documentation do you provide to me that was gathered throughout the build process?
10. Can I get a list of past clients that have built with you in the last 6 months to speak with?

Mattern & FitzGerald Announces New Model in Menger Springs

LaVillita on the River Walk 

Located on the south bank of the San Antonio River, La Villita was San Antonio's first neighborhood.   It's timeless architecture and importance to San Antonio's history have made it one of the top tourist attractions in town.  I'm proud to announce that Mattern & FitzGerald will for the first time open a model home that honors this style of architecture in the Menger Springs neighborhood located in Boerne, in April of 2011.  There are several elements that we will draw from when constructing the home, such as the stone work, windows and roof pitches, to name a few.  Moving inside, we will modernize and focus on cleaner lines with the latest in technology and efficiency that you would come to expect, and not expect in a custom home.  Trust me, we do our homework when we roll out something new and we truly feel like this is something that will hit home with many and offer both a timeless and up-to-date feel.   The official grand opening will be for the Homes of Distinction Tour that will open in May 2011.  You can get a sneak peak a few months early though.  

Wood on Ceilings

You've probably heard already about the "fifth wall" which is designer slang for the ceiling.  It's often overlooked, but as a custom builder we are always thinking about views, not only left, right and down- but up as well.  Oftentimes, we will introduce a wood detail such as tongue and groove pine on the porch, patio and balcony soffets (ceilings) and then stain them.  For a porch of average proportion, you are probably looking at a cost adder of about $2-3,000 for all materials and labor to install and custom stain.  If you subtract what would have gone there in the first place, then the delta may very well be worth it.  Before you install though, I would familiarize yourself with the different species of wood.  The reason you should do that is because pine can have knots, where as cypress or fir will not show knots as much.  There are cost differences, as well as inherent color differences between the species of wood, so do a quick lesson to become an expert before you try.  I think what you'll find is for pure craftsmanship and detail, it's relatively inexpensive to return a high visual impact for the money invested.  You can turn a dining room, or living room or study very quickly into a focal point just by investing in the ceiling.  There are numerous ways to make your home special and this is only one, so consider it next time you have the ability to do a project like this.