I wrote a blog post a couple of months ago on why now is the perfect time to build if you are an owner/builder. Well, Money Magazine has put out and article of their own on the same topic with a interview with a couple building now. Great reading and here is the LINK.

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark

I had a client come up today from Washington and we were discussing options, etc. and I mentioned that Allpro does not charge more for custom designed homes vs. our pre-priced models. I also mentioned that our estimation program has the same numbers for everyone. So the response back was…”why does my home cost more per square foot than most of your models?”
Here was my response to him:

1. His home had a good amount of windows. Most homes have between 10-15 windows and obviously, when you have more than that the cost per square foot would increase as your floor square footage remains the same.




2. Are his wall heights more than 8 feet high? Yes. Well increasing the wall heights even to 9’ adds cost to the home. Think about that most studs are 8 feet high and you can now buy 9’ and 10’ studs but they are more. Plywood comes in 8 foot sheets normally (added to outside of the walls) so now we would have to buy 9’ plywood or cut 1’ strips into the middle of the wall panels which adds labor and materials to the cost.




3. Roof line. How much roof do you have and how steep is it. This clients roof wasn’t too bad but did you know hip roofs are more expensive than gable roofs? This is because they cover more area and require more roof sheeting. The steeper the roof the more the cost as well as more trusses/rafters and more sheeting to cover that roof area. Thus more shingles as well and more cost per square foot.

4.Other things to consider. Covered decks require a roof and supports. More cost. Oversize garages. Most garages (standard) are @ 21 feet x 21 feet or so. We are getting allot of requests for larger attached garages which are part of the cost of a standard package, therefore adding more cost and puts your cost per square foot higher.

I hope this helps dispel some common misconceptions regarding per square foot costs and comparing with other pre-priced homes.

Email me if you need more help or clarifications.

Kind Regards,

Larry

I just received a call from a Gal who said she was on my Allpro Building Systems site and can guarantee me the very top position on Google and not only that, it would be permanent! Hey, that sounds like a great offer….NOT. The only way to get to number one on Google constantly is either working hard on getting “natural” traffic to your website or paying big bucks for a adword campaign from Google.

What she was offering was for me to pay them a substantial amount of money and they would set up a Google adword program and I would ‘pay my way to the top’. Now, I am not totally against adword campaigns and I have used them myself for BRAND NEW sites that you want to start attracting traffic to. The good news is, if you have some patience, you can actually get to the first page of Google for your site and consistently be there by not buying one adword! How do I know this? Glad you asked. Look up panelized and panelized homes on a Google search and we are on the first page. This was done by good old fashion hard work and persistence and strategy.

As a matter of fact, we are so good at natural Web Site Optimization, that our Web Development Company, www.websmartsolutions.ca is now working on building Industry Sites to help them do the same thing. I will write an article soon that I will make available to you of how we do what we do and how you can just use your time to develop a natural traffic flow to your sites.

Thanks for reading and I will work on that article and let you know where to download it.

Kind Regards,

Larry

Allpro Building Systems has now added Log Home and Log Cabin Kits to its line of fabricated Housing.
We have partnered with Log Home manufacturers in BC Canada to supply real log homes and log cabins. This includes actual round log as well as machined log styles like “D-Log”.

We have received allot of email in the last year or so that was requesting actual log Cabins and Homes so we pursued leaders in the Log Industry here in Canada and are pleased to be able to offer a quality log product. Allpro also is positioned to provide all the extra materials required to get the Log Homes to a ‘dried-in’ and lock up stage. We can supply the roofing, windows/doors, etc. as well to give you a full kit. All the plans on the site are priced as well.

Please take the time to visit the site here www.loghomekits.ca and give us some feedback. Thanks

Larry J Clark

Now is the perfect time to build…really. I know, you are wondering if I fell off a turnip truck or have been hiding in a cave somewhere, but I assure you that is not the case. I am well aware of the lending crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the gas price crisis, etc. If you have ever considered or may want to consider building a new home, now is the time. Let me explain…

Land values of dropped recently and although that is not particularly good news if you own land, in some places in the U.S. land is great value and price right now. Considering the inflated pricing of land in CA in the last 5-10 years, I believe land is coming down to a reasonable buy. If you do own land right now, I understand it may not be worth as much but it certainly would be worth more down the road with a house on it.

With the downturn in new home construction, more labor is available then ever before. With fewer or no projects to work on, labor bids should be more competitive as well saving you money on the project. This should also mean more people to choose from which doesn’t mean you have to take the only guy in town.

Material costs are coming down, especially wood product. With low demand means lower pricing. We have seen it here in Canada since last Fall and we recently dropped the prices of our Cabin and Cottage line by 8-12% the first of this year. This was mainly due to lower dimensional lumber cost from our wholesalers. Using a panelized new home package will also save you money as it includes all the materials to get to a “lock up” stage and the price is guaranteed along with the quality and quantity of materials. No shortages or shopping.

Did you know that you can still get lenders to do 100% Owner Builder financing? Yes, they are still out there and lend on appraised land and plans. I understand the rules have tightened but nothing ventured nothing gained.

I trust this has at least inspired you to do a little research on whats involved with building a new home and let us know if you need help in any way.

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark President

We have joined the Squidoo Family! Check out our new lens on Squidoo here. Squidoo is a social networking site where you can create a page (lens) on anything you want…business, hobbies, personal, whatever.

http://www.squidoo.com/AllproPrefabHousing

Sign the Guest Book while you are there. Thanks!Larry

I usually don’t take the time to read fiction books, but I just read a book that made a profound impact on me. The book is called ” The Go Giver” written by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It is a fictional parable of a young business Account Rep. who learns the 5 laws of Stratospheric Success from a mentor he is introduced to. I guarantee this book will change your paradigm on what makes a successful person in business and life. Get the book…it is a great read!

We are officially announcing our new price reductions of our pre-priced plans at www.abshomes.com

The new streamlined pricing is due to a new estimation process as well as reduced margins and reduced lumber costs. Allpro believes this will position them well in the competitive panelized new home package market and make them a leading Company in Canada and the U.S.

Our standard materials, service and quality remain the same and the link to the new prices can be found on the front page of our website and the direct link is here.

If you have any problems getting the pricing, email us at info@abshomes.com

Kind Regards,

Larry J Clark President

We have just released our Spring quarterly Newsletter. It includes article updates, housing market and trends as well as a reminder that 100% Owner/Builder funding is still available.

Here is the link to the online version

http://www.abshomes.com/html/springnewsletter08.html

Happy Easter to you all,

Larry J Clark

We have included a link to a Video that shows an actual side by side construction site of a panelized, prefab home and one home stick framed. I know you will find this educational and the time and money savings is very noticeable.

This was produced by FPInnovations – Forintek here in Canada with cooperation of the Canadian Government, the Province of Alberta and Habitat for Humanity in Edmonton. We thank them for making this available. Click below to go directly to the Video.

Click here to view the Video.

Regards,

Larry J Clark