Creative Homes DFW

Celebrate Freedom, Remember Those Lost

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died while in military service to the United States.

Here at Creative Homes we plan to celebrate our freedom and to honor military members past, present and future as well as their families for their sacrifices and service.

What makes a “green built” home so special? What does it cost, what does it save, what does it do?? You’ll see the differences every day in your new green-built home by Creative Homes.

- Reduced energy bills
- Reduced reliance on natural resources
- Lower greenhouse gas output
- Healthier indoor air
- Increased value

The green built features offered by custom home builder Creative Homes compliment its signature touches like barrel vault ceilings, rounded corners, and arched openings that often come standard. The option of green built features like these add even more value:

- Energy wise guaranteed heating and cooling – written guarantee says monthly bills for heating and cooling will be 50-70% lower than standard construction

- ENERGY STAR certification

- Spray foam insulation for superior energy savings and cleaner indoor air

- Tankless hot water for endless supply of heated water at lower cost

- Superior Walls provide insulated wall system in basement

- Ductwork and plumbing entirely inside thermal envelope to eliminate exposure to unconditioned air (sealed crawl space)

- EPA WaterSense labeled high efficiency toilets and low flow faucets 

- Energy Star Appliances

We’ll work with you to choose which of these green features are right for your your new home. We’ll customize your new custom home package to match your budget and needs, together with requirements determined by your lot and neighborhood.

A “certified green home” provides peace of mind that comes from owning a new home with increased efficiency and a more positive impact on the environment and your family’s health. A certified green home incorporates environmental considerations into every aspect of the home building process – independently verified by a third party inspector.

Creative Homes offers custom homes that stand out, with one-of-a-kind features and personality-plus, as well as tucked-in touches you really need – that other builders charge a fortune for.

We reach out all over the Dallas/Fort Worth area to get what you need, through partnerships that specialize in land, finance and features – and work with you to pull together the perfect plan for your budget – and your lifestyle.

Prospective home buyers have the choice of two types of houses on the market: resale or new.

Home buyers planning to buy a brand-new house or condominium often cite energy-efficiency, open layout, a warranty, and being able to select appliances, flooring, paint colors and other design elements as factors driving their choice.

But builders say that buyers can be drawn to a new house for reasons that aren’t so obvious.  Below are a few more benefits of a brand-new home that you may not see in the sales brochure.

Building a Community Together

A brand-new community is one of the built-in benefits of many new homes. When families move in to a subdivision at the same time, often lasting bonds of friendship and neighborliness are formed right away. Nobody is the “new kid on the block,” and many home builders host community block parties in new developments to help owners meet and connect. Popular amenities like pools, walking trails and courts for tennis and basketball offer additional opportunities for interaction among neighbors of all ages.   Often new communities are comprised of home owners in the same stage of life, such as young families or active retirees, so neighbors can get to know each other through carpools, PTA meetings, tennis matches or golf games.

Entertaining

Throwing a party in an older home can be a challenge because smaller, distinct rooms make it difficult to entertain guests in one large space.  Builders are responding to today’s home buyer preferences with layouts featuring more open spaces and rooms that flow into each other more easily, like the popular great room.  While you are in the kitchen preparing dinner, you can still interact with guests enjoying conversation in the family room without feeling closed off. The feeling of spaciousness in today’s new-home layouts often is enhanced the higher ceilings and additional windows that bringing in more light than you would find in an older home.

A Clean Slate

For some buyers, parking the car in a sparkling-clean garage or being the first to cook a dinner in a brand-new kitchen is part of the appeal of new construction.  In addition, you won’t have to spend time stripping dated wallpaper or repainting to suit your own sense of style. You can create your own home décor from the get-go!

The advantages of being the first owner of a home extend to the outdoors. Instead of inheriting inconveniently or precariously placed trees, or having to tear up overgrown shrubs, you can design and plant the lawn and garden you want.

Outlets, Outlets Everywhere!

Homes built in the 1960’s and earlier were wired much differently than houses today.  Builders had no way of anticipating the invention of high-definition televisions, DVRs and computers that we enjoy today — and the very different electrical requirements they would introduce.  New homes can accommodate advanced technologies like structured wiring, security systems and sophisticated lighting plans, and can be tailored to meet the individual home owner’s needs.

Anyone who has ever lived in an older home can also attest to the fact that there are never enough outlets, inside or out! New-home builders plan for the increased number and type of electronics and appliances used by today’s families, so you can safely operate a wine cooler, Christmas lights or your computer.

To find new homes for sale in your area, contact your local home builders association at www.nahb.org/findanhba.

It’s the weekend and you have a whole list of household chores to do. Oh, we know you’d rather be golfing or playing tennis or watching TV, but keeping your home in good shape is important. Your home may be the biggest investment you will ever make. Taking good care of it with regular maintenance is necessary to maintain its value and ensure it will provide a comfortable, safe shelter for you and your family for a long time.

Here is a home maintenance quiz that will test your maintenance knowledge. While this quiz does not address every home maintenance project, it does provide helpful tips and reminders for chores you may have overlooked.
1. How often do forced-air furnace filters need to be changed?
At least every three months during the heating season.

2. What part of the faucet usually needs to be replaced when you have a water leak?
The washer.

3. Should you run hot or cold water through your garbage disposal?
Cold water.

4. How often should the moving parts of garage doors be oiled?
Every three months.

5. What tools can you use to unclog your drains?
A plunger and a plumber’s snake.

6. What tool can be used to unclog a toilet?
Coil spring-steel auger.

7. What faucet part needs to be cleaned every three to four months?
Aerator—the screen inside the end of the faucet.

8. What can you use for traction on icy sidewalks, steps and driveways?
Cat litter or sand—never use salt because it damages the pavement.

9. Where should the fire in your fireplace be built?
On the andirons or grate, never on the fireplace floor.

10. What will prevent soot and add color to the fire in your fireplace?
Throw in a handful of salt.

11. Where should your firewood be stored?
Outside, away from your house and not directly on the ground.

12. What helps keep unpainted concrete floors easy to keep clean?
Concrete sealer.

13. What should you use to clean unpainted concrete floors?
A solution of 4 to 6 tablespoons of washing soda in a gallon of hot water. Mix scouring powder to the solution for tough jobs.

14. When can you clean hardwood floors with water?
When the floors have a polyurethane finish.

15. Do hardwood floors need to be waxed?
Hardwood floors that do not have a polyurethane finish probably will need to be waxed periodically. Use liquid or paste “spirit” wax.

16. What is the best polish for vinyl floors?
Water emulsion wax.

17. When is basement condensation at its maximum?
In new homes because gallons of water went into the concrete of basement walls.

18. Why should noisy water pipes be fixed promptly?
The condition that causes noisy pipes may be accompanied by vibration that can cause fittings to loosen and leak.

19. Why should frozen pipes be thawed slowly?
Frozen pipes should be thawed slowly to prevent the formation of steam, which could  cause the pipe to burst.

20. How often should your roof be inspected?
A qualified roofer should inspect your roof every three years.

21. What should be regularly checked on your security system?
The alarms and circuit breakers should be checked to make sure they are in working order and the sensors should be inspected one by one.

22. To ensure your safety, what household equipment uses batteries that must be checked regularly to make sure they are operable?
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

23. What do you use to fill nail holes and cracks in plaster walls and gypsum wallboard?
Spackling.

24. What is the white powdery substance that develops on masonry walls?
Efflorescence sometimes appears on masonry walls. It is crystallized soluble salts that can be removed by scrubbing with water and a stiff brush.

25. At what temperature should your water heater be set?
120 degrees Fahrenheit

26. How often do skylights need to be inspected?
Skylights should be inspected each time your roof is inspected so leaks don’t develop from cracks and interruptions around its seals, caulking and flashings.

27. What is a simple solution you can use to wash extremely dirty exterior windows?
A solution of equal parts vinegar and water or 3 tablespoons of denatured alcohol per quart of warm water. Use a piece of crumpled newspaper to wash the glass to avoid lint left behind by papertowls.

28. What can you use to help a window slide easily?
Rub the channel with a piece of paraffin.

29. What should you look for when you inspect your siding yearly?
Determine if wood-sided homes need to be repainted; check to see if the caulking around the windows and doors has split and cracked, and replace the caulk; clean the mildew; trim shrubbery away so it does not touch the siding.

Check out this beautiful property!

http://www.creativehomesdfw.com/home_detail.php?id=12

This exquisite luxury home has it all! This home is built for entertaining from the moment you enter the front door with big open spaces for relaxing with friends and family. The game room with separate card room is a great place to shoot pool or play games with your friends. The media room makes a great place to catch a movie or play a video game on the big screen. Each of the 5 bedrooms has its own private bath. Flexible large room with private bath and separate entrance would make for a large home office or a great place to hang out for an extended stay guest.