You’ve heard it all across the media. Interest rates are at historic lows. If you are new to the mortgage process, these figures and statements give you little frame of reference. Let’s take a moment to look at where interest rates have been over the last few decades, and what today’s rates really mean for homebuyers.Interest rates are affected by a gamut of factors. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, “Lower interest rates make it easier for people to borrow in order to buy cars and homes. Purchases of homes, in turn, increase the demand for other items, such as furniture and appliances, thus providing an additional boost to the economy. Lower interest rates mean that consumers spend less on interest costs, leaving them with more of their income to spend on goods and services.” And this is, after all, what you want people to do in a down economy. You want them to reinvigorate the economy with spending.The Fed continues, “If the rates that consumers and businesses have to pay to borrow rise too rapidly, however, spending may decline, leading to an economic slowdown.” So, it is a intricate dance the powers that be must perform in order to steer the economy the best they can. They, namely the Federal Reserve and Banks, are seeking stable prices, high employment rates, and sustainable growth in the economy.30 years ago, in 1980, when many first-time home buyers parents were making home purchases, Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year fixed rate mortgage hit a staggering 16.32 percent. Let’s compare that in relation to today’s interest rate, averaging around 4.5 percent.

• In the most basic terms, a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for $100,000 at 16.32 percent, will cost you around $1,450 a month.
• For the same mortgage at a 4.5 percent rate, you’ll be paying $580 a month.

The difference is astounding, and this is the main reason the media is shouting news about interest rates. If you are in the position to buy, now could very well be the time.Article Courtesy of RealtyTimes.com.

This new home plan has the most square footage of all of the plans at 4,100 square feet. The 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathrooms home also includes a bonus room and a great room with built-in entertainment center cabinets and gas fireplace with concrete surround. The spacious kitchen features granite countertops, center island and breakfast nook. The 2×6 exterior walls have been insulated with blown cellulose for an excellent insulation package.

We encourage you to check out the complete set of home plans for this luxury home plan and contact Mark Johnson directly if you’d like more information!

The proposed home plan by Scott Sullivan is the Mint Hill, boasting a nearly 3,000 square foot design complete with an office, playroom, bonus room, front and rear porch and deck.

Build your home with Mark Johnson Custom Homes and see how their home building process sets them apart from the competition! For more information, view the complete Intracoastal Realty MLS listing or contact Mark Johnson directly!

The proposed home plan for this lot is The Sunnybrook from William E. Poole Dreamhome Collection, a nearly 3,000 square foot plan, and is available for your customization today! The first floor plan shows the two car garage, screened-in porch, kitchen, master, great room plans, and more! You can also view the second floor plan with the studio, study, two bedrooms and bathrooms.

With the combination of an award-winning builder like Mark Johnson, the Landfall community that Forbes magazine ranked the “Best Address” in their “Best Places” category, and everything the adjacent Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC have to offer, this home promises to be everything you ever wanted! 

For more information, view the complete Intracoastal Realty MLS listing with Jimmy Hopkins in Wilmington, NC or contact Mark Johnson directly!

The CFGBA has monthly socials, offers online message boards via their website, monthly e-newsletters, resourceful online publications available and much more! Visit their site today and see how the CFGBA can help you with all of your Green building needs!

While Mark Johnson Custom Homes has an extensive portfolio of Wilmington, NC custom homes, remodels, additions, and town homes completed, we especially enjoy building in new luxury communities in North Carolina. One particular home we’re especially proud of is The Armelle at Eagle’s Watch. This private waterfront community boasts an amazing location, within a short drive from the beach, golf courses and unique restaurants and shopping centers. This exclusive community is also an environmentally protected conservation area and a natural habitat for bald eagles, great blue herons and more!

The Armelle, located at 809 Grandview Drive in Hampstead, NC, is over 4,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, an office and media room. The media room has a built-in entertainment center, fireplace and stained wetbar with under-counter SubZero refrigerator and ice maker combo. The kitchen has a SubZero 42” refrigerator, Wolf gas cooktop in the island with downdraft and antique white cabinets with granite counter tops. The upper glass cabinets have built-in lights for a unique display option.  The immaculately landscaped backyard has a spacious patio and fire pit, as seen on the right.

The Armelle is currently for sale at $899,000.

Take a virtual tour of our home via our Flickr photos or contact us today to schedule a tour!

As a Green home builder, Mark Johnson Custom Homes understands the importance of utilizing eco-friendly options for your home. When we built our Energy Star Certified home in the Landfall community in Wilmington, NC, we worked with the U.S. Green Building Council to ensure it would also be LEED Certified Platinum, the highest certification level attainable from the USGBC. The U.S. Green Building Council also publishes the Green Home Guide, an online resource for homeowners looking to build, remodel or retrofit their home with “Green” options in mind. And because this is such an invaluable resource, we’d like to share an article from the Green Home Guide’s article entitled “Take Steps toward a Poison-Free, Natural Lawn”. Below are just a few easy tips to ensure your lawn is Green-friendly and to read the complete article, simply click here!

Altering when and how you water your lawn is one of the easiest adjustments one can make to maintain a healthy, eco-friendly home. Watering between 5-10:00am is best and if you use an irrigation controller and the water is not soaking in, adjust your controller to water twice a day in shorter periods.

Proper maintenance of your irrigation system will also help save you time and money. Check for leaks in the system at least once a month during the dry season to ensure leaks will not waste water. Also add an automatic shut-off for days when it rains. And in lieu of spraying herbicides to kill weeds, hand pull them or dig them out.

Courtesy of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide

At this home, located in Wilmington, NC, we opted for a Blown in Blanket (BIB’s) system with OPTIMA for its eco-friendly features, including a higher R-value. (R-value is a measure of insulation’s resistance of heat flow and the higher the number the better.) The BIBs system will have an R-23 rating in the 2×6 walls, which is extremely efficient compared to the standard batt insulation. OPTIMA is also cleaner going into the home and does not have to dry after installed, which so often delays the construction process.

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The first step with our sealed crawl space is to install the insulation and air barrier on the walls now, then run the 10 millimeter membrane on the floor. A dehumidifier will be added when the house is almost complete. There are many reasons we opted for a sealed crawl space, one of which is to combat high humidity which often results in mold in crawlspaces. While building on a raised slab foundation is more cost effective than building a sealed crawl space, some clients prefer the future remodeling flexibility that comes with a crawl space. Also, crawl spaces are easier on the knees.

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Tessa Romanowski had this to say about this homeowner in Landfall, in particular: “The client has an existing two-story space that contains her living and dining room. It is a soaring volume with lots of natural light and a wonderful spacious feel. Our client felt that she needed more sleeping space and wanted to maximize her square footage by adding a loft over her dining room. It was important to maintain the dramatic light quality and sightlines in the two story space, as well as to create a sculptural stair that was unobtrusive to the room.