Author: rlgordonandcompany

Living in Florida we do not have to do as much to prevent home and property damage from the freezing temperatures and snow. But we should understand even the mild colds here in the south do cause damage. One of the most over looked items is caulking and painting, addressing cracks in masonry, stucco, and sidings. Even the best built homes will eventually develop some minor cracking in the stucco and siding from temperature changes. The temperatures also effect caulking as well. This is a place where homeowners should do an annual inspection and inspect every part of the exterior of the home, spending a small amount of time and a few dollars on a quality caulk early on will save larger costly problems in the future.

Also any kind of air leakage causes condensation and increased energy costs. In newer and tighter constructed homes, minor condensation often causes mold issues and damaged materials. This is exacerbated by showering and cooking without running your cooking vent and bath ventilation. You can’t discuss ventilation without attention to dryer ventilation. When was the last time you removed the filter from you kitchen range / cooktop and cleaned it, and cleaned your dryer ventilation. Many people waste hundreds of dollars a year, due to clogged up dryer ventilation as well as the possible fire possibilities.

Anytime is a great time to address these issues to prevent damage, excessive electric bills, and even our personal wellbeing by living in a home mold free and has good quality air to breath. Maybe starting out every New Year having spent a little time and money will truly bring in a happy new year.

Here in sunny Florida, summer is about as bad as it can get for a home. The sunshine takes a tremendous toll on many of the exterior materials. Heat and humidity can cause expansion,opening cracks and allowing moisture to enter the walls of the home that can cause extensive damage, including but not limited to mold. This can become a major health risk. Older generations often don’t think too much about this as they grew up never having a problem in homes that were built to standards much lower than today’s. However truly things are much different today.

The building codes in place today require homes to be much more air tight – part of the final ininspection requirement is a new air blower tests to determine the quality of the seal on the home. The test measures how many times the air in a home would change in an hour (must be at least three and no more than seven). So obviously the requirements for building a home have changes in the recent past. The energy efficient designs and practices save us on electrical costs, but can negatively affect the air quality inside our homes if we are not careful.

As summer heats up there are several things we as home owners can do to protect our families and our investment.

1. It All About the Caulk – Make a small investment in a good quality tub of caulk and spend a few minutes inspecting the exterior of your home – regardless of age. The seals on exterior doors do become compacted and are easily replaced.

2. Check Your Sprinkler Settings – Often damage is caused by improper sprinkler systems constantly wetting the exterior of a home. This is not only an invitation to moisture damage and mold, but also an invitation to termites because it provides everything they need.

3. Always use Bath and Range Vents – The humidity increase is staggering when hot showers steam up bathrooms and pots boil in a home. There is little escape for this moisture which causes the temperature in the home to feel hotter, and provides air born molds and bacteria the perfect incubator to grow.

In home purchases buying into a fad can be expensive, and a long-term mistake. In today’s media one person’s fad can spread like wildfire and appear to be a trend, and too often we can buy into it. Trends normally are slower moving. From the smaller homes of our parents, divided up into small distinct rooms to larger open spaces we often see today. Fads spread fast, often caused by some celebrity showing something unusual and that gets copied by one desiring to be trendy or cutting edge. It is not hard to drive through different areas and tell the time period of many homes, while many elevations on homes are just timeless. The same applies when walking through a home often viewing for possible purchase, and see construction that was far outdated before its time.

We here at R. L. Gordon & Co. try to steer clear of fads, yet embrace the newer items our customers desire. Farm style sinks are here to stay, not new just returning. Those blind shelves that many wants are a nice touch and if wanted removed an easy and not expensive fix, along with that barn door. So maybe stick to items like that multicolored hair we see today. If it can be dyed over, or at least grown out and cut off you may want to give it a try. However still a good idea to stick to what you like and want instead of the what maybe seen in that last magazine you picked up.

Owning a home has been one of the most significant goals for families since the beginning of time. Accelerated after WWII, with home kits from Sears to mass produce homes with minor differences – side by side made the concepts of homeownership more affordable. So much has changed over the last 70 years, but home ownership is still one of the great achievements to accomplish in life. But, Millennials as a whole, seem to embrace “today only” with little regard for 20, 30, or 40 years down the road. Living for the moment has become their anthem – more so than any generation before them!

Today, homeownership costs are much higher than ever before; $12,000 – $15,000 has to be added during construction as “impact fees” by nearly all counties and cities. Newer building codes have added considerable costs as well. And of course, the cost of materials and labor continues to rise due to inflation. Forty years ago, we built a good number of 1200-1800 square foot homes, on generous size lots. They were well-built and the cost averaged $32 per square foot. Today’s cost to build is 5 times that – or more! Mant times there are additional costs of Home Owner Association dues, higher tax rates, and the inflated costs of utilities and maintenance expenses. Yes, it truly has become much more expensive and harder for the first-time buyer trying to achive the dream of owning a home.

As an older person who builds homes for a living, it saddens me to see so many young people, in long-term rental situations. Apartment construction is leading the nation in the number of units being built. I do understand, and empathize with the difficulty of living life and saving for down payments, closing costs and all the expenses of obtaining a home. I am sure that I am just old and out of touch with the times. I see so many “Millennials” driving luxurious, new cars; using the latest technology in phones and computers; and generally enjoying life to the fullest. Many, it seems, lack for nothing and save little to nothing in the process. They accept paying rents of well over $1,000 month, and most are approaching or surpassing $2,000. They have little to no appreciation for the value of an investment, no hope of living life mortgage-free someday, and are unaware of the importance of retirement, let alone leaving an estate to their children.

My generation worked hard, did without, to get into a home and then pay it off. Millions of people have enjoyed the ‘good ole mortgage burning party’ when families paid the last payment on their home and got that paid off mortgage paper. Seldom would we borrow on equity, or take out a line of credit against our mot valuable asset. Our goal and commitment was always to pay off our homes.

I would like to encourage everyone to consider taking the steps – and yes, sometimes making the sacrifices – necessary become a homeowner. Maybe this analysis will put it into perspective: if you start renting at age 25 and live to age 75 and pay an average rent of $1,750 a month, you will have paid, $1,050,000 to your landlords over the course of your life. At then end of that time you will own nothing and will leave nothing to your children. Yes, that is over a million dollars, with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Also, consider the fact that mortgage payments are often less than the cost of renting for the same house. So, consider buckling down, making the sacrifics, doing without some small “wants” to save up and step into home ownership. This old man can guarantee the you 30 years from now, you will be really glad you did!

I have been in construction for about 50 years now. Yep, old… but I still have that same burning desire to see just a patch of plain ole dirt turn into someone’s home. And, it’s not just about the concrete, wood, stone, cabinets and plumbing fixtures we use on each plan, but that peoples dreams and expectations are fulfilled and exceeded, that throughout the process there was a peace and even enjoyment.

Contractors who last and have a reputation they are proud of, are contractors who pursue passion and purpose for its own rewards. Many contractors are driven by money and financial rewards. They will burn out over time, and their homes and customer relations will easily expose the truth that it is only about money. We all must make a living but when one’s passion and desire to see dreams come true and exceed a customers expectations comes secondary to the money, it is nothing more than a job.

After many years, R. L. Gordon & Co is building homes for the kids of the customers we built for years ago. We are building second and even third homes for some of our customers, and doing so with the same desire and passion we have had all these years. Now, joined by our daughter Amy DeVasto, a contractor and broker herself, we will continue building for years to come, with a great passion and desire to see dirt and paper plans turn into homes lived in with pride and joy. That no one can ever get too tired or old to grab ahold of and make happen.

When choosing a company to build a new home or to handle an extensive remodel, it can be challenging for sure. Besides the cost which is most always one of the largest and most life impacting decisions people make, it is personal. It really is important to find a person and company that make it all work well. R. L. Gordon & Co, Ron, a second generation builder and his wife Susan, were recently joined by their daughter, Amy Devasto. Ron and Susan have built hundreds of homes since 1984 and have the experience and knowledge that only time can bring. Now aided by Amy, an experienced interior designer, licensed general contractor and real estate broker, R.L. Gordon can even do more for their customers.

R. L. Gordon & Co. has had one of the greatest customer approval ratings for decades in central Florida, with several customers honoring them by contracting them to build second and thirds homes and often building homes for their sons and daughters as well. Now being joined by Amy, they are planning on building not only son’s and daughters, but grandsons and granddaughters. It is a proud and humbling experience to build the second or third home for customers.  Who knows just maybe a great grandchild will be next!

At R. L. Gordon & Co, we have been privileged to build hundreds of custom homes for a broad spectrum of people over 34 years. Like the TV commercial states “we’ve learned a thing or two because we have seen a thing or two.” One thing inevitably became clear years ago; regardless of whether we were building a smaller 2000 square foot home with a modest budget or a 12,000 square foot home with a sizable budget, paint selection and finishes make all the difference.

The value of a home can be greatly increased simply by the choice of finishes and colors, without affecting the cost of a the home during construction. Great interior design is affordable when done right and can garner a greater return on investment.

We are always leery of “what is trending,” – design choices made off of popularity created by recent media events. The good ‘ole “this is my taste and what I want” may fulfill the immediate desires of your family, but will it transition to new owners when the time is right? As a custom home building company, we have learned to have the vision to see past the construction site and actually visualize the home that will be lived in. We must be careful to meet the requirements of our clients, but there is great satisfaction when we build a home that we know will add to the soul of that family. Our goal is to build a home that family and friends eagerly anticipate visiting, where life’s functions are simplified and more enjoyable.

It always starts with the home design, a marriage of family function, construction materials and applications. Then comes the finishes that bring life and personality, even elegance to the aesthetic of the home. Few contractors really find this plateau, and even more rare is an team who can do it all. R. L. Gordon & Co recognizes the importance of providing our clients with a complete team of professionals who can bring their individual talents to the project and transforms a house into a family’s home. It is not just what is in and popular but it is an extension of the family, it has a life and personality of its own and it is all accomplished with color and finishes.  

Remodels, additions or a new home, give R. L. Gordon & Co a call!  A smaller, hands-on company taking your home building needs seriously.

Larger tract builders have developed some great floor plans over the years, which address most of the needs of a typical family. Building the same model with slight variances in design, such as exterior color, flooring, countertops, cabinetry is certainly the most cost efficient way to build for the masses. This certainly is a great option for most families.

But, what if you don’t fit the “mold”? What if you want to break out of conventional tract housing options? Your needs could range from wanting to express your own style to needing more functionality and less maintenance. Maybe you want your home to leave less of a footprint on the earth or maybe you want a home with all the latest technology?