The internet will tell you to be skeptical when searching for a builder. That's good advice: skepticism is wise at the beginning of your search, just as it is when comparing surgeons, car dealers or other service providers. But remember that the ultimate goal is to find someone you can trust and collaborate with.

The best business relationships are those where everyone has high standards, both for themselves and for the other parties. This is certainly the case when building a new custom home—a complex, expensive and emotion-laden effort in which the homeowner and builder must collaborate closely for months. Successful outcomes demand mutual trust and confidence.

One often overlooked benefit of a high-quality new custom home is that it will better handle severe weather events and power outages. These are a fact of life in all parts of the country.

The health and comfort of a new home has a lot to do with its heating, cooling and ventilation equipment. High-quality equipment will do a better job, but only if the builder works with the mechanical contractor to choose the right equipment type. With today's high-performance homes, that choice is no longer so simple.

A lot of homeowners are looking beyond the basic deck or patio to a complete outdoor experience. They're designing and building homes with multi-level decks, patios connected to decks and pools, screened porches, arbors and outdoor kitchens.

Some customers express curiosity about the places different suppliers occupy in the building supply chain. With that in mind, we thought it worth explaining why we buy our materials and products where we do.

Mention home lighting trends and what comes to mind is the growth of LEDs. But the incandescent bulb isn't the only thing about to disappear—the wall switch may be going the same way.

Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, while others expect it to take a lot longer.

Not sure what it an escalation clause is? Then, read on for this quick building success post on escalation clauses.

If you are in the process of building a new home then you’ve probably felt the natural fluctuation of the building process. Learn what tempo of progress you should expect and appreciate while building your new home by using an established professional home builder during your new home construction process.