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Produced ByAdvertising Editorial Staff

lubbockonline.com homes.lubbockonline.com LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Inside Real Estate: Local Builder News - Page 3Green Remodeling - Page 3 On The Web: Follow us on Facebook & Twitter

View Full MLS Listings & Open House ListLocal Real Estate News - Page 5WTHBA Featured Floorplan - Page 7

Where did you grow up?I was born and raised in

Lubbock.

Why do you live in the Lubbock area? What do you like most about it?

I love my hometown! Lub-bock is the perfect size city; there is plenty to do here but with a small town feel. I love the vibrant culture and traditional values. The people here are what make Lubbock worth calling home.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I have a passion for design-ing and creating. I am a woodworker and really enjoy building furniture with my dad. I also love to go to the driving range or shooting range or just go to dinner with friends on a patio some-where.

How long have you worked in Real Estate?

I have been a licensed Real-tor® for over 6 years. I earned my license before I graduated from high school and was a licensed assistant while I was in college.

What did you do before that?

Prior to that I was actively involved in political cam-

paigns and volunteering in my community while I finished high school.

What is your specialty?I am a residential agent

and I work with anyone who is buying or selling. I am a very aggressive listing agent, and I actively search out buyers for my listings. I am very blessed to have very low average days on market for my listings.

What designations do you have and what does that mean for the people you work with?

I hold the ABR®; this is the only nationally recognized designation for buyer’s agents and is held by only 10 percent of Realtors. This has given me the tools to give my buyers full service representation when negotiating offers and arranging inspections. I also earned the SRES®, which has taught me a lot about assisting senior citizen clients when it is time to transition into their next chapter of life. My CNS designation is the Certified Negotiations Specialist and has taught me techniques in negotiat-ing contracts on behalf of my buyers and sellers so that I can get the absolute best deal for them.

What is the most challeng-ing/gratifying aspect of what you do?

I love working with people. It can be challenging because each client is unique; no two sales are ever the same. But for the same reason it’s very satisfying when I can make a

deal work. My motto is “Mak-ing Your Dreams My Priority.” And that’s what makes this the best career in the world. I get the amazing opportunity to help families realize their dreams of home ownership!

What is the most unique

property you’ve listed or sold?

I sold a house for a college buddy earlier this year a few blocks from Tech that had a bedroom painted with life-size Dr. Seuss characters. I thought it was a really fun room, and I sold the house in about 30 days, so I’m glad someone else thought it was fun, too.

What do you see in the fu-ture for real estate sales/prices?

We are seeing a lot of growth with new businesses and more university students; this has a direct effect on home values and sales. We have cut our months supply of inventory in half since May of 2011. We are now at only 4.2 MSI. What this means is if we didn’t have a single new listing come on the market it would only take 4.2 months to sell every home that is currently for sale. A balanced market is about 6 months. We are on the threshold of a sellers market.

Why should someone choose you as their real estate agent?

I do everything I can to take care of my clients. My goal is to make them happy. I also do a massive amount of marketing. Through this mar-keting I have achieved a very low average days on market for the homes I sell. In 3½ years my average time to sell a home is only 42 days.

Chase Marberry ColDwell BAnkeR, RiCk CAnUp ReAlToRS806-773-7050chase@coldwellbanker.com

Realtor Revealed

Chase Marberry, Coldwell Banker, Rick Canup Realtors

ABR®, SRES®, CNS

Photo by Misty Setzler

Check out our mobile site to search thousands of local homes and land for sale, homes to rent and an open house map every weekend.

SCAN ME!

m.homes.lubbockonline.com

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The South Plain’s #1 Real Estate Source ● Visit our mobile site @ m.homes.lubbockonline.com

2 SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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ReAL eSTATe SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL 3homes.lubbockonline.com

Americans are in love with remodeling. Television networks such as HGTV and DIY run 24 hours a day with shows like “BATH-tastic” and “Design Star.” Magazines, websites and blogs feature happy homeowners gushing over perfect room makeovers. And with the continuing chal-lenging economy, more homeown-

ers have decided to stay in their current home longer, which has created higher demand for remod-eling.

A survey released by the Na-tional Association of Home Build-ers (NAHB) in 2012 shows that common remodeling projects have increased, compared to a similar survey from 2010. And nearly 50 percent of remodelers report seeing an increase in the number of homeowners who undertake re-models to avoid moving, compared to the 2010 findings.

Bathroom and kitchen remodel-ing remain the two most common types of jobs, as they have been consistently since 2001. After 2009, however, bathroom and kitchen remodeling switched plac-

es – bathrooms became the most frequent type of job for profes-sional remodelers. Seventy-eight percent of the survey respondents cited bathroom remodeling as one of the most common jobs, an all-time high.

Homeowners are frequently ask-ing for a high-end spa feel to their new bathrooms, with features and materials such as television screens built into mirrors, exotic wood finishes, recycled glass tiles and sophisticated lighting systems. Other popular features include those that enable a homeowner to stay in their home as they age; including step-in tubs and shower stall benches and rails.

Both kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects were up 17

percent from two years ago. Other popular jobs were window

and door replacements, room ad-ditions, handyman services and whole house remodeling, although whole house remodeling is down significantly from its peak in the mid-2000s.

The motivation behind many homeowners’ decision to remodel has changed as well. The top two reasons for remodeling were the need to repair or replace old or outdated components and the desire for better and newer amenities. More than 50 percent of remodelers said that these two reasons for remodeling have be-come more common over the past two years.

In contrast, more than 20 per-

cent of remodelers said there was a decrease in customers remodel-ing to increase home values as an investment or to prepare for a sale (whether distressed or not). Remodeling to accommodate a change in the number of people living in the home also received low scores.

Whether they are inspired by the amazing makeovers shown on television shows, or their changing lifestyle necessitates repurposing spaces to make more efficient use of their home’s square footage, homeowners are turning to profes-sional remodelers to help improve their home.

For more information on remodeling, go to www.nahb.org/remodeling.

Changing trends in remodeling reasons and rooms

STRONG

LOcaL ReaL eSTaTe NewS – weST TexaS HOme BuiLdeRS aSSOciaTiON

BY Trey Strong, PresidentWest Texas Home Builders Association

What is green remodel-ing?

A home can be considered green when energy effi-ciency, water and resource conservation, sustainable or recycled products, and indoor air quality consid-erations are incorporated into the process of home building. The increased availability of education for builders, growing consumer awareness and the explod-ing market for sustainable, environmentally friendly and recycled building products has accelerated green building’s acceptance rate and move into the mainstream. According to a recent survey, by 2016 the percentage of remodelers who expect to do more than 60 percent of their projects green will be over one third – more than two and a half times the current.

What are the benefits of green remodeling?

Green homeowners enjoy knowing they are doing something good for the environment, their family and the future by saving energy and precious re-sources. Counties can make consumers aware of rebates and credits to encourage them to build green. Many lenders now offer energy efficient mortgages. It’s good for the community, too. By using fewer materials and generating less waste, green remodeling can help counties lower waste management fees, achieve recycling goals and delay the need for new power sources.

Who does green remod-eling?

A new professional designation program from the National Association of Home Builders will soon provide home buyers with additional assurance that the remodeler they’ve cho-sen is authentically “green.” The Certified Green Profes-sional™ designation was introduced at the Interna-tional Builders’ Show in 2008.

“We know green is the future of building. With the Certified Green Profession-al designation, we’re help-ing our qualified members demonstrate to their clients that the future is here,” said NAHB Past President

Sandy Dunn, a West Vir-ginia home builder.

Builders, remodelers, and other industry profession-als must have at least two years of building industry experience to apply for the Certified Green Profession-al designation. They must also complete the “Green Building for Building Pro-fessionals” course, a two-day training and education session that more than 1,200 industry leaders have already completed since the course was piloted two years ago. Candidates must also complete a University of Housing management course, agree to continuing education requirements and sign a code of ethics. The business manage-ment and Green Building for Building Professionals classes are also offered at other NAHB conferences and by local home building associations throughout the country.

hoW is nahb remod-elers involved in green remodeling?

NAHB is helping its members move the practice of green building into the mainstream. Energy ef-ficiency, water and resource conservation, sustainable or recycled products, and indoor air quality are increasingly incorporated into the everyday process of home building.

When a green home doesn’t look or feel signifi-cantly different from one built using more traditional construction methods, when builders have the tools and resources to build them

without sizeable materials or labor cost increases, and when consumers readily accept the finished product, then “green” has arrived. The exploding market for sustainable, environmen-tally friendly and recycled building products, along with the greater availabil-ity of educational oppor-tunities for builders, has accelerated green building’s acceptance rate.

The association prepares members with programs addressing education (such as the Certified Green Professional designation), award recognition, and market awareness. NAHB also organized the NAHB National Green Building Program, a comprehensive resource on green building and remodeling at www.nahbgreen.org.

What is the significance of the national green building standard?

There are a number of local green building rating systems and programs, but only one has been recognized by the Ameri-can National Standards Institute (ANSI) for green home building and remodel-ing. In 2007, NAHB worked with the International Code Council to develop the first-ever residential green build-ing standard, the National Green Building Standard, completed in early 2009 and now in the process of being revised and updated for 2013. ANSI approved the development process, ensuring a consensus-based document and adequate public comment.

The standard requires third-party certification, and above-code improve-ments in energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor

environmental quality and lot and site development, but it does not mandate specific practices to achieve the required number of

points, allowing home buy-ers to make choices for an affordable, flexible, region-ally appropriate and “truly green” result.

Frequently asked questions about green remodeling

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Did you know there’s an “undo” but-ton for buyers in a real estate contract? Well, it’s not really a button, but there is a clause in sales contracts that allows buyers to cancel the whole deal, legally undoing the real estate contract. Para-graph 23 in the Texas Real Estate Commis-sion residential sales contracts, the “termi-nation option,” lets buyers pay a fee for the right to terminate their contract during a defined period of time.

The termination option isn’t a required element of a contract to purchase a home. However, most buyers make it part of their offer. The amount of the fee and the number of days of the option are nego-tiable. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, your Lubbock Realtor can help you decide what is reasonable and necessary given the circumstances of your situation.

What’s it for?During the option period, a buyer may

terminate the contract for any reason and get his earnest money back. Most buyers use the option period to have a home inspection and otherwise evaluate the condition of the property. However, it doesn’t matter what the buyer’s reasons are for terminating the contract, as long as he gives notice of termination within the time specified in the contract. If the buyer doesn’t terminate the contract during the option period, the transaction moves ahead and the option fee is either credited to the sales price at closing or not, as negotiated in the original contract.

Why Would a seller agree to it?Sellers don’t have the ability to ter-

minate the contract during the option period, but the termination option does provide benefits to the seller. First, sellers receive a fee in exchange for the buyer receiving his right to terminate. For example, if you agreed to a $200 option fee and the buyer decides to terminate his contract to your house, you keep the $200.

Second, the option period gives buy-ers time to perform due diligence and enter into the contract happy with their purchase. How does this benefit sellers? It’s better to sell your home to someone satisfied with the condition of the property rather than a buyer who’s bitterly disappointed that he ever agreed to buy your home. The truth is that if the buyer terminates the contract during the option period, you most likely got out of a transaction that would have caused you headaches and possibly a trip to the courtroom.

Buyers should … As a buyer, make sure the option fee

is an amount you are comfortable pay-ing should you decide to terminate the contract. And don’t schedule inspections on the last day of the option period. You want to allow enough time to conduct inspections of the house and address any concerns you have about the property. Keep in mind you may need follow-up inspections. Also, if an inspection reveals conditions that lead to additional negotia-tions between a buyer and seller, a buyer will want those talks to happen during the option period, so they still have the right to terminate.

sellers should …While most sellers want to keep the op-

tion period as short as possible, negotiat-ing hard for an extremely brief option period may work against you. If a buyer feels pressured and cannot get the infor-mation they need in time, they may feel the best course of action is termination of the contract.

For more advice about buying and sell-ing real estate, visit LubbockRealtors.com and TexasRealEstate.com.

Keeping your options open

RUIZ

LocaL ReaL estate News – LUbbock assocIatIoN of ReaLtoRs

BY Debora Perez Ruiz, PresidentLubbock Association of REALTORS®

6 SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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4002 124th – Brooke HeightsFeatured Floorplan – Mike thoMa ConstruCtion

Lubbock Avalanche Journal in cooperation with The West Texas Home Builder’s Association spon-sors this week’s Featured Home built by Mike Thoma Construction, one of Lubbock’s only Certified En-ergy Star Builders, at 4002 124th in one of Lubbock’s most popular and innovatively designed subdivi-sions, Brooke Heights.

Upon entering this 4/4/3 home, you will be impressed with the 16-foot tall entry with groin ceiling that looks back out onto the extra deep, east-facing porch, which is plumbed for an outdoor kitchen. This patio has all of the elements present to entertain outdoors year-

round. The front entryway, with its impressive iron and glass clad door, is to the right side of the tiled and wood-grain floored dining room.

Looking into the family room, you will note the large floor to ceiling windows and doors that overlook the lushly landscaped backyard area with a 7-foot privacy fence. You will be awed by the airy feel of these rooms, which are bathed in natural light-ing. On your left you will note a large breakfast area and the kitchen with a massive granite topped island and bar framing the elaborately equipped gourmet

demonstration style kitchen with beautiful natural stone granite countertops and faux and stained finish furniture grade cabinets. Also note the latest KitchenAid Stainless Appliances with gas cook top and convection oven that will delight the chef in your family.

Off to the right of the front entry are the two bedroom suites, each with their own bathroom artfully adorned with mosaic tile work. The utility room comes with extra

storage and a wonderful counter-top built for the storage and use of small kitchen appliances.

Going through the grandiose family room with floor to ceil-ing windows, you will note the elaborate wood fireplace with faux painted mantle along with the smartly designed wall with niches and custom framed high definition television. Past the fam-ily room and the elaborate groin ceiling hallway, you will arrive at the massive master bedroom suite with tall coffered ceilings, an ornate leaf blade fan, tall win-dows and glass door to the patio area. The palatial master bath is equipped with quality furniture grade cabinets, custom framed mirrors, an extravagantly tiled walk-through shower and very large “L-shaped” master closet with skillfully planned with wood lined partitions, cabinets and shelving designed for the ultimate in organization.

The finished 3-car garage has “Rock Solid Flooring.” This house

comes equipped with security system and automatic garage door openers and plantation shutters throughout.

The tremendous split level base-ment with 10-foot ceilings is wired for a high definition projection system and designed for the ulti-mate experience in home theater entertainment. On the first level you will find two bar areas that will make this basement setting the utmost for entertaining friends and family.

As if it was not enough to have

such an elegant and uniquely de-signed home, these “Energy Star” Homes built by Mike Thoma Con-struction are rigorously tested and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that you get the best possible product according to their very strict stan-dards using at least 40 percent less energy than a standard new home. These homes are built with Foam Insulation throughout, zoned heating and air condition-ing, and Argon gas filled windows. There are a vast number of other cutting edge techniques designed to make this home incomparable in energy efficiency.

What many people are saying is true. When you get a Mike Thoma Construction Home you are not only getting a home built with unparalleled quality, equipped with the latest technology, but also a home that is “one of a kind,” designed and lovingly built by a variety of talented artists from the plumbing rough in to the last roof-ing tile laid on the home.

Come see this 3,577 square foot home competitively priced at $399,950.

“We know you will want to make this dream home in this very popular upscale community your very own… AND… you will be quite pleasantly surprised to find how financially in reach this dream can be. We also have a trade in program for your existing home. We will have this home and several others open this weekend. Call (806) 535-8834 today for details!”

8 SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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