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Sposen Homes Blog

     
Oct
04

6 Things to Do After a Hurricane 

Hurricane Ian devastated areas in Southwest Florida when it made landfall with winds up to 155 miles per hour. It wreaked havoc on the beaches that we know and love, broke bridges, flooded homes and so much more. We are thankful that our staff are safe and are working diligently to get their homes and lives back on track.  

We have put together a list of six important things to take into consideration after a hurricane. Being prepared and knowing the steps to take after a storm are important for your personal well-being and your home. 

HERE ARE SIX IMPORTANT THINGS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AFTER A HURRICANE

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Oct
03

How to support Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian 

On Wednesday, September 28, Hurricane Ian directly hit Southwest Florida and left mountains of devastation in its wake. Many homes have suffered damage from the high winds and storm surge leaving most without power, water, and some even without a home. Our community is suffering and rebuilding the areas will be a long road to recovery. Here are a few ways to help rebuild the communities affected by hurricane Ian. 

Donations and volunteers to help the relief efforts of Hurricane Ian 

The American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations to help those affected by Hurricane Ian. They are also accepting volunteers who want to help in the relief efforts. Volunteers will be trained and on standby to travel to support the unique needs of the communities affected. These volunteers would be helping with the day-to-day shelter activities. Learn more here https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-ian-donations.html/ 

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) gives you the opportunity to give a cash donation. This gives the voluntary agencies the flexibility to get the most needed resources to the affected areas. Donating to them will help experienced disaster responders get on the ground to help the affected areas to recover. A cash donation helps buy food, water, medicine, and equipment. The National VOAD also allows you the opportunity to volunteer if you feel led to do so. You can learn more here https://www.nvoad.org/  

Project Hope is offering support for Hurricane Ian. They are taking donations to aid those impacted and offering volunteer options for those who want to help. Learn more here https://www.projecthope.org/hurricane-ian-how-to-help/09/2022/ 

United Way has donation and volunteer opportunities. They are accepting volunteers for cleanup, emergency response, relief supply and more. For volunteer opportunities click here https://volunteer.unitedwaylee.org/ They created a disaster relief fund to support local nonprofits and areas that have the most immediate needs. For donations click here https://unitedwaylee.org/hurricane-ian-relief-fund/  

The Salvation Army is taking donations to offer food, drinks, shelter, and other emergency services to hurricane survivors. Donations go to the disaster relief operation you select to help bring comfort to those in need. Learn more here https://give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/#!/donation/checkout  

Moving Forward 

During this time of uncertainty, Southwest Florida needs all the support it can receive. Monetary donations are being accepted at all the companies mentioned above and volunteer opportunities to help with disaster relief are much appreciated. They are asking that you do not send items as the needs of each area may change. 

Here at Sposen Homes our staff is devastated by what we have endured in the aftermath of hurricane Ian but are dedicated to helping restore our amazing Southwest Florida communities. Now is the time to come together and rebuild our piece of paradise.

Sep
27

Why an inventory home could be the right fit for you

If you are struggling to find your dream home, here is why one of our inventory homes might be right for you. Inventory homes are new construction homes that are built with the same standards and quality as our semi-custom-built homes.  

These homes feature our most popular floor plans and premium design selections. With a faster move in timeline, popular layout, and designer selections pre-selected you may find an inventory home is perfect for your family. 

Advantages of buying an inventory home 

The price of an inventory home is set. This means you are not investing any more money in additional upgrades, the land and selecting the floor plan. It also takes away the headache of choosing the selections you want in your home since this is done by the builders’ design team.  

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Sep
11

What is a Wet Room?  

This new modern bathroom design style is named for its basic concept, that all surfaces or a part of the bathroom is designed to be resilient to water. Hence the name “wet room.” 

Benefits of a wet room bathroom design includes a layout that feels spacious, offers easy cleaning, and adds value to your home.  

Looking for a spa-like feeling? 

Wet room bathrooms typically have a grander shower area that is more open to the rest of the bathroom. They give your bathroom a spa-like luxury and relaxing feel. 

 

They can make the bathroom feel more spacious with less barriers separating the wet areas in the space. The accessibility in a wet room is better since there is often no shower curb to step over. They are covered in tile or stone to allow for a waterproof area which can give you a more spa-like feeling. Floor to ceiling tiles give warmth and texture to the space to give a great luxury feel.  

In some luxury bathrooms, a wet room uses a glass frameless wall to separate the wet areas from the rest of the bathroom, which can often include a free-standing tub and shower. 

What goes into building a wet room? 

When building a wet room there are some key factors that need to be considered. A gradient is one of the most important components, because it guides the water down the drain. A slope is created for the water to stay in the designated wet area, so it does not pool on the floor in other areas of the bathroom. If no gradient is used in the design, the finished floor is recessed during the homes slab pour to allow for the curb and is also graded to the drain.  

Typically, when building a wet room, you want the proper drainage to be the furthest away from the bathroom door. Waterproofing the bathroom is another vital component and begins with water resilient barrier materials on the floor and walls.  

Wet rooms add value to your home 

Wet rooms add to the value of your property since they are better protected and reduce the chance of water damage. Having a highly desirable bathroom layout in your home will not only allow you to enjoy all its benefits now but will also attract more buyers if or when you decide to sell your home. Your bathroom will be more inviting, feel more spacious and will appeal to a wide variety of buyers.   

What makes a wet room different from a regular bathroom?  

In a wet room, the shower seamlessly flows into the rest of the bathroom, whereas in a regular bathroom the shower is separated by a curb or threshold. They also have tile going from the floor to the ceiling which creates a waterproof area unlike a regular bathroom. Another difference is that wet rooms have a sloped floor that goes toward the drain compared to a flat floor with a shower curb.   

Learn about Sposen’s wet room options 

We offer a wet room as a customized option in some of our Sposen Homes models. Contact us today if you are looking to build a new construction home with a wet room option! 

We invite you view our Signus Signature model with wet room option here!

https://sposenhomes.com/property/signus-signature-1722/  

Aug
26

Cape Coral Permitting Office Update

As of Friday, August 19, the Cape Coral permit desk at city hall will be closed on Fridays to allow the staff to catch up on their backlogged permits. There are over seven thousand permits in progress, and they’re working on training more staff to help get them processed.  

They will still be open for emergency permits, returning phone calls and emails but will not be taking new permit submissions. The online portal will also be accessible for those to check on permit statuses. 

City hall believes that closing to the public on Fridays will help them to train more employees and catch up on the influx of permits they have. For more information please visit: https://nbc-2.com/news/2022/08/12/cape-coral-city-officials-working-through-permit-backlog/  

Sposen is hopeful this will help in streamlining their process and allow for faster turnarounds, so we can get to building your home faster! To view the floor plans Sposen offers please check here.

If you have specific permitting questions, please inquire directly at 239-244-8886 to speak directly to our New Home Specialist team or email hello@sposenhomes.com.

Aug
16

What are Capital Gains on Real Estate Investments?

Investing in Real Estate is one of the best ways to grow your personal wealth. Being an educated investor when it comes to real estate transactions and the taxes you are subject to is important. To understand that we are going to discuss about Capital Gains and ways these monies are taxed when you sell a home.

After a successful real estate transaction, the capital experienced from the sale on your asset, is up for grabs to the IRS.

Capital gains are realized if you sell an asset (in this scenario your home) for more than what you paid for it. The difference between what you paid and what you sold it for may be subject to capital gains taxes.

How long did you own it?

The amount of taxes due on these gains, varies based on how long the asset was in your possession before selling. If the home was held for a year or less this is considered short-term capital gains, and if the home was held for longer than a year it’s considered a long-term capital gain.

Now, the IRS does allow homeowners an opportunity for tax relief on capital gains due to an Act passed in 1997 called the Tax Relief Act of 1997. This Act shifted the policy on how taxes are treated for capital gains realized when it comes to housing. Prior to 1997, homeowners paid capital gains taxes if they sold their house, unless they purchased a new home of equal or greater value.

EXEMPTIONS

Today, there are exemptions on capital gains for the sale of a person(s) primary residence of up to $500,000 for jointly filed married couples and $250,000 for singles if they lived in their home for at least two of the previous five years.

The Tax Relief Act of 1997 also lowered the top tier of taxes for long-term capital gains. The current 2021 long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%, 15% or 20% dependent on the income bracket of the taxpayer, while short-term gains are now taxed at the persons ordinary income tax level. This credit has been phased out for high-income families and is capped at usage to once every two years.

You may also qualify for an exception of these gains if the sale of your home was sold because of your employment, health or “an unforeseeable event, according to the IRS.

CONCLUSION

Always speak with a trusted financial professional for details on how this may affect YOUR own financial information. The IRS has an edibility test you can find here.  Deferring capital gains tax on a sale with the use of a 1031 Exchange is something you will want to explore. To learn more about 1031 Exchange click here.

If you’re ready to invest in real estate, Sposen offers new construction homes at a great value. Contact us today!

May
23

5 Tips for Designing a New Construction Home

Tip 1: Horizontal surfaces should complement each other.

For example, your floors and countertop should have the same tonality and depth. This creates an “easy on the eye” appearance.

Tip 2: Keep paint selections light and neutral.

Choosing colors that are light will make your space feel larger while choosing neutral tones throughout will create a welcoming environment. Remember, you can always add pops of color on accent walls, treys, and niches once your home is complete.

Tip 3: Design with simplicity in mind.

When it comes to New Construction, we always remind homeowners that they’re creating a blank canvas to enhance later with furniture, paintings, décor, etc. Sometimes curbing the creativity is hard, but it is necessary to create a space that is easy to enhance after move in.

Tip 4: Splurge on tile selections.

Floor tile, shower wall tile, and accent tiles are the most time consuming and expensive materials to change. Make the selection that you love – you will not regret it.

Tip 5: Pay attention to what electrical options come standard.

Two words: floor outlets. If your builder allows you to add electrical features, you may want to consider upgrading a bit. Floor outlets are a great way to avoid exposed cords in living areas. Another great electrical addition is under cabinet or trey lighting.

 

Apr
13

UNDERSTANDING CREDIT SCORES

With many major financial decisions in life, there’s one number that keeps rearing its potentially ugly head – credit score. In fact, you have many credit scores, not just one. Use your credit card app to look up your credit score and you might get one number. Apply for a loan, and the lender might end up using a different credit score altogether. Whichever scoring system is used to determine your credit scores, you can expect it to fall somewhere within a range of 300 to 850. The higher your scores, the better your credit.

The most common scoring systems you’ll encounter are FICO, which is established credit by the Fair Isaac Corporation, or VantageScore, the system used by the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These scoring systems measure your creditworthiness, or how much trust financial institutions should have in you as a borrower. To take charge of your credit scores, you must understand what exactly is being factored into them.

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Feb
21

Sposen named in 10 Best Custom Home Builders in Cape Coral by Home Builder Digest

Sposen Signature Homes has been named in The 10 Best Custom Home Builders Cape Coral, FL by Home Builder Digest.

Sposen Homes

Established in 2015, up-and-coming builder Sposen Homes has created a name for itself with its award-winning custom homes and floor plans, tailored to its clients’ lifestyles. Whatever the size or budget, Sposen Homes guarantees a beautiful final product. The company’s certified team of professionals has a combined experience of over 65 years across a range of sectors. Managing Member and Partner Neil Esner is a two-term past President of Florida’s Gold Coast Builders Association and has also been recognized as the GCBA’s Builder of the Year. Currently, he is an active member of the National Association of Homebuilders. His more than 25 years of high-level development experience translate into the fine craftsmanship and dedication that go into building each custom home.

An example of Sposen’s work can be seen in the Cape Coral home featured here….

You can read the full article here.

Jan
25

Sposen Wins Ten Awards for Models on Display at 2022 CCCIA Builders’ Showcase!

Sposen Signature Homes is currently highlighted as part of the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association (CCCIA) 51st Builders’ Showcase and was awarded with both homes entered on January 20th. The NEW Mira Vista model was awarded Best Outdoor Living and Best Pool, while the Signus Model swept its category with Best Overall, Best Livability, Best Interior Design, Best Kitchen, Best Bath, Best Pool Design, Best Landscape Design, and Best Exterior.

This three-weekend event runs from Jan. 21 to 23, Jan. 28 to 30, and Feb. 4 to 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

PREMIER HOMES ON DISPLAY

CCCIA’s Builder Showcase will highlight premier builders in the Cape Coral area, featuring new construction homes that represent a wide range of styles, features, and price points.

This year Sposen Homes, a leader in the SWFL new construction home industry, entered a 2400 sqft, 3 bedroom/2 bath Mira Vista model from their 5-Star Resort collection located in the NW Cape and one of their most popular models the Signus located in SW Cape featuring 1815 sqft, 3 bedrooms/2 baths.

PREMIER BUILDER – SPOSEN HOMES

Sposen boasts beautiful award-winning floorplans with must see exteriors, kitchens, bathrooms, interior finishes, landscaping, and more!

Although other builders will be present, we want to show you how 70+ years of combined experience in the new construction industry shows why we are a leader in our community.

After all, while all new construction homes are designed, very few are designed well.

With flexible financing options for new construction Sposen can ensure you get into the home of your dreams. The bottom line: Sposen homes are built to exceed, your expectations.

If you are interested in building a new home, you need to set aside time to attend this year’s CCCIA Builders’ Showcase. There, you can see for yourself the innovative designs and unrivaled quality associated with every Sposen Signature home we build.

Contact Us

For more of a one-on-one experience, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with our New Home Specialist Team. hello@sposenhomes.com or 239-244-8886