Our tour of the incredible Whitman II model continues!

With stairs leading from the foyer and from the kitchen, the second level is easily accessible from both the formal and family spaces. The owner’s suite features a sitting area that is large enough for an exercise space, a private retreat or a home library. The centerpiece of the owner’s bathroom is a lovely garden tub with a walk-in shower on one side and a water closet on the other. There are two vanity areas, both with linen storage, a hamper and plenty of storage.

The second level has plenty of room for the rest of the family, too.  Bedroom 2 has direct access to the hall bath, while Bedroom 3 is just across the hall. Each has a walk in closet. Bedroom 4 has a private bath, and is just right for a guest room or for someone who doesn’t want to share a bath!

The lower level features a fully finished rec room, complete with wet bar and a full bath. There is plenty of room for storage and even space for a future media room, hobby room or seasonal storage.

The Whitman II is one of our most popular Executive Series homes for a reason.  This is THE perfect family home. The spot for family dinners, holidays, parties… you name it!  The Whitman II model at Poplar Estates is now being offered for sale at $699,900, furnishings not included.

Come and check it out at www.atlanticbuilders.com

Melanie Franklin Edwards

VP of Marketing and Design

Tour the incredible Whitman II model!

One of our most popular Executive Series homes, The Whitman II, is truly a home for entertaining. When designing this home, I imagined the family that could live here. Perhaps they had moved many times through military postings or job changes.  And now, they are finally home. A home to entertain new friends, host old friends, and welcome family members to visit.

As you enter the foyer, the open oak staircase with wrought iron railings ascends to the second level where the family bedrooms are located. To the right of the foyer is a formal living room space that leads to the sunroom, which can be used as a quiet sitting room, a home office or even an art studio. To the left of the foyer is the formal dining room, with detailed crown moldings, chair rail and shadow boxes. This room is the ideal setting for a dinner party. As you leave the foyer, you are drawn to the beautiful views from the windows in the great room.  On one wall, the windows flank the fireplace with a beautiful Bianco white marble surround.

The gourmet kitchen is truly an entertainer’s delight. We had a luncheon in the model shortly after it opened, and the chef was delighted with the layout of the kitchen as well as the GE Café appliances. The convection oven made cooking the entrée a breeze, and the refrigerator kept the whipped cream for dessert at just the right temperature. Serving from the island, buffet style, was perfect whether guests were eating in the dining room, breakfast nook or morning room.  Clean up was a snap with the Moen Brantford faucet, Blanco 60/40 sink and GE Profile stainless steel tub dishwasher.

From the GE Café Series appliances, to the maple cabinets with a glazed soft white finish, to the expansive island with beautiful cherry stained and glazed cabinets, you will find that whether preparing your family meals or hosting a large gathering, you are well equipped to give your guests a delightful time. The butler’s pantry, which connects the kitchen to the dining room is the perfect place to set up a buffet service or drinks station. The sunny morning room is the perfect place to enjoy your morning paper and cup of coffee or a favorite novel in the afternoon. Adjacent to the kitchen is a private study, perfect for a home office, craft room or even a playroom.

And the great room, with two walls of windows, is the perfect place to relax after a meal.

Don’t miss part 2 of our tour in our next blog!

For more information about this home or others, please click here!

Melanie Franklin Edwards

VP of Marketing and Design

Now where did I put the…

In every home, there tends to be a basket on the kitchen counter containing mail, coupons, keys, chargers, loose change and pens.  Maybe you relegate these items to the junk drawer in the kitchen or toss them on the kitchen counter. 

When discussing kitchens with our home owners, sometimes the topic of organization comes up, specifically kitchen organization.  I have had people ask me where they should put different items in the drawers and cabinets, in an effort to streamline cooking and storage items. I am happy to advise them, recommending they take note of how they move around the kitchen in their current home to get an idea of how they use the space.  Everyday items need to be on lower shelves, holiday dishes can be stored on upper shelves or even in a storage area in another part of the house.


One of the areas that always seems to come up is that bit of counter space near the phone or near the back door where you come into the house most often.  This is where the basket ends up, gathering loose papers and odds and ends that need a home.  In our new home plan designs, we are incorporating a Drop Zone in the homes, typically near the entrance from the garage and near the kitchen.  This area serves as a place to recharge the phones, stash your handbag or briefcase, house the family calendar and put items for easy retrieval the next morning.

With a counter area at a convenient height, wall cabinet above and base cabinet below, this can serve as a mini command center for your home.  Instead of just tossing items into the cabinet above, consider organizing your cabinet like the photo above.  I found this photo here and thought they did a great job with their organization.

The family notebook that she refers to has become quite popular in recent years as it holds information for each member of the family, including medical information, insurance cards, pertinent phone numbers and emergency information.  This book would be quite handy in an emergency as you can grab it and go.
The magnetic panel on the back of the door is a great place to display a lunch menu or class schedule. I  keep a list of my neighbors phone numbers as well in there.  Magnetic hooks hold spare keys or those customer courtesy cards for your favorite stores.

The charging station is great if you come home and want to plug your phone in to charge while cooking dinner and find it easily accessible when you are out the door for sports practice or dance lessons.

At Atlantic Builders, we want to help keep you organized and able to find items at a moment’s notice.

~Melanie Edwards, Atlantic Builders' Design Director
  

What is your favorite color?

How many times have you been asked that question? Perhaps when shopping for clothes, getting your nails done, or even buying a car. And when most people are asked that question, they have a ready answer. Pink! Blue! Green! Yellow! Red!

We are drawn to our favorite colors when selecting the simplest of things – a notebook, a pen, a box of paper clips.  I know that when given a choice of a pen in blue or green, I will always choose green. We often define our style by the colors we wear or in the way we decorate our homes. When helping people make their selections for their home, I’ve noticed that sometimes they will identify themselves as a “blue” person or a “green” person. They are drawn to colors that they love and take comfort in surrounding themselves with these colors.

 Color schemes can be monochromatic, meaning several shades of one color; or complementary, meaning shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel.  One favorite is the analogous color scheme, which is using colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel, such as blue and green.

You can easily add touches of your favorite colors to brighten up a room by using accent pieces that compliment your décor. If your favorite color is hot pink, are you really going to decorate your home all in hot pink? Probably not!  But pink throw pillows might hit the spot.  While aqua might be your favorite color and you have 16 aqua shirts of various styles hanging in your closet, a whole foyer painted in that color might be too intense. Instead, consider adding an aqua vase in an otherwise neutral space to inject a burst of color. Or if bright chartreuse makes you happy, how about using it on an accent piece of furniture, like this candlestick table.

At Atlantic Builders, we help you make your selections based on how you will be living in your space, and are always ready to help you find a bright spot of color in your day.

Visit our Chelsey Model at the Estates of Idlewild in Fredericksburg and see how we used touches of color to brighten up this brand new home.

Meet Sid Means, Atlantic Builders' Purchasing Manager

When Sid Means played second base growing up in West Virginia, he felt “consistency” was his hallmark as a player. His favorite ball player then was Roger Maris, the quiet, steady home run hitter who edged out the more flamboyant Mickey Mantle in 1961 to break the single season home run record held by Babe Ruth. Sid brings his vast experience in construction and “day in, day out” consistent hard working ethos to Atlantic Builders as our Purchasing Manager.

Sid’s first job at 10 was a laborer for his father who was a trim carpenter and also Sid’s baseball coach. Sid grew up to love coaching baseball and coached his own son Wes from ages 6-19, including from 2003-2005 at Massaponax High School in Spotsylvania, VA. Last month, Sid enthusiastically arranged a fun outing to the Richmond Squirrels for almost 50 Atlantic Builders team members and their families.

When he is not working hard, Sid also manages to ride his Harley, which he loves to ride on weekends or often to the Myrtle Beach Bike Week. What happens while in Myrtle Beach stays in Myrtle Beach as Sid jokingly says, “Some stories can’t be shared”.

Sid takes construction and home building very seriously, though. His tremendous knowledge of construction and thoroughness have been key to Atlantic Builders’ updating of our home designs to comply with the recent March 2012 adoption of the most recent building code standards in Virginia. Sid feels that the newer, higher standards make today’s homes superior to others he has built in the past. This is from a man who has been involved in building over 3,703 homes in his career and counting. Sid feels home buyers will appreciate, for example, that new wind bracing requirements require homes to withstand up to 90 mph winds in the Fredericksburg area. He also feels that municipal building departments and inspectors are more thorough and professional today than ever before.

Sid is key to the Atlantic Builder’s team effort in designing new homes like the new townhomes in Ladysmith Village in Caroline County and our expanded and revamped line of Executive Homes designs. Sid combines great value engineering skills with a wise understanding of customer preferences for style and included features. He is proud of his longevity with the few companies he has worked for over his long career, but says he loves being at Atlantic Builders since our culture encourages collaboration and continuous improvement. We hope he remains here for the rest of his long and continuing career.
 

What Makes a Home Energy Star Certified?

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.

And with homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That's because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution:

1. Effective Insulation

Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, reduced energy use, and increased comfort.

2. High-Performance Windows

Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frames, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

3. Tight Construction and Ducts

Sealing holes and cracks in the home's "envelope" and in heating and cooling duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility and maintenance.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment

In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home. When properly installed into a tightly sealed home, this equipment won't have to work so hard to heat and cool the home.

5. Efficient Products

ENERGY STAR qualified homes may also be equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified products — lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

6. Third-Party Verification

With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, ENERGY STAR builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details. 

Interested in an Atlantic Builders Energy Star certified home??  Visit our website here to learn more!

Green Building Practices Save Homeowners Serious Money

The current economy has definitely heightened people’s “green” awareness. Green – as in ecology AND economy!

The hard truth: It costs a lot to build – and maintain – a home. From material costs to heating & cooling, owning a home can be an expensive proposition. Luckily, Atlantic Builders has embraced the elements of green building, and has been able to incorporate them into our homes. From careful site designs to right-sized floor plans, green materials to energy-efficient systems, air quality to water conservation, there are dozens of ways for homeowners to build a “green” home.

Come see us and we’ll get you started the green home of your dreams!

What is the HERS index?

HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System. It identifies the rated home’s energy performance compared to a home built only to code requirements. A standard, code-built home has an index of 100. Each point below 100 represents a 1% improvement in overall energy performance. For example, a home with a HERS index of 70 is 30% more efficient than a standard, code-built home. Note that a home can be Energy Star-certified with a HERS index of 85. Atlantic Builders’ homes perform much better – with average scores of 62 – 65. And a better HERS index means more savings for our homeowners!

HERS scores:

Atlantic Builders – 62-65 avg. HERS score

Energy Star home – 85 avg. HERS score

Standard new home built to code – 100 avg. HERS score

Existing home – 130 avg. HERS score

Estimated average utility bill:
Atlantic Builders - $138/month
Energy Star home - $180/per month
Standard new home - $223/month
Existing home - $431+ /month

Atlantic Builders Sponsors Student Scholarships

Atlantic Builders is proud to sponsor scholarships to worthy students at Germanna Community College. We believe in education as a critical path for individuals to achieve more in life. We also believe the future of the world depends on getting everybody the chance to continue learning and growing. Germanna Community College serves the Fredericksburg region. It is an excellent value for students and has seen full time enrollment of students surge in the past 5 years by 50% to 11,000 students.

Elliott Fairhurst and Tracy White are 2 of the 3 Atlantic Builders sponsored Germanna scholars in 2011/2012.
Elliott was homeschooled and at 18 years old is working toward a 2 year associates degree in engineering. He plans to complete his B.S. in engineering at VA Tech. He is interested in aeronautics, particularly drone aircraft.

Tracy is pursuing her nursing degree. She is a single parent with 3 children. While her mother helps her watch the kids, it is a great financial strain to attend Germanna given her family’s needs. Atlantic Builders is proud to help Tracy make her dream of becoming a nurse a reality.
If you wish to make a pledge to financially support Germanna Community College, please contact Mike Catell at mcatell@germanna.edu

Atlantic Builders' Quick Delivery Homes

Please see this link to a March 22, 2012 report from the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors. The report notes that in Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties there is only a two month supply of homes listed for sale in MRIS. A balanced market is considered to be a six month supply. So there is a shortage of homes for sale in the Fredericksburg region based on demand levels that have been increasing modestly in the past few quarters.

Atlantic Builders has 7 homes available for immediate move in that are either complete or will be complete from April to June in 2012. Please see our "Quick Delivery Homes" on the Atlantic Builders' website for more information.

-Adam Fried, Atlantic Builders CEO

Live Green. Save Green. Our Homes Save You Money Every Month.

A home that has earned the Energy Star label meets the EPA’s strict guidelines for energy-efficiency and is verified by an independent third party. Energy Star homes cost less to own, protect our environment, and reduce our reliance on imported energy. Our Energy Star homes feature high-performance doors and windows, high R-value insulation, tightly constructed duct systems, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and appliances.

The bottom line? Having an Energy Star home can save you from 30 to 40% on your utility bills. When comparing an Atlantic Builders’ home to the competition, look for the Energy Star label.

A TED Talk Worth Watching

Atlantic Builders CEO Adam Fried has something worthwhile to share!

"I found this TED Talk by Peter Diamandis both eye opening and inspiring. Take 16 minutes to watch it and it will give you a bright feeling about science and technology and mankind’s ability to keep making the world better for itself at an ever increasing pace."

We hope you watch and enjoy. Feel free to share with us your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Thoughts on the Local Housing Market

There are many variables that we all know affect homebuilding production in positive and negative ways.

Some of the negative ones are large amounts of continuing foreclosure homes entering the resale market, tougher credit standards for potential new home purchasers and, for residential developers and builders, lack of equity (or negative equity) in existing homes that makes it tough for people to purchase move-up homes, and high unemployment and underemployment.

Some of the positives are historic low interest rates, increasing pent-up demand for new homes relative to population growth and long-term trends, costs to own are now favorable relative to renting, and nascent consumer confidence and employment improvements.

In the Fredericksburg region, we have more positives and fewer negatives than in almost all the other metro areas in the U.S. thanks to the high levels of employment from the federal government. We also have a relatively tight supply of resale homes in MRIS available. We have seen a bottom in home prices and some small movement upward. Ask anyone who has tried to purchase a reasonably priced home listed in MRIS in the past six months and they will tell you that the seller received multiple offers.

The most important factor in determining demand for homes in the Fredericksburg region in 2012 is job growth. Job growth creates new home demand and trumps other important factors like interest rates and affordability relative to existing homes. There will probably continue to be modest employment growth in our region in 2012. BRAC transfers seem to have ended but getting specific information about what to expect in the near future from BRAC has eluded me and everyone I know who tries to determine this.

Stafford County has been by far the strongest new homes market in the Fredericksburg region. This will continue. Outlying markets like Caroline, Orange, and rural Spotsylvania will continue to be weak. King George is also slow but has some steady demand from Dahlgren. Spotsylvania has limited closer in water and sewer lots developed and also struggles significantly with extra commute times relative to Stafford. Home prices bear this out. So do lot prices. For example, in the new Colonial Forge community, lots are under contract to public builders for about $150,000 each for Spring 2012. New lots coming online in Pelham’s East in Spotsylvania this spring are under contract for about $105,000 each to Ryan Homes.

Our company is taking the following actions to try to grow and compete in Fredericksburg in 2012:

We have learned that we are in the housing business and not just the new home business. Rental home demand is strong and we think this will continue. We just began building the first of 37 rental townhomes in the Belmont community in Caroline County. Union First Market Bank (the lender) and local developer Frank Sealy wanted to see progress on some of the few remaining finished lots in Belmont. By working with them to create rental homes, we can stabilize property values, complete homes on otherwise stubbornly vacant lots, and get construction going in an area where there is very little demand for new townhomes. We are actively looking for more rental townhome locations.

We are completing a new model home in Idlewild subdivision in the city of Fredericksburg. From it we expect to sell homes at $500,000+ in Idlewild and other upscale Spotsylvania communities such as Fawn Lake, Bloomsbury Farm Estates, and Breckenridge Estates where we have acquired home sites at favorable prices and can pass on the great values to our buyers. We expect to sell about as many homes, 45, as we did in 2011, but larger ones at significantly higher prices. Part of our strategy is out of necessity because the many national and public builders we compete with are purchasing the closer in water and sewer lots being developed in locations with 20+ at prices that do not work for our business model.

We continue to build in many locations in the Hartwood area of Stafford County on 3 acre + home sites from our model in Richland Forest off Rt. 17. We plan to relocate the model home from there to Oakley Farms off Poplar Rd. in 2012 as we wait for 45 more home sites to be developed in Richland Forest in 2013.

*To read the full article featuring Atlantic Builders CEO, Adam Fried, please click here!

A Blog Featuring Adam Fried, CEO, Atlantic Builders, Ltd.

Like almost all residential developers and home builders, Atlantic Builders (and related LLCs) bought too much expensive land and lots in 2004, 2005 and early 2006. Looking back, I wish I had listened to my own instincts. I asked a room packed with large builders and bankers in 2003, after a prominent panel of economists made a presentation about the future, whether anyone thought a bubble was forming with high home and land prices. There was silence. Nobody agreed with the premise of a bubble then in that room. So I swallowed my concerns and proceeded to get seduced by the easy profits and kept buying more land and lots at ever dizzying prices. My friend Doug Janney urged me to divest from residential property as he did when he presciently sold all his lots off to K. Hovnanian in 2004. He was a rare voice then preaching doom and gloom. I wish I had listened.

Fortunately, we survived the crushing downturn for homebuilders by acting quickly to sell most of our land and lots relatively early by year end 2007. We (My partner, Tom Schoedel, is president of Atlantic Builders) took massive losses. It was the second-hardest experience in my career next to having to let go so many good people who worked on our team. We just knew by then that it was going to get worse. But it turned out to be much uglier than we imagined then. We never expected it to be five years and counting with such continued weakness in sales volume and low prices for new homes. We are one of only a few local and regional home builders still standing and luckily thriving, albeit modestly, in the Fredericksburg area.

Lessons learned from this experience are many. And most of them have been known by home builders for decades but get ignored in boom times. As Lee Evans, the post-WWII Edward Demmings of the home building industry, sagely advised, “DO NOT DO STUPID THINGS THAT GREATLY INCREASE RISK.”

Some of the key lessons are the following:

New home values and prices must be favorable when compared to “new used” resale and foreclosure homes to achieve reasonable sales levels.

A successful homebuilder needs to focus on customer delight, efficient production, cost control, and offer homes on appealing sites in desirable communities.

Land and lots need to be carefully purchased so that owned property is ideally no more than two years ahead of anticipated sales. Atlantic Builders has returned to our pre-bubble strategy of purchasing only finished home sites (on options from developers when possible) instead of entitled land. This strategy has worked well for Ryan Homes, our most admired competitor, and the 800-pound gorilla in our marketplace.

Lot prices should ideally be no more than 20 percent of the anticipated home sales price. Home prices should be a multiple of no more than three times target customer annual income. I know of a national builder purchasing lots in a Stafford County community who projects that their lots will account for 37 percent of the home sales prices. They expect to not make profits initially but want to try to control lots and gain market share. Lee Evans’ words still resonate: “Forget the ego drive to be the biggest builder in town. Do not sacrifice profit for more sales volume.”

We keep a great team tight: fewer people great at their positions, paid well, and earning good bonuses when key metrics are achieved. We went from over 60 team members to a low of eight in 2008. Now we have just 14 people. My partner, Tom Schoedel, and I decided to keep a group of core people rather than close up as so many builders across the U.S. have done. We get along well working pretty intensely, manage to do some good in the community (such as building Homes For Our Troops), often socialize together, celebrate our successes, and create positive energy in an industry that has generally lost its mojo. It helps that we have great trade partners, many of whom have been with us since we built our first home in 1988.

Our team expects that 2012 for our company will be at best as good as 2011. We expect about the same number of new home permits will be issued in the Fredericksburg area in 2012 as this year. We expect that not much will change until after the exciting election of 2012. Our area has ridden the wave of federal government expansion since FDR for 80 years. The election will determine if that expansion will be stopped or even slowed. Our Fredericksburg area, particularly Stafford County, has been the southern edge of the best new homes market in the U.S. the past few years. That is why we have 10 public and national home builders competing in this marketplace. The intense competition is good for home buyers. I am particularly keen to see how some of the large builders who lately have bid lot prices up significantly in Stafford will perform in 2012. Let us look to see if they can achieve good sales and raise home prices. If they can, it bodes well for all of us who own property in the Fredericksburg region.

Much of the employment growth that fuels new home building here has been BRAC-related. The 2012 election will determine if defense-related spending for Homeland Security and Command and Control in particular are to be cut. Defense spending cuts may slow our growth over the next few years. Fredericksburg should still continue to grow in the medium and long term as U.S. population demographics are favorable unlike Japan, China, and European nations. Our area has a highly educated workforce that will be needed for new 21st-century jobs. I believe the quality of life here is great and attractive except for our traffic congestion, especially on I-95. I fear even the new widening and extension of I-95 into Stafford is inadequate. But we will solve our
transportation issues. The future remains bright for the Fredericksburg region. With more rooftops, eventually employment centers will develop farther south as they have already around Quantico.

Fredericksburg Area Homes Undervalued Based Upon Income Levels

Please see this article by Bill Freehling which provides his analysis of Fredericksburg area home prices and median household incomes.

According to his data, home values especially in Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Caroline Counties are undervalued compared to historic averages. This may mean that Fredericksburg area home prices escalate in the near future!

You may read the article here.

For more information about building your new home in the Fredericksburg region, visit Atlantic Builders online or check out our Facebook page!

The Role of MCBQ in the Regional Economy

Most of Atlantic Builders' customers now are moving to the Fredericksburg region because of BRAC. To get more understanding of all the upcoming changes particularly at MCBQ, I am attending an event called "The Role of Marine Corps Base Quantico in the Regional Economy". I have learned that new contracts awarded in the past quarter are down due to the federal government budget impasse. Chatter at my table shows that government workers are concerned about their financial futures and retirement benefits. I have faith that by Aug 2 a good compromise will be reached and normality and stability will continue.

Marine Corps Systems Command alone contracts over $500,000,000 annually. MCSC expects to hire 1,100 new positions between FY 2012 and 2015 around Quantico. Four new hotels off Route 1 in North Stafford are being planned to handle the over 260 people on average being trained daily at MCBQ.

Median sales prices in Stafford County have increased from about $215,000 to $250,000 per home in the past 6 months. There is only a 2.5 months supply of homes listed in MRIS in Stafford County. A balanced market is considered about a 5 month supply. So Stafford County in particular is now a home seller's market.

Visit this link to view power points of the various presentations today.

-Adam Fried

Welcome, Julie Brennan, to Atlantic Builders!

We welcome Julie Brennan, our newest team member, as a Sales Associate. You will find Julie working alongside Community Sales Manager Charlie Baity in our Richland Forest model home which is now open 7 days a week.

“Julie is very personable, enthusiastic, and fun. She strengthens our team. I am impressed with how eager she is to grow and learn as she clicks with our team”, observes Dawn Settle, Vice President Operations at Atlantic Builders.

One of Julie’s favorite quotes from Tom Hopkins is as follows:

“No one limits your growth but you. If you want to earn more, learn more. That means you’ll work harder for a while; it means you’ll work longer for a while. But you’ll be paid for your extra effort with enhanced earnings down the road.”

Julie grew up in Portsmouth, VA in a military family. Her first job as a teen was in a retail clothing store. She notes that “I think it is a great learning experience for anyone doing sales. You learn to accept each person as an individual and help them with their needs.” Most recently Julie has worked in property management of apartment buildings.

Julie lives in Spotsylvania County with her husband James and teenage son Austin. She likes to read especially Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Julie has many goals on her life list which include skydiving, learning to play the piano, and learning at least 2 new languages. Julie’s dad was in both the army and navy and someday she dreams of owning and running a halfway house for Veterans on fixed incomes.

“I like our focus on customer service and employee satisfaction”, says Julie. She was happy that Atlantic Builders had a fun evening for employees and their families at the local Splittsville Bowling Center in the first month of her tenure here. Julie observes, “Sometimes at a corporate environment that gets lost.”

When she gets a break in the sales center at Richland Forest, Julie let’s on that, “I like to dance in the model—my Ipod goes from Christian to Eminem.” You may not catch her dancing, but Julie Brennan will always welcome anyone who walks in her door with a smile.

To learn more about Atlantic Builders, visit here!

The Future of Water Through the Building Industry's Eyes

Please read the article below that leads to Kathleen Parker’s column in the Washington Post about Charles Fishman’s new book, “The Big Thirst:  The secret life and turbulent future of water.”
 
The building industry can and will do more to use water more efficiently as the “green” desires of our customers help move us in that direction.
 
Over 12 billion gallons of clean drinking water are flushed through toilets and drips through municipal leaks daily in the United States.  The Fredericksburg region does in fact have adequate resources, one being the completion of the Rocky Pen Reservoir in Stafford County in May 2013. This will add 5.52 billion gallons in storage at the new lake. 

It is no news, however, to anyone who has viewed the Rappahannock River in late summer, that our biggest source of water can quickly flow to a trickle.

To view Kathleen Parker's article, please click here.

A BIG Thank You!!

Atlantic Builders would like to offer our sincere appreciation to everyone that is donating labor and materials to help with building Sgt. Kenny Lyon's home:
 
Stafford County Building Department
Sullivan, Donahoe  & Ingalls
IDS
Dynasty Cleaning
Anderson Propane
Virginia Dominion Power
Gotta Go
Big Al’s Landscapng
Mitchell’s Septic System
Luckstone
VAMAC
Hanover Precast
John Danielson, Jr. – Well
Virginia Water Conditioning
Mid Atlantic Laboratories
Noah Turner Turn Farms
Engleside Plantation Nursery
Donnelly Concrete
Virginia Contractor Supply –
Luckstone
Walker Sand & Stone
D & S Excavating
Gold Star Pest control
Wood Dale Masonry
C. C. Carpentry
Paslode
Grabber/Carlos
Builders First Source
DOW
Structural Technologies
Rent-A-Crane
Schiller Enterprises
Cary Quality
Energy Services Group
Darvish Roofing
Tamko Building Products
PlyGem
J. H. Kim & Associates
Automatic Overhead Door Company
Schlage
Adaptive Solutions
Chatham Construction
T. A. C. Ceramic tile
Carpet House
Armstrong (Bruce)
Stauf Adhesive
General Electric
Mid South Building Supply
United Granite
Southern Spotsylvania Plumbing
Ferguson Enterprises
First Choice Heating and Cooling
Virginia Air
East Coast Distributors
K. L. Rowlands Electric
Rexel
Home Depot – Stafford
Patriot Sound and Security
Halsey Home Construction
Group Two
YouTwitFace
FABA
The Free Lance Star
M & M Soil Consultants
Dominion Inspections
Residential Design Group
Nova Blue
DSS
The Fried Companies
Blackwood Real Estate
EcoSeptix
Noah Turner Landscaping
 
Restaurant & Business Volunteers
Bob Evans, Route 3
Bowie Produce
Central VA Vending and Coffee Guys
Chick-Fil-A, Garrisonville Road & Rt. 17
County Fare Restaurant, Stafford
Cracker Barrel
Culligan
Dixie Bones Post 401
Golden Corral
Jimmy the Greek’s
McDonald’s of England Run
N. Stafford High – Nutrition and Wellness Class
Pancho villa
Panera Brad
Perkins, Fredericksburg
Pizza Hut, Rt. 17
Reddy Ice, Richmond
Sqwincher
Subway, South Stafford
The Farmer’s Wife, Remington
TJ’s Catering and Celebrations
US Food Services
UTZ
Virginia Barbecue
US Food Services
84 Lumber
Aireco, inc.
Arcet
Bassett Furniture
Benjamen Moore
Best Buy, N. Stafford
Blue and Gray Brewery
Bottom dollar
Costco, Fredericksburg
Duquettes Art Frame Studio
Giant, Fredericksburg
Guardian Coating
Hancock & Moore Furniture
Good to Go Contracting
Harbor Freight, Rt. 3
Hertz Equipment – Manassas
Hilldrup Moving and Storage
Karney & Company
McCormick Pant
Medias Painting
Miller Welding
Party HQ, N. Stafford
Meadows Farms, N. Stafford
Rappahannock Mattress Company
Richmond Camera Store
Simmons Manufacturing
Simply Beautiful Spaces, LLC
Target – N. & S. Stafford, Rt. 3
Vanguard Furniture
Wal-mart

Organizations and Community Volunteers
Aquia Harbor Host Lions club
Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc.
Blue Star Dads, Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg Army National Guard
Girl Scouts of America
Hartwood Fire Dept
Janese Simunek – Artist
Legion Riders
Semper Fi Fund
Some Gave All Foundation
Women Marines Association, Quantico Chapter
Wounded Warrior Regiment, Quantico
Lisa, Jeff, Michael and Samuel Grooms, Neighbor
Aimee Sword, Neighbor
Marcus and Gina Narvaez – Key Volunteers
Steve & Michele Norris – Key Volunteers
Mac and Brenda McQueen
Mary Kulesa
Jim Barter, US Food Services
Tim’s Rivershore I and II
Anthony Campbell – National Anthem
John and Jo Moberg
Hilda and Wes Eubanks
Jean Carder
Cheryl Maxwell –Lefcowits
Navy Personnel – Torpedo Training Center – Yorktown, VA

Government Volunteers
John Schaeffer – Inspector
Stafford County Sherriff’s Office

School Volunteers
AFROTC Stafford High School
Hartwood Elementary School

University of Richmond – Journalism Department
 

Details on the Build Brigade for Sgt. Kenny Lyon!!

Homes for Our Troops & Atlantic Builders invite you to celebrate the Kick- Off of the 100th specially adapted home in Fredericksburg, VA for severely injured Marine Sgt. Kenny Lyon.

Join us as we celebrate this remarkable milestone in the history of the Homes for Our Troops organization!  Starting April 1, 2011 at 8:30 am, an army of volunteers will work tirelessly to give back freedom and independence to Sgt. Kenny Lyon through the gift of a specially adapted home built in just 7 days!



Join us for one or both of the build events!

The Build Brigade Kick-off Ceremony - Friday, April 1, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. running all week long and witness the power of community!

The Key Ceremony - Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 11 am as we officially donate the home to Sgt Lyon.

Build Location - 10 Crowncrest Rd., Fredericksburg, VA 22406



Friday, April 1st - Escort and Opening Ceremony - 8:30am

The escort will begin at the Wal-Mart and bring Sgt Kenny Lyon and his family to the build site.  From there we will have an opening ceremony and raise the first wall!

We will be working onsite around the clock.

Saturday, April 2nd - We will be working onsite around the clock

Sunday, April 3rd - We will be working onsite around the clock
 

Please join us each day for our Lunchtime Auction & chance to win our 50/50 Raffle! Buy your tickets for the 50/50 raffles at the Build site!



Needs - Some items we could always use are; papertowels, hand sanitizers, trash bags and snacks etc... 

Parking - Because of  limited parking on Crowncrest Rd for Sgt Lyon's Build Brigade and the many volunteers that will arrive for his ceremony. We will utilize the next street over (Boxwood Dr) for parking, there is a path that connects the two roads. Parking volunteers will be in place to show you the way.

Registration - Whether you have been in touch with HFOT and have been assigned a task or just showing up that day, you are required to sign a waiver at the Registration Table.  There you will receive a HFOT Build Brigade T shirt that you MUST wear on site. If you are scheduled to work at the Registration Table, you may be helping with... Parking, Volunteer Check in, Build Brigade T shirts, Hard Hats or HFOT Gear table.

Volunteering - We welcome ALL volunteers to the Build Brigade. If you have signed up to volunteer and have not heard back from a HFOT rep, please come out and join us! Pitch in where you can on the build site!

Children - Children under 16 are NOT allowed on site without an adult.  If you are volunteering and bringing younger children, please do NOT allow them near the actual home building.  There will be a food tent area that is safe from construction activities.

 

Can't donate your time or materials but want to donate funds to support this build?
Mail it to:
Homes for Our Troops
C/O lyon Project
6 Main Street
Taunton, MA 02780

 
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Doreen Lewis at dlewis@homesforourtroops.org