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Keep up-to-date with the latest news about Living Stone Design + Build and browse some of our How-To videos for helpful Design + Build tips and tricks.
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Keep Your Home and Family Safe and Secure
Your home is likely the largest investment you own, but more importantly, it protects and provides a sanctuary where your family will share experiences and create lifelong memories. The National Association of Home Builders’ MyHome Press has published a handbook for home owners, “Home Maintenance Made Easy,” and below are just some of the many tips provided in the Safety and Security section that can help you keep your home and family out of harm’s way.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Make the most of the new CFPB mortgage rules
Beginning January 2014, new rules take effect that are designed to achieve a common sense goal: When it comes to shopping for a home mortgage, it should be easy for consumers to find the information they need to make good decisions. The CFPB rules simply require lenders to document a borrower’s ability to repay the loan and follow other common sense rules to protect consumers. fairly at key points in the process.
The CFPB’s rules ensure that anyone being paid to help you find a mortgage treats you fairly at key points in the process. The rules are aimed at empowering you to shop for loans to buy and own a home with more confidence.
Use your Fireplace Safely and Effectively
During the winter months, many families gather around their home’s fireplace. A fire in the fireplace creates a warm and cozy atmosphere, but don’t expect it to add heat to your home. As little as 10 percent of the heat from a fire in an open masonry fireplace radiates into the house.
The National Association of Home Builders’ MyHome Press has published a handbook for home owners, “Home Maintenance Made Easy,” and the excerpt below contains helpful advice on how to safely build fires and maintain your fireplace.
Wood Burning Fireplaces
The Multigenerational Household Trend
Family households consisting of three or more generations, or “multigenerational households,” have become increasingly popular in the 21st century. According to the most recent Census, approximately 4.4 million American homes had three generations or more living under one roof in 2010, a 15 percent increase from two years earlier. This is 5.6 percent of the total of 76.4 million U.S. households with more than one person.
There are many reasons for this trend. The recession caused many adult children to return home after college, either because they weren’t able to get jobs that would cover rent, or they wanted to save up to buy homes of their own. According to Pew Institute research, the share of the U.S. population aged 18 to 31 living in their parent’s home increased to 36 percent or a record 21.6 million young adults in 2012.
For many ethnic and immigrant groups, multiple generations of a family living together is a common cultural custom.
Welcome to Living Stone Construction
Sean Sullivan, President and Accredited Master Builder
“Sean Sullivan’s skills and experience exemplify superlative leadership in business and construction. His commitment to doing the right thing and being focused on the best interests of his customers is always clear. The consummate professional, Sean’s strong relationships with the many disciplines within the trade establish him as one the best go-to contractors in the business!” – Travis Childs, Senior VP First Citizens Bank
Sean Sullivan was born in Oceanside, California, on June 19, 1972 to parents John and Roberta. As the son of a career Marine Corps officer, Sullivan moved around the country and lived overseas, although he spent most of his childhood on the US east coast. After graduating from Beaufort Academy in South Carolina, he enrolled in the Business Administration program at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Leadership and Marketing. Read More
Do’s and Dont’s for Do-it-Yourself Remodeling
According to HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau, in recent years home owner do-it-yourself (DIY) projects accounted for 37 percent of all home remodeling projects performed nationwide. The growing popularity of cable television channels with programming dedicated to home improvement including HGTV and the DIY Network, as well as the financial pressure of the economic downturn, may be inspiring home owners to take on home fixes and decorating challenges on their own.
However, it is important that home owners consider the safety risks, time delays and hidden costs before attempting DIY home improvements. Remodeling industry professionals report that about 30 percent of their work comes from fixing DIY debacles.
Custom Home for George Ackerman and Stanlee Stahl in The Settings of Black Mountain
Design/build is an outstanding approach and the implementation of it was just amazing. We had very high expectations based on Sean’s reputation and what we had seen. And they were exceeded.” George Ackerman
“It’s special, it’s wonderful and I keep pinching myself because I cannot believe that this is our home. Living Stone Construction, headed by Sean Sullivan more than met our expectations. They hit a grand slam out of the ball park. This house is amazing.” Stanlee Stahl
Homeownership: A New Year’s Resolution That Lasts
January 1 is just around the corner and millions of Americans are once again thinking about the resolutions they will make for the New Year. Why not make this year’s resolution one that will last long into the future — long after you’ve stop bothering to set the alarm an hour early to go for a run. Deciding to become a home owner is possibly the best resolution you can make.
According to a 2012 nationwide poll, 96 percent of home owners are happy with their decision to own, and 74 percent say that owning a home is the best long-term investment they can make.
Here are some tips to help you make good decisions for your homeownership resolution.
First, figure out how much you can afford. This depends on factors including your credit rating, your current expenses, cost of a down payment, and interest rates. Don’t forget that you will need a down payment up front and money to make monthly mortgage payments.
Living Stone Construction and “The Rockcliff” Shine at 2013 AHBA Parade of Homes
Living Stone Construction had yet another successful showing at the 32nd annual Asheville Parade of Homes. On the weekends of October 12-13 and 19-20, people all over the area were able to visit Living Stone’s craftsmen built home “The Rockcliff”, which is located in the beautiful Southcliff development.
“The Rockcliff” which was designed by Jason Weil (Retro + Fit Design) and decorated by Laura Sullivan (ID.ology Interior Design), served as the front cover of the 2013 Parade of Homes magazine and drew in more traffic this year than in any other previous year. Over 100 people signed up to receive Living Stone Construction’s newsletter with design ideas for a potential future build with the company.
Preventative Maintenance
2023 National Custom Home Builder of the Year
30+ Years of Design-Build Experience
Green Building Leadership
We prioritize designing and building homes that are as low-maintenance as possible—but no home is maintenance-free. Much like a high-performance vehicle, a high-performance home is designed to perform at a higher level, but it still requires thoughtful, routine care to keep it operating at its best. Living Stone Concierge helps protect that performance—and your investment—by giving you a trusted team to manage the ongoing care your home needs for years to come.
Two Premier Services
One Team, Long After Move-In
Membership
Preventative Maintenance Program
By Project
Custom Care Plan
1
Point of Contact
4
Pillars of care
30+
Years Building Homes
How the program Works
Four Pillars of Concierge Care
Through the Preventative Maintenance Program, your Living Stone Concierge delivers single point of contact service, so you no longer need to worry about finding trusted service contractors or waiting countless hours for them to show up. When there are third party workers in your home you can rest easy that your Living Stone Concierge will be there monitoring and ensuring a quality job is done.
Prevent
Repair
Improve
Your home should evolve with the way you live. Our Custom Care team handles personalized improvements—from hanging artwork and installing shelving to building fences and completing those finishing touches that make your home work better for you.
Trust
We believe your time is better spent enjoying your home than managing it. Our team takes care of the details, giving you one trusted resource and access to our network of proven professionals—so your home is cared for and your time stays yours.
Michael Blackstone
Warranty Specialist
As the overseer of our Preventative Maintenance Plan, he meticulously examines every detail of your home to ensure it is perfectly finished and maintained. With a wealth of experience in home construction and renovation from his years with various trade-related companies, Michael is the ultimate guardian of Living Stone standards. Beyond his professional expertise, Michael is a family man with a son, residing in the charming community of Old Fort. Entrust your project to Michael, where craftsmanship meets care.
Preventative Maintenance
2023 National Custom Home Builder of the Year
30+ Years of Design-Build Experience
Green Building Leadership
We prioritize designing and building homes that are as low-maintenance as possible—but no home is maintenance-free. Much like a high-performance vehicle, a high-performance home is designed to perform at a higher level, but it still requires thoughtful, routine care to keep it operating at its best. Living Stone Concierge helps protect that performance—and your investment—by giving you a trusted team to manage the ongoing care your home needs for years to come.
Two Premier Services
One Team, Long After Move-In
Membership
Preventative Maintenance Program
By Project
Custom Care Plan
1
Point of Contact
4
Pillars of care
30+
Years Building Homes
How the program Works
Four Pillars of Concierge Care
Through the Preventative Maintenance Program, your Living Stone Concierge delivers single point of contact service, so you no longer need to worry about finding trusted service contractors or waiting countless hours for them to show up. When there are third party workers in your home you can rest easy that your Living Stone Concierge will be there monitoring and ensuring a quality job is done.
Prevent
Repair
Improve
Your home should evolve with the way you live. Our Custom Care team handles personalized improvements—from hanging artwork and installing shelving to building fences and completing those finishing touches that make your home work better for you.
Trust
We believe your time is better spent enjoying your home than managing it. Our team takes care of the details, giving you one trusted resource and access to our network of proven professionals—so your home is cared for and your time stays yours.
Michael Blackstone
Warranty Specialist
As the overseer of our Preventative Maintenance Plan, he meticulously examines every detail of your home to ensure it is perfectly finished and maintained. With a wealth of experience in home construction and renovation from his years with various trade-related companies, Michael is the ultimate guardian of Living Stone standards. Beyond his professional expertise, Michael is a family man with a son, residing in the charming community of Old Fort. Entrust your project to Michael, where craftsmanship meets care.