Posts Tagged homearama

Homearama to spotlight Norfolk

Aug 12

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

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Jennifer Cauldwell from Norfolk Public Utilities is flanked by Norfolk House builders Bill Brice and Les Ore, with a pitcher to serve Norfolk Pure water.

The city of Norfolk is preparing to take advantage of Tidewater Builders Association’s upcoming Homearama showcase of homes as a venue to educate guests about a number of city initiatives under way.

City staff visited the site this week to review their plans.

The public utilities department will be promoting the quality and safety of its tap water – providing “Norfolk Pure” municipal drinking water as an alternative to expensive and wasteful bottled water.  Did you know that for $1, you can fill a 20-ounce sports bottle with Norfolk Pure tap water more than 1,300 times?

The city is also planning to promote its cultural amenities, its history, its “Celebrate trees” initiative and its school pride campaign. The Norfolk Botanical Gardens will create a maze to entertain guests and volunteers from “Keep Norfolk Beautiful” will have a presence during the event.

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The Norfolk House is next to a vacant lot that will host a maze.

The Norfolk House will play host to much of the celebration of Norfolk. It’s being constructed by Bill Brice and Les Ore from Bill Ore, L.L.C.  The city will also have a prominent presence in the Exhibit Center.

The Norfolk House is one of nine custom homes that will be on display during the event. Homearama is set for Oct. 16-30 in Norfolk’s East Beach bayfront community.

Brice constructed The Norfolk House at the 2004 Homearama, when East Beach was just getting off the ground.

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The excitement is building at Homearama site

Aug 6

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

East Beach Co. puts finishing touches on sidewalks

East Beach Co. puts finishing touches on sidewalks

It’s 10 weeks and counting till the charity preview party that officially opens Tidewater Builders Association’s Fall Homearama in Norfolk’s East Beach neighborhood.

The homes are taking shape and details are emerging – especially the exterior details that set this neighborhood apart. As expected from Homearama, each of the nine homes will show a distinct character.

From a pink cottage to a concrete-clad Meritteranean-style Dutch colonial, the event promises to live up to its theme, “Inspiring. Enchanting. Life Changing.”

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The Charity House by Crumley Group takes shape

The event kicks off Friday evening, Oct. 15, with a Charity Preview Party to benefit St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children. It’s open to the public Oct. 16-31.

The last time East Beach hosted Homearama was in 2004, when the streetscape was surrounded by dusty fields. This time, it will be nestled into a vibrant community.

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Beadboards installed on porch ceilings

Last time, it attracted over 100,000 visitors.

There’s still time for companies who need visibility to exhibit in the Idea Center or display an ad in the full-color glossy Plan Book distributed at the event.

More details are at www.homearama.tv.

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What’s hot and what’s not in new homes

May 24

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

Brett Warren. Southern Living Custom Builder Program, speaks on trends

Brett Warren. Southern Living Custom Builder Program, speaks on trends

Carpeting is so yesterday. Hard surfaces, whether wood, laminate or tile are all the rage for floor coverings. And wallpaper? Well, it’s back. But now it’s called “wallcovering.” Interesting textures and styles have a place on accent walls and in bathrooms. And white is the hot new color.

Those are just some of the findings reported out to a group of Tidewater Builders Association builders and associate members by Brent Warren, manager of the custom builder program for Southern Living magazine. Warren spoke to the group at the Founders Pointe clubhouse on Friday, just before Homearama gates opened,

For the most part, the showcase homes reflected the “10 Trends for 2010″ that Warren outlined.

The kitchen is still king and where the resources should go, said Warren. Also in are drop-zones for cell phone chargers, coats and book bags to eliminate clutter in the rest of the house. Natural materials, such as stone and brick are in for both exterior and interior accents.

Consumers are cutting back on extravagance in favor of simple elegance, and functional spaces win out over style these days, he added.

Definitely OUT are half walls that separate kitchens from living rooms as well as laminate countertops.

Click here to download the Power Point presentation. Please note: The images, floor plans, and content are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission from Southern Living.

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It’s not your usual Homearama mural

Mar 5

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

This mural will greet visitors to The Charity House

This mural will greet visitors to The Charity House

The mural took four hours to complete

The mural took four hours to complete

It’s not unusual to find a hand-painted mural in a Homearama home. Many builders have loaned out walls in their showcase homes as a canvas for local artists to demonstrate how wall murals can take you to a different place, a different time or a different atmosphere.

But this mural is different. It was painted by five children, ages 9-11, from Portsmouth’s Douglass Park Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia.

It is on display in the garage of The Charity House, which is being featured at Tidewater Builders Association’s Spring Homearama at Founders Pointe in Isle of Wight County May 8-23.

The project was a true team effort

The project was a true team effort

The painting of the mural marked the official dedication of the home, being built by Simply Sasser of Sasser Construction to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia.

On hand for the occasion were many of the home’s suppliers and subcontractors who are donating part or all of their materials to the cause so that when the home is sold, there will be more proceeds available to help at-risk children to succeed.

The children were under the direction of Neisha Bethly, a senior program director with BGCSEVA. Neisha created the original concept for the mural after visiting Founders Pointe and taking a stroll on the pier near the Homearama homes.

Cheering them on were officials from Isle of Wight County; Tidewater Builders Association; East West Partners, developers of the community; Boys & Girls Clubs Board members, and the team from Sasser Construction.

Click here to watch a video of the mural coming to life. See the slide show at WVEC.com.

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Homearama home features music of Ryan Farish

Feb 25

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

Farish

Ryan Farish's music is virtually everywhere

If you’ve ever watched The Weather Channel’s “Local on the 8’s” or “Storm Stories,” you’ve listened to the music of Ryan Farish. His compositions are virtually everywhere – on the major news networks, on hundreds of YouTube videos and even on ringtones.

One YouTube video that went viral, “Remember me,” honors the sacrifice made by our military and features a soundtrack from Ryan Farish.

During Spring Homearama at Founders Pointe, you’ll hear his unique style of composition emanating from the home being built by veteran Homearama builder Chip Iuliano of Area Builders or Tidewater. He is naming his entry in the event, “The Music House: A tribute to Ryan Farish.”

A 1993 graduate of Chesapeake’s Western Branch High School, Farish is described on wikipedia as ”an American electronica artist/producer, songwriter and composer.” He is a past Grammy nominee and has won national Gospel music awards.

Iuliano knows Farish through his parents, for whom he built a home. He plans to get his technology company to provide an extreme electronics package to showcase the artist’s talents in audio and visual presentations.

Farish himself plans to visit the home to meet show guests during the event. And, if the mood strikes, he says might even take a seat at the piano.

Farish says he is “thrilled” to be honored this way and looks forward to the event. Tidewater Builders Association’s Spring Homearama at Founders Pointe is set for May 8-23.

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Eric Sasser is building house for charity

Feb 19

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

The Sasser team at the site of The Charity House, from left, Brennan O’Connor, Eric Sasser and Matt Hovey.

The Sasser team at the site of The Charity House, from left, Brennan O’Connor, Eric Sasser and Matt Hovey.

Even in one of the worst housing markets in history, it’s not hard to find stories of giving and caring from those in the home building industry. These stories go largely untold, because that’s not why they do it.

But the Homearama Charity House is a story told every year by Tidewater Builders Association, often with some help from local  media representatives who are not too cynical to promote positive news.  The Charity House project gives everyone in the housing industry an opportunity to join forces to make a big difference in the lives of local children.

To those who know him, it’s not surprising that builder Eric Sasser has signed on to build one at Founders Pointe, his entry in TBA’s 2010 Spring Homearama, which will be on display May 8-23.

Sasser’s company, Simply Custom by Sasser Construction, based in Portsmouth, makes community service projects a part of its mission. The company was the lead builder for the Habitat for Humanity’s Suffolk Blitz Build in 2008 after building a home in the Portsmouth Blitz in 2006. It also built out the Maryview Foundation Health Care Center that provides free care to the uninsured.

This year, Sasser will be contributing proceeds from the sale of this Homearama home to Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia. The agency, which provides programs aimed at helping at-risk youngsters to succeed, is facing the same hardships as most charitable organizations during these difficult financial times.

The 3,300-square-foot home will be Energy Star and NAHB Green Certified for energy efficiency. It has a geothermal HVAC system, a tankless water heater, and other energy-saving features. Custom designed by Sasser’s renowned architect, Kenn Sedlacko, it offers an open floor plan, a first-floor master suite, and lots of creative uses of space, as well as an unobstructed view of the marsh on Batten Bay.

Anyone who can help with donations of products or services for the home should contact Sandra Figeac at sfigeac@sasserhomes.com or Kelly Melton kgregoy@sassehomes.com or call 757-484-6075.

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It’s official – Homearama heads to East Beach again

Feb 4

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

The East Beach streetscape

The East Beach streetscape

After weeks of buzz, Tidewater Builders Association has officially announced it will head back to Norfolk’s East Beach coastal community for its Fall 2010 Homearama showcase of homes, set for October.

In 2004, East Beach was host of one of TBA’s most successful Homearamas to date. The neighborhood’s original 16 homes created a streetscape that many at the time likened to a Hollywood movie set. It almost seemed as though there was some Hollywood magic in the air – as everyone associated with the event took great pride in what they had created.

 It seemed almost surreal that this upscale streetscape featuring porches, bay front greens, and exquisite architectural detail could have arisen from the dust of an area once best known for its blight.

As such, the event was cause for great celebration from the city’s leaders, who saw validation in their decision to pursue redevelopment there.

It was also a hit with Homearama visitors – at over 110,000 strong, they created a record attendance.

For many of the builders, it was the first of many homes they would build in the neighborhood, which now has 250 families in residence.

If 2010 can recreate even some of that magic, the show is sure to be a success. Click here to read the press release.

Meanwhile, Homearama homes are taking shape at Founders Pointe in Isle of Wight County in anticipation of TBA’s first Spring Homearama in May.

This community also has much to offer builders and home buyers with its pristine natural amenities and Southern living style homes. For TBA, it’s another chance to work with East West Partners, developers of Suffolk’s The Riverfront, site of Homearama 2001, also one of the most successful in TBA history.

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Homearama 2009 brought sun, rain, and shoppers

Oct 21

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

line at house 12 again

Blue skies brought out the crowds.

With a slow economy and 6 days of rain as a backdrop, over 61,000 guests attended the Tidewater Builders Association 2009 Homearama at Culpepper Landing in Chesapeake, providing overwhelmingly positive feedback about the showcase homes.

The event was deemed a resounding success by exhibitors and builders alike, who reported that guests were more likely than those in years past to be seriously shopping for a home or a product for their home.

Masive rainfall the last weekend brought out the tent company for emergency drainage.

Masive rainfall the last weekend brought out the tent company for emergency drainage.

In fact, 75% of those who voted in The People’s Choice survey at the event answered “yes” when asked if they saw or heard anything at the show that influenced them to make improvements to their home.  Thirty-three percent of the 3,658 respondents indicated they are planning to purchase a new home within the next three years.

Six of the 12 Homearama homes had sold before the start of the show and negotiations were under way on several other homes in Homearama and in other locations when the show ended.

Homearama is the industry’s annual “buy now” campaign, aimed at stimulating interest in new homes and new products for the home.

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Van Rose predicts all 2009 Homearama homes will sell

Oct 1

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

van and pete lighter

Van Rose of Rose and Womble and TBA President Pete A Kotarides at media briefing.

The Homearama homes at Culpepper Landing are in “the sweet spot” – that is, the price range that is selling well in the current Hampton Roads new home market.

That’s according to local real estate prognosticator Van Rose, who predicts this year’s crop of 12 showcase homes will sell by the end of Homearama. The Tidewater Builders Association showcase of homes is open Oct. 3-18.

Rose is president of Rose and Womble’s New Homes Division. He told a gathering of builders and media representatives that new homes in the $350,000 to $450,000 price range are approaching a healthy market – one that’s good for both buyers and sellers.

He bases his analysis on how long it would take to absorb the current inventory of new homes in that price range. In this case – about 5 months.

Culpepper Landing developer Tim Culpepper told the group 5 Homearama homes are sold with negotiations under way on several others.

To view the coverage from WAVY-TV, click here. To hear Van’s complete remarks, click here.

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Homearama clock is ticking: 12 days till judging

Sep 18

Posted by mprier in TBA Blog

Dreamscapes Designers places a tree in the landscape of The Elderberry built by WATAB Construction.

Dreamscapes Designers places a tree in the landscape of The Elderberry built by WATAB Construction.

Decorator Beth Gilbert unpacks accessories from Value City Furniture for Morningside Manor, built by Next Level Group LLC

Decorator Beth Gilbert unpacks accessories from Value City Furniture for Morningside Manor, built by Next Level Group LLC

With two weeks till opening day, work crews at this year’s Homearama homes are busy finishing floors, cabinets, electrical outlets, sidewalks, and the list goes on. 

With several builders ahead of schedule, some landscapers and decorators are already on the scene.  They have until 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, to be ready for the out-of-town critics, who will descend on the site to determine who will win the coveted awards.  Categories range from “best in show” to “best curb appeal” to “best kitchens and baths.”

Twelve homes will be on display at Tidewater Builders Association’s annual showcase in Chesapeake’s Culpepper Landing from Oct. 3-18.  Four of the homes have sold so far.

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