Blog entries from Dean Brenneman tagged Design

The New Lending Reality: Strategies For Leveraging Home Equity

Dean Brenneman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100

With the economy in recovery, homeowner confidence is returning and we are seeing a marked increase in remodeling activity. But many homeowners are surprised to find that, even with excellent credit scores and solid incomes, financing options for a major remodeling project are much more limited now. Before the recession, lenders routinely approved loans based upon the projected value of what a home would be worth after remodeling. No more; that lending practice is dead and not likely to returRead More...

Remodeling vs. Moving

Dean Brenneman — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

One of the most frequent questions that I get from new clients is this: Should we buy a new house or remodel our current home?

I always point out that moving - even to a home of the same value - has its own inherent expense. Between Realtors, appraisers, home inspectors, title attorneys, and professional movers, it is not unusual to spend an additional 10% of the purchase price just to make a lateral move. A family can easily spend $50,000 to $100,000 just to move to a dRead More...

The Mystery of Design

Dean Brenneman — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Beginning a new design is thrilling for me; meeting my new clients, learning about the quirks of their particular house, realizing that I can help them. For me, there is always a rush that is like....well, like new love. Sure, that may be a little over the top. But only a little.

The funny thing is that even after twenty five years, I never really know where the design will take me until I'm in the thick of it. It's as though I sit down to sketch aRead More...