So far in the 2 days of collecting donations we have reached $610! That is great, but not good enough. We want to reach $5000! Even though the event is over, you can still go to the link below and make your donation. We would truly appreciate any kind of donation you can make. We’ve also added a before and after photo of Bob so you’ll be able to recognize him the next time you see him on the street.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Today Bob Fleming (Owner of R. Fleming Construction) will be shaving his head in honnor of Hanna Hughes during the St. Baldrick’s Foundation event at Whistle Binkies on the Lake. The event starts at 1:00 so make sure you’re out there to help support Bob and Hanna. You can also donate to this great foundation by clicking on the link below.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Hanna’s Story:

In April 2010 Hanna was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma a rare bone cancer.

Hanna was an avid soccer player and thought she was having your normal soccer injury. The doctors found a tumor on the right side of her pelvic bone. Hanna went through the basic chemotherapy in hopes that the cancer wouldn’t spread but found out that it had and had to have her right hip and leg amputated on June 10, 2010, so she is now in a wheelchair.

Hanna missed 10 months of school during her treatments and surgeries and will still be graduating on time, this June.

Hanna is back in the Hospital having surgery.  In January, Hanna had surgery to correct a crack in her spine but one of the screw came loose and she is having to have the surgery again….they did one surgery last Thursday to remove the rod in her spine , fix it and then reattached it….. and then she had to have another surgery on Monday the 14^th  to do  bone grafting on the spine …she will be in a body cast for 3 months ..but still hopes to attend UMD in the fall.

Hanna has been very active in helping raise money for different organizations.

NOW IT’S YOUR TIME TO HELP!

Here are some updated photos of our new model home on the new back 9 of Eastwood Golf Course! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon. This home is priced at $325,000

Green building uses design techniques, materials and technologies meant to minimize a building’s impact on the environment, both in its construction and its continuing operation.

A Green building lowers both environmental impact and costs by using sustainably harvested or recycled materials durable enough to last generations. Green buildings also avoid toxic materials and are designed to minimize construction debris and indoor pollutants.

Most simply, the idea of sustainability, or ecological design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.

How is Green Construction Impacting the New Homes Market?

According to the National Association of Home Builders, residential construction is undergoing an industry-driven revolution in how houses are built thanks to the new “green building” trend.

Today’s builders, manufacturers and energy-efficiency experts are making great advances in green building, making the following innovative components fairly common in new construction homes:

• Double-pane windows
• Blown-in insulation materials
• Programmable, multiple-setting thermostats
• Compact fluorescent lights
• Occupancy sensors and timers to conserve energy used for lighting needs
• Task lighting that removes the need for whole-room lighting
• Energy-Star Appliance Ratings.
• Tighter construction to reduce drafts
• Building components comprised of concrete and insulation

Up until recently, the wide-spread acceptance of green building has been deterred by consumers concerned about the higher construction costs. Currently, trends in the demand for green building are changing. Recent studies show that green building is typically not more expensive up-front, and in reality, buyers save significantly over time, due to the energy-saving efficiencies they provide.

We would like to thank everyone that came out to our two model homes for this years Spring Showcase of Homes. We worked really hard to get them ready so you would be able to see the kind of work R. Fleming Construction can do. We enjoyed the many conversations and the feedback we received from everyone and look forward to seeing everyone real soon.

If you have any questions about our floor plans or our company or would like a private tour of our homes, please feel free to call or email us. We would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Bob Fleming

Info@rflemingconstruction.com

507-269-6078

Many of the trends likely to be most formative among the senior population in coming years, according to the report, pivot on the financial implications of entering retirement years. Currently, one in four households with a member aged 85 or older—a group whose population will more than triple by 2050—spends at least half of its income on housing, as do one in five households with a member aged 65 to 74.

This older population is also living longer, which will increase the number of elderly persons living with a disability. “Some studies indicate that one in four older adults is likely to have a lower body limitation that requires a modification to the entry to their homes, inside their home, or in the bathroom,” the report says. And as lower-income households are the most likely to have disabilities, the need for accessible housing built for low- and moderate-income households will be great.

But while much of the solution will have to do with housing policies and zoning boards, the private home building sector will play a critical roll, says Jeffrey Lubell, executive director of the Center for Housing Policy and one of the study’s authors. “It’s important for the private sector to try to anticipate the need and respond with a product that will work,” he says. “It provides an opportunity.”

In communities where builders provide a mix of products that can accommodate aging citizens at a range of income levels while giving them access to the support they need, he says, demand will be great. “The key here is designing communities with services, reaching out and forming partnerships with service providers and agencies. …  The data suggest that people 85 and older are open to moving into some nontraditional housing types, such as multifamily housing with services.”

Failure to do so will likely result in a growing percentage of this rapidly expanding group having to rely on social services for institutionalized care. “Medicare is paying for nursing homes, so it’s a lot cheaper to provide services at home,” he says.

The challenge for builders is the breadth of services required, which could include assistance with getting dressed to help cooking meals to transportation services. “Your standard home builder is not going to be in a position to provide these things directly, so if they want to really capture this market, they can partner with organizations that can provide those services,” Lubell says.

Another part of the solution may be more multigenerational households, which are still a relatively small percentage of the population (currently only 4.4% of households have three or more generations living under one roof, according to the report), but the segment is growing more rapidly than households at large: Between 2000 and 2010, the total number of U.S. households increased by 11% while the ranks of multigenerational households were up 21%. However, given the complications of the Great Recession, “we’re not entirely sure what’s happening, and there are a lot of questions about what will happen once the economy improves,” Lubell says.

One home design trend that “really has legs going forward,” he says, is the increased focus on ultra-flexible floor plans able to accommodate a range of household scenarios. “It’s not that traditional families won’t be there. Really what we have going forward is a much more diverse housing market where there will be more demand for housing near transit centers and where older adults can get what they need without getting in a car or even getting on mass transit,” he says. “The population is changing, and traditional homes might be harder to sell in some markets.”

Please call us for more information!

Noon to 5:00pm – each day

Rochester Area Builders’ Spring Showcase of Homes features homes, townhomes,and subdivisions in various stages of completion (homes in the Spring Showcase do not need to be completely finished) and a wide range of prices. Only Rochester Area Builder members are allowed to participate. Admission is FREE! This event takes place the two weekends after Easter.

The Post-Bulletin Insert will be available in the RAB office on April 12th and there will be an insert in the April 12th paper. This insert shows the homes/subdivisions by number, display the numbers on a map, and give many details about each one. There also will be inserts available for pick up at each home on the Showcase.

At the top of the list for many homebuyers is a large kitchen. As most modern kitchens act as a multi-purpose room, it makes sense that their size is growing. Still, there remains a wide range of preferences for a kitchen’s features, including appliance colors, countertop materials and flooring types.

Another must-have feature for new homes is central air conditioning. Not long ago, air conditioning was considered a luxury, but it is now considered a staple for most homeowners.

A large master suite is also a high priority for many homebuyers. A walk-in closet is a must for the full master suite, as is a private bath removed from the rest of the home.

Energy Star-rated appliances, efficient architecture and cost-effective insulation are top features for today’s new home. An emerging trend is to take advantage of a home’s natural ability to capture and conserve energy using strategic window placement, roof pitch and the size of roof overhangs.

Hardwood flooring is an old favorite that never seems to go out of style. While some may prefer carpet in certain rooms and tile remains popular in warmer climates, hardwood flooring is a positive selling point for new homes.