Cake Vs. Icing?

I don’t know about you, but I like BOTH.  However, there is some distinction between cake and icing that should be made here.  I am not actually talking about literal cake and icing, but follow me on this analogy. 
 
Say you get a fantastic-looking cake for your birthday…it’s iced, it’s decorated, it looks delicious!  But, you find, when you bite into that cake…it’s been made with SALT instead of SUGAR.  Yikes.  Not so appealing anymore, huh?
 
That cake and icing is a lot like how we see our homes at The Jones Company.  We have a lot of potential homeowners visit our models and our completed homes, and they always say that our homes are beautiful.  But occasionally, we hear things like – “I love it, but the house in that subdivision down the street we looked at, has crown moulding in every room.” or “I love it, but I can get this other home by X builder for $5,000 less, and they have granite standard.”  Here’s where the cake and icing come in.  Still following?
 
I am not trying to knock icing.  Who doesn’t love icing, right?  But sometimes, you have to look past the “icing” and really see if the stuff “underneath” the icing is of high quality, and “made” by someone who knew what they were doing.  Ask yourself – if that other baker isn’t just trying to “dress up” a cake made with salt.
 
The Jones Company does a whole list of things “behind the walls” of our homes that make our homes BETTER.  There I said it.  I am not trying to sound arrogant, but after walking some homes by other builders in the area…it’s hard not to feel a little arrogant.  Some of the things we’ve seen would frighten you.  And others, weren’t frightening, but they simply weren’t EXCELLENT.  We pride ourselves in having some of the very best builders in the business.
 
And, not only do we have some of the best builders, but over the past 80+ years, we have created a “Whole House Integrated System” approach to building homes that simply works better, and makes your home work SMARTER for you.  We call this approach “LiveSmart” and it’s a combination of “Smart Engineering” and “Smart Practices” that ensures your home will perform at its peak.  Plus, it will be a healthier home for you and your family.
 
In today’s ever-changing, high inflation, high energy bills, high technology world…there are some things you should know about your home.  #1 – Your home is potentially ROBBING you of your hard-earned cash.  If you aren’t living in a newer home that was constructed using energy-saving techniques…you are undoubtedly paying TOO MUCH for your energy bills each month.  You could be saving thousands of dollars each year, just by making sure you are living in a home that is performing as it should, as a “whole house integrated system.” 
 
What does that mean, exactly?  Well, your home has multiple “systems” behind the walls that you can’t see, that obviously keep it living, breathing, and performing properly.  Ok, so I know what you’re thinking.  A home doesn’t “live”….well, that may be true, but humor me here.  Your home can be loosely compared to your body.  If your body’s systems aren’t working properly, it can’t perform at its peak, right?  Well, your home’s “performance” in relationship to the energy it uses (and what you pay per month for that energy) has a lot to do with how the heating and cooling system is working.  That affects whether or not your system is having to work extra hard due to leaks, poor installation, etc.  Ideally, you want a house that has as few air leaks to the outside as possible, with the exception of the ones that you create – like windows, doors, etc. 
 
It’s simply impossible to build a home that has 0% air leakage.  However, if your home is constructed and sealed properly  – AND TESTED – so that air doesn’t leak into “unconditioned” spaces, or to the outside…you can save a whole lot of cash!  The Jones Company builds every home using superior construction techniques – by sealing every crack and crevice with either spray foam, or insulation, or tape, or both.  Then, we go a step further – and we have EVERY home we build tested by a third party so that we take out all of the guess work.  If it’s not performing at its peak – we fix the problem until it passes the test.  Simple as that.
 
You may have heard a lot about “green building” lately.  That concept is where we started, and we still take all the steps to make our homes comply to the National Green Building Standard.  We even go so far as to certify all our market homes to that standard.  But we believe it’s about so much more than green.  It’s about saving energy, saving resources, and having healthier indoor air quality. 
 
The moral to the story?  Make sure you choose a homebuilder who takes all the extra steps “behind the walls” of your home to ensure that your home is performing at its peak!  Your friends and family may not see the difference that this makes, like they would your crown moulding or your granite countertops – but YOU will see the difference – in your WALLET!
 
To find out more about our LiveSmartTM Program – and our Whole House Integrated System, visit our web site at:  http://www.livejones.com/green.php