See Your New Custom Home With a Touch of Holiday

Christmas on MainStreet is going on right now at MainStreet America, where 12 of our finest homes are displayed. This is a great opportunity to bring the entire family for an evening of fun and thrills, while also getting the chance to view our homes that are fully decorated in Christmas theme. Each home is fully adorned with Christmas trees, wreaths, nutcrackers, Santa's, and everything else you would want to find in a home during the holiday season. If you're wondering what your home would look like with lights strung on the rooftops or with decorative deer in the front yard, now is the time. Even the V…

Origin Architects Completes Life-Size Gingerbread House

Origin Architects, the architectural firm located inside MainStreet America, completed its seasonal project of a life-sized gingerbread house. The firm designed the holiday house for MainStreet America's annual tradition of Christmas on MainStreet, which is being held every Saturday till Dec. 20. Javier Medina, principal of Origin Architects, said designing and building the gingerbread house was a project his firm took very seriously. Constructing the house took a little more than a week to complete, using PVC pipes for the candy cane chimney stacks, plywood cornice work, scalloped composition shingles si…

Builder Confidence Continues to Rise Through November

This year has seen a lot of positives in the housing industry. Consumer and builder confidence continues to increase, and this past month is just more proof. According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), builder confidence for new single-family homes increased four points to hit 58. The HMI gauges the overall builder perception of single-family home sales and the expectations of sales for the following six months. The HMI is gauged according to a scale of "good," "fair" or "poor." The rate of prospective buyer traffic is also gauged and rated as "high…

Why Houston Is Experiencing Massive Growth

Houston and the state of Texas has been thriving and leading the nation for quite some time now when it comes to the economy. Job creation continues on an upward trend at a rapid pace and the construction of homes continues to follow suit. Just recently, Texas was named one of the nation's leaders in international home sales, Forbes reported Houston to be first in new construction building, and the publication, Big Builder, claimed the state had four of the nation's top 15 counties to build in. The numbers do speak for themselves. According to Lowell Pinnock, Houston Division Sales Manager for Design Tech…

Texas Has 4 of the Top 15 Counties to Build In

According to a recent article by Big Builder, four of the 15 best counties to build in are in Texas. The Lone Star State has continued to see an increase in job opportunities as more large companies continue to move in, which has directly affected the state's housing market. The positive housing market should come as no surprise to anyone. Although the demand has provided the escalation of home prices in Texas, it has not deterred home buyers from buying, and therefore not home builders from building. The median home value in Texas has increase by 5.9 percent over the past year to $135,400, according to Z…

Forbes Names Houston #1 for Construction Building

When it comes to construction, Houston is at the very top. According to a recent report by Forbes, Houston has taken the top spot for most construction that involves building homes, buildings or other dwelling structures. For most Houstonians, it would be no surprise if the city was first in traffic construction as well. The article based its findings on research conducted by Dodge Data, formerly known as McGraw Hill Construction. In 2013, the country's new construction projects reached $535 billion, but the research company projects it will increase by 5 percent to $564 billion. There have been more than…

Origin Architects Building Gingerbread House for Christmas on MainStreet

On Nov. 29, Christmas on MainStreet will begin and one of the biggest attractions won't just be the 12 decorated showcase homes in the MainStreet America Park. Origin Architects, architectural firm located inside MainStreet America, has designed a life-size gingerbread house which will be constructed by Design Tech Homes. This kid-friendly gingerbread house will have walls 9 ½ feet tall with a chimney that reaches 13 ½ feet high. The entire width of the house will be 12-foot by 9-foot 8 inches with entrances that are suited specifically for children. Javier Medina, principal architect of Origin Arch…

Positive September: Home Sales Increase, Along With the Price

Let's take a moment and thank September for a great month in national home sales. The rise in home sales continues and this past month is quite indicative. For existing home sales–5.17 million, it was the strongest month in an entire year, according to a report by Zillow, a real estate research company. This total is also up 2.4 percent from last month. The volume of these existing home sales had been on a decline, but this month turned that around. Not only was existing home sales up, but also the price of these homes. The average cost of these homes was $209,000, which was up 0.6 percent from Augu…

New-Home Sales Reach Highest Total Since 2008

The housing market has been on a slow progression upward after taking the fall in 2007 and 2008. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, this past August saw the highest seasonally adjusted rate of new home sales since 2008. The report showed a rate of 504,000 units, which was an 18 percent increase. These units are single-family homes. "This jump in sales activity is in line with our latest surveys, which indicate builders are seeing increased traffic and more serious buyers in the market for single-family homes," said Kevin Kelly, chairman of the N…

Origin Architects Attending the Better Home Show EXPO

The Better Home Show EXPO will take place at MainStreet America this Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., which will host various home improvement, home technology, and home décor product companies. One of those companies will be Origin Architects, the architectural firm that designed the 12 showcase homes of MainStreet America. Javier Medina, the principal of Origin Architects, will be on hand to answer questions and schedule appointments. Come learn how the design process works for creating a custom home, and how the firm and Medina focus solely on the clients' needs. At the Origin Architects boo…

The Millennial Home Demand Is On the Boom

There are approximately 8.3 million Millennials right now running through the U.S. system. This group is made up of 18- to 34-year-olds, is larger than the Baby Boomer Generation, and they're looking for new homes. "These people are starting to enter the housing market," said Dale Phillips, co-host of the Better Home Show and President of DPIS Engineering. "One of the characteristics of these folks is that they are late bloomers in a way." Phillips described how Baby Boomers quickly moved into their own home, got married, and had kids. He said that his generation got started a little earlier than th…

MainStreet America Turns Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

The upcoming month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and MainStreet America, where all of the showcase homes constructed by Design Tech Homes are located, has gone all out for the effort. The 44,000-square-foot building of MainStreet America's Business Center has been painted pink. This is the launch of its #PinkStreet campaign that will continue throughout the month. Barbara Feigin Breast Cancer Testimonial from MainStreet America on Vimeo. Inside of the Business Center there will be a #PinkStreet Honor Wall where members and non-members can post a ribbon in honor of someone fighting against o…

The Quickest Way to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

There are numerous ways to help your home become more energy efficient. Purchasing appliances that are ENERGY STAR certified, replacing your windows, and sealing cracks that create air infiltration within your home. The quickest way, however, is to start at the top. According to Clayton Morris, of DPIS Engineering, the cheapest and simplest way to increase efficiency is to take care of the attic. "I grew up poor, so when I would work on a car, I started with the cheapest part first, but I also started with something I could access," he said. "On your home, what I look at is what is the easiest thing t…

DTH Hosting Booth at Texas Home & Garden Show

This weekend, Sept. 20 and 21, Design Tech Homes will be hosting a booth at the 19th Annual Texas Home & Garden Show at the Reliant Center. We hope to see you there at this massive event. The show will host numerous speakers throughout each day, as well as products and demonstrations of home décor, outdoor living, kitchens, bathrooms, home remodeling, pools and spas, landscaping, and green living. There will also be a huge charity garage sale. Tickets for the event is $10 for adults. Children 14 and under receive free admission. The two-day event is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 11 a.m. to 5…

Origin Architects Launches New Website, Facebook Page

Origin Architects, MainStreet America's in-house architecture firm and prime architectural firm for Design Tech Homes, recently launched its new website, which provides valuable information regarding the company's process, its portfolio, along with other MSA projects including the MAIN Restaurant, the Design Center, and the Lodge centrally located in the MainStreet America Park…

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