Ken Semler

Ben Franklin was the oldest of the founding fathers. Most people don’t realize that he was more than twice the age of Thomas Jefferson when they signed the Declaration of Independence (33 vs. 70)! Ben had already had a rather full life. He was a ... Read More The post...

First, an appraisal is simply an opinion of a home’s value. While a buyer may be in love with a home and make a “no way to turn it down” offer to purchase it, if you require a loan, the lender will want to make ... Read More The post...

Building technology is changing, but it is only changing incrementally. In the U.S., builders have used what is called light-frame construction as the primary method of building homes since the 1730s. Light-frame construction is a method of construction using many small and closely spaced members ... Read More The post...

Many homebuyers don’t even ask how their home will be built. Or, when they discuss it with a builder, they hear things like, “I have to,” or, “That’s the way we build; there isn’t a choice.” But that’s simply not true. It’s a victim mentality ... Read More The post...

What Is Misdirection in Magic? Misdirection—or direction, as some magicians prefer to call it—is the subtle, deceptive art of directing an audience’s attention towards one thing (a magical effect) so it does not notice another (the method or mechanics of a trick). It can refer ... Read More The post...

HEADER PICTURE: The Hockey Stick Principles, Flatiron Books Residential construction in the U.S. has changed. While getting skilled and trained labor in many industries is hard, getting it in the construction industry has gotten more difficult than ever with no end in sight. Material prices ... Read More The post...

Prices, timeframes, and material selections, etc. So many things are clouding the crystal ball of today’s home buyer. What do you do? Do you wait and watch home prices go up along with today’s record-low interest rates? What if they never come back down? Do ... Read More The post...