Recent research in real estate has revealed the tremendous buying power that today’s women have. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 21% of recent home purchases were done by women. Home builders estimate that women have been the deciding authority in about 87% of home purchases.

Last year, the real estate market saw a record number of single-women buying homes, accounting for about 22% of the market. This means that single women purchase one in every five homes.

Many home builders are dumping their old ways of construction and adopting new blueprints for the growing woman-centric real estate market. The building industry is adding features to homes by consulting with women buyers to understand their preferences in home design, layout, amenities etc.

While the research is not conclusive nor does it apply to all women, a few trends were revealed by various research studies.

1. Some women who need a home-office, prefer homes that had separate workspaces for men and women.

2. Some women with children prefer a window over the kitchen sink so they can monitor their children in the backyard.

3. Some women prefer a built-in vacuum cleaner for its long hose and ease of use.

4. Some women prefer that the laundry area be located on the upper floors near to the bedrooms.

5. Some women prefer open loft areas on the second floor of a home.

6. Some women prefer slate floors because they are easy to maintain and clean.

7. Some women attach a high priority to a home’s security features and systems.

8. Some women value gourmet kitchens, and energy-efficient and name-brand appliances.

9. Some women value large, walk-in closets.

10. Some women value courtyard designs to provide a stronger sense of security and porches on homes, which may make it easier to socialize with neighbors.

11. Some women value skylights in the bathrooms, which allows natural light to enter the space.

12. Some women value colorful walls, modern lighting fixtures and lighting over mirrors.

13. Some women want low or no maintenance yards.

While these trends are not true for all women, some builders are using this information to design homes that are uniquely tailored to meet the preferences of this growing market segment.

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There is something totally appealing about Flipping Out, a Bravo TV reality show based on LA real estate speculator Jeff (I Can Still Move My Eyebrows) Lewis. Watching it is akin to taking a bath in the narcissistic, self-absorbed world that only a place like Southern California could produce. It is a visual and sensual homage to LaLa land and neo-narcissism; me to the power of a billion.

Home design as fodder for great comedy or should that be Greek tragedy? For there is something innately tragic about this program; maybe it’s the real human sentiment that’s running just beneath the surface of all that buying and flipping, not to mention all that firing and hiring.

It is also a testament to how far human evolution has progressed – where’s that meteorite when you need it? If Jeff Lewis is a symbol of how far we have come as a species – Darwin would not be amused; but then again, maybe he would be tickled pink – maybe this is just what we (mankind) rightly deserve.

Point is, Flipping Out is as entertaining as it gets. The characters are much more enjoyable than anything you will find on today’s hodge-podge of TV shows… only House comes anywhere close to capturing the quirkiness that is human nature at its finest.

Actually, it’s extremely hard to believe this reality show is not scripted. The characters are so odd-ball only a well marinated screenwriter could produce them in such abundance, or maybe real life in Southern California is such a magnet for eccentricity, anything is possible. Even then, to assemble them all in one reality show is a masterstroke, from Zoila the sassy Nicaraguan housekeeper to Chris the bumbling trash guy to the well-grounded partner Ryan – they all come across as solidly sketched and etched in our minds.

The only TV comparison that comes close to Flipping Out is Seinfeld. Perhaps this comparison is inevitable since Jeff’s sidekick and personal assistant Jenni bares an unnerving resemblance to Elaine. She calms Jeff down through one crisis after another… whether it be a foul-mouthed client, to removing human feces left behind by renovation workers, to buying the next multi-million dollar property.

While Jeff has an obvious talent for finding run-down real estate properties and totally re-designing them into highly profitable ones – he is, without a doubt, one of the most selfish and self-absorbed people you will ever have the pleasure of viewing. Everything in this neatly controlled world centers around Jeff and Jeff’s needs. Ordering take-out (which is the show’s favorite past-time) takes on a whole new meaning in this reality show. Hundred and Forty Degree Coffee, Anyone?

Watching Flipping Out is highly addictive; like any good reality-based show we are drawn into the characters’ lives without any holdbacks. We see all of Jeff’s flaws magnified: his obsessive compulsive disorder, his childish behavior, his self-absorbed personality, his obsession with balance and detail… he makes Holmes on Homes look like an amateur DIY builder. Well, not really but they do share the same passion for true build-quality that’s totally reassuring in today’s mortgage closure wasteland, aka mainstreet USA.

Jeff gets no respect, at least not from his employees whom he treats more like personal slaves than anything resembling equal human beings. From Jeff’s own admission, he consider himself the biggest babysitter in all of California rather than an employer. That’s probably for the best because the way he treats his employees it’s amazing how anyone could work for him and keep their self-respect intact. Just make sure you quit before he fires you so that you can hold on to that last hanging chad of human dignity.

Why Jeff comes across as ultimately a very likable guy is a total mystery. Maybe deep down we see more of Jeff in ourselves and our own actions than any of us would like to believe or even admit to – through empathy comes compassion. Who doesn’t want to be a total selfish jerk every now and then? Hedonism does have its takers, and narcissism does have more than a bit of fascination for the inner child in all of us. OCD aside, Peter Pan and Jeff Lewis got it right; nobody ever really grows up.

Who would have imagined it, home design as a life-lesson for all of us. Only in a reality TV show could such profane silliness be captured and enjoyed. Don’t be bothered that you should be bothered that bothers you… just welcome yourself to Flipping Out.

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This is it! The first Sims 3 home by me! It is: -3 bedrooms -4 bathrooms -2 car garage -luxury through out! I hope you get ideas from it! PS There are MORE of these to come! =)

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The author is a former visual artist and a big fan of Reality TV shows. Hey, somebody has to watch them! You can find his favorite show here: Flipping Out Click here to find out more about Home Design Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2008. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Drawing custom house plans is an expansive industry, but finding a quality designer with construction experience can be more difficult.  Although many individuals claim to be qualified custom home designers, you can determine these qualifications by examining their finished product and verifying satisfaction with their former clients.  Quality designs, highly detailed house plans and customer satisfaction are all attributes of an experienced rel=”external nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.designalternatives4u.com” target=”_blank” title=”Design Alternatives Custom Home Design”>custom home designer.

Integrating many different concepts and functions is necessary to draw a good set of custom house plans.  Many designers can come up with interesting ideas, but they are unable to convey these ideas with detailed construction drawings to the home builders.  They can draw a nice conceptual picture, but these individuals have little or no construction knowledge to translate these ideas into a detailed set of house plans in which the builder can understand.  It is necessary to not only have a keen eye for design, but also a strong understanding of what can be built and how it can be built affordably.

Having been in the home design and construction industry for 20 years, Design Alternatives has seen a large number of house plans which appeared complete at first glance.  Although further examination sometimes revealed that these so called custom house plans lacked large amounts of pertinent information.  If a set of construction drawings is not easy to read or thoroughly detailed, the builder is left to make his own interpretation which inevitably leads to guesswork.  This ultimately means increased building costs since he will have to inflate his bid to make sure he covers any unknown construction costs.

When evaluating the quality level of house plans, certain items to check are the amount of pertinent dimensions, notes and details.  Highly detailed sets of custom house plans will always include the necessary information to build the house in a productive and affordable way.  You will find many home plans available today are incomplete while only showing the design concept rather than the detail.  Any time your builder is left to guess at how something will be built, it will obviously add cost to your home construction project.  Not all designers go the extra mile to create a quality and useful finished set of house plans, so make sure the custom home designer you select has design as well as construction knowledge.

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This is Part 2 of the original home. FURNITURE!

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Check out how Design Alternatives Custom Home Design and owner Bill Browne can assist you with your custom home design process, provide a complete set of workable construction drawings and offer project/construction management or consultation services for those individuals that desire some assistance during the building phase.

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