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Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need: Home-Buying Choices to Avoid

Searching for a new custom Florida home means making many crucial decisions. Some already might be made for you if you’re moving to a certain place due to job changes, retirement or for family reasons.

But the decisions about what kind of community you’d like to live in, and what types of services, shopping and recreational amenities you’d like nearby, sometimes feel like the tip of the decision iceberg. There are so many things to consider when buying a new home, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Being focused, however, does pay off. Overspending on things you don’t need is one […]

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Buying a New Energy-Efficient Home? Don’t Forget These Tried and True Tactics

Being mindful of the environment is a must for many home buyers and builders today.

If you’re shopping for a new custom Florida home with a priority on energy efficiency, well, you’re in the right place with ICI Homes.

We’ve been building custom homes all over the state of Florida for more than four decades, and every home we build is an EQ Factor home. That means cutting-edge building techniques, materials and a dedication to environmentally friendly homes.

You know you’ll have an airtight, healthy and cost-efficient new abode to feel good about. But once you move in, you can contribute too. […]

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Beige is Okay: How to Use This Versatile, Timeless Color

If you’re one of those people who thinks beige is the planet’s most boring color, we at ICI Homes are here to convince you otherwise.

Any color can be boring if it’s overused, underutilized, or the tired default choice because “it goes with everything.” But there’s much more to beige than the color most of us don’t even notice because it’s so common.

Read on for some fresh ideas on how to use this versatile, timeless color.

Beige is more than one color

The easiest way to understand this is to visit a paint store. Or, the paint department of a home improvement […]

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How Does My Loan Type Affect My Appraisal?

You might think all appraisals are the same, but a buyer’s choice of financing has an impact on the process. It can affect who can perform the appraisal, the minimum health and safety standards the house must meet, and the cost of the appraisal.

Appraiser qualifications
Not all appraisers can perform every type of loan appraisal. Appraisers must be individually certified to do conventional, VA, and FHA appraisals. Your lender will typically order conventional and FHA appraisals from an AMC (Appraisal Management Company). VA appraisals must be ordered directly from the VA.
Property standards
While all appraisers must comply with Uniform Standards of […]

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Home-Buying Lingo Explained: What’s a Leaseback?

We at ICI Homes thought you might like us to define some of the terms used in the homebuilding industry.

Unfamiliar slang and jargon can confuse potential customers searching for, or building, a new custom Florida home. And who wants to go through such an important process feeling like you need a Homebuilding 101 translation app on your smartphone?

If you don’t understand a term, your alternatives are to (A) simply ask for an explanation, (B) pretend you know what the term means, or (C) google the term once you’re out of sight of the person who used it!

Our goal is […]

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How to Keep Your Guest Room Ready Year-Round

You live in Florida. Know what that means?

Visitors.

If you’ve just moved to Florida or are planning to, be sure the new custom home you’ll build with us is equipped with at least one guest room and handy guest bathroom.

You probably have extended family members and friends who can’t wait until you move, so they can visit you and enjoy the nearest beach, Florida attractions and balmy weather. And yes, plan for that guest room to get a regular workout.

Never had a guest room? Read on for helpful hints on how to keep yours prepared year-round.
It can’t be the junk […]

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Home-Buying Lingo Explained: What’s ‘Exterior Elevation?’

Like any industry, the modern homebuilding scene has its own language and terminology that evolved out of need and circumstance.

Some terms you’ll hear are strictly slang — verbal shortcuts that most folks working in the business, instantly understand. Some terms are specific to the various disciplines in the homebuilding industry — plumbing terms used by contractors, for example.

Suffice it to say if you’re building a new custom Florida home, some of the jargon you’ll encounter may leave you feeling as if you’re learning a foreign language.

Being multi-lingual is, of course, a good thing. But learning by immersion isn’t always […]

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Versatile Outdoor Living: Try These Tips and Tricks

We love our outdoor living in Florida and likely so will you if you move to the Sunshine State.

The combination of natural resources, beauty and a year-round temperate climate means enjoying 70-degree beach days in January, and only occasional appearances of heavy jackets.

Northern Florida can be a bit cooler than Miami during the winter months, but if you prioritize outdoor living space in your new custom Florida home, expect very few days that you won’t be tempted to head out the back door or sliding glass doors.

Even that iconic feature, the Florida lanai, can be a year-round gathering spot […]

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Fun Ideas to Turn Your Backyard into a Weekday Oasis

If you’re building a new custom home with ICI Homes, you’ll find no end of inspiration and options for outdoor living.

We live in the Sunshine State, so of course all of our homes come with a lanai of some shape and size. In most of our floorplans, you can opt for a large sliding glass door to open up your lanai to your gathering room and really bring the outdoors in. You may also choose to screen in your lanai, or go with a plethora of other upgrades. A favorite upgrade and staple of Florida living — the summer kitchen […]

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Live Indoors and Outdoors with an Open Floorplan

Energy-Wise, Quality Built
Learn more about EQ Factor

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It’s a no-brainer in Florida: outdoor living is a part of most homeowners’ lives.For many of us, it’s a big reason we moved to the Sunshine State, and a big factor in how we chose and built our homes. A subtropical, temperate climate with mild winters, abundant natural resources and recreational opportunities, invites you to seek fresh air and sunshine year-round.

At ICI Homes, we’ve built custom Florida homes all over the state for more than four decades. This gives us a deep and popular library of floorplans that maximize open spaces.

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