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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

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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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Grow Your Home’s Value with These DIY Landscaping Tips

Ready for a new custom Florida home but need to sell your current home first?

Most of us do. You probably know that the interior of your existing home should be clean, uncluttered and attractively staged in order to sell, but so does the exterior. Both views matter for prospective buyers, and neglecting one at the expense of the other may cost you some critical time and offers.

The front of your home and whatever yard that encircles it, makes the biggest first impressions. You need those to be positive, not negative, and sometimes you just can’t solve them with a […]

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Fast, Cheap Ways to Refresh Rooms (Especially if You Want to Sell Them)

Does your living area have a case of the blahs? Maybe you’re tired of faded spots on sofas and chairs that betray where everyone sits. Your kitchen looks like it’s produced one too many spaghetti dinners.

Oh, and you might be in countdown mode to sell your existing home, so you can move to a new one.

Sounds like makeover time. You can’t escape cleaning and decluttering to get your home market-ready. But unless you’re selling it unfurnished, you must think about revitalizing its interiors to make it attractive for prospective buyers.

Then there’s the cost. A lot of us can’t or […]

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Don’t Follow The Decorating Herd: Classic is Always in Style

Ready to make your design selections for your new custom Florida home? Perhaps anticipating doing so in the near future?

Choosing paint colors, countertop materials and flooring, to name but a few items you’ll select, can be intimidating if interior design isn’t your thing. Luckily for all ICI Homes customers, our design consultants at the ICI Homes Design Center can make the process fun, easier than you think, and relatively stress-free thanks to their experience and guidance.

But if you don’t have a particular style or decor in mind, or simply want to do some homework before your design appointments, we […]

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Easy, Inexpensive Ways to Tame Chaos After You Move

You’re in your new custom Florida home and the worst of the moving upheaval is over.

Congratulations! Now it’s time to unpack.

Uh oh.

You probably packed essentials separately ahead of time, so everybody has clothes, shoes and toiletries. The coffeemaker’s out, and so all electronic devices and their chargers. But otherwise, you might be staring down a cardboard maze of moving boxes and dining on takeout pizza.

Most of us have been through the same situation, so we can offer some tips for how to start tackling your-life-in-cardboard.

But what about belongings that don’t yet have a storage destination? Read on.
Unpack it, then […]

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Design Tips to Make You Actually Use a Home Office

One of the more versatile spaces in your new custom Florida home also can be one of the most productive.

At ICI Homes, many of our popular floorplans contain flex spaces — extra rooms — that can be designated for whatever purpose the home buyer deems necessary.

Often, that flex spaces becomes — you guessed it — a home office.

Modern life makes working from home a common option nowadays. Even if you report elsewhere for your paycheck, being able to work while you’re home with a sick kid or awaiting a repair person, is much easier with a home office.

The good […]

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Ameris Bank: 7 Ways to Buy a Home with Little or No Money Down

The economy is strong, rates are still low, and the real estate industry is hot. For people wanting to purchase a home but struggling to scrape up the down payment, there is hope. Many people are aware that they do not need a 20% down payment. But, what you might not be aware of is that there are many programs available that require little to no money down. Below are seven ways for buyers with limited funds to participate in the dream of home ownership.
1. USDA Rural Housing Loans
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development department offers […]

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