Inspirational Ideas and Goals for the Coming Year

2016 is here! Whether 2015 was a good or challenging, now it’s time to look forward to see what this year will bring. The turn of the calendar year is a chance to start fresh – to shed bad habits and adopt new, better ones. DeTray’s Custom Housing is here to provide some inspiration for 2016.

Reconnect with Friends and Family Members

Sometimes during the busyness of our daily lives we forget to stay in touch with the people we care about most. Make it a top New Year’s Resolutions to reconnect with your family and friends in 2016.

  • Call your friends, parents, children, or siblings at least once a week (or month) to say hello and let them know you are thinking about them.
  • If cell phones have taken over your household, start a “no cell phone” at the table policy during mealtimes.
  • Host a friends and family game night at least once a month or bi-monthly. Do this each others homes or find a place to go out and play pool, dart’s or go bowling.
  • Do activities outside, such as walking the dog instead of letting the dog walk out by itself, go to a park, or visit a mall to window shop.
  • Visit the library and check out a book or read a magazine. Many libraries sell used magazines for ten cents or a quarter.

Get Healthy

Improving our health is almost always top on our list of New Year’s Resolutions, but “getting healthy” is such a vague resolution that most people find it difficult to keep. Most people find it easier to establish smaller, more attainable goals that will contribute to a healthier lifestyle overall. Here are suggestions.

  • Limit trips to fast food restaurants or chose healthy meals.
  • Substitute vegetables for chips or sweets a few times per week. (Steamed vegetables are great)!
  • Instead of drinking soda buy diet or flavored seltzer water.
  • If you have chocolate cravings, split a candy bar with someone, rather than eating it all.
  • Try cooking something new each week, rather than dining out.

 Exercise

The holidays are the time most of us gain a few extra pounds, this is a great opportunity get a renewed sense of determination for shedding those extra pounds. Unfortunately, most of us find it difficult to maintain this drive as the year goes on. The following are a few simple exercises that will be easy to keep throughout the year.

  • Do warn up stretches before you begin
  • Jumping jacks are great to start the morning
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  • Do ten push-ups in the morning or night. (do them on your knees if needed)
  • Don’t look for parking space close to stores or businesses, so you’ll have a longer walk.
  • Start doing fifteen minutes of physical activity every day, such as walking, stretching, jogging, biking, or swimming. It will make you feel great and give you extra vigor if the grey skies are making you feel sad or gloomy.

We at DeTray’s wish you the best of luck with your 2016 New Year’s Resolutions! If you’re considering a new custom manufactured home at any point during the new year, please keep us in mind. We look forward to helping you find your new home at DeTray’s.

                                         “May this be your Best Year Yet”

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

How can you make someone a Merry Christmas?
Call to wish them a Merry Christmas, stop by their home to say hello, invite them to church or a school function, maybe your church is having a Christmas event you plan to attend. Offer to take someone out for a drive or invite them to Christmas dinner. And if you are trying to figure out what type of gift to get, a simple but thoughtful one is wine, exotic chocolates, spa products, fancy coffee beans or teas. But the best gift above all is by being cheerful, happy and wishing them well.

Merry Christmas

 

very-merry-christmas

Manufactured Homes = “Fiscally Responsible Housing Option”

The Future of Manufactured Homes: “Fiscally Responsible Housing Option”

During the recent National Congress and Expo for Manufactured and Modular Housing’ event, Tony Kovach had a chance to chat with Richard Jennison – someone who knows a little something about manufactured homes. As the President and CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute and a recent inductee to the RV/MH Hall of Fame, Mr. Jennison expressed excitement regarding the upward trajectory of the manufactured housing market, stating “The industry is back!”
Joining The Manufactured Housing Institute back in early 2012, Richard Jennison acts as the intermediary between the federal government and the industries activism efforts. Fighting on behalf of all sectors within the manufactured housing industry. Mr. Jennison is a seasoned veteran at the negotiations game, having served in senior management positions with Amtrak, MCI, Citizens Bancorp, Omni Solutions Group, and the Brick Industry Association.
From his attendance at the National Congress and Expo, Jennison announce that there was an notable turnaround for the manufactured housing industry. When ask about the amount of new capital flowing into the prefabricated housing industry, Richard noted that there is more interest and capital than most even realize – approximately $1-$2 billion. “People are looking to invest, they see it as a value and we are going to see a lot more money coming in.” Highlighting the fact that billions of dollars of new capital are starting to focus on the manufactured housing communities, viewing them as a “fiscally responsible housing option”.
So when considering your options, listen to the experts and see the value you will get when choosing a manufactured home.

Have a Wonderful Holiday!

Dont Talk About It Detrays Custom Housing

New Year 2016, New Goals, New Home.

If purchasing a new manufactured home in 2016 is among your New Year’s resolutions, here are a few ideas that will get you on the right track:
Make a “wish list” of the features you would like in a home and make a list of the things you are willing to compromise. If you’re purchasing a home as a couple, the list of priorities is extremely important. Have a joint “must have list” and a list of the features you are willing to compromise or at least delay. Ladies, those stainless steel appliances can be added later. Be open minded and have a vision of what you want your home to look like.
Decide on the area you want to live. Are you willing to commute an hour every work day? Do you want to live by a park? Do you want to be living in a community/park or buy your own land? Ask yourself “How is the school system rated”?  These are some of the questions and factors to consider during your search.
Familiarize yourself with mortgage terms, especially if you are a first-time home buyer. Lenders comply with new stringent rules. Ask a lot of questions.
• Review your credit and make certain there are no mistakes and all information is current on your credit report. A few good sources for free credit reports include www.creditkarma.com; however, for a small fee go to www.myfico.com. They will give you the fico scores of all three bureaus.
Pay down your debt. Lenders will consider your debt-to-income ratio when you apply for a mortgage. Pay off the credit cards from Christmas and prepare to save for the down payment.
Save for a down payment. The more of a down payment you can make on a home, the more impressed the lenders will be.
Find a reputable Realtor and a mortgage broker/lender.  DeTray’s works with real estate agents and lenders who work together on behalf of their clients. You will also want an agent who is proactive and who will negotiate strongly on your behalf.
Get your paperwork in order. Lenders will ask for documentation – employment, child support payments, etc. The faster you get your documents to the lender, the sooner you will be approved and know how much you can afford.

Land prices have increased slightly, but the market still offers good buys. As foreclosures dwindle, those good buys will vanish. So 2016  may be the perfect time to make a New Year’s resolution to purchase a new home. We at DeTray’s want to help you get the perfect home.

Visualize yourself in your home and start planning all the steps needed. Use these sayings over and over in order to get your mind going in the right direction to achieve your goal.

“I will keep my credit score in check.”

“I will practice good savings behavior.”

“I will not buy more house than I can afford.”

“I will buy a home in 2016”

So many New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside, like eating healthier and exercising, but this is one that could really happen. Everyone needs a place to live and you’ve probably already been thinking of buying a home anyway. Put these resolutions into motion, stick with them, and sooner than you think, you could be getting the keys to your new home.

May you have a Prosperous and Happy New Year!

2016 Home Buying Goal

2016 Home Buying Goal

Aude Lang Syne; times long past and our 50th Anniversary

As the Holiday Season shifts into high gear, DeTrays Custom Housing is pushing forward to finish the year strong. We had our “Holiday Open House” last weekend, and I want to extend a hearty “thank you” to all of you that came in and also contributed to the DeTrays Food Drive. We have filled two large boxes of goods that will help needy families in our area. Our Open House was December 1st and 2nd, and if you did not know those very same days were also National Pie Day and National Fritters Day. December 3rd was National “Roof over your Head Day”. I would have preferred to have our Open House on that day, but I can’t control the calendar.

 

Now that we have completed our Open House, we can start our next project, updating our web site. When we last completed the main structure overhaul last January, we have added new content as necessary in 2012. The biggest challenge has been keeping it relevant and interesting. Our customers advocate that we expand our offering, which necessitates constant editing, adding pictures, dialog, and revisions. Our entire inventory is now totally decorated with new pictures, plants and furniture. Our customers will have all new interiors to look forward to viewing at their leisure. In addition to that, we are adding a furniture catalog so if you see furniture or décor that you wish to purchase that is shown; we can price it for you immediately. This will hopefully allow all our customers to envision how their new custom home can look, just request a quote, we are happy to help you.

 

Finally, the staff at DeTrays Custom Housing is looking toward 2013 with great optimism. We will be attending our annual Shows in the Spring and Fall, but this year we are adding a show in February. We want to take our “product to the people”, so to speak. I really enjoy going to the shows, as we get to speak to folks we otherwise may not get to see. It is always fun and interesting to hear comments about our homes like “wow, I had no idea these homes were this beautiful”; or “what is this? A manufactured home? I think my grandma had one once”; right, these homes aren’t your grandmas mobile home anymore. We build the most energy efficient, cost effective, innovative custom homes in the North West. Please check us out at detrayscustomhousing.com and I look forward to seeing you soon. For more information on the shows, check us out at MHRVshows.com until then, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Boxer Day, and if I forgot someone, Happy Day to you too.

 

Respectfully submitted; Dana DeTray GM