Building Savvy April 2020

SOUTH SIDE ON THE RISE

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH OPPORTUNITY ZONES?

San Antonio | April 2020

UPTMORE

CUSTOM HOMES JACK AND JOSH CARRY ON THE LEGACY THAT BIG JIM STARTED

A Homebuilding Industry Publication

PARTNER PROFILE: DIAMOND MASONRY

Building Savvy

Building Savvy

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

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DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily re ect the views of N2 Publishing but remain solely those of the author(s). The paid advertisements contained within the Building Savvy magazine are not endorsed or recommended by N2 Publishing or the publisher. Therefore, neither N2 Publishing nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies. NOTE: When community events take place, photographers may be present to take photos for that event and they may be used in this publication.

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[from the publisher]

EVOLUTION SPELLS

By Terry Kemmy

OPPORTUNITY

It has been said that change is the only real constant. Too often, discussions focused on the negative consequences of change leave us feeling overwhelmed or fearful. But as we explore the evolution of fenestration and trends in home style preferences for the new decade, let’s talk about the positive effects of change and how your business can capitalize on it.

We could compare the automotive example to the way that progress in building science has paved to the way for homes to be designed to maximize daylighting without sacrificing energy efficiency. While in the past, huge walls of glass might be viewed as a wasteful extravagance in moral juxtaposition with green building practices, your opportunity today is to be the builder with the magic recipe for a house of glass that still attains Net Zero status.

Essentially, we always find a way to get what we want. Remember when owning a large SUV was frowned upon as a wasteful use of gas? Progress in the automotive industry now means that big and fuel efficient are both attainable, not to mention that even some of the biggest and baddest trucks will soon not depend on gas at all, thanks to electric vehicle technology advancements.

Looking back at the various trends in home style, designers say that each era reflects the sentiment of the time. In 2020, we might surmise that people seek order and serenity balanced with the desire to stand for something in our world.

This translates into home style that is all about removing unnecessary visual clutter while using splashes of bold, confident accents. Pantone says its Color of the Year, Classic Blue, is “solid, dependable and exudes confidence.” Just like the fashion industry relies on constant change to be profitable, there would be no jobs for remodelers without change. So, paint the white or gray cabinets blue this year, choose your favorite color for an accent wall or ceiling, then count on updating again in 2030.

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[industry news]

By Jim Leonard

The Impact of Construction Costs on Affordable Housing

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Much has been made recently of the looming crisis in being able to provide affordable housing. With seemingly endless challenges, add the increases in construction cost over the past few years to the mix.

market rate housing. A 2-by-4 is a 2-by-4, and the price is the price. We have watched costs rise with the market steadily over the past few years. We will look at some of the areas where costs have added significantly to the total sales price of a home.

The challenges are well documented: rising land prices, bureaucratic red tape, impact fees and other infrastructure costs. While there is a lot of well-founded concern for these issues, the one constant has been the rising cost of construction material and labor. These are market-driven factors, and most people who are on the supply chain side do not differentiate between affordable and

At the top of the list is the labor shortage in our market, which adds cost but also increases cycle time and total number of days to build a home. In some cases, labor costs are higher on small affordable homes. A home that is required to have all siding and a front porch to fit into an older neighborhood may have a higher cost per square foot to build than a larger home in a new neighborhood. The rationale given to me by a framer is: “I can frame a 3,500-square-foot house on the north side that has no siding, and I can make really good money, or I can frame your 1,100-square-foot home with all siding, which takes as much total time as the larger house.� To compensate for the extra work on a small home, the framer charges a much higher price per square foot to frame it.

This same rationale trickles down to other subs as well. Painters will say about the same thing, pointing out the extra prep time and work for a home that is all siding compared to one with 100-percent masonry. If there is only a small amount of masonry, the cost is higher due to the expense of the mason to drag out scaffolding and supply labor for a small job. It takes them almost as much time to get set up to work as the job itself does.

Many other costs do not change regardless of the size of the home. We pay the same amount for an energy test on a small home as a large home. In fact the smaller home has a higher chance of failure due to the higher percentage of glass to the overall amount of wall sizes. Plot plans, surveys, lot stakes all

cost the same amount. Engineered framing designs, foundation plans, soils testing all cost about the same amount of money. A sidewalk in front of a house is the same cost on a small house as a more expensive one built on the same size lot. Two trees required by the city are the same cost regardless of the price of the home. Â

So, what are you actually paying to get utilities to a lot?

Water and sewer impact fees run about $6,100 per lot. But wait, there are waivers for that, right? Yes, if you are in line when the city starts its fiscal year on October 1. By October 2 you can just about guarantee that all the waivers for the year will be claimed. The cost of cutting the street and repairing it to connect water and sewer from the mains to the lot run anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000. Setting a utility pole if needed is about $3,000. So even if you acquired the lot for pennies, you could pay almost $20,000 just to have utility service to the property.

More often than not, on an affordable house in the inner city, we spend money cutting open streets to bring water and sewer, and maybe gas to a property. In newer communities, these costs are almost never paid. Bringing electricity to a home might mean setting a new utility pole due to the age or size of the existing pole. And the timeframe for CPS to go through the design process for a new utility pole can take up to 16 weeks. So you better get an early start on your project with them. We have paid for a lot of utility poles through CPS. There are private providers who will set a pole for less money, but CPS will not run service to a home from a private pole.

When I built my first home in 2011 utilizing the city’s affordable guidelines, the cap on sales prices was $110,000.

Today the city recognizes that rising costs have made it impossible to deliver a house at that price. The cap today is $225,000. A doubling of the price in less than a decade.

The overall success of our market has created a conundrum to produce affordable homes, and no amount of local government intervention and incentives will change the fact that it is just more expensive to build today than even two years ago.

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[savvy finance]

[sales savvy]

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH

OPPORTUNITY ZONES?

By Steven Bankler, CPA

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced a new tax-lowering investment tool called Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ’s). Those willing to invest longterm in QOZ’s receive special tax advantages. But it’s new territory for both investors and developers, and with that new territory comes a learning curve.

The IRS will allow you to defer taxes on capital gains made elsewhere as long as they are invested in a QOF within 180 days of the sale. It’s critical to note that the longer you invest, the more tax savings can be earned. If the QOF is:

QOZs are a tool designed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed communities. There are now more than 600 designated QOZ’s in Texas alone, with 24 throughout San Antonio and Bexar County.

QOZ’s are in several key neighborhoods from the northeast corridor down through the far south and far southeast areas of the San Antonio metro area. In fact, San Antonio is second only to Houston for the number of opportunity zones it has available in Texas.

Held for 10 years or more, the investor is eligible for an increase in basis equal to the fund’s fair market value on the date it’s sold or exchanged (which means 100 percent of the gains could be tax-free).

Held for longer than five years, 10 percent of the gains are tax-free.

Held for more than seven years, 15 percent of the gains are tax-free.

You don’t need to live, work or have a business anywhere near a particular QOZ to invest in it though.

“All you need to do is invest a recognized gain in a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) and elect to defer the tax on that gain,” the IRS points out. A QOF is defined by the IRS as an investment vehicle that files either a partnership or corporation federal income tax return and is organized for the purpose of investing in Qualified Opportunity Zone property. You can either form your own or invest in a publicly offered QOF.

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Property owners and developers who want their entities to become qualified opportunity zone businesses (QOZB’s) can seek additional tax advantages and incentives. For instance, the City of San Antonio offers a tax abatement, fee waiver program, Center City Housing Incentive, and tax-increment financing for eligible QOZB’s. New or substantially rehabilitated mixed-use buildings, multi-tenant residential buildings and commercial rental properties are ideally suited for this type of scenario.

Investing in QOZ’s and even starting a QOZB can be great ways to economically bolster low-income areas while receiving tax breaks, but they require a tax strategy that shouldn’t be decided without professional guidance. In other words, it’s a new tax vehicle that can take you far, but you’ll need to maneuver it without a well-established road map.

Steven Bankler has more than 43 years of experience in the accounting industry. Steven’s expertise lies in consulting, planning, tax, and asset protection, as well as exit-strategy services for closely held businesses. He also provides litigation support (both as a testifying expert witness and a consulting expert), business negotiations and estate planning. Visit www.bankler. com for additional tax strategy tips and to learn more about Steven Bankler, CPA, Ltd.

Going the EXTRA MILE “Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent but with greater inner drive go much further than people with vastly superior talent.” -Sophia Loren

By Paul Evans

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all internal company issues or vendor glitches been resolved? Have any subsequent changes been communicated to customers? You are the lynchpin for the success of the sale.

Going the extra mile to deliver great customer service starts, first and foremost, with effective listening. The subject matter most people prefer to talk about is, predictably, themselves, so avoid dominating the conversation and laundry-listing the features and/or benefits of your products – allow your customers to talk. They will tell you everything you need to know to close the sale and provide impeccable customer service.

The most opportune time to go the extra mile comes when something has gone wrong. Your listening skills can bring an irate customer around to a more realistic set of expectations. What I call “guided discovery” is a process of gently guiding the conversation to a set of expectations that produces a win-win situation for everyone. The anger and frustration that surface in unrealistic customer requests is often generated by circumstances beyond your sale. Unmet needs are the real culprit… which should take you back to your initial sales conversation, when you were making every attempt to understand your customer and their needs. Restate their expectations of product and delivery date and time; further define their concern about the damaged product; clarify their understanding of what has gone wrong by asking questions. Even though you guided the problem-solving process, the customer now has the buy-in for successful problem resolution.

The second ingredient for going the extra mile in customer service is follow-up. Once the customer’s needs are established and an order is taken, there are multiple follow-up steps to take. When all aspects of the sale play out as planned, your follow-up is routine. However, any deviation from the original sales agreement must be communicated to the customer, renegotiated, and agreed upon. Internal organizational follow-up is critical, too. Whether the inside sales representative, the shipping and receiving staff, or the delivery drivers, follow up with each and every individual involved. Is the product in stock? If not, how will a backorder be handled? When will the product ship and be delivered? Are the delivery date and time workable? Your ability to collaborate effectively with those professionals entrusted with making your customer service commitments will ensure they are rock solid.

When changes occur or challenges present themselves, focus on keeping your customer’s experience consistent. If your customer service remains the same, adjustments may turn out to be a bigger deal to you than to them. When problems arise, it’s important to get to the root of the issue and negotiate a resolution. Are you ready to go the extra mile?

Paul Evans is a graduate of Lamar University’s School of Engineering and the national VP of millwork for BMC. His book, Life’s Lost Art, offers practical advice for how to turn satisfied customers into loyal customers by listening and responding to their needs. For more than 10 years, he has been an instructor for the NAHB, the University of Housing, and the Home Builders Institute, teaching customer service, negotiating, and sales.

And finally, there must be continuous self-reflection. Where do you stand in your customer service commitments and obligations? Are products, goods, and services being delivered as agreed upon? Have

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Building Savvy

[savvy builder]

Building Savvy

“We’re proud of ourselves and of our customers. We simply take care of our customers, and they in turn take care of us,” says Uptmore.

Like his father Jim, Jack also received a college degree from A&M. While in college he attained a realtor’s license, and during the summers drove a combine harvesting corn from sun-up to sundown. From 1982-1990 Jack worked for his dad learning residential and commercial contracting and property management.

“Jack earned his own way; he’s his own man. He never got any special treatment from me or anybody else. And I’m very proud of him for what he’s accomplished,” added Jim.

CUSTOM HOMES A S A N A N T O N I O T R E A S U R E , A R I C H F A M I LY L E G A C Y

T

There are very few people who’ve been in the construction industry in San Antonio who aren’t familiar with the name Uptmore, specifically Jim, Jack and now Josh. This construction family – over several decades and now over three generations – has made a significant contribution to the landscape of San Antonio, to the building community, and to the quality of life for several grateful families.

The oldest of six children, Jim was born on a farm in tiny Tours, Texas. After earning a degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M, he entered the Air Force and served two years. In 1956 Jim joined Zachry Properties and learned the real estate business from the ground up, becoming the president in eight short years.

In 1974 he acquired the balance of stock in Zachry Properties and merged that with his own holdings and incorporated into J. H. Uptmore & Associates.

Over the years he’s been a major builder and developer around San Antonio including the subdivisions of Churchill Forest, Churchill Estates, and Big Country; several buildings on Datapoint (including the old Turtle Creek Country Club); apartment complexes, warehouses and a myriad of other projects, both commercial and residential.

A lifelong Aggie, Jim has served as president of the local Aggie Club, received the Polly Krueger ‘12 Distinguished Service Award and has as chairman of the College Agricultural Development Council. Uptmore was also one of the original pioneers of GSABA and served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Home Builders; was President of GSABA (1966), and President of the Texas Builders Association (1971). Jim Uptmore was also named “Builder of the Year” in 1971.

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Jack went out on “We’re proud of ourselves his own and of our customers. in 1990, remodeling We simply take care of our a three-stocustomers, and they in ry hospital turn take care of us,” building, says Uptmore. with his wife, Susan, creating the lead for him. Later that year, with the economy in full-blown recession, Jack was hired back to diversify the company and run Property Management and Construction Associates (PMCA), which required oversight of a multitude of office buildings and warehouses.

Shortly later Uptmore Custom Homes came into existence, and Jack got very involved with GSABA and participated in15 of their annual Parade of Homes events, served two terms on the board of directors, and was president. Jack was also the GSABA Builder of the Year in 2012.

Very civic minded, like his dad, Jack built three homes for the “Homes for Our Troops” organization, was president of the San Antonio Aggie Club (1996) and is the current chair of the GSABA Housing Center.

“I believe in giving back … to the builders’ association, to church, charities, to my partners and subcontractors … to people in need. I was taught to always be learning, be slow to speak and quick to listen. I’ve always tried to remain humble, yet proud of my successes, and to overcome diversity and challenges with grace,” says Jack. “And I know this about San Antonio… You don’t burn bridges in this small-town big city.

Being able to be trusted is huge.”

Most of Uptmore’s clients know of them through banks, realtors, suppliers and past clients. Their reputation in the community is very strong. They’re serious about attention to detail and often employ independent inspectors to give them another set of eyes. Material upgrades Uptmore normally includes are tankless water heaters, sound insulation between floors, foam insulation, larger sliding glass doors, Wellborn cabinets and more. Through Centricity they provide a 10-year warranty and often many other services after the initial twoyear warranty period.

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

Uptmore obviously has some very loyal, hard-working and dependable partners. Here’s what some of them had to say: “We love working with the Uptmores… They are good people.

They build a beautiful home and are very well-respected around the community.” – Tom Callahan.

True Blue Granite

“Jack has worked with our family for several years, starting with our mom, Linda. We feel more like family with them than we do with others. They are great.”

– Liz Knight, Centricity “Jack’s always been with us through thick and thin… especially during the lean years. They are a well-run, very organized enterprise, and deliver a great product … several of them around Alamo Heights. They are exactly what a good banker looks for.” – Kirk McClelland, First Commercial Bank

Under Jack’s direction, Uptmore Custom Homes has remodeled the Aggie Park building; built the Charter Oaks Townhouses; an 8,000-square-foot building at Boys Town; and developed Harvest Hills, a dynamic master planned community with its own water-treatment facility.

“I’ve been very honored to have worked with my dad, Jim Uptmore,” adds Jack.

“To have his guidance, work ethic, support and counsel – his example – over the last 38 years has been an incredible blessing to me. And now with my son, Josh (also an A&M graduate), coming onboard with us in 2017, it assures our clients, friends and business partners that the Uptmore family legacy of quality homes will continue. And that is very important to us.”

“They are very loyal to us and pay on a timely basis. We do a lot of their cantera work as well as specialty doors.” – Karla Soto, San Marcos Doors

“Our industry desperately needs new blood… So it’s kinda neat to see Josh come up the ranks like Jack did and learn the ropes. They’re great to work with, and they built a great home.” – John Magninat, Classic Air

“The Uptmores are very conscientious about their homeowners, and giving them the conveniences and comforts of the latest in technology.” – Jim Davis, Builder Security Group

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[savvy partner profile]

MARI A RAMIREZ HAS BUILT A BUSINESS ONE BRICK AT A TIME commercial projects such as their recent work at UTSA’s 1604 campus, retail space in Cibolo and The Richmond, which are urban redevelopment apartments on the St. Mary’s strip.

On the residential side, the Ramirez family set up Diamond Masonry in 2017. It was a natural outgrowth of their commercial business and is headed up by Maria’s son, Julio Jr. The legacy of the Ramirez family as San Antonio’s premier masonry provider is in good hands.

“We’ve never done any marketing,” Maria Ramirez confidently states. “All of our work has been through relationships.” That sounds like a pretty bold claim, right?

Ramirez’s Diamond Masonry isn’t anything to scoff at; she counts powerhouse homebuilders Sitterle Homes and Imagine Homes as clients along with high-end custom builders and remodelers like Jana Ward, Weston Dean Custom Homes, Partners in Building and Alair Custom Homes. When it comes to stone work of all kinds in San Antonio, Ramirez is building an empire.

Maria Ramirez is a San Antonio success story. A graduate of the west side’s Fox Tech High School, she was born to build. Her father was a stone mason for more than 40 years, and all four of her brothers followed suit. Maria’s husband Julio is also a mason. So she isn’t new to this game. When it came time to take their family business to a new level, Maria was the right woman for the job.

Her family operates two businesses. Ramirez Masonry started in 2003 with a focus on larger

Diamond Masonry does everything from exterior stucco and brick, to intricate stone work on walkways and patios, to chimney rebuilds, retaining walls and more. With stone features being so popular in Texas and the declining number of skilled tradesmen that can do the level of work that Ramirez provides, Diamond Masonry isn’t likely to face a shortage of work any time soon.

I asked Maria what the latest trends in masonry were. She told me that stucco is still very popular in south Texas, as well as outdoor kitchens and interior stone accents. She’s noticed that gray continues to be a modern color scheme for a lot of her interior projects.

Her businesses proudly tout an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and they plan to expand in the future.

Diamond Masonry is a great example of skilled tradespeople creating a niche for themselves and becoming crucial to

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the success of a homebuilding project. Maria operates her businesses out of her home in San Antonio’s inner west side, near where she grew up. Her tenacity and business savvy are skills that cannot truly be taught. She didn’t need an MBA or years of training under big companies – instead, Maria rolled up her sleeves and created something special right here in her hometown.

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Building Savvy

[savvy youth initiative]

SOUTH SIDE ON THE RISE

St. Philip’s College Homebuilders Club Named Number One in the Nation When I first visited St. Philip’s College – Southwest Campus in early 2016, the dilapidation was obvious. This was a rough side of town, an industrial hub surrounded by working-class neighborhoods that had long been neglected.

By Trevor Whitney I was the freshly hired government affairs and education director for the Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) charged with bringing a newly crafted student club to life. The pet project of the late affordable housing developer Dan Markson was a student chapter at this campus aimed to create a pipeline of skilled talent for the homebuilding industry in the San Antonio area. But on that first day that I arrived, it was clear: There was a long way to go to make this an asset for the south side of San Antonio.

put their newly learned skills to the test, could take on. With a lot of need in the nearby neighborhoods, it wasn’t hard to find projects where students would provide labor to rebuild unlivable homes, repair fire damage, or to build accessibility ramps for elderly veterans. I simply served as the nexus between ready-to-work students and large corporations who were willing to donate materials or cash to provide direct aid to the community. Slowly but surely, the money started to flow.

These community-service projects quickly grabbed the attention of the campus administration, the Alamo Community College District and other local leadership. The St. Philip’s College NAHB student chapter was bridging the corporate world with impoverished neighborhoods. When I presented the student chapter’s work at NAHB’s national conference in 2017, building associations from around the country hounded me to help them create a roadmap to duplicating this collaborative effort in their own communities.

Flash forward to January 2020: the St. Philip’s College – Southwest Campus organization was named the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year. The program had emerged from the dirt to national prominence within four years.

My vision for the student chapters at St. Philips and UTSA (which was also recognized as the nation’s best in 2017) was to expand the community service projects into a citywide partnership between business and educational institutions. Certain leadership at the San Antonio builders association, caught up with the dayto-day demands of keeping the lights on and placating demands of powerful members, did not see the vision, and I eventually exited the organization in 2018. The student chapter at St. Philip’s College found itself without a champion at GSABA and feared that a return to obscurity was upon them.

However, Gilbert Noriega is not a guy to take a loss without getting back up.

He picked up the ball and followed the path that we had created two years earlier by going directly to the community to find gaps the students could fill.

The chapter expanded to 70 students and was the buzz of the campus. In 2018, the club’s extensive commit-

Building Savvy

ment to serving the community was recognized when NAHB awarded them third place in the Outstanding Student Chapter category, putting the scrappy campus on Quintana Road in the spotlight over well-funded four-year institutions like Michigan State, Purdue, and Brigham Young. This caught the attention of a lot of people, and the chapter’s president Sam Velez was recognized as one of the top student chapter leaders in the nation.

For 2019, the St. Philip’s College-Southwest Campus chapter set one goal: to be number one. Their meteoric rise to national recognition was commanded by a determined Noriega,

However, in the nonprofit world (such as homebuilding associations), resources are limited, and successful new programs such as the student chapters directly compete for dollars with legacy programs, such as fundraisers and social events. That can ruffle feathers, but I was determined to craft a culture of service via the student chapters – it was good for the students, the association, and would build a pipeline of talent for the industry.

Gilbert Noriega, the program coordinator for the homebuilding programs at St. Philip’s, greeted the industry support with open arms when we first met. In 2016, his program served only 30 students with a paltry $4,000 operational budget. The program was sinking fast, and few seemed interested in pumping life into it, despite lip service about supporting skilled trades.

However, I saw the hunger for opportunities in every face I met; I knew that a little attention would go a long way to impact lives here.

Initially we crafted scholarships to be awarded to outstanding students. This is the lowest bar to hurdle in supporting a program that is minority-majority and located in an area of widespread poverty. The next step was to find local service projects that these students, who were eager to 18

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who found creative ways to fund projects as GSABA leadership lost interest. From retrofitting a pet shelter in Kerrville to revamping inner city community centers and residential properties, the St. Philip’s College student chapter continued to do the tough work where others didn’t think it was worth their time.

In January of 2020, the chapter was recognized as the nation’s best in its fourth year of existence. Also, the chapter’s President Sandra Vasquez (yes, the homebuilding program at St. Philip’s is often 20- to 25-percent female) was recognized as one of the nation’s best. Something special is brewing on the south side, and all it takes is members of the industry to show up, listen, and partner with these energized students. The end result could be an organic revitalization on that side of town, as well as the creation of the next generation of homebuilders.

Interested in getting involved with local construction-management students by donating your expertise, experiences or resources? Awesome – it isn’t too late. The St. Philip’s Chapter plans to compete in the construction-management competition at the International Builders Show in Orlando, FL, in 2021. Help them reach new heights by reaching out to Gilbert Noriega at gnoriega6@alamo.edu.

Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[savvy special report]

By Beverly Smirnis

be afraid to mix and match finishes. Some two-tone hardware options get the job done with elegance.

Metals in various finishes also show up as trim accents on appliances.

SPRING HOME

Fashion Runway Report The recent Design & Construction Week®, featuring the co-location of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), provided great inspiration and insight into home styles now trending or soon growing in popularity.

Big, bold, sexy lighting fixtures. Overhead fixtures are used as accent pieces. “Eclectic” is the word, and don’t be afraid to go for a touch of glam!

Clear, glass pendants with exposed Edison bulbs, traditional or boho wicker pendants, and geometric or asymmetrical sputnik chandeliers are all on-trend.

Other observations: Focus on the foyer. The average entry foyer measures just 86 square feet, or 3 percent of the space in a typical new home, according to a recent study from the National Association of Home Builders. Forbes’ “Top Residential Trends” says expanded foyers will be a new trend, as buyers place high value on a stylish first impression.

James Martin Vanities shown in on-trend blue, with Silestone by Cosentino quartz tops.

Removing unnecessary visual clutter. In kitchens, this means concealed appliances without handles, simply give the doors a little nudge and they will pop open. For countertops, less is more, meaning granite is on the decline and quartz and quartzite counters simulating marble continue to sizzle. Stone-slab backsplashes also favor this design path. Home organization products — from drawer and cabinet inserts to closet systems — remain high priority.

Home-buying and -selling go digital. Many building and real estate firms are creating proprietary apps and new technology to make the process of buying, selling, and financing a home easier and more mobile, as millennials (the digital natives) represent the largest generation of homebuyers, says Forbes.

Black is the new gray. Black accent walls and black-stained floors, cabinetry, trim, sinks, faucets, hardware, lighting fixtures, and window casings are hot. The black-and-white palette is the new neutral.

Buyers seek a move-in ready home. Before listing their homes, more sellers are choosing to renovate in order to get top dollar.

Remodeling firms offering light renovations to help sellers achieve their best sale price are faring well.

Classic Blue is everywhere. Pantone made an impeccable choice in naming Classic Blue its color of the year for 2020. Blues in various tones, including navy, are huge in cabinetry and show up in accents everywhere.

Color, in general, is bolder and more daring. White cabinets are out; stained woods are back. When appliances aren’t concealed, they’re focal points, with appliances and range hoods offered in a rainbow of colors.

White subway tile is also out in favor of tiles with texture, color, and patterns as accents.

This photo, courtesy of Elica of Italy, showcases the new Varna Black hood in stainless steel, alongside other hot trends: black cabinetry, hardware, and lighting fixtures; quartz counters; and backsplashes softened by the warmth of wood floors.

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Mix-and-match metals and hardware. From black or graphite nickel to warm metals, including soft gold, copper, and antique silver, the message for 2020 hardware is: Don’t

Thermally fused laminate by Egger reproduces the visual and tactile texture and beauty of wood in a surface that’s scratchresistant, low-maintenance, fade-resistant, and hard-wearing.

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Building Savvy

Building Savvy

[savvy trucks & toys]

By Beverly & Steve Smirnis

Ford Rolls Out

All-New

Explorer & Escape

Ford has enjoyed many “firsts” in the SUV world. When the Ford Explorer debuted in 1991, it was an early fourdoor sport utility made for families; its success soon prompted everyone else to join the game. The Escape was the world’s first hybrid SUV, introduced in 2005, and the new 2020 Escape offers two hybrid options: a full hybrid and a plug-in variant.

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Redesigned from the ground up, the 2020 Ford Explorer is lighter, leaner, stronger, and wider than before — you can fit a 4-foot-wide plywood sheet in its cargo space. Behind the rear seats is 18.2 cubic feet of cargo space; alternatively, there’s 47.9 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded or 87.8 cubic feet with both folded. Yes, this offering could double as your stuff-hauler on workdays and the ultimate family carrier for weekends. While many bells and whistles are included at other levels, our Platinum-level tester spoiled us rotten, adding adaptive headlights, a two-piece sunroof, and upgraded leather upholstery. It was powered by the 3.0-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic, ready to tow up to 5,600 pounds. The price tag topped $60K with the addition of 21” premium aluminum wheels and the Premium Technology package, adding massaging front seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system. Ford still makes the Explorer family-friendly, comfortable, classy, and great-looking.

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least 400 miles per tank. Their efficiency is aided by the extensive use of high-strength, lightweight steel, shedding more than 200 pounds from the previous model. We drove the SE Sport, which came with terrific creature-comfort amenities and a hybrid engine with a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder. A best-in-class EPA-estimated range of more than 550 miles is the target for the frontwheel-drive full hybrid. The plug-in hybrid variant, optional on the SE, SEL, and Titanium models, sports an enlarged plug-in battery with a capacity of 14.4 kWh, which Ford says will deliver a rated electric range of at least 30 miles. All this, plus its longer and wider design, delivers a roomy and stylish option among small SUVs.

With its discontinuation of sedans and hatchbacks in the U.S., the Escape is now Ford’s stand-alone small passenger vehicle. Whether powered by one of two EcoBoost® engines or either of the hybrid powertrain options, the estimated range of the new Escapes is at

So, what’s next in Ford’s SUV lineup? Ford is adding its FX4 OffRoad Package to the upscale 2020 Ford Expedition Limited. An allnew, all-electric SUV donning the iconic pony badge and the name “Mustang Mach-E” will be available in early 2021.

Beverly and Steve Smirnis are members of the Texas Auto Writers Association and the Texas Motor Press Association, reviewing vehicles and casting their votes at driving events where the Truck of Texas, Car of Texas, and Off-Road Truck of Texas are some of thetitles awarded. Follow their automotive blog on TheSavvyList.com/The-Savvy-Driver.

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