Highlight Homes and the City of Minot Need Your Help
Atlanta Builder and Developer Seeks Partners to Aid Victims of North Dakota Floods
I’ve become somewhat of an expert in recent years in helping homeowners recover from natural disasters. Following destructive hail storms in early 2009 and damaging floods later that same year, Highlight Homes’ helped Atlanta families recover from damage to their homes and prompted the establishment of Help Atlanta – a charitable affiliate of our residential construction company. Feeling the need to extend the size and scope of that charity beyond Atlanta city limits, we recently changed Help Atlanta’s name to The Georgia Redevelopment Foundation and its designation as a 501(c)3 non-profit tax-exempt corporation is currently in the pipeline. We answered the plea to help once again following the devastating tornadoes in Georgia and Alabama earlier this year – spending many long weekends working in the hard-hit Lake Martin, AL area. Most recently, the call came from further away when I received a request from my friend, Realtor® Staci Mordew to help in the recovery efforts following the historic floods in Minot, North Dakota.
She contacted me after watching the flood waters destroy her hometown of Minot in June. She explained that Minot was already experiencing a housing shortage due to the influx of people working in the oil fields, and the flooding made a difficult situation worse by destroying and damaging over 4,000 homes. Staci, a Realtor® with Fickling & Company Real Estate Services in Warner Robins, Georgia feels that Minot needs contractors and builders who have experience in natural disaster clean up and rebuilding, and believes our involvement will be beneficial to Minot and the surrounding area.
Once I saw footage of the swelling of the Souris River and learned that it had forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and the subsequent devastating destruction of homes and businesses – I felt a familiar overwhelming urge to bring my company’s skills to the aid of those in need. Since many of the homeowners in Minot have suffered complete losses, my talents as a community developer through Highlight Homes’ sister company, Vesmont LC will prove most helpful. I am currently in the process of putting together a crew of local trades in Minot and have been in touch with the Minot Association of Builders. It is our hope that we can partner with a number of investors and supply vendors both here in Atlanta and in North Dakota to help us return that community to its former glory through home restorations and new housing developments. Once there, we can team up with talented local contractors and builders to rebuild Minot as quickly as possible. It’s my understanding that because the last flood in that area was over 40 years ago – prompting the incorporation of a major dike and overflow channel system, most of these homeowners did not have flood insurance. The situation is simply heartbreaking. If we can raise the funds necessary, we hope to begin building there soon.
When we arrive in Minot, as in times past Highlight Homes can also help homeowners assess structural damage and assist in general clean-up. Additionally, my team can offer valuable expertise regarding further repair and maintenance, as well as provide advice on how to steer clear of unlicensed and unqualified contractors. After all, these folks have been through enough. Anything we can do to lessen their stress, my team and I will happily do. If possible, their homes will either be lovingly and thoughtfully restored or rebuilt. While Minot is located more than 1,600 miles away from Atlanta, these are our neighbors and their need is so great. We have the skill and the tools to help them, but lack the necessary funding.
That’s where you come in! We need your help to spread the word of this overwhelming need in Minot. Individual investors, construction vendors, and corporations who wish to partner with Highlight Homes to assist in restoring homes and developing new communities in Minot, North Dakota are invited to call 678.873.9234 or e-mail me at info@highlighthomesga.com. To learn more about Highlight Homes, please visit our website at www.highlighthomesga.com. On behalf of myself, my family, and the Highlight Homes’ Team, our thoughts, prayers and best hopes go out to the citizens of Minot.
The housing industry – hard hit by the sluggish national economy – remains at a virtual standstill. While sales of existing homes and early signs of life in new construction show as a virtual blip on the screen from one news day to the next, a growing trend in home remodeling appears to be on the rise. According to the 
Whether forced to stay put because they are upside down on their loan, unwilling to take a loss on the sale of their home, or making the conscious decision to remain in their existing home due to proximity to good schools or work, homeowners need not feel “trapped”. An excellent design-build firm can transform just about any house into the home of one’s dreams (unless it just so happens that the home of your dreams exists on a sandy white beach or soaring mountaintop, and you currently reside in a suburb of Atlanta). From changing the front elevation of your home or adding a second level to the home to alter the appearance of the exterior, to revamping the look and layout of your kitchen or finishing a basement – a well-planned and well-executed remodeling project can increase the usefulness and enjoyment of individual rooms of your home. At 
A deck can be a wonderful addition to any home. They serve as a functional extension of your living spaces into the Great Outdoors. A deck can be an outdoor dining room under a sea of stars, a peaceful escape from the hustle-bustle of life beyond your backyard, or a gathering space for neighborhood parties and family celebrations. Unfortunately, if not constructed properly – a deck can become an accident waiting to happen.
If you are considering adding a deck to your current home, it is of utmost importance that you work with a contractor who strictly adheres to code ordinances and has your family’s wellbeing in mind. Because safety is such a concern, a deck is no place to cut corners. Select someone who is able to provide references, is fully licensed and insured, and has no blotches on their record with watchdog organizations such as the Better Business Bureau. If you already have a deck, you should do a little investigating of your own before your next big al fresco get-together. Take a flashlight and look closely at every inch – do you witness any wood rot? Are there any nails sticking out? Pay particular attention to the integrity of the flooring, railing, and attachment to the house. If your home is an older home and the deck has been there some time – there’s a chance it was built before code ordinances when it was considered suitable to attach a deck to a house using only nails. If you have even the slightest inkling that your deck could be deemed unsafe, you should call in a professional home inspector or deck contractor to suggest if a deck repair or replacement is in order.
