Is It Worth It To Elevate Your Home?


One of the most common causes of home elevation is extreme weathering and flooding. In general, there are two options when deciding to elevate your home. The homeowner can physically lift the home, building a new foundation at the bottom, or leaving the home as is, but just building a “livable space” upper level, alternatively converting the ground level to a complete closure.

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Architectural Hierarchy 101

When you are working on a renovation project or building a home from the ground up, it is not just one person pulling the strings and leading the operation, learn the architectural hierarchy.  Behind every architectural firm is a small army of individuals with specific roles and responsibilities to make your dream a reality. Within this article, we will share the chain of command within an architectural firm. To learn what you should be looking for when hiring such architects, please review our blog posting titled “Considerations When Hiring an Architect” below.

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How Homeowners Can Prevent Construction Fraud

We have all heard the expression, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” But, how do we really know when we are being fooled? Though Construction Fraud was not listed in Investopedia’s Most Common Types of Consumer Fraud article, Construction Fraud is more common than you would think. Normally, when one thinks about the term “fraud”, you think of your credit card being compromised, but did you ever think of Construction Fraud, and ways you can prevent it?

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Long Island Construction Law Obtains Contractor Victory in Wrongful Termination

What does Long Island construction law say about terminating construction agreements? Despite the increasingly common use of arbitration in construction agreements, the New York Supreme Court has clarified that owners cannot terminate their construction agreement and fail to follow requirements for termination without repercussions. A recent pre-arbitration victory by John Caravella, Esq. confirms that the court unwilling to waive terms contained for termination and remedial efforts post termination to cure will not suffice to transform a wrongful termination into a termination for cause.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 4 of 4 – Conclusion

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 3 of 4 – Post-Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 2 of 4 – During Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners; Part 1 of 4 – Pre-Construction

This is a continuing article series regarding Construction Law: An Overview for Homeowners. These include four different topics, Pre-Construction (Part 1), During Construction (Part 2), Post-Construction (Part 3) and Construction Conclusion (Part 4). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of what happens within each construction phase.

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Legal Issues for New York Architects; Part 6 of 6 – Building Code Update

This is a continuing article series regarding Legal Issues for New York Architects. Originally presented by John Caravella, of the Law Offices of John Caravella, and Kimberly A. Steele of The Steele Law Firm and produced by HalfMoon Education Seminars, this presentation touches on the following topics, Complying with the Rules and Regulations on the Practice of Architecture (Part 1), Complying with New York Rules on Unprofessional Conduct (Part 2), Understanding and Complying with Barrier-Free Requirements (Part 3), Design and Construction Contract Law and Administration (Part 4), Understanding and Complying with the law on Design Professional Service Corporations (Part 5) and Building Code Updates (Part 6). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of Legal Issues for New York Architects.

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Legal Issues for New York Architects; Part 5 of 6 – Understanding and Complying with the Law on Design Professional Service Corporations

This is a continuing article series regarding Legal Issues for New York Architects. Originally presented by John Caravella, of the Law Offices of John Caravella, and Kimberly A. Steele of The Steele Law Firm and produced by HalfMoon Education Seminars, this presentation touches on the following topics, Complying with the Rules and Regulations on the Practice of Architecture (Part 1), Complying with New York Rules on Unprofessional Conduct (Part 2), Understanding and Complying with Barrier-Free Requirements (Part 3), Design and Construction Contract Law and Administration (Part 4), Understanding and Complying with the law on Design Professional Service Corporations (Part 5) and Building Code Updates (Part 6). Each series of topics discuss informative summaries of Legal Issues for New York Architects.

Continue reading “Legal Issues for New York Architects; Part 5 of 6 – Understanding and Complying with the Law on Design Professional Service Corporations”