Laebon Homes Blog

And So This is Christmas

2009-12-15T19:33:00.001-08:00

As 2009 winds down, we look back at a year that started in turmoil, and ended with a calm stability.

We thank God for our friends, for our families, and for the freedom to live and work and to raise our families in this great nation. We are so blessed.

We look forward to 2010 with excitement and anticipation. Excitement because of unfulfilled dreams and plans, and anticipation of the challenges that the new year brings.

The Laebon Custom Kitchen

2009-11-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last evening Westridge Cabinets hosted a group of Laebon team members to celebrate the opening of Westridge's "Laebon Kitchen" in the Westridge showroom.

Westridge has installed a display that accurately showcases the many cabinet features that are standard in each Laebon home.

Laebon offers our customers 3 choices of wood species, 6 colours of stain, 6 choices of door style, 3 choices of crown molding, 2 styles of countertop (with 56 choices of laminate), 9 different cabinet handles and 17 different knobs.

Laebon offers this degree of choice because we know our customers want to personalize their kitchen and bath cabinets, and they don't want to worry about the cost.

If the kitchen really is the heart of a home (it sure is the heart of my home), I think we've gone a long way towards making kitchens as special as the people who live in Laebon homes.

Alberta's Greenest Builder

2009-09-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

On September 18 2009, Laebon received the "Green Vision" award, recognizing Laebon as Alberta's greenest builder.

We were recognized for our "EQuilibrium home, which we have spent the past three years designing and constructing.

EQuilibrium is a home that consumes no energy. In fact, it acts as a generator.

For Laebon, it is a "laboratory", a place where we are learning all about sustainable construction techniques. We are already building better homes as a result of the things we have learned at EQ.

Red Deer Takes Off

2009-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

ATB Financial, in an Economic Comment published today, confirmed something many of us in Central Alberta already knew. The Red Deer area was the fasted growing region in Alberta between 2003 and 2008, with the population increasing by 16.8%.

The growth was attributed to the tremendous expansion of manufacturing, growth in oil and gas service activity and gains in retail and personal services.

Other fast growing areas include Calgary at 16% and Wood Buffalo (Ft. McMurray) at 14.6%.

I've said for years "Central Alberta is a wonderful place to live and work and raise a family". The statistics now confirm that lots of other people feel the same.

The Economic News Just Gets Better

2009-08-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Even in the summer months, consumers are showing that they are shaking off the effects of the recession, and getting on with their plans.

There are several interesting statistics coming out of the US about housing. The Case Schiller index is reporting a solidifying of housing values there. New starts are up, and used inventories are declining.

In Canada, city after city is reporting that home sales have increased to pre-recession levels.

In Central Alberta, the used market is just about back to last years levels. In fact, realtors report that certain products are in short supply.

Laebon's home sales are rebounding along with the rest of the economy. Even during the summer months, when sales tend to be slow, buyers are searching us out.

Housing Market Statistics

2009-07-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

The news media have reported a few very positive facts this past week.

The Conference Board of Canada reported that Canada will climb out of recession this quarter. It further reported that the US housing and auto sectors had bottomed out and had started recovering.

Then, various reports noted the fact that Canadian existing housing sales rose 8.7 percent in June, the fifth consecutive monthly gain. In fact, economists at BMO went to far as to suggest that Canada was a sellers market.

The Central Alberta housing market has recovered too. Inventories of used homes are down, and prices have firmed. New home starts are increasing too, although there are still a lot less starts that there were a few years ago.

That Wild Rose Charm

2009-07-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

ATB Economics recently wrote an article that discussed new inter provincial migration. The article starts by saying that the population of Alberta grew faster than any other province in the first quarter of 2009, partly due to the 7,144 interprovincial migrants. Over half of these people arrived from Ontario.

Also notable was that for the first time since 2006, more people moved to Alberta from Saskatcheqwan and BC than moved there from Alberta.

This inmigration drives demand for housing, helping to explain a resurgence in our industry.

Alberta really is a great place to live and to work and to raise a family, and it seems the rest of Canada hasn't forgotten.

Happy Birthday Canada

2009-07-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Canada

Once a year, on July 1, we need to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be Canadian. We really are blessed to live in this great country, even if the winters are too long some years.

At Laebon we continue to see increased sales as the world economy works it's way out of last year's global recession. Our weekly sales continue to increase, and our show home traffic has been stellar.

Last week's MLS statistics for Red Deer were a good indication of the direction. The number of listings in Red Deer fell to 608 from 636 a week earlier. There were 185 sales to June 25. I look forward to seeing the June sales totals compared to a year ago; I suspect there was a big increase.

At the Laebon office we're actively working on the final design for the first phase of Timberstone; we're still hoping to complete the underground utilities for the first phase this fall.

Laebon Team Picnic

2009-06-25T08:28:00.001-07:00

Check out the video from our Team Laebon picnic at Heritage Ranch....

Thanks to everyone who came out.....

SB

Great Homeowner Survey!!

2009-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

We just got a survey from one of our customers. I thought I would share the comments:
1. We love the open floor plan, the automatic lights in closets and bathrooms, the "no slam" cabinets and the overall structure (architecture, lines, ceilings etc.) in our home.
2. We would not change a thing, we absolutely love it.
3. Aaron and Daryl are both very positive and friendly. They were awesome to work with.
4. The only suggestion they had for the Laebon Team was "keep up the awesome work"

Congrats to the whole team. Way to go!!!!!

Welcome to Blogging

2009-06-19T12:05:00.001-07:00

I hope to use the world of blogging to let the "blog world" know about events in Laebon, changes to the marketplace, and our view of the economy. Please participate; blogging is a two way street. Thanks for stopping by.

Social Media What?

2009-06-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines communication as “a process by which information is exchanged through a common system of symbols, signs, or behaviors.” I’m not sure if you have noticed or not, but those processes, symbols, and signs we use to communicate have changed over the past few years…a lot.

As a culture, we have essentially redefined interpersonal communication. The entire world is now only a click away. Did you know that on a regular basis we have marketing materials produced by people in Calgary, Salt Lake City, and California? Or that Paul Wong, our IT guru, has been travelling in Europe for the past several months and been managing our entire server from his Blackberry and laptop?
The cell phone, Internet and e-mail have become such an essential part of our everyday lives that we struggle to remember a time without them. It is hard to believe that just a few years ago, all most people knew about them is that they were supposed to be ‘the next big thing’.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen….there is a new ‘next big thing’. Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and others… collectively coined “Social Media”…is altering the way we correspond with each other. Consumers now expect access to complete profiles and regular updates of those they interact with. From favorite pizza to recent employment history to pictures from their last birthday party, there is an expectation that they can find it, share it, and talk about it.

Their expectations of those they do business with are no different. Consumers are no longer content knowing just what a business does. Customers want to know how they do it, why they do it, and whom is doing it. They expect to be able to relate to the companies they do business with. Companies spend millions of dollars producing advertisements that feature no specific product, just their brands image.
At Laebon Homes, we are able to offer that relationship to our customers. The Facebook Group Page, Twitter Page, and the newly launched Laebon.com Blog will be key methods of communicating what the Laebon team is all about. By giving those interested in Laebon an opportunity to gain insight into the Laebon Team, we will give them a chance to be more connected to the home building process then has ever been possible before.

While the medium may be new, the fundamental principle remains the same. Effective communication with our homeowners is paramount to our success. These customers are the reason for our existence. These new communication outlets will allow us to establish a relationship (and generate sales) in a way that was never before possible. Our customers want to know us. They invite us into their homes every time they open the website, visit the Facebook page, or read the new blog. There aren’t many marketing tactics that can hold a candle to that. So log on and check it out; I know you don’t want to miss being a part of ‘the next big thing’.