Thank you for joining me for my weekly feature, “A Word From Jen…”, which is a short touch point I post each week to keep you informed about what’s happening around NDI, the market, and even in my own house. Here we go! __________________________________________________________________ Did you see the eclipse on Monday? I was attending the settlement of our recently completed McLean Hamlet model during the eclipse. I will always remember handing the keys over to these wonderful clients as the eclipse was taking place. So cool! We opened this beautiful McLean Hamlet for guided tours a few week ..read more

I know it sounds like hyperbole, but this is one of the best marinade recipes I’ve come across since my favorite Asian Salmon marinade. This marinade can be used for chicken thighs, like the recipe calls for. I think it would also be excellent for pork tenderloin, flank or hanger steak, even chicken wings! It comes together in a flash, and you can make the marinade days in advance and keep it in the frig until you’re ready to cook. The longer you let the meat soak it up, the better! The first time we made this, we sliced it up and made chicken tacos and taco bowls. It is also great on salads ..read more

Building a custom home isn’t all about designing that perfect kitchen and waiting to breathe in that new carpet smell. From the time you start the process, you’ll become quite familiar with the term “Site Development” and all of the work that comes with it. The easiest way to describe site development is figuring out how to go from this…   To this…   It is slightly more complicated than that though. Site development activities include hiring a site engineer, county permitting, prepping the lot for construction, outside utility line installation, storm water management an ..read more

Thank you for joining me for my weekly feature, “A Word From Jen…”, which is a short touch point I post each week to keep you informed about what’s happening around NDI, the market, and even in my own house. Here we go! __________________________________________________________________ I’m so excited about our NEW design, The Lincoln Model. This home is over 3200 square feet but only 30′ wide (perfect for your in town lot!). And it checks all the boxes – Farmhouse style, open concept, flex space, and more! What I love most about this new design is the price. We have made it one of our “M ..read more

I started a blog series answering common home building questions. My goal is to provide you with a quick answer (300 words or less!) to a question and when I can, give you resources to find more information on the topic.  Today’s question is – Will the rain ruin my home’s lumber material? It is impossible to keep framing material completely dry during construction. Rain happens and sometimes it happens during the frame stage (especially this time of year!). But don’t worry, framing material is made to withstand exposure to moisture. In fact, the glues used to manufacture OSB (Or ..read more

Are you an oyster fan like me? I love them any way oysters can be served – raw, fried, baked, grilled. As long as you shuck them, I’ll eat them! I do hate shucking oysters (I don’t even like asking Paul to do it!). We love to go down to the Northern Neck of Virginia where locally farmed oysters are served and sold all year round, and pretty much everywhere. On a recent trip, we had dinner at a local restaurant who served baked oysters in oyster shell dishes like these… The oysters were so delicious and I immediately started thinking about how to recreate this yumminess at home. On the way out ..read more

This is the fourth and final post in my Home Protection Series. So far I’ve talked about protecting your basement, protecting your home from neglect and protecting your home from improper sealing. I hope you have enjoyed these maintenance tips. They are by no means the only maintenance you should be doing, but it’s a great start! Today I’m talking about humidity. Any Friends fans out there? Do you remember when the gang went to Barbados and Monica’s hair got a little out of control… Maintaining optimal humidity levels in your home is important for your home’s health. Too high or too low ..read more

Thank you for joining me for my weekly feature, “A Word From Jen…”, which is a short touch point I post each week to keep you informed about what’s happening around NDI, the market, and even in my own house. Here we go! __________________________________________________________________ I’m proud to announce we just finished our first The Addison! We introduced this new design several years ago. I love this cute home, and really thought it would be a popular choice for clients, especially for those who didn’t want a huge home (this one being just over 2000 square feet). But for some reason, we ..read more

Thank you for joining me for my weekly feature, “A Word From Jen…”, which is a short touch point I post each week to keep you informed about what’s happening around NDI, the market, and even in my own house. Here we go! __________________________________________________________________ I’m so excited to reveal our NEW design, The Lincoln Model. This home is over 3200 square feet but only 30′ wide (perfect for your in town lot!). And it checks all the boxes – Farmhouse style, open concept, flex space, and more! Here are the floor plans… The beauty of a design with flexible space is that you ..read more

Northern Virginia is a busy place. There is a lot going on throughout the day and night which leads to lots of traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. And not just on the area highways – traffic is everywhere in between. We’ve built a lot of our homes in some of the busiest areas in Northern Virginia. We’ve had sites that backup to Rt. 66 and I-495. We’ve built on Washington Boulevard in Arlington (twice!) and Westmoreland Street in Falls Church (four times!). You name it, we’ve probably built on it or near it. Some of the clients who have built on busier roads have opted to use sound reducing bui ..read more