Behold, the ultimate safe houses

The devastation that super storm Sandy brought to the East Coast has stepped up disaster preparation efforts from all sectors, including homebuilding. In fact, even before Sandy barreled its way to residential areas in the East Coast, some owners were fortifying their homes against possible calamities, from hurricanes to nuclear attack, reports The Wall Street Journal. These homeowners are testing materials and technology that could change how home building is being done by the likes of Jeff Rutt.

Image Credit: Alquiliaproteccion.Blogspot.com

An example of this, as shown in the article mentioned, is the Hollywood Hills home of the Corbi family. The house may look like any modern home in the area, but it has been built to withstand nearly every type of disaster imaginable, from storms to high-magnitude earthquakes and wildfires. The wine cellar in the basement doubles as an underground bunker, while the rooftop helipad allows for a last-ditch emergency exit if all security measures fail.

Then there’s also the “hurricane-resistant home” in South Florida, which is outfitted with 12-inch thick reinforced concrete walls covered by a rubberized material for added waterproofing and clad in 2-inch stone.

Image Credit: CBC.ca

Meanwhile, a 70,000-square-foot chateau-style home in Christian County, Missouri, is being touted as the ultimate tornado-proof home. It has 12-inch thick walls and ballistic-proof windows that have been tested to resist the equivalent of a two-by-four board traveling at 40 miles an hour, which is roughly the speed at which debris can be hurtled during a big storm.

Indeed, some homeowners are splurging on materials and technologies to make their homes ready for any disaster. After all, a house is a great deal of investment, and for some homeowners, such investment should be safeguarded at all times.

Image Credit: Thequiltyhome.Blogspot.com

Visit this website to know more about the latest in homebuilding in Central Pennsylvania.

In the Rockies, a Resort—and Refuge

Sharing an article about real estate developments in the Rockies, written by Alyssa Abkowitz for the The Wall Street Journal:


In the resort town of Vail, Colo., real-estate professionals are stepping up efforts to court an increasingly important group of luxury ski-home shoppers: wealthy buyers from Mexico.

Slifer Smith & Frampton, a brokerage based in Avon, Colo., recently unveiled a Latin American division and now makes several trips to Mexico City to host dinners and cocktail parties for potential homeowners. On a jaunt in late October, the firm co-sponsored a dinner at the home of a well-known Mexican television executive for 60 guests, who ate ceviche and sipped Champagne. "Several of the attendees are already looking," says Beatriz Martinez, the head of the new division. And this winter, the firm is printing its first buying guide in Spanish and working with local banks and title companies with personnel who speak Spanish.

The firm has also partnered with Glika International, a boutique real-estate firm in Mexico City, and Ski Madness, a real-estate and ski company, offering them 50% of the commission—much larger than a typical referral fee—for sending high-net-worth Mexicans interested in Vail to their agency. In turn, Glika and Ski Madness help sponsor various local events, such as a VIP dinner Ski Madness co-sponsored in late October. Currently, Slifer Smith & Frampton says it has 50% market share in Vail, a market where prices are still down 30% from their peak in 2008.

While Vail has long been popular among wealthy Mexican families, a recent real-estate spree has been fueled, in some cases, by a desire for security. "Safety is a huge issue for many of these families," says Julie Bergsten, vice president of Slifer Smith & Frampton. "We've even seen some families move here full-time."

PLANTING NEW ROOTS | Alejandro Marti, the CEO of a Mexican sporting-goods store, bought the bankrupt Vail Plaza hotel and remodeled it into the Sebastian, an upscale, hotel-condo development.



Mexican buyers have been behind a number of big-ticket sales in Vail this year. At the Four Seasons Residences, a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home sold for $4.2 million over the summer to a business executive from Mexico City. In the spring, a Mexican buyer bought a $7.5 million home on Gore Creek Place, a desirable street overlooking Vail Mountain. And two out of the last three sales at the Solaris, one of the newest developments in Vail Village, sold to Mexican families this year with price tags around $6 million each.

FirstBank, a regional bank, has made loans to more than a dozen Mexican buyers in the past year, up from only "two or three a year" five years ago, says James Wilkins, senior vice president. "They've been a strength in the last couple of years, when there was a dearth of high-end buyers."

Mexico's economy has weathered the global financial turmoil, but well-financed drug cartels continue to place growing pressure on the country to deal with rising violence. Earlier this year, the Mexican government released data that showed crime-related deaths increased 11% in the first nine months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. That has spurred Mexican business people with families to spend more time outside of Mexico, real-estate agents say.

Alejandro Marti, the CEO of a Mexican sporting-goods store, moved his family to Vail permanently after a crime-related family tragedy. In 2009, Mr. Marti bought the bankrupt Vail Plaza hotel and remodeled it into the Sebastian, an upscale hotel-condo development aimed at providing a hub for Mexican culture and art. "Everything in Vail is European-oriented," Mr. Marti says. The Sebastian opened at the end of 2011, and in the past year, three families from Mexico each purchased eight-week memberships, or fractionals, for $580,000 a pop; one family purchased multiple weeks at the Sebastian for a total of $1.1 million.

Alex Martinez, a lawyer from Mexico City, purchased a $390,000 fractional ownership at the Sebastian that allows him to use the property for four weeks a year. He bought earlier this year after hearing that Mr. Marti owned the development. "He's a very well-known businessman, and whatever he does he puts his heart into it," Mr. Martinez says. In all, about 40% of the Sebastian's condo buyers are from Mexico.

At the Solaris, a trendy upscale residential complex in Vail Village, Latin Americans have bought 60% of the units that have sold for more than $12 million, with Mexicans making up the majority of those buyers.

"If a certain group selects a place, it's likely others will follow," says Johannes Faessler, a longtime Vail resident and proprietor of the Sonnenalp, a European-style hotel in town.

Part of the lure is Vail's focus on family-oriented activities. For example, the Solaris has a 70,000-square-foot complex with a bowling alley, a movie theater, an ice-skating rink and a shopping center. During peak vacation weeks, retailers in Vail will set up extra playrooms for the barrage of children and nannies or add kid-friendly food to menus.

The biggest concern that can trip up real-estate deals for many Mexican buyers is security. Many of the buyers in Vail are so private that it has been difficult to process loans, since the buyers are reluctant to turn over tax returns or financial statements. Mr. Wilkins, the FirstBank executive, notes that acquiring private loans along family lines is still prevalent in Mexico.

"Sometimes it comes down to, 'If you want this property, we need a complete financial picture,' " he says.

The Mexican real-estate rush has also started a new campaign to bring a direct flight from Mexico City to Eagle County airport, which is about 30 miles away from Vail compared with Denver's 120-mile trek. Says Kent Myers, an airline consultant who's leading the effort to woo Eagle County officials to expand its air service: "That could really move the dial."

Jeff Rutt: Making a difference in people's lives through CSR projects that make sense

Jeff Rutt, the founder of HOPE International, maintains that companies should take time to fully develop their plans if they hope to make a difference in the lives of their targeted beneficiaries through a corporate social responsibility initiative.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: hopeinternational.org

Without a doubt, many business owners start off with good intentions when they decide to take on a CSR project that is in line with their company goals. They may have ideas on the outcomes they want and how to best achieve their aim of providing relief for the recipients. However, haphazardly going about this matter and misunderstanding the needs of the beneficiary may actually end up doing more harm than good.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: ciaraquinn.wordpress.com

Jeff Rutt notes that lasting change needs continuous and timely effort. There’s an appropriate response for varying needs, and companies with CSR projects cannot stick with just one approach if they plan on making a difference to the community they’re setting out to help. Providing for the immediate needs of the people is necessary in times of emergencies. After that, however, going for long term development goals is the next best course of action to take.

Likewise, making the project mean more to the company’s stakeholders is also important to its long term existence and success. Companies should aim for a worthy cause and utilize a methodology that allows the participants to make use of their skills and passions to make a difference in a natural way.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: mshcdn.com

Additional information about Jeff Rutt and Homes for Hope can be found at www.homes4hope.org.

Jeff Rutt shares good news on the housing market

Hi everyone, this is Jeff Rutt with some good news on the housing market. This week home sales continued to increase signaling that the housing recovery is in full swing. The apparent recovery in the housing market has not only been good news for builders and homebuyers looking to find great deals, it has also had a positive impact on other parts of the economy as well. Building supplies retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes reported increased sales. Likewise, more consumers are finding that their home values are beginning to increase once again allowing them to reclaim some of their lost equity. Let’s hope that these rebounds in the housing industry continue to have a positive impact on the economy into the fall!

Many Blessings,

Jeff Rutt


Housing market recovery helping bolster U.S. expansion

Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Sales of previously owned homes and work on single-family projects climbed in August to the highest levels in two years, signaling the residential real-estate market is contributing to the U.S. economic recovery.

Purchases of existing houses increased 7.8 percent to a 4.82 million annual rate, the most since May 2010, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 78 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for sales to increase to a 4.56 million pace. Commerce Department data showed builders began work on the most one- family homes since April 2010.

The U.S. economy shows signs of finally bottoming out as Americans are ready to take a chance with college or the job market.

A new report has found the U.S. government may have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgage aid to struggling homeowners who did not qualify for that help. Record-low mortgage rates, more affordable properties and limited supply of new homes are driving orders at builders such as Toll Brothers Inc. and Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. In addition, sales of distressed properties are starting to account for a smaller share of the market, leading to gains in home values that are laying the groundwork for a sustained economic expansion as household sentiment and finances improve.

“The nascent housing recovery has deepened,” said Ellen Zentner, a senior U.S. economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York, who projected existing-home sales would climb to a 4.85 million rate. “Ultimately, this improvement will lead to a rise in residential wealth, which tends to lift consumer confidence and spending.”



The Standard & Poor’s Supercomposite Homebuilders Index rose 3.8 percent at 12:56 p.m. in New York, while the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent. The pickup in housing helps explain why the index of builder shares, including PulteGroup Inc. and D.R. Horton Inc., has surged 77 percent this year through yesterday, outpacing a 16 percent gain in the broader S&P 500.



Builder Shares



Construction of single-family houses climbed 5.5 percent to a 535,000 rate, the fastest since April 2010, after a 4.5 percent decrease, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Permits for the building of one-family homes increased 0.2 percent to a 512,000 annual pace, the highest since March 2010.

Beginning construction of all homes rose 2.3 percent to a 750,000 annual rate in August, less than forecast and restrained by a decrease in starts of multifamily dwellings that are volatile month to month.

Work on apartments and other multifamily homes dropped 4.9 percent to an annual rate of 215,000.



Beyond Builders


The housing rebound extends beyond builders -- from home- furnishings retailers like Lowe’s Cos. and Home Depot Inc. to building materials supplies such as gypsum wallboard-maker USG Corp.

Existing-home sales have improved after reaching a low of a 3.39 million annual rate in July 2010. In the buildup to the subprime lending collapse and recession, purchases reached a peak of 7.25 million in September 2005.

Estimates in the Bloomberg survey for August ranged from 4.45 million to 4.85 million. Compared with a year earlier, purchases increased 11 percent in August, today’s report showed.

The median price of an existing home climbed 9.5 percent to $187,400 from $171,200 in August 2011. Prices have increased in each of the past six months on a year-to-year basis, the best performance since early 2006.

The increase in prices reflects both a reduction in distressed sales and a “genuine” appreciation in property values, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said in a news conference today as the figures were released.

A published report says Bank of America is accelerating its cost-cutting plan. A new report has found the U.S. government may have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgage aid to struggling homeowners who did not qualify for that help.

The gain in home values may induce potential buyers and sellers to enter the market. Prices last quarter posted their first year-over-year gain since 2007, according to Zillow Inc., the Seattle-based operator of the largest real-estate information website.

Higher real estate values also helped more than 1.3 million homeowners regain equity in the first six months of 2012, according to CoreLogic. About 22.3 percent of homeowners with a mortgage owed more than their homes were worth at the end of June, down from 23.7 percent three months earlier.

Even with pricier real estate, homes remain affordable. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was at 3.55 percent in the week ended Sept. 13, near 3.49 percent, the lowest since records began in 1971, Freddie Mac data show.

The Federal Reserve has also committed to purchasing $40 billion of mortgage debt a month to lower borrowing costs, helping the housing market that Chairman Ben S. Bernanke called “one of the missing pistons in the engine.”



Fed’s Bernanke


“Our mortgage-backed securities purchases ought to drive down mortgage rates and put downward pressure on mortgage rates and create more demand for homes and more refinancing,” Bernanke said in a Sept. 13 press conference after the central bank announced the debt-buying plans.

Homebuilders such as Red Bank, New Jersey-based Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. and Toll Brothers are seeing increased demand.

“Due to the industry’s rebound and our increase in sales pace, our communities are selling out more quickly and literally caught us without being able to replenish as fast as we’d like,” Ara K. Hovnanian, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, said on a Sept. 6 earnings call.

Toll Brothers, the largest U.S. luxury-home builder, reported a better-than-estimated profit and an increase in revenue for its third quarter ended July 31. The average price of the homes that the Horsham, Pennsylvania-based company delivered in the quarter climbed to $576,000 from $557,000 in the previous three months.

“The housing recovery is being driven by pent-up demand, very low interest rates and attractively priced homes,” Chief Executive Officer Douglas Yearley Jr. said on an Aug. 22 conference call with investors. “With an industry wide shortage of inventory in many markets, we are enjoying some pricing power.”



Posted on http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/housing-market-recovery-helping-bolster-us-expansion-economy/2012/09/19/00dbb1be-027d-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story_1.html.



Stay tuned for more articles and comments-Jeff Rutt

Jeff Rutt: Material quality and the integrity of your home

Much like how a delectable dish is made of the right ingredients, a house must be built with the right materials. For leading homebuilders like Jeff Rutt, quality can spell the difference between a home that would last a lifetime and a shoddily built shack that might as well topple over.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: cbc.ca

Building a quality home might appear to be expensive at first, but this would ultimately be a sound investment in part for the homebuilder and, eventually, the homeowner. Quality building materials and fixtures, when combined with sound building techniques and proper planning, help create a structure that would be less difficult to maintain, saving the homeowner time and money in the long run.

One does not become a leading nationwide homebuilder without investing in quality products and services. Jeff Rutt of Keystone Custom Homes ensures that the companies he keeps are known for high standards of quality.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: davidamoya.com

Cutting corners in quality might appear to save money, but its resulting cost may prove to be much more expensive in the long run. Materials may decay quickly, threatening the integrity of the structure, or contain toxic substances that may threaten the health of the home’s inhabitants. Moreover, mounting repair costs may end up being more expensive than the house itself.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: hutchcustomhomes.com

The building materials for one’s home are an investment that would pay for itself in the long run. Choosing quality in this stage can make all the difference.

More information on Jeff Rutt and his company can be accessed on this website.

Inside job: Jeff Rutt warns homeowners about their drywalls

Jeff Rutt is the founder of Keystone Custom Homes, a leading independent home builder in Pennsylvania.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: Alpinepainting.com

A drywall is a wallboard made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, normally installed on interior walls and ceilings. Drywalls were extensively used during the construction boom that followed the hurricane disasters in Florida in 2004 and 2005. Most of them were imported and were installed in large scale. However, serious problems regarding their use emerged soon. Just months after they were installed, sulfur fumes escaped in the air and copper wires and pipes attached to them were damaged.

“For many people, a home is the single largest purchase they will make in their lifetimes. Making the wrong choice can have negative consequences for years to come.” — Jeff Rutt.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: Houselogic.com

While drywalls make a good alternative to the traditional lath and plaster, not all come in brands that deliver the quality homeowners need. In addition to producing fume and wiring issues, drywalls can also support the growth of mold due to their porous and lightweight substance. Hence, greedboard and cement board are often installed in areas that have high humidity, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

Choosing high-quality drywall is important to avoid hazards and expensive rehabilitation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s remediation guidance is a helpful resource that provides an effective approach to address potential health and safety issues for the remediation of houses affected by problem drywall.

Jeff Rutt Image Credit: CBC.ca

For more information about Jeff Rutt and the services offered by Keystone Custom Homes, log on to www.keystonecustomhome.com.

Jeff Rutt: Empowering women through microfinance

In 1997, Jeff Rutt established HOPE International, a Christian faith-based nonprofit organization committed to alleviating physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development.

Jeff Rutt Image credit: ChuckGallagher.Files.Wordpress.com

It is not by chance that the majority of HOPE’s microfinance clients are women. It seems that even from the beginning of microfinance, its beneficiaries are mostly women. This just shows that the opportunities are still scarce for women to succeed in business today.

In many countries where HOPE works, women belong to the marginalized section of the society, deprived of education and prohibited to work outside their homes. Through its outreach programs, HOPE observed that when given the opportunity to start their own business, women are highly motivated to work hard to make their enterprises succeed.

Jeff Rutt Image credit: BewitchedBreaks.co.uk

Jeff Rutt’s HOPE International also notes that women are prudent borrowers. Not only do they repay more consistently than their male counterparts, but women are also more likely to use their business profits to support their families. When a microfinance institution empowers a woman to improve her income, the resulting profits are typically used to provide better nutrition, to improve housing, or to support children’s education.

Jeff Rutt and HOPE International believe that women have a unique opportunity to make their mark in the fight against poverty.

There are also instances when microfinance results in non-financial benefits. HOPE cites the story of one of its savings groups in India, and how the group was able to save one of its members from an abusive relationship. The member shared that her husband consistently beat her. Though she had told him to stop, the beatings continued. The 15 women in the group decided that they would go together to confront the husband. They told him that they supported his wife and that he must stop beating her. Knowing that the abuse was no longer secret and that others cared for his wife enough to confront him, the husband stopped beating and hurting his wife.

Jeff Rutt Image credit: HOPEInternational.org

For Jeff Rutt and HOPE International, microfinance enables women from developed countries to reach out to their fellow women in developing countries, giving them the freedom and respect they have been denied for a long time.

To know more about Mr. Rutt and HOPE International, visit www.hopeinternational.org.

The Volunteer Dating Game

Hi everyone, Jeff Rutt here. It takes a lot to make a nonprofit successful. It often starts with having the right mission and vision as well as a clear plan for how you will accomplish your goals.  Once you have a set plan in mind, it takes a lot of resources to make your goals a reality. Time, money, and talented people who are passionate about your cause are essential components to a well run nonprofit. The article below featured in Sustainable Business Forum discusses how valuable committed passionate volunteers can be to non profits. Specifically, the article talks about Gap Inc and their new program which encourages employees to find causes where they can best use their skills and passions to make a difference. Through their volunteer program, Gap Inc is leading the way in corporate social responsibility by being a model for smart volunteering. At HOPE we have seen firsthand the benefits that come from corporate social responsibility that makes sense, through our Homes for Hope program. Through Homes for Hope we have had the privilege of partnering with talented builders from around the country to make a difference in peoples lives around the world.  Homes for Hope takes the skills and passions of home builders and applies them in practical ways to further HOPE’s mission. If you’re not familiar with our Homes for Hope program, check it out by visiting our website http://www.homes4hope.org/ and consider ways that you can use your skills and passion to help a cause near you!

Many blessings, Jeff Rutt

The Volunteer Dating Game

In the world of those who volunteer to make a better world, some dream of settling down.  But not you.  Nosiree. You enjoy the variety of volunteering with many different organizations and causes.  Last month it was a cancer nonprofit, today it’s a dog rescue. You heard that a literacy organization is having an awesome fundraiser next month so that’s the next cause on tap, and maybe after that you’ll try on a sustainability charity for size - recycling could be cool.

Sure, your nonprofit relationships don’t seem to be progressing, but that’s fine. Volunteering with a wide range of causes is fun and keeps things interesting.

I mean, yeah, it would be nice to get a little deep sometimes, focus on one charity that gets to know the real you, y’know?  Where you could go beyond the basics, contribute your full self, maybe even graduate to something more long-term.  Make a difference, grow a little, find that one nonprofit that you’ll keep coming home to.

But for whatever reason, you haven’t taken the plunge, so volunteer mingling will have to suffice.

A Healthier Relationship

It doesn’t have to be this way.  Imagine a world where the energy, passion and skills of volunteers aligned perfectly with the needs and capacity of nonprofits. Where expectations were calibrated and trust was built over time.

That’s the world that Gap Inc. is working to create with its global teams of employee volunteers. Reflecting feedback from the community that some volunteer projects were fun for the volunteers, but not as valuable to the nonprofits as they could have been, Gap Inc. realized that if it was going to facilitate meaningful relationships between its employees and causes, it needed to get everyone “dating” with an eye towards long-term relationships between employee teams and nonprofit organizations. Gap Inc. thinks of this as the “date, then get married” approach to volunteering.

“We started our volunteer program around a more traditional skills-based framework,” noted Gail Gershon, Gap’s Executive Director of Community Leadership. “We’d ask our nonprofit partners what they needed and then try to match them with employee volunteers who had relevant skills. But this approach wasn’t sustainable.  What we heard from nonprofits and employees was that the more effective way to move toward skills-based volunteering would be for teams to develop long-term partnerships with nonprofits, to get to know their needs and help the nonprofit better understand the skills that the team of employees represented. Then, the skills could be applied to the volunteering more naturally and build over time, and the volunteers could work to fulfill a variety of needs faced by their nonprofit partner.” 

Further, Gail added, Gap Inc. wants to make sure that volunteer activity is valuable to the nonprofit, not just a pleasant diversion for the volunteer. “Sometimes volunteering is designed to be the best possible experience for the volunteer but not what is most critical to the nonprofit.”

Thus was shaped a worldview that smartly applies dating philosophies to volunteer programs. 

Toward this end, Gap Inc. encourages every team (which could be a store or an office location) to elect a person who will be their Community Leader.  That one person is then charged with finding an appropriate nonprofit partner that the entire team will support, ideally over an extended period of time so that the quality of the volunteering is most meaningful for both the volunteer and nonprofit.  And just like your mama told you, Gap Inc. teams are discouraged from marrying after their first date.  Instead, they’re encouraged to ask themselves: is this a fit? When should we go steady? When should we move in together? How can we really get to know each other before making that final commitment?

“The nonprofit needs to invest in the volunteers and train them. That requires precious time and resources from the nonprofit’s staff.  So if the nonprofit doesn’t know if you’re coming back, why should they waste their time?” said Gail. “We encourage our teams to get to a place where there’s mutual trust.”  When the trust and fit is there, that’s when employees can effectively leverage their skills, which can potentially make a longer term impact over time.

Wave of CSR's Future

Gap Inc. has plenty of company in their belief that skills-based volunteering is the wave of the corporate social responsibility future.  That’s why they’re one of more than 100 pledge companies for A Billion + Change, a national campaign to make skills-based volunteering the new normal in every workplace, which has already elicited a promise of more than $1.7 billion and at least 11.5 million hours of time and talent dedicated to building nonprofit capacity. Gap Inc. shared their wisdom about encouraging skills-based volunteering at this week’s Corporate Philanthropy Summit, a forum for best practices around corporate giving which A Billion + Change has helped organize.

For energized corporate volunteers and future changemakers, finding a nonprofit that best meets your passion is an outcome that translates into satisfaction and impact.  Who knows – Gap Inc. may even have some advice on the right wedding togs to wear when you and your nonprofit are ready to make things official.

Thanks again for reading, stay tuned for more articles and comments-Jeff Rutt

Posted on http://sustainablebusinessforum.com/causecast/58406/volunteer-dating-game

Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving?

Hello this is Jeff Rutt, I recently came across this article published by a Canadian newspaper about a recent academic humanities conference. At the conference one of the most popular papers that was presented centered around the topic of charitable giving. According to the paper, charitable giving has become a trendy thing to do primarily in North American culture. Giving has become trendy not necessarily because people are passionate about the cause they are giving to, but because they want to appear as a certain kind of person to their friends. Many celebrities like Angelina Jolie have made it cool to give your time and money towards a cause. Many people can identify with that wanting to feel like they are someone who is a part of something bigger, or who cares about a cause. As the founder of an organization that relies heavily on charitable giving, I’m excited about the push in our culture for people to give back. However, I know that it takes more than a passing trend to create real change in the lives of those less fortunate. Making real and lasting change involves a commitment on the part of the giver and a passion to see a project through to the end. Although giving is almost always appreciated, the Bible states that the best giving is that done with a right heart and attitude. In Mark 12 Jesus tells his disciples that a woman who had given just a small gift had given the best gift because she gave out of a pure heart and gave all that she could. At HOPE we appreciate any donation that is given to us, but we it is our desire that those who give do so not because its trendy but out of a pure heart to serve others and make true and lasting change for the Kingdom.

(The following text is excerpted from: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/28/oh-the-humanities-does-a-donation-really-count-if-no-one-sees-you-giving/)

Oh, The Humanities!: Does a donation really count if no one sees you giving?

Donating money to charity has become highly fashionable, a status symbol that has been dubbed “conspicious giving,” and comes with the burden of social expectation and manipulation, according to a paper to be presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences conference on Wednesday.

University of Alberta instructor Margrit Talpalaru coined the “conspicious giving” term to describe the way corporations, charities and society at large have latched onto North Americans’ desire for the visibility that comes with donating time or money.

“In the rampantly consumerist Western society of the 21st century, conspicuous giving has become the true status marker,” writes Ms. Talpalaru, a English and film studies instructor. “Charitable donors, especially famous ones, have become modern-day heroes, while ordinary people are being judged by their giving.”

North Americans find role models in celebrities like Angelina Jolie, who has served as a United Nations special envoy for refugees and last week released a line of jewellery that will benefit children in Africa.

Canadian do-gooders Marc and Craig Kielburger’s social enterprise Me to We uses corporate strategies to boost their cause of improving life for children all over the world (you can buy a Pamoja Unity Bracelet on their website for only $49.99).

Ms. Talpalaru said 1985’s Live Aid concert for Ethiopia was a precursor. The expertly marketed Run for the Cure campaign for breast cancer research, with its ubiquitous pink ribbon, is another.

Corporate interest flooded in after billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates made The Giving Pledge in 2010, breathing life into the idea of “philanthrocapitalism.”

“You can see how celebrity culture, celebrity activism trickles down and puts these pressures on everyday people like you and I donating more time or money and to win stuff for charity,” she said. “The competition that is so prized by capitalism now has to be tinged with the moral value of giving to charity. It’s no longer good enough that you’re good at something, you’ve won something, you have to give at least part of it to charity.”

The new Global TV reality show Canada Sings gets workplace colleagues to form a glee club and compete on live television. Their winnings go to charity — an act that was once the sole domain of celebrities when they played TV game shows like Jeopardy or The Price is Right.

She’s also concerned corporate sponsors could take full control of charity fundraisers and research projects, with their money-making interests potentially overshadowing the social good. And she suggests that if individuals are more interested in funding good causes, the government may choose to do less of it.

She cautions the meteoric rise of doing good has also come with the burden of social expectation — if everyone else is taking donations for charity in lieu of gifts, why aren’t you? While this focus on giving is inherently good, Ms. Talpalaru is urging more thought and debate about the phenomena.

“The only pitfall is to follow blindly.”


Thanks again for reading, stay tuned for more articles and comments- Jeff Rutt

Jeff Rutt: Improving energy efficiency at home through technology

Jeff Rutt, founder and CEO of Keystone Custom Homes, understands that homeowners just want to enjoy the full value of their homes. They want to amplify the living experience in their houses while still feeling safe and comfortable. According to expert builders and remodelers, property owners can do so by making their homes energy efficient. With effective energy management systems installed in houses, homeowners can save money that they can use for other important living expenses.

Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: Jeff Rutt

With this said, the following are the home technologies that can make houses energy efficient:

• Preset lighting settings. Lighting can easily make up 10 to 20 percent of the total electrical usage of a home. For this reason, Jeff Rutt and other home building experts recommend the use of automated lighting systems. With a preset dimmer, which adjusts lightings to the homeowner’s needs based on the time of the day, electricity bills can be lowered. Using this kind of technology can also increase the life expectancy of light bulbs.

Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: Jeff Rutt

• Automated HVAC systems. With automated systems to manage heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls, a home can maintain a more energy-efficient temperature when the owners are not inside the house. Likewise, when the occupants are back, the HVAC settings can automatically revert to a more comfortable temperature. These systems can also be programmed to heat or cool only the areas most used by the occupants. By utilizing this technology, energy consumption can be lessened while still putting comfort as top priority.

Jeff Rutt Photo Credit: wn.com

By carefully studying these home technologies and incorporating them in their properties, homeowners will finally be able to understand the real value of their “home sweet home.”  

For more information about Jeff Rutt and Keystone Custom Homes, visit www.keystonecustomhome.com.

Jeff Rutt: Knowing when to buy or rent a home

Jeff Rutt Photo credit: revnyou.wordpress.com

Home builders like Jeff Rutt believe that a house is one of the most valuable investments a person can have. For most people, home ownership is a great achievement especially for the younger generations. However, financial experts agree that home ownership isn’t for everyone and that renting a home can sometimes be a more practical option.

For people to avoid the mistake of spending all of their savings on an impractical investment, they must first examine their lifestyle and needs to determine whether they should buy or rent a home.

Jeff Rutt Photo credit: eburcat.com

The New York Times has provided a buy-rent calculator for those who want to know which option would be less costly. For Jeff Rutt, buying a home is more practical especially if the homeowners are planning to stay in their home for the long term. As stated in The NY Times, homeowners can save over $1,700 each year when they choose to buy a house that they will live in for at least six years.

However, according to financial expert Suze Orman, buying a house comes with additional expenses such as property tax and homeowners insurance which, if added up, may be more costly than a month’s rent. Also, a new house requires new or additional furniture and appliances. If a person isn’t ready for these additional expenses, then renting may be the better option.

From Jeff Rutt

Aside from the additional expenses, people should look into their credit score before deciding whether to buy or rent a home. Financial experts agree that a high credit score can reduce the interest rate which is part of the mortgage.

By considering these things, people can be guided on when to invest in a home.
More information on Jeff Rutt and Keystone Custom Homes is available at www.keystonecustomhome.com.

Jeff Rutt: The components of home sweet home

What makes a Keystone Custom Home unique?



Home builder and former dairy farmer Jeff Rutt builds upon the principle of customer satisfaction; his company is dedicated to providing customers with options that help construct a home tailored to their specific needs and wants. This key difference is what helped Keystone Custom Homes become among the most recognized builders in the United States.

Jeff Rutt photo credit: hutchcustomehomes.com

Apart from featuring the many customization options that make every Keystone Custom Home unique, the company’s homes are built with certain specifications that aid in creating a sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing home for its inhabitants. Key structural features include triple-hinged doors, a foundation drainage system to prevent water from entering the basement, and corner frame and jack studs to help strengthen the walls around wall corners and doors respectively.

Jeff Rutt photo credit: azhomeinfosource.com

Jeff Rutt is a firm believer in value for the customer. His company offers many customizing options—over 1,500—to help future homeowners decide on the dimensions and appearance that their new home would take.


The homes are fully insulated affairs and have a warranty of up to 20 years and are found in housing developments throughout Central Pennsylvania, located in prime areas with relative access to roads and important commercial centers.

Jeff Rutt photo credit: leslierankow.files.wordpress.com

More information on Jeff Rutt and Keystone Custom Homes, including images of the customizing options in the interiors and exteriors of the homes built, is available at KeystoneCustomHome.com.

Born through HOPE: Jeff Rutt's micro financing program helps Philippine businesses

From Jeff Rutt

In 1997, Jeff Rutt established HOPE International, a Christian-based nonprofit organization committed to alleviating the underprivileged conditions of communities worldwide through discipleship and micro financing.

The Philippines is one of 16 countries that continue to benefit from the micro-financing projects of the foundation. Recognizing the crucial role of the microfinance industry in the country, the Central Bank of the Philippines (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas of BSP) was mandated by the General Banking Law to institutionalize and regulate micro financing within the banking sector in 2000. In the same year, the BSP declared microfinance as its flagship program in accordance to the General Banking Law’s pro-poor mandates.

Jeff Rutt photo credit: infohub.ph

Marcosa Igot, a native of Lapu-Lapu City, is one of the many housewives who sought the assistance of Jeff Rutt and HOPE International. The wife of a humble factory worker and mother of five children, Marcosa was determined to start her own business to supplement her husband’s meager wage. In the early 1990s, she began a handicraft business with a capital of P50,000. In spite of economic challenges, she has managed to grow her business, exporting her hand-woven box frames and baskets abroad.

According the BSP, 202 banks have granted P7.3 billion to over one million micro entrepreneurs in the span of a decade. In its commitment to improve existing laws, the BSP issued Circular No. 744 on December 28, 2011. The mandate decrees that a borrower who shows the capacity to pay can loan a maximum of P300, 000.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) distinguished the Philippine microfinance industry as the best in terms of regulatory framework. It also ranked second place in terms of overall business environment.

From Jeff Rutt

More information about Jeff Rutt and HOPE International can be found at www.hopeinternational.org.

Jeff Rutt: Building homes and making dreams

From Jeff Rutt

Founder and CEO of a multi awarded home builder company in the United States, Jeff Rutt is building quality homes for Americans and making dreams come true for others across the globe.

Even with the recent housing crisis in the United States, owning a home is still a priority among Americans. According to Les Christie at CNN.Money.com, Americans share a positive view regarding owning their own home, whatever their ethnic background or immigration status. Market giant Fannie Mae states that more than half of all Americans still believe that owning a home is still part of the American Dream. Thus, it can be said that whether the crisis in the market will continue, Americans will still want to acquire their own homes.

Jeff Rutt photo credit: wahaonline.org

American building visionary Jeff Rutt established Keystone Custom Homes in 1992, on the simple philosophy to raise the standard of building homes anchored on his core values of perseverance and efficiency. That philosophy has reaped great rewards for Jeff, with his company closing deals for the sale of 12 homes in its first six months of operations.

But Jeff does not only build homes; he builds dreams as well. He is also the founder of HOPE International, a group that provides microfinance opportunities for the poor to get affordable loans to start small businesses.

From Jeff Rutt

If you want to know more about Jeff Rutt, his work and advocacy, visit the company website: www.keystonecustomhome.com.

Jeff Rutt: Aiding low-income masses adapt to climate change through micro financing

It was in 1997 when Keystone Custom Homes Founder Jeff Rutt decided to establish a non-profit organization called HOPE International. Thousands of individuals and families reached and 16 countries covered later, the foundation has continued on its original thrust to renew hope and bolster socio-economic advancement in underdeveloped communities especially in third world countries.

From Jeff Rutt

Through the foundation’s microfinancing solutions, HOPE proactively engages in community projects geared towards resolving issues that plague the international community as a whole. Included among these is the need to address pressing concerns over the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change.

From Jeff Rutt

HOPE International ministers and founder Jeff Rutt recognize that these effects go beyond the evidences manifesting as extreme weather conditions and other natural disasters, effusing and causing more evident effects in the lives of people. Environmental degradation and climate change threaten the global community in a number of ways including the growing scarcity of food resources and rising occurrence of human displacement. If left unresolved, these can aggravate tensions among nations and can threateningly trigger an international war.

From Jeff Rutt

As HOPE International provides underprivileged individuals the opportunity to overcome financial challenges, it is also paving the way for them to improve their living conditions in the face of these dire environmental anomalies.




Learn more about the humanitarian efforts of Jeff Rutt and HOPE International at www.hopeinternational.org.