We "moved that bus" for the Dunning family!
Gary Desch

New Model Emerges at The Peninsula

By Gary Desch, in The Peninsula
Nov. 22nd, 2011 | Comments (0)

Well everyone, I guess you’re wondering what all the noise is coming from the Peninsula on Indian River Bay. It’s the construction of my new model, the Avalon, part of our Coastal Series that we’re offering exclusively at the Peninsula.

We’re so excited to be part of this gorgeous community where we have the opportunity to build some of our most sought-after homes. Be sure to check out the Peninsula page on the Schell Brothers website often to see my video updates of the model construction – things are happening every day!

This gated community is a must-see.  With the grand amenities, no-maintenance resort-style living, and spectacular views of the Jack Nicholas Golf Course and Indian River Bay, it’s a lifestyle that most just dream of. Relax by the pools – yes I said pools – indoor, outdoor, and even a wave pool! To top it off, we offer our very own private beach.

If the pools and beach aren’t your thing, than enjoy our 8 tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, basketball, state-of-the-art fitness center or, better yet, enjoy a relaxing massage from our private masseuse.

We have a HUGE holiday incentive that you don’t want to miss – and it ends on December 23rd.  So come on out and visit me at the Peninsula.   I look forward to seeing you soon.

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Michelle Capaldi

Let’s Get Real About the Holidays

By Michelle Capaldi, in Sunset Harbour
Nov. 19th, 2011 | Comments (0)

Let’s get real.  We all want to buy that one special holiday gift for our wife, husband, son, daughter, niece, nephew, friend, or dog thisyear.  But in today’s world, how many more iPods could this special someone possibly need?  And TV’s?  Laptops?  Clothes?  Jewelry?  (OK, ladies can always use more jewelry.)

But seriously, when is a present going to become original?  When will a light bulb go off in our minds, to say, “Hey, buying the updated DVD player for this special someone may not be good enough this year.  Maybe buying a new 2011 blender won’t exactly WOW her for the holidays.”

You want to WOW?   You want to have that ‘never-been-seen-before’ look on his or her face that tells you that you’ve hit the jackpot this year with your present?  Picture this:  He or she unwraps a small gift, and finds a key.  No, not a car key; that’s too simplistic for 2011.  But, a house key.  Yes, a key to a brand new waterfront beach home in Bethany Beach!

That’s right!  We want to make your holidays extra cheerful this year by giving you some additional money toward your new beach home!  Holiday incentives at Sunset Harbour will bring your family’s beach memories to life with a new home on the water at Bethany Beach.

Our holiday incentive always proves to be the best savings of the year, so don’t wait another minute.  The first two buyers will get a whopping $55,000 toward their home and then the incentive will decline to $45,000 for the third and fourth buyers.   Judging from past years, the holiday incentive won’t last long – only until those first few buyers cash in on their dream.  See more details & exclusions below.

Let’s think outside the box for just a minute and imagine these two scenarios:  Your special someone opening up a sweater – or allowing your special someone to imagine the endless summer nights and unforgettable family traditions, for years to come, by opening up a key to a home on the water at Sunset Harbour?   Happy Holidays everyone!”

Terms and Conditions:  Holiday incentive is valid on firm (non-contingent) sales only and must be written before December 23rd.  The offer is subject to change without notice; see sales team for details.

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Adam Pettengell

Half Off at the Beach

By Adam Pettengell, in Live Like a Local
Nov. 18th, 2011 | Comments (0)

Okay, okay calm down! The title doesn’t mean Schell Brothers is giving 50% off the prices of their homes – yet! Just kidding, Chris. No, this is a follow up to my last blog about great deals to be aware of when you visit, or make your home at the beach, or even have friends who live here.

My newest discovery is Half Off at the Beach. It is an exciting, very cool way to secure great gifts and deals while also supporting local businesses in the area. I love a deal as I’m sure my last blog highlighted. I guess I’m an advocate of this particular website since just this week I took advantage of these great deals and enjoyed some time with my family.

Minnie at the Buttery

I took my lovely wife and four month old daughter Minnie to The Buttery in Lewes for lunch on Monday. We sat outside – my wife had an awesome chicken special and I had the soup and sarnie (that’s British for sandwich) combination. Downtown Lewes was in full bloom and it was a delightful experience. I had a $25 voucher which I paid $12.50 for and the bill after the coupon came to next to nothing even though my wife had a glass of wine! Ha, she’ll kill me for saying that. She says after 9 months of not having alcohol she’s on payback. After looking at my daughter’s face I don’t argue. Smart guy I know.

Then yesterday I purchased a super deal at Cake Break, in Rehoboth, which sells amazing cupcakes amongst other things. I’m afraid you’ll have to put diets aside but it’s a great gift or excuse to buy lunch or pressies (more British, this time for presents) for your favorite salesman… hint hint.

Well, I hope this is good information for all our fans, home owners and locals in the area. Please do let us know if you’ve your own comments about positive experiences with this website or any other companies that offer great deals in the area.

Good luck and happy eating, spending and gifting.

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Debby Coughlan

Send us a photo of your “Extreme” Party and win a gift signed by Ty!

By Debby Coughlan, in Extreme
Nov. 17th, 2011 | Comments (0)

As soon as it was announced that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was coming to Delaware this past August, there has been a buzz around town that hasn’t stopped.  It started when we asked for volunteers and sponsors to help with the build and, by the time the actual work started, the energy had reached a level beyond all expectations.

Building Happiness

Building a home in one week would be amazing in and of itself.  But building a home, a barn, a micro-home, a pavilion and a soup kitchen in one week in the midst of a hurricane?  That required an effort that came straight from the heart.  Our community came together, not only to build structures, but to build happiness for a family that has devoted their lives to serving others.

A Labor of Love

This Friday, November 18th from 8pm to 10pm ET, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air as ABC’s Thanksgiving special about the Dunning family and, from what we’ve heard, a lot of you plan to tune in.  Perhaps you were one of the thousands of volunteers who shared in a labor of love that was more meaningful than any of us ever imagined, or maybe you supported the build through your kind words and donations.

Share Your Stories and Photos

Do you have special plans for watching the show?  If so, we’d love to hear about them.  Take a fun picture of your party and share your “Extreme” story with us and we’ll post all the festivities on our website.  We’ll send a special gift – signed by Ty and the designers – to the person who submits our favorite photo.

Here’s how to do it. Visit our Facebook page and Like us, then share your “Extreme” party photo or story right on our wall. You can also share your photo via Twitter, just follow us and use the hash tag #ExtremePartyDE.

We will announce the winner on Monday Nov 21st at 9am so make sure you share your photos and stories before then.

Thanks to all for helping us build happiness for the Dunning Family.  Enjoy the show!


Update:

We have a winner! The judging wasn’t difficult, as only one photo was submitted via Facebook, so we will be sending a signed photo of Ty and the design team to Randy for his photo. Maybe everyone else was too busy enjoying the show to snap any photos of their get together?

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John Farro

Kayakers Love Delaware

By John Farro, in Independence
Nov. 16th, 2011 | Comments (0)

Recently I’ve had quite a few people mention that they were really interested in where they can Kayak in the area. I would say that with all of the water around us and the multitude of water access at the Delaware resorts, this is a Kayaker’s paradise.

On your next visit to Independence, plan to have some fun too! Strap those kayaks to the roof of your car and do some paddling while you’re here! If you don’t want to travel with your kayaks, there are plenty of rental opportunities for you as well. Our Delaware State Parks have kayaks available to rent, and they even run guided tours!

Living at Independence puts you very close to an abundance of kayak destinations.  Whether you are interested in paddling through the ocean, the bay, rivers, or lakes, we have it all just minutes away.

We hope you’ll enjoy one of the many outdoor activities that Lower Delaware has to offer active adults like you! See you soon!

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Mark Fitzgerald

Schellter Advanced Building Science Saves Energy and Money

By Mark Fitzgerald, in High Performance
Nov. 15th, 2011 | Comments (0)

We recently completed our 20th home that incorporates Schellter™ Advanced Building Science technology and the results have been tremendous.

Lower HERS Scores Mean Happier Energy Bills


Our whole-house systems approach on the standard Schell Brothers home has produced an average HERS Index Score of 55. For those of you not familiar with the HERS scoring system, lower is better and each 1 point decrease corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption and your energy bill.

For reference, a 10 year old plus house would likely have a score in the 125 to 150 range, a new home built to minimum code would score 100, and a new Version 3.0 Energy Star home is required to score in the 75-80 range.

So our homes on average are 45% more efficient than the code home and at least 20% more efficient than a typical Energy Star home. Keep in mind these scores are based on our standard homes – all of which include Schellter™ technology.

For those looking for extreme efficiency, we just recently completed two homes that feature the addition of Geothermal HVAC and Solar Panel options, which produced HERS scores of 30 and 32.

We Publish All our HERS Scores – Ask Other Builders if They Do the Same

In August, Schell Brothers became the first Delaware Builder to enter into an agreement with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to publish and market all HERS scores. RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is the Nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance.

To learn more about Schellter™ visit our Advanced Building Science section or stop by one of our Community Sales Centers.

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Guest

Extreme Employee Makeover

By Guest, in Culture
Nov. 5th, 2011 | Comments (0)
Guest post by Chris Antonio from Antonio’s Training.

I’ve always been a sucker for feel-good movies. You know that kind of story that pits the underdog against impossible odds only to have them shock the world and accomplish the impossible.  After all, there’s something incredible about watching someone or something change for the better that strikes a chord in all our hearts and inspires us to be better than we ever thought possible.

I remember seeing the movie Rocky in my early teens and almost jumping out of my seat when the unknown fighter from Philadelphia nearly dethroned the heavyweight champion of the world.

I almost cried watching the movie Rudy when a less than average boy with no size, strength or athletic ability refused to be deprived a chance to play for the mighty Notre Dame Football team.

I’ve recently watched the Blind Side – the story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher – so many times that I could probably recite the entire movie.

As a trainer, my passion for feel-good movies has always been linked to my business. My goal with each and every client I train is always to create a before and after picture so dramatic that people just can’t help being inspired. I guess you could say it’s like doing an extreme makeover but for bodies instead of houses.

2011 Corporate Fitness Challenge

2010 Corporate Fitness Challenge

For the past 4 years I have had the privilege to offer my 12 week body transformation to members of Schell Brothers Companies. During this time I’ve trained over 38 employees and seen some amazing results.

I witnessed Jeff Anemone get into the best shape of his life at the youthful age of 50. I saw Mark Moore chisel his abs so tight you could wash a basket of clothes on his stomach. I watched Megan Spangler go from a gym newbie to outperforming 90% of the men at the gym with 40 chest-touching pushups. I was there when Kevin Stevenson got ripped while experiencing the birth of his 4th child at the age 30 and I helped Sue Raueber become the first female winner of the Schell Brothers biggest loser contest.

But more than being part of these great transformations was getting to know the kind of people that work for Schell Brothers. They are a special group that take pride in their work, and are motivated to be the best at whatever they put their minds to. So it was only fitting that they would achieve great results with my 12 week Body Transformation program and it’s no wonder they receive countless annual awards for the homes they build.

So yeah, I admit it. I’m a sucker for feel-good movies and I will definitely be glued to the TV on Friday November 18th at 8:00pm to watch a small builder from Sussex County Delaware mobilize an entire town on national TV to build a soup kitchen for people in need in the worst economy this country’s experienced in the past 50 years.

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Gina Masenior

Heritage Creek is a Hidden Treasure

By Gina Masenior, in Heritage Creek
Nov. 4th, 2011 | Comments (0)

Growing up in the military allows you to be diversified, adventurous, and open to new friends and experiences.  It also causes you to pack your bags every two years, whether you need to or not.  Originally from Northwest New Jersey (yes, there are towns that are not just exits off the Turnpike), I learned tenacity and drive, warmth and humility, hard work, and love of family.

In 1989, we moved our family to Baltimore, Maryland. We enjoyed wonderful new adventures and I started my new home sales career. After discovering the glorious beaches of Delaware, I moved to a sales position in the “lower slower” environment.  At first, it was a little nerve-wracking starting over and meeting new friends. The idea of changing grocery stores, doctors, moving away from family, etc. can be a bit overwhelming. What I discovered is the warmth of the people of Delaware. It’s where you can call your electric company and get a real person to speak with! I also discovered that living near the beaches brings families together more often.

In 2011, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join a great company and sales force with Schell Brothers, a local builder whose mission statement captured my need to work for a customer-oriented company with the eye on future growth.  The Schell Brothers community of Heritage Creek in Milton, Delaware is a hidden treasure. Originally settled in 1672, Milton was known as the “Head of the Broadkill River.” Just a few miles from the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, sea captains and shipbuilders lived and worked here. As one strolls through the town, one can see the historic Victorian and Craftsman style homes and historic landmarks.

The idea behind Heritage Creek was to duplicate the Victorian and Craftsman style homes with full porches, rear garages, and a wonderful Boulevard to stroll down on starlit nights.  The curb appeal is highlighted by overflowing flower boxes on every home,  as well as hanging baskets along the tree-lined streets.  Come find out why Southern Living named Milton one of the 17 best small-town getaways in the United States.

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Michelle Capaldi

New Homes of 2015

By Michelle Capaldi, in Sunset Harbour
Nov. 1st, 2011 | Comments (0)

Refrigerators that talk, motorized floors,and programmable robots that take care of household chores: this was what we all imagined for the future of new home construction, right?

Well, the future is nearing, and, based on a recent Yahoo article, the home we all remember from the Jetsons cartoons may miss the mark.  In fact, if you’re like most consumers, you’d trade all those gizmos for a well-designed home with energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, and longevity.

Energy Efficiency Focus

After reading Yahoo’s article about a poll taken of builders on what the “New Homes of 2015” would look like, I couldn’t agree more with the energy efficiency focus. In the survey, builders said that, in the future, they would be “embarking on the energy science that goes into a house and why it’s important for our homeowners”.

It’s just fantastic that other builders are saying to themselves: “In 2015, we will become a more energy efficient builder” It made me think:  What about today?
Read More »

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Deloris Cauley

Just Another Day in Paradise

By Deloris Cauley, in Independence
Oct. 29th, 2011 | Comments (0)

In case you missed my last blog, let me sum it up for you. I moved from the big city in Washington, DC to what I call “Paradise”, meaning the beaches of Delaware.  A year later, I’m Beltway-free and loving life at the beach.

I’ve spent the past year acclimating myself to the area and have discovered that I don’t miss anything I left behind.  The bottom line is that I have found the most incredible restaurants, the best tax-free shopping,  unique farmers’ markets with the freshest of produce, a familiar brewery within a few minutes of my house, fairs and festivals every weekend, kayaking, sunset beach walking, state parks, fishing, golfing, lavender farms, quaint towns, movies on the lawn, surf fishing,  and much, much more.  Having all this while I’m still working, I can’t imagine what I will find when I retire here!

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