Monthly Archives: March 2013

We are very excited to announce Martell Home Builders’ official expansion to the Fredericton market! We are all set up and actively working with buyers in Fredericton and surrounding area to get a start on our 2013 building season.

Fredericton is such a fantastic city & we couldn’t be happier to expand our Martell Home Builders family to the area.

Jason Haines, Location Manager for Fredericton, shared his favorite things about living in Fredericton:

1. Natural Environment: Jason told us that he loves how the city of Fredericton has maintained so much natural landscape particularly the mature trees that decorate the downtown so beautifully.
2. Recreational Activities: There’s no shortage of sport & recreation in Fredericton.  This particularly active city offers residents tons of opportunities to get moving and have a blast!
3. Entertainment & Festivals: With a different festival offered almost every month, there’s always some kind of entertainment to take in.  More information on what’s coming up can be found on the city’s website.

If you’re thinking of building a home in Fredericton, book your Discovery Session with Jason and see what the Martell Experience is all about.

Contact Info:

(C) (506)292-2169
(E) jhaines@TheMartellExperience.com
(F) (866)843-0477

I bet most of you–at least those of you from Moncton–were distracted by these little signs plastered around the city.

These signs, and a few billboards, were directing you all to the largest home show in Atlantic Canada! If for some crazy, unexplainable reason you couldn’t make it, here’s a recap of our favorite show! You know those model kitchens and bathrooms at Kent or Home Depot? Imagine that scene at the coliseum and you’ve got the Greater Moncton Home Show! Last weekend, many of you strolled through the doors of the annual show to chat with anyone and everyone in the housing industry!

With the help of our friends at DS&Co., our booth got a major overhaul from last year! It felt like a good ol’ maritime kitchen party as we spent the day chatting with friends-new and old-in our cozy, modern flat!

We also partnered with the Boys&Girls Club to offer you all a coat check and chance to win your dream cottage! Its not too late to buy a ticket! Click here for the dets!

I had the chance to sit in on this seminar and learn some practical tips about building your home with the future in mind. While spiral staircases rock, it may be a bit is way more practical to think about installing a staircase that is compatible with a lift. I definitely wouldn’t have thought of that right of the bat!

We really enjoyed chatting with all the guests, but it was awesome to catch up with some of our partners and friends like the people at Atlantic Home Warranty and artist Matt Leblanc!

There were SO many smiling faces around the coliseum! Bergman Landscaping & Masonry even set up a backyard camp out!  Also, how cool is that hide-a-bed! Who needs a pull-out couch when pull-down bookcases are an option?

Maritime Door & Window and Efficiency NB were right around the corner from us, so we were able to check out all the latest innovations for keeping your house eco-friendly and stylish!

The show was nothing short of chic with many companies showcasing modern lighting, flooring, and countertops! I’ve always had a thing for black countertops, but I think Precision Countertops won my heart with their stone-patterned display model! It seemed so fairy-tale meets HGTV.

If you didn’t make it this year, we hope to see you next year! BUT, if you did make it, what was the highlight for you?

Last month, we announced our Buyer’s Market promotion.  Thanks to this, three of our inventory homes have found new families!

This month, we are sweetening the deal!  For any of the homes listed below, purchased before April 18th, we are including 4 appliances (Fridge, stove, dishwasher, range hood/microwave).

Check out the remaining inventory below and see whether any of these homes is of interest to you, or someone you know.  And feel free to give Natalie a call at 232-1276 with any questions at all.

$137,600.00: 1 Caspian Ct
Quick closing available, raised ranch semi boasting cathedral ceilings, dark hardwood floors and a prime North Moncton location.

$153,900.00: 15 Caspian Ct
Move-in ready on one of the best lots that we have (private & treed).  Dark hardwood floors, gorgeous kitchen. Must-see!  Court location.

$157,900.00: 52 Caspian Ct
Choose your interior! New front elevation with gorgeous porch & eave details. Massive pie shaped lot- large enough to add a detached garage!

$156,900.00: 59 Caspian Ct
Choose your interior! Large home boasts 1510sf of above-grade living space & cathedral ceilings in master. Private, treed yard.

With St. Patrick’s Day a few days away, I’m finding it oddly difficult to simply say “Hey!” This time of year, I would much rather whip out a ridiculous excuse for an Irish accent and greet everyone with “Top of the morning to ya!” As I refrained from doing so today, I started thinking about the meaning of the phrase. This got me thinking about mornings. Like most of you, my mornings are dictated by one thing–and one thing alone–a fresh cup of Joe. So to top all of your mornings off, here are a few facts about the world’s 2nd most traded commodity (after petroleum)!

First of all–just like a Leprechaun–all coffee starts out green! There are a lot of different types of coffee plants, but most are covered in pretty flowers and red “berries”.

On the inside of berries we find little green beans that, like anything else, turn brown when roasted. The longer you roast a bean, the darker it turns. So when you walk into a coffee shop and are asked what roast you’d like, it’s pretty much the same as choosing rare, medium-rare, or well-done at a steakhouse.

Coffee Roasting is a very precise science. When coffee is roasted its flavour is altered and its caffeine and acid are broken down. Some roasters will “marinate” the beans with spices and flavouring before roasting. That’s how we get coffee that tastes like Irish Cream or a Winter Carnival (whatever that means?)

Flavouring will burn off of beans if they roast too long, but the spices usually become more intense. Lastly, if the beans are over-roasted (past a dark roast) you get a shiny top-layer on your coffee (oil) and it doesn’t really taste like anything!

So what does that translate to?

Light Roast | High in Caffeine, Low in flavour, and high in acidity

Usually labelled as “Breakfast Blend,” this roast is for people who don’t really like the taste of coffee, but like to jump start their day with a warm, energizing beverage.  

Medium Roast | Caffeine, Most flavourful, and high in acidity

This blend is best known as a “house blend” and is usually the base for flavoured coffee. 

Dark Roast | Least Caffeine, Strong Flavour, and least acidity 

Dark roast is for serious coffee drinkers. A “coffee snob” will take a sip of this stuff and ramble off something like “ahh, this roast is spicy with a hint of smoke.”

I hope this helps you make a good choice in the drive-thru this morning!

Looks like it’s time to make room on our AHW Wall of Fame.

Last Saturday morning, each member of the MHB team was doing their respective happy dance as we received an email letting us know that we’ve won the Atlantic Home Warranty Customer Choice Award!  This is our third time receiving this honor- an achievement that we do not take lightly.

Atlantic Home Warranty is a third-party warranty organization providing protection for new homebuyers, as well as the confidence they need in home builders. The company is based in Halifax, with representatives in all four Atlantic provinces.

Each year, AHW surveys new homeowners in the following way:

The survey consists of 26 questions that deal with the homeowners’ experience with their Builder in all aspects of the purchase of their new home. This includes the Builders’ sales staff or their realtor, office and construction staff, as well as the Builders’ after sales service. The last question on the survey asks the homeowner if they will recommend their Builder to their family and friends who are thinking of purchasing a new home. (Source: http://ahwp.org/homeowners/customer-choice-awards/)

What really gets us about receiving this award? Our clients made this happen.  Obviously, we LOVE our clients… but it’s pretty cool to know just how much they love us back.

To our clients: THANK YOU!  Thank you for choosing us to build your home, for joining our family, for making every day AWESOME.  You’re why we do this.

I’m usually not that into birthstones (probably because mine is lime green…) but for some reason, I was loving the blue rooms on pinterest when a light flicked on! I remembered that March’s birthstone is aquamarine. This gem was believed to protect sailors, as well as guarantee a safe voyage. While, light blue can look awesome, deeper shades add a hint of drama.

The psychology of deep blue claims that the shade shows authority, credibility, strength, loyalty, introspection, and concentration. As if those are not enough of reasons to choose blue, it’s also the colour most preferred by men and known for productivity! Some researchers claim that blue can even keep your diet on track because it curbs appetite. It’s no wonder I thought blue looked so great!

Since blue is so well know for productivity, why not add a hint to your home office? I like my workspace to be bright, so I recommend incorporating dark blue into your furniture. The back of a book wall subtly brings in the shade, while repainting a desk brings the colour to the foreground!

In the kitchen I preferred aquamarine because it seemed a lot more calm and bright! The colour is fairly subtle so you could use it as the wall colour or the if you like being unique you could even paint your cabinets, so long as you keep a neutral wall or back splash.

Don’t these bedrooms look fantastic? The navy adds just enough comfort and style when balanced with beautiful shades of mustard.

In the living room, navy makes quite a bold statement. I can imagine Sherlock Holmes sitting with a pipe by the fireplace reading a scholarly journal, but I can also imagine sitting with a friend drinking tea on the mustard sofa!

If you’re looking to add some intensity to your house, navy is an amazing choice!

Where do you think deep blue works best?

Meet Daniel Cormier–Martell Home Builder’s youngest team member! Dan started working for Martell after he graduated from a Civil Engineering/ Project Management program at NBCC Moncton about three years ago.

At 23, Dan is our Construction Project Manager, which means he looks after job quality, scheduling subtractors and suppliers. He also tracks and makes sure that upgrades and change orders are done. Dan’s love for the challenge of  meeting deadlines has been key to keeping our perfect record of never missing a closing date!

Dan, Jenica, and their 6 month old puppy Mya moved into their custom Martell Home last summer. Dan really likes his new kitchen with a tile back splash and custom lights. As a country music lover from St.Antoine, it makes perfect sense that he went for a cozy, country feel by choosing darker wood and different shades of brown.

This adventurous guy likes to go to Country Music shows, play pickup hockey, go to the movies, and the Pumphouse in the winter, but would rather take his Jeep Wrangler to Parlee in the Summertime.

Dan is a highly motivated person and would rather save up to check off things on his bucket list than do a lot of smaller things. So far he’s had the chance to skydive at Skydive Moncton, take a trip to Vegas where he got to drive a Lamborghini on a race track and fire his first shot. Dan also had a chance to go shark fishing in Halifax last summer! His list is much longer, but I’ve got a feeling he’ll be checking off plenty of things!

A few more fun facts about Dan:

Q. Are you a dog lover?
A. Yes! My girlfriend and I volunteer at the SPCA for fun. We get to play with the dogs, take them for walks, etc. I had a shih tzu growing up and have always loved dogs.

Q. What’s your morning routine?
A. I get up, shower and all that stuff, make a stop at Tim’s and then go non-stop for the rest of the day!

Q. What’s the next thing on your bucket list?
A. I want to fly in a jet–not fly it. I want to live through it!

Q. What’s the last good movie you saw?
A. A Good Day to Diehard

Q. Favourite supper?
A. Salmon. I like it grilled with Lemon Pepper, but if I’m at the Pumphouse I get the Pub Burger with Blueberry Ale.

Q. Where do you shop the most?
A. Kent. That’s really the only place I shop.

Q. Have you been to many Country concerts?
A. Yea, I’ve been to lots in the East Coast. I used to always go to the Festival of Lights, but I’ve also seen Brad Paisley, Tracy Lawerence, and Tim McGraw.