The damage was extensive, but thankfully the loss of life wasn’t. What was even more miraculous though was that some homes seemed unscathed while others around them were reduced to rubble. The ones built in their place can withstand a hurricane of this magnitude in the future with proper architecture.

Why were these homes spared while others faltered? Aloha Building Contractors knows 5 reasons why certain Mexico Beach, FL homes survived Hurricane Michael.

1. They used impact-resistant glass

One of the most basic things any home or business can do to keep it safe from damage is replace the windows with impact-resistant glass. It’s an investment, but it protects your structure from being blown away. If your windows break, your chances of your home still standing after a big one like Hurricane Michael are extremely slim.

2. They were built after 1995 when new codes were enacted

One of the things that made Mexico Beach so charming was the old-style cottage homes lining the streets. Unfortunately, most of those were built in the 1950s on through the 1970s. Builders back then didn’t know what they know today, plus storms are getting stronger. The homes that were built after the state of Florida enacted new building codes, roofing codes, and stonger structues to prevent another catastrophe like Hurricane Andrew happening again.  These built after 1995 survived because they were built to withstand it.

3. They had hurricane shutters

If your home doesn’t have impact-resistant glass, it absolutely needs hurricane shutters. Without them, that wind gets in and rips it apart. Older homes that had real hurricane shutters on them managed to survive.

4. They were properly reinforced

Special nails and metal attachments built in between the roof and walls will keep the roof anchored in place. Many older homes didn’t have this. The Habitat For Humanity homes in the area did though, and while they sustained some other damages, because of this reinforcement to the walls and roofs of these homes, they didn’t blow away.

5. They built beyond code

There’s a brand new home that was famously built well-beyond the existing code, making the news as it stood unscathed on the beach while the other homes around it were in shambles. The walls were made with poured concrete that topped off 40-foot pilings. Rebar was put in every wall and they went over the top in protecting it. Building codes required that homes should be built to withstand winds of 120 mph but this home went that extra mile, built to withstand winds that are up to 250 mph.

If you’d like to rebuild your home to survive a hurricane or reinforce it to protect it should another roll through, let Aloha Building Contractors of Panama City, FL help keep your property strong and safe in Mexico Beach, Lynn Haven and the surrounding areas! We specialize in roofing, remodels, new construction, and even custom home builds for the area.

First, you should know what lenders seek before they say ‘yes’ to your commercial building loan. They’ll look at business finances, much like they would if you were buying a residential property to make sure you’re good for it. They’ll also check your business’s credit score. And if you’re a really small business or just starting up, they will look into your personal credit to check for past financial problems. If you have a low credit score, it will likely prevent you from getting approval, so before you even apply for a commercial building loan, you should make sure you have everything squared away.

You should also know that the property you’ll finance via your commercial business loan serves as your collateral. You’ll be subject to a lien that will permit seizure of the property if you don’t repay it on time. For a commercial business loan, you’ll likely need to occupy a minimum of 51% of the building or else you should choose an investment property loan instead, ideal for rental properties on the beach.

Another thing you should know is that it can take a lot of time to go through the commercial building loan process. You’ll have to present a lot of documentation including as many as five years of tax returns; books, records, and financial reports for up to five years; projected cash flows; credit reports for your business, yourself, and any other owners or partners; state certification proving you’re a corporation or limited liability entity; third-party appraisal; and a business plan detailing the use of the property, just to name a few.

You can go through a bank but the process is the slowest of them all. Be prepared to spend a lot of time getting approved for your commercial building loan. For a faster process, you can go with a commercial lender, however the interest rates will be significantly higher.

Another alternative is to use a hard-money lender that will focus on the current and projected value of the property with less requirements in regards to your financial disclosures. The borrower receives funds secured by a real property and can be issued by either private investors or companies.

If you’re still not sure how to handle all the intricacies of a commercial building loan, contact Aloha Building Contractors Inc in Panama City, FL. We can help you figure out just what you need for getting your commercial property going from the ground up! Even if it’s north up in Callaway or Lynn Haven, FL too!

With the recent damage from Hurricane Michael in the Panama City, FL area, Aloha Building Contractors wants to make sure you’re prepared for any event with commercial building insurance. Here are a few different types to consider when protecting your commercial property.

Business Interruption Insurance

This is an excellent commercial business insurance policy to have. It covers you if you experience income loss and increased expenses that were caused by business interruptions. Hurricane Michael caused many businesses in our area to suffer property damage loss, and having this type of insurance can protect you and get you back up and running when natural disasters strike.

Boiler and Machinery Insurance

When equipment accidentally breaks down from machinery to computers, this type of insurance assures you’re covered in the even of property damage as well as helps you with any loss of revenue caused from the interruption.

Builders Risk Insurance

Do you have a building under construction? This one is important to cover losses in the event something should happen beyond your control while it’s being built, for example, when a severe windstorm strikes.

Crime Insurance

Every business owner should get this. You never know when you might be the victim of theft, burglary, or robbery. It protects you whether things are stolen by employees or from outside third parties.

Debris Removal Insurance

When flooding, fires, or storms damage your property, this insurance covers the cost of removing the debris from your property. It will also pay for rebuilding should the damages be more severe.

Glass Insurance

Businesses with glass storefronts should always have this in place. You can easily add it to your policy to protect you in the event your store windows break, whether by act of nature, crime, or accident.

Ordinance Insurance

Also known as law insurance, this one covers you for expenses related to demolishing and rebuilding up to code when your building has suffered a certain degree of damage. It will recover the replacement value of your building but won’t cover the rebuilding to meet current building codes so make sure you work with an insurance provider if your building is older to ensure you get the right coverage in the event you’d need to rebuild.

Tenants Insurance

To protect your business from damage due to the negligence of employees or for making improvements to rentals, you’ll want this insurance for complete peace of mind.

When building a new commercial property or modifying one, Aloha Building General Contractors in Panama City or Lynn Haven FL can help you think about what types of commercial building insurance you should consider for protecting your business investment, no matter what the weather!

1. 68% of homebuyers in 2016 were millennials, and one of the primary traits that the majority of millennial renters and buyers is seeking is the desire to get to routine places without the need for a vehicle. Millennials prefer walking over driving and place a considerable price on living within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and work. If they can feel they are helping the environment by just where they live it gives them an intrinsic sense of making a positive difference in the world. Commercial Buildings like this are typically placed in density-packed areas located close to schools, libraries, and parks. These structures provide a hub with easy access to what most will be needed in their daily life.
2. What about investors? Regardless of commercial or residential changes in the market, mixed-use buildings are seen as a low risk investment in the real estate world. Because they offer both residential and commercial spaces, investors can diversify the from the investment portfolio in only one building.. Other than this commonly known positive trait, mixed-use buildings also offer higher income, cash flow, longer leases, and less competition.
3. As cities grow and traffic builds, it’s no surprise that Americans are beginning to favor walking over driving as their preferred mode of transportation. As many as 49% of Americans over the age of 21 would prefer to live in communities within walking distance of amenities. With proximity being such an important trait, the trend of mixed-use buildings is on the rise.
4. Tenants in mixed-use buildings are often some of the greatest beneficiaries of commercial businesses in the building, which provide an income stream for both developers and businesses. Take a look at City Place Doral in South Florida. The project features 250,000 square feet of retail space, including luxury living and more than 40 dining, shopping and entertainment destinations for all palettes and walks of life.
5. Help out the local community by helping small business with a structure of this nature. Developers and investors have a promising new clientele base when it comes to mixed-use buildings. Besides residential and commercial spaces for lease, mixed-use buildings have the potential to drive a lot of interest and foot traffic compared to their stand-alone store counterpart.

Care About the Environment

One last bonus, since commercial and residential tenants occupy one building, resources such as energy, trash disposal, and sewage can be used more efficiently. Municipalities save even up to 38% on infrastructure costs while serving compact developments opposed to large-lot subdivisions. Vertically mixed-use building can also reduce long-term maintenance costs over individual buildings, since services can be shared through residential and commercial spaces.

At Aloha Building Contractors, we believe constructing mixed-use facilities promotes jobs and growth in the Bay County are like Panama City, Mexico Beach, & more. If you’re interested in developing a mixed-use building, please click here or call us at 850-890-3835. During our conversation we can discuss feasibility, potential time frames, and if we are the commercial contractor that is best suited to your needs.

The sooner you can contact us at 850-898-3835 the sooner we will be able to help you out. We expect demand to be high and we have the ability to pull in construction crews from the surrounding cities. We are your trusted source as a leading building contractor in the Bay County area.

One of the survivors of the hurricane said our city looks like “what you would see in a disaster movie, it seems unreal”. Panama City Beach, St George Island, and Mexico Beach are one huge disaster zone after 150+ mph winds, heavy rain, and 9-foot storm surge combined to make it one of our worst natural disasters in memory. Mexico Beach was hit the hardest, as the hurricane rammed ashore Wednesday as a Category 4 beast. It was the 3rd most powerful hurricane EVER to make landfall in the U.S. mainland. This hurricane has been blamed for at least 6 deaths. Michael also hit North Carolina and South Carolina as a tropical storm with heavy downpours and spun up additional spinning tornadoes.

We will rebuild and make this city even better than before!!

With commercial properties, there are 5 common commercial plumbing system repairs that often come up when you go with other companies or obtain a property previously owned by someone else.

1. Upgrades to existing plumbing systems

For older properties, you can expect that you’re going to need to make upgrades. Doing so upfront ensures you won’t run into embarrassing problems while running your business, particularly in the first stages when you’re getting up and running. During your inspection, Aloha Building Contractors can help you assess what needs attention and how to get it repaired without breaking the bank.

2. Leaking fixtures

Leaky faucets are indeed the most obvious, but leaks can happen anywhere that two plumbing components connect. That means some of them won’t be visible. Having proper inspections can save you plenty of money down the road instead of it trickling down the drain, so to speak.

3. Improper sealing

Just like leaks, proper sealing is important too to keep from wasting money away. It’s not just a waste of money to have water leaking out, but in less visible areas, that leaking and dripping can lead to mold and cause rotting, both of which are even more expensive to repair. With proper inspections, you’ll avoid costly damages like these.

4. Slow-moving and clogged drains

It’s a no-brainer that drains that are clogged up must be cleared immediately. However, if this is a frequent issue, then it could be a sign of a larger problem. It could mean a pump failure, or you may need to have the septic tank pumped. Drainage problems can also be caused by collapsed pipes or tree roots. Whatever the cause, Aloha Building Contractors can help you find out what’s going on.

5. Problems with hot water supply

Hot water heaters used on commercial properties are different than the types that are used in private homes. Getting that water temperature just right is a difficult process. It needs to be on par with regulations set by Panama City Beach, FL. It could be an insulation problem or aging equipment.

When you’re not sure how to make right your commercial plumbing problems, you need to go with the best commercial contracting company in Panama City Beach, FL – Aloha Building Contractors, just contact us here. We will help make sure your plumbing and other systems are running smoothly every time.

Wondering why you should locate your business in Panama City Beach? You’ll thrive here for these 5 reasons.

1. Smaller cities are best

Over-congested places like Miami are overdone. Get in on the beach properties in Panama City Beach before it becomes a metropolis filled with gridlock. Your business will become a staple here among the locals as well as all the tourists who flock here for the beaches.

2. Beachfront brilliance

Panama City Beach is still relatively unexploited. You can find plenty of land near and around the beaches. Remember, location is everything when starting a business and the more visible you are, the more traffic you’ll get coming to your business.

3. The locals are loyal

Panama City Beach is filled with laid-back locals that love to support their own community. Start your business here and you’ll gain plenty of loyal customers that will be thrilled to have your business in town. Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, an entertainment venue, or a new office that can bring more jobs to the area, you’ll find that you’ve got a wonderful home in Panama City Beach.

4. Capture the tourist market too

Panama City Beach is incredibly popular with savvy tourists. The reason? It’s a beautiful beach town that gets busy without becoming so densely populated that it can’t be enjoyed. College kids love it. Vacationing couples love it. And families love it too. Many of them come back, again and again, every year to enjoy the weather and the charms of this on-the-gulf beach town so building your business here is a smart idea.

5. Because it’s Panama City Beach

Whether it’s your first location you’re opening or you’re looking for a place that will continue to grow to add another location, Panama City Beach is the smartest choice. It’s a place where people love to move to start their lives plus it’s a place that tourists love to visit. And even as it grows, it has that charming small-town feel to it that is unlike any other city in Florida. Growth for this area is only projected to keep climbing so by using Aloha Building Contractors, you’ll be getting in on the best commercial contracting and buildings around to start your business off right.

Be a part of Panama City Beach’s projected growth and consult Aloha Building Contractors today to see how we can help your business grow and thrive in Panama City Beach!

One of the biggest obstacles in obtaining commercial permits for Panama City Beach, FL is all of the paperwork you need to do. Aloha Building Contractors helps guide you every step of the way, but there are 5 things you can do to make the entire process go as seamlessly as possible so you won’t have any delays on your commercial project.

1. Make sure your paperwork is filled out properly

Don’t skip any fields and be sure your information is completely accurate and true. One thing many people overlook is that it must be notarized too.

2. Accurate site plans

Two copies of accurate site plans must be presented when getting commercial building permits in Panama City Beach, FL. The site plan must show the structures, setbacks, and parking, among other things. You’ll need to present your floor plans, plumbing plans, and structural plans too, to name a few. Again, by working with a commercial contracting company like Aloha Building Contractors, you’ll have the professionals helping you every step of the way to ensure everything you need gets completed for your commercial permit.

3. Flood zone inspection

A waterfront city like Panama City Beach, FL is no stranger to rising water levels and flooding when it comes to heavy rains. To get your commercial permit, you’ll have to ensure your property has proper plans for handling drainage should it fall within a flood zone.

4. Recorded notice of commencement

Yet another piece that must be notarized, you can’t get your commercial permit without one of these, often referred to as NOC. You’ll need to have it recorded with the Bay County Courthouse. Not doing so will hold things up.

5. Pay your impact fees

These include a water and sewage receipt, an irrigation impact fee, and police and fire.

There are many other things you’ll need to do to get your commercial permit and it can get quite complex and overwhelming. To avoid headaches, contact Aloha Building contractors. They’re experts in commercial contracting in Panama City Beach, FL and know exactly what needs to be done and when to make getting your commercial permit a breeze!

Here are 5 major reasons why outsourcing facilities management is beneficial to an organization building management programs

(1)  Cost Containment and Accountability Equals Savings

These days, cost effectiveness is a major reason why businesses outsource facilities management activities. Once business owners outsource their building management and facilities programs and they set up the right contractual relationship with the service provider they can see reduce costs in several different ways:

•  Employee Substitution Equals Savings — Savings relating to substituting your employees with outsourced contractors are extremely less by the time all figures are calculated. You should know just the training alone involved in OSHA regulations are strenuous enough, but to even think about training new maintenance personnel employee can be extremely costly these days.
• Labor Optimization Equals Savings — Achieving the correct balance of a site based multi-skilled employee workforce and outside “per call” general contractor can be a great balance and fit for many structured companies.
• Process Improvement Equals Savings — Reductions in cost relating to improved work processes and procedures. The supervision alone is a daunting task, employing a supervisor for a maintenance department can be significant cost factor per annual year. I have paid close attention to companies outgrow their maintenance obligations and lose control of their facility maintenance.
• Building Optimization Equals Savings — Savings relating to the initiation, management and optimization of the total cost of ownership. This can be tricky, I’ve watched companies do very little maintenance with the attitude that spending less saves them money. Well, this does however sound great, but let me explain this little bit of knowledge gathered through years of personal experience in the facility maintenance business, “It Does Not Work” I have experienced that quarterly commercial maintenance can save you money.          Let me explain, by the time all your maintenance issues arise all at once you’re now looking at extensive amounts of cost to correctly address this situation.

These are the major areas where outsourced commercial service providers save its clients’ money. However, for all these areas, it is important to measure cost effectiveness and accessibility of your commercial contractor to monitor efficiency of maintenance progress.

(2)     Responsiveness and Timeliness of the Work

Many corporations are unhappy with their facilities department because they do not efficiently respond to (responsiveness) or complete work (timeliness) to the satisfaction of the building owners and leasing occupants. This is usually the result of poor maintenance departments scheduling, priority setting, and flexibility to complete maintenance task when the work is beyond the capacity of the in-house service departments scope of work there able to perform. In many cases, you as the executive in charge, do not know the extent of this unhappiness until the occupants and contractual lease users of your facilities organization make a big issue out of it and then this dissatisfaction hinders the organizations performance. “You do not want this to happen” Your organization in these cases need to design the appropriate cost-effective work order criteria management process using a facilities maintenance CMMS software technology to establish a program to effectively set priorities, properly schedule and complete facilities maintenance and repair work.

(3)     Work Quality Assessment

If you are getting constant complaints and scheduling conflicts associated with the existing service company, this is a sign that you may want to make a change.  Poor work quality arises from several different reasons. Poor scheduling, inadequate training, using the wrong person or skill set for the service required, last of inspection as the work is done and after completion, poor morale, poor work processes are the major culprits to poor service quality.  Sometimes, the accountability of management program used by your organization are not appropriate for your facilities department.  In many cases, there is a deficiency in the quality management program.  By having an appropriate performance plan, the quality of services will follow the performance plans work order in detail, rework is minimized, and the occupants of the building are happy with the quality of the services they receive. Why CMMS software’s save you money? Well, let’s see, it enables you too track critical aspects of corrective maintenance and repair work order expenditures. This aspect of commercial service is critical for any commercial building owner to stay within an annual budget for the year.

(4)     Flexibility and Panning

The ability to be flexible is essential when determining the business and facility’s current needs.  If your business has employees that do not have the skill sets, up to date training, work ethic, and will to do the maintenance work orders, it is difficult to execute excellent performance and to continuously improve with change. Knowing that the commercial facility owner can terminate their contract with short notice, facilities management and commercial maintenance vendors are compelled to make personnel changes immediately to continue contract sustainability, stay on top of best practices, and demonstrate cost effectiveness in the services they provide. The commercial owner’s flexibility, though they may not be doing or managing the work orders, should always know which direction the facility maintenance requires currently to extend their expenditure budget for the annual year. Good communications and reporting documents provided by the service provider can assure flexibility and planning.

(5)     Risk Mitigation

In this economically challenging world, you, as the owner or executive who is ultimately responsible for your facilities condition, may not understand the inherent risks of the facilities program. Improper management of personnel, lack of documentation and training relating to environmental, human resource and safety requirements, lack of emergency response training and procedures, absence of critical parts replacements, code violations, and regulatory violations relating to the buildings are just some of the areas of concern that require specialized knowledge, management, and documentation. Outsourced service providers provide the knowledge, documentation, and management the customer needs to ensure that facilities related work is being done properly and that the buildings provide a pleasing, and safe environment for the customer.

Let us help you with your commercial maintenance challenges anywhere in the Bay County area of Florida. Call us today in Panama City, FL at 850-890-3835.

Finding your land purchase isn’t easy. You’ll spend a lot of time and resources in scouring online listings, attending land auctions for commercial parcels and scoping out neighborhoods when it comes to residential build outs and you may still come up empty-handed. This process can take months and even up to a year in some cases.

Maybe your dream property just doesn’t exist yet. In this case, building either a commercial building or residential custom home on a vacant piece of land may be your next move.

But before you get serious about laying a foot print of your build out, be aware that a land purchase may yield more surprises than buying a home from easements, zoning, natural contour of land and restrictions to environmental conditions that could easily turn your dream build out into a headache that makes your project unrealistic and not feasible financially 

Whether you’re purchasing vacant land to build a commercial or residential project I always recommend appraisal values to be established for a profit in the future, follow these rules to avoid buyer’s remorse.

Working with a professional who knows land – Working with a real estate broker when you purchase land is important to help you navigate the complex details, especially when you’re unfamiliar with zoning, building lot setbacks and negotiations, due diligence and closing a land purchase deal is essential to your success.  But when you’re purchasing land, hire an agent who has unprecedented experience negotiating land deals.

A common mistake many land sellers and reality firms make is to advertise a plot of land as having the potential to be zoned for specific commercial projects or even subdivided parcels, Buyers may be left with a plot of land that will yield less profit than expected, while sellers could easily face a lawsuit for false advertising.

Don’t expect to get a loan – A commercial land purchase will in many cases be leveraged by a bank loan. The main reason Panama City Beach, FL commercial parcels can be leveraged depends on their past profitability in businesses they already have equity in. Banks look at the commercial project build out through a financial business plan corporately structured that proves sustainability in business. A land purchase will not be leveraged in most cases when it comes to a residential custom home project. When your planning for a new residential custom home you should typically be aware that your land purchase needs to be secure prior to approaching your banking institution in most cases.

The investor world of purchasing your land for apartment buildings, for example, “might be able to put down 20 percent and get 80 percent from a financial institution, putting up the land and the building for a mortgage note is possible, But if you have a piece of land with a clean deed, you might be lucky if a bank gives you 40 percent or 50 percent of the lands value and that’s typically if you have a good bank relationship or other collateral available .

You’ll have a much better chance of being approved for a construction loan on the building structure you want to put on the land, since the building you’ll build serves as collateral attached to the loan.

Do consider comparable properties surrounding your land purchase.  One of the biggest draws of picking out you land purchase should involve comparable property values and resent sales history but be sure you’re building your commercial building or residential custom home with in these small tips.

I recall working with several clients who purchased land and designed a building only to be turned down for a construction loan because the cost of the land combined with the cost to build was way over the true appraisal value, significantly more than commercial or residential property comparable in their area, which were closer to 15% less.

“If it’s overpriced, then you’re not getting your construction loan unless you’re willing to place additional money on the closing table.

Don’t skip the survey or environmental tests. Like a cars history and background research through a car fax, a plot of land needs to be subjected to tests and checks to ensure you know what you’re buying and that you’ll be able to build on it.

Environmental tests check the soil for contamination from previous use, these are very important to consider when you’re thinking about purchasing a commercial parcel of property to build on. The site of a former gas station, auto body shop and salvage yard are more likely to have contaminated soil, for example, and residential homes can’t be built there. The land’s potential for flooding or poor soil conditions for building are also of concern.

You’ll also want to have a local surveyor look at your property to identify the true onsite building setbacks and boundaries. Especially if the land is in a neighborhood and has been vacant for years, neighbors may have encroached beyond the property lines, intentionally or not.

“You may be shocked that part of there fence and part of your driveway access that these people next door have been attending to for the last eight years is on your property parcel.

Always consider utilities and road access into account. It’s easy to take access to running water, electricity, sewers and drain pipes for granted when you’re buying an existing structure, but with vacant land these are not always a given. Depending on how developed the area is around the land, you want to know if it’s going to cost money for infrastructure.

Don’t depend on your adjacent property owners to give you creditable information –  While speaking to adjacent land owners you should always be aware of the following issues when you’re looking to make an offer on real estate land parcels. You need to approach the appropriate department in the county you are interested in obtaining vacant land, discussing your plans to build on a vacant lot with your local planning and development can easily lead to organized opposition to your future build out plans.

 It’s common for neighbors who are used to having vacant parcels of land near their home to get upset when the status quo is about change and seek to keep you from building. “All they’re doing is gathering information to use against you in most cases we have been involved in.

Holding off on making acquaintances with your adjacent land owner until any build out is completed is your best option. Otherwise, discussing plans could lead to adjacent land owner disputes before you’ve even broken ground.

Don’t assume you can have property rezoned – Your local governing body will have zones, codes and ordinances that limit what can be built on any property or require certain steps to build a sound structure.

For example, there may be required setbacks from the edge of the property, mandates to build a sea wall if you’re on the waterfront, or a percentage of the land may be restricted from development. Getting an exception to the rule isn’t easy, and there’s a good chance it will be denied by your state of city planning and development.

Rather than trying to rezone property, it’s best to keep your build out within existing limits. Seek land that will allow you to build the commercial or residential build out you want but know your plot’s restrictions before finalizing the build out plans.