New Homes Guide Blog

New Homes Guide has done it again with a fantastic new free supplement: Best Floorplans 2012. This latest piece is a collection of innovative floorplans from the DC region’s finest builders and is available with the May/June issue.

We are always hearing that when someone is shopping for a new home, something they love to do is look at floorplans. Shoppers like to see what’s available, which structural options are offered and how their furniture might work in the new home. Realtors tell us they enjoy being able to see the floorplans in advance to know whether or not the builder has something that might work for their client or even simply to see what that builder’s style is. In response to those requests, New Homes Guide has published a supplement to our magazine that contains 53 floorplans from 17 builders.

Would you like your own free copy? Email us at nicole@newhomesguide.com or call 703-992-1100 to get your copy of Best Floorplans 2012 today!

Happy House Hunting!

Kitchens are by far one of the most important rooms when it comes to deciding on a home purchase. One of the many conveniences of purchasing a new home is being able to customize a

Beazer Homes

kitchen space based on your individual liking and needs. Just like new homes, kitchens come in many styles and just like a home purchase, kitchen style decisions should be well thought out. While you can always add personal touches to any kitchen, first choosing a style will help you narrow down your options when it comes to creating your dream kitchen.

Kitchens.com gives us a look at several different styles:

• Traditional
• Contemporary
• Transitional
• Country
• Rustic
• Arts & Crafts
• Old World

Interested in seeing more styles? You can check out New Homes Guide’s ‘Interiors’  supplement for more kitchen inspirations. Which kitchen style are you?

Happy House Hunting! 

Winchester Homes

 

Since 2000, The Pew Research Center reports that households with at least three generations of family members have increased by 30%. Wow – 30%! That seems like a pretty healthy gain to me but really not all that surprising.

Given the current economy, long life spans and the uncertainty of future financial security, the move back towards multi-generational housing makes a lot of sense. Aging parents are looking for ways to maximize their retirement income and not move into assisted living facilities. College graduates are coming back home due to lack of employment or the need for an assist as they first start out. Parents with young children could use an alternative to the added expense of day care. There are a plethora of reasons for everyone to move back in together and builders are beginning to recognize the trend with some changing floor plans.

The hot trend with new homes used to be two-story family rooms and foyers, elaborate media rooms, large owner’s suite sitting areas. While those options are still around, many buyers are looking to maximize the space in their home to allow for functionality with multi-generations as well as some privacy. Some of the latest designs: turning the 3rd bay of a 3-car garage into living space with a separate entrance, having an additional kitchen area or kitchenette, first-floor owner’s suites with another owner’s suite upstairs, living space above the garage that is normally storage or dead space, and full bedroom/baths in the basement with a kitchenette and laundry instead of the blown-out media room.

 Whatever your needs might be, now or in the future, take some time looking at plans to find the right one now that will work for years to come. Don’t be afraid to ask the builder if there is any possibility of making minor adjustments to existing plans. And enjoy one of the best benefits of multi-generational living – the emotional richness of family sharing time together again.

Happy House Hunting!

 We recently let you know what rooms would make or break a homebuyer’s decision to purchase a home. But what about the outdoor space of the home? Are you a grill master or an expert gardener?  Do you simply enjoy reading a book and relaxing outside? Many consider a home’s outdoor space to be just as important as what is inside and with Spring on the horizon, I thought we could take a look at this important extension of your living space.

These days homebuyers seem to be taking a new look at how to best utilize the outdoor space. So many people seem to want to get outside once they get home to relax, enjoy the great outdoors and entertain. Using a variety of materials to build patios and decks is very popular and having an outdoor fireplace is a big hit right now. Privacy landscaping for the smaller yards seems to be a must. Comfy, functional furniture adds the final touch.

Here’s what homebuyers indicated is important in an outdoor space:

• A large backyard
• A deck or balcony
• Installed landscaping (not everyone has that handy green thumb!)
• Comfort and privacy

Pools and large front yards actually fell to the bottom of the list. Pool maintenance isn’t for everybody, plus many of the new home developments in our area provide residents with clubhouses and pools as amenities.

So, does this sound like you at all? If you would like to share with us what you would enjoy in an outdoor space, we’d love to hear it and I’m sure the builders would too.

Happy House Hunting!

With 2012 upon us, one of your plans for the New Year may be to buy your first home, make a move-up purchase or find the need to downsize. Whatever the reason might be, buying a home can be such an exciting experience.  There are so many choices to consider – and everyone’s needs and lifestyles are different.  So, we decided to learn more about what similarities home shoppers share when deciding what’s most important in a home.

We asked our readers to tell us what they were searching for in a new home and the feedback was tremendous.  We want to share some of the findings with you.

“Which rooms would make or break your decision to purchase a home?”

Most important rooms:

• Kitchen – 90% of respondents
• Master Bedroom – 79% of respondents
• Family Room – 34% of respondents
• Garage – 31% of respondents
• Living Room – 26% of respondents
• Basement – 26% of respondents

It was interesting to learn that rooms like the Dining Room and 1st Floor Bath didn’t seem to sway a home buying decision at all.

Let us know which rooms would affect your decision to buy a home and we would love to know why!

Happy House Hunting!

A friend of mine started working from home recently and while this might sound like a great situation, now she really needs a home office. Probably not simply a desk, chair and computer but a full blown set-up like she has at the company office. And here is where she tells me her challenge comes in – how should she create a home office that not only suits her particular style, but is also functional as well as practical for the rest of her home. So I thought I’d help her out and give her a few ideas which I’d like to share with you as well.

Naturally, I referred her to the New Homes Guide Interiors supplement. Why not look at some of the best model homes in the area?! I also found a great article in House Beautiful with some snapshots of terrific ideas on how to maximize space, create a gathering area within the office, utilize areas you might not think of if you don’t have a dedicated room and so on. Finally, I told her to check out one of my favorite go-to sites for every idea you could possibly ever need: HGTV.

Hope these give you some inspiration when you’re creating your home office!

Often times, prospective buyers walk into the model home, see several floorplans featured and don’t know where to begin with figuring out which one best suits their needs. Here are a few ideas to help you sift through all those plans.

Typically when I would see someone looking a bit overwhelmed or confused by all the plans, my first question would be, “What is your favorite room in the house?” I asked because more often than not, this is the area where you are spending a great deal of time and it is going to be very important in your next home. I tried to help shoppers walk through the everyday motions of living and experience how certain plans may or may not work for them. Do you spend the majority of your time in the kitchen and family room? Do you spoil yourself with lots of time getting ready in the bathroom? Is the Owner’s Suite the one bedroom that has to be perfect? Do you want a basement that is going to be a cozy hiding place or a great party area?

When you start your home shopping, think about how you live – not just the beautiful pictures you see in the magazines or the decorations that can make any model look spectacular. Think about how you entertain – do you entertain frequently and need lots of space in the kitchen and gathering area? When you have guests, is it more formal so you need a great formal dining area or is it usually casual so you need a nice gathering place and a big island that everyone inevitably stands around? Do you like to watch TV while preparing meals and need to be able to place the TV in a spot in the Family Room that you can easily see from the kitchen? How about when you go to bed at night – do you like to watch TV laying in bed so you need to make sure there is enough wall space across from where you might place your bed? And don’t forget the basement…are you planning on buying that pool table you’ve always wanted or finally getting your very own media area? Also, if you’ve already picked out the perfect sofa and entertainment center for your new family room, measure it to make sure it is going to fit!

All of these questions help you figure out if a floorplan is right for you. Focus on what matters and let the small things about a plan that might not be perfect fall by the wayside. If the formal Living Room is small but you never use it anyway, does it really matter?

It’s easy to get caught up in popular trends and the beauty of models, but you and your family are the ones that have to live in the house. Make sure it works for you!

Happy House Hunting!

Ok, it’s easy enough to say when the rates are low, it’s a good time to buy. But the big questions these days seems to be, “Will the rates keep going down?” and “Is now really the best time to buy?” The basic answer: “I don’t know”.   That doesn’t help you much, does it?

So will rates keep going down?  Rates are currently sitting at historical lows, hovering in the low to mid 4′s for 30-year fixed loans: http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/11/real_estate/mortgage_rates_record/index.htm?iid=EL).

What that translates to is huge savings on interest payments over the life of the loan. But how many of you will really pay off an entire mortgage? Are you planning on staying in your home for 30 years? Living in the DC Metro area, I think the safe answer here is that most homeowners do not stay put for 30 years and shouldn’t really be thinking that long term. You need to think in terms of your monthly savings – what is an affordable payment for my family and me that allows us to have a wonderful home and still maintain some life outside of the house – I.e.,  don’t allow yourself to be house-poor. 

1. Prioritize your needs and figure out just how much you need/want in your new home.
2. Get cost estimates from Builders to learn how much that wonderful home is going to cost.
3. Know what your target monthly payment needs to be.
4. Have your lender tell you where the rate needs to be in order to achieve your goal.
5. BUY NOW if all the stars align and today’s rates get you what you want!

You may need to adjust your needs/wants list to be realistic but this is the only way to start your search and make your decision. If your wish list and today’s rates don’t get you what you want, learn to make some tough choices on what you really “need”. If your wish list and today’s rates get you your desired payment, why wait?

You don’t want to lose that dream house because you thought the rates MIGHT go down a little more and the Builder MIGHT give a better incentive…when you do the numbers, you will find that the monthly savings are not going to get significantly better with the rate dropping by 1/8% or the price dropping by $10,000. And if something significant does change – REFINANCE!

When it comes to concrete numbers, I am not your financial advisor or mortgage lender. However, when it comes to your buying decision, I am telling you what I’ve told hundreds of buyers before you…look at YOUR scenario and future goals and don’t worry about the rest – none of us have a crystal ball!

It’s time again for the Maryland Home & Garden Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. From October 15-17 find out what’s new in home improvement, gardening, home décor and much, much more!

With over 300 Home Improvement Exhibitors participating this year, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for . . .  kitchens and baths, decks and patios, and builders and remodelers. Or if you’re not ready to take on a home remodeling project just yet, be sure to check out the Better Living Exhibits where you’ll find information on everything from travel and family fun to food and beauty.

Don’t forget the holidays are right around the corner so pick up a unique gift from any of the 100 juried crafters at this years show. Seminars will also be offered all three days of the event, click here for a complete schedule.

Hours for the show are 10:00am – 6:00pm Friday, October 15th and Sunday, October 17th, and 10:00am – 9:00pm Saturday, October 16th. Tickets are FREE for active military, police & fire employees with ID. All other admission prices are as follows: Adults $9.00, Seniors (62+) $7.00, Children ages 6-12 $3.00 and Children under 6 get in FREE.

For the full list of exhibitors, ticket information, directions and more visit the Maryland Home & Garden Show website today.

Flooring. It’s one of the first things you notice when walking into any home. Not only can flooring affect the look and feel of your home, it can affect the value as well. Whether you are building your new home from the ground up or just making adjustments to your current one, choosing a floor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a homeowner. 

If you prefer a wood floor over carpeting, there are several great materials out there that will give you the look and convenience you’re searching for. Two of the most popular options are hardwood and bamboo. And thanks to Nigel Maynard with Builder Online, homeowners looking for a little help deciding between the two can check out some quick comparisons.

Take a look at Nigel’s pros and cons . . .

Hardwood Flooring

Pros

• Desirable
• Beautiful
• Dependable
• Wide selection
• Earth friendly
• Affordable (Read more…)