New Homes Guide Blog

Moving to a new home can be both very exciting and extremely stressful…and that is for an adult. Can you imagine what it must be like for children who don’t have all the knowledge, experience and ability to see the big picture that you do? If you are getting ready to make a move that involves your kids, there are some things you should take into consideration as you prepare for the big day.

 Just like many other situations in life, your kids look to you for the lead. If you’re anticipating this move with excitement, you will set the tone for the kids; if they see that you are not happy about the move or dreading it, they will certainly become more worried as well. I doubt you will be able to ease all of their concerns however by making some preparations and having a lot of patience with them, the move should go a little smoother for all. I just went through this exact situation myself with my two kids. Trust me – it’s not easy but it can be done and I am seeing them get more settled and comfortable every day. It’s taken a little extra effort though and a realization that what is important to them needs to be handled with a lot of TLC.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate published an article addressing the move with kids and I found it to have some very helpful reminders. For a complete list of suggestions, check out the article but here are a few examples:

• Communicate with your child patiently and frequently and let them know what is happening now and what to expect later.
• Show them all the advantages of the move and don’t be afraid to discuss disadvantages they may bring up (and how you plan to overcome those things).
• Involve them in the new home – let them see it before the move, if possible, and help plan out where their belongings will go.
• Know how to address their questions about the things that directly affect them: sports, scouting, school, friends, etc.
• Sticking to the regular routine as much as you can gives them the structure and comfort they are accustomed to.

And always remember, you may be the decision-maker in the family but your kids need to feel involved to reiterate their worth and importance. Good luck to your family!

Happy House Hunting!

 http://www.bhgrealestate.com/Learn/Buying-and-Selling/Moving-with-Young-Children.html

WOULDN’T YOU LOVE TO GET A $200 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD?!

Did you purchase a new construction home from one of the fantastic DC region builders? Did you settle on your home in 2011? If you answered “yes” to these questions then you are eligible to enter our latest contest and win a $200 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD!

It’s easy – go to our Facebook page, click “LIKE” if you haven’t already and then leave us a comment about your Builder and the Favorite Room in your New Home!

*Contest requirements and rules listed on New Homes Guide Facebook page

We keep hearing that now is the time to buy, partially because interest rates are so low right now. However, unless you are purchasing an inventory new home, today’s rates might not be what your rate is when you go to settlement. What to do?

The most important thing to realize is that no one has a crystal ball and no one can tell you without a doubt what will happen with interest rates over time. Fortunately, there are some indicators that can give you an idea of where they could be headed – the economy, inflation rates and the Federal Fund Rate. Unfortunately, we aren’t all Economists so understanding how all of these factors affect your interest rate can be complex.

I found an article that very nicely explains all of this. While a bit lengthy, the article How Interest Rates Work really breaks everything down in very simple terms. If you really want to know how everything is woven together, I would suggest you check this out. The forecast right now is for rates to stay relatively low but how long that will last is anyone’s guess. But…if you can at least understand the forces behind the rise and fall of interest rates, maybe it will give you some peace of mind with what to expect. And if that peace of mind isn’t quite enough, it never hurts to ask your lender if they extend rate locks!

http://money.howstuffworks.com/interest-rate3.htm

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!

The temperatures are starting to drop as the cold months of winter are beginning to set in. You’re thinking about pulling out those sweaters, winter coats and boots but are you thinking about what sorts of warm and fuzzy things your home needs? Just as the change in weather can affect you, it can also have a big impact on your home.

We talked about preparing for Fall and you may have started prepping your home but there are a few critical items that need to be addressed as the weather gets colder. Based on my own experience, my own #1 winter preparedness item is winterizing the hose bibs. Trust me – you do NOT want to worry about frozen pipes and ultimately a cold weather flood! Not only is this a big mess, it can also be quite costly. It’s a simple task that doesn’t take a great deal of time – well worth the effort.

Along with winterizing the pipes, you should inspect the gutters and downspouts. This is potentially another water/ice issue  and one that can be avoided with a little bit of effort. Lack of taking care of this can result in ice dams and water seeping into your home. Another yucky situation!

Here are the Top Ten Tips from About.com for winterizing your home, top to bottom and inside & out:

1) Furnace Inspection

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

6) Check Foundations

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

8 ) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit 

For the complete details for each tip, check out the full article: “Winterizing Your Home – Preparing Your Home for Winter”.

Stay Warm!

You’ve moved into your new home, set up all the furniture, put away all the dishes and now you’re ready to hang your favorite pictures…do you have a hammer and nails?

Most people who have already owned a home in the past have a pretty handy set of tools but when you’re a first time homeowner, chances are you don’t have a complete tool box. And since you’ve purchased new construction, it should be awhile before you need to do any repairs on your own. But the time will come and it’s a good idea to be prepared.

Along with your basic hammer and nails, I have a list of tools that you really should have on hand that includes a drill, pliers, wrench and measuring tape. For a good complete list, check out this article for everything to stock up on in your tool box – you’ll be happy you did!

http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=124&genericContentID=125949

Enjoy hanging those pictures!

With the Holiday Season officially upon us, one of the issues that I think all of us either hear about or experience ourselves is STRESS. For those of you who just moved into your new home or are getting ready to move, this can be even more of an issue because of all the other items on your to-do list. So how do we get everything done and try not to become overly stressed? I think the common theme I’m seeing in all of the words-of-wisdom articles is preparation and planning.

Martha Stewart and her team have come up with 15 tips to help us have a stress-free Holiday. It’s full of great suggestions such as tackling to-do lists with friends and having small token gifts on hand for the unexpected guest. For a complete look at the list, visit:

http://www.marthastewart.com/274598/tips-for-a-stress-free-holiday-season/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#/225480

Happy Holidays from New Homes Guide!

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!

Every day we hear about people trying to decide if now is the right time to buy. They weigh their pros and cons and either talk themselves into or out of purchasing a new home. A lot of the points that I hear being made relate to very tangible things that affect the buyer right now…home prices, incentives, interest rates, etc. But what about some long terms things? What about some of the intangibles?

I came across an article recently - “Five Great Things about Homeownership” – that I want to share with you. While there are a couple points that I’m certain you’ve heard time and again, there were a few others that I think are great reminders of why owning a home is part of the American Dream. To whet your appetite to read the whole (short) article, here are the five points:

1. Equity
2. Relationships
3. Predictability
4. Ownership
5. Great Deals

Check the article out – it’s worth a quick read and reminder that’s buying a home is not just about interest rates and incentives:

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar&articleID=883528767&ids=0VcPgMc3AVdPwIdPoTe38RcPwUb3wSe3gVdzkTe2MSdzAPczAOdPwIcj8PdzkPcPsU&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-all-44&ut=0lykmBb8v9NAY1

Happy House Hunting!

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!