Builder Blog

We’ve all seen a stunning hillside mansion and dreamed what it would be like to raise our families there. Or envied the amazing renovation makeovers depicted on television shows that give the home owners a sense of pride and accomplishment. But how does your dream home compare to what home buyers across the country are looking for in their new home?

A recent study from the National Association of Homes Builders, What Home Buyers Really Want, shared the results of a survey of the preferences of thousands of home buyers. On average, home buyers are looking for a home that is 17 percent larger than their current home, a median of 2,226 square feet. But, likely as a result of the ongoing challenges of the economic downturn, that size is 13 percent smaller than the average size of homes started in 2012.

The layout of the home is more important than the location to most buyers. Living space and number of rooms was ranked the most influential characteristic by 65 percent of buyers, while only 33 percent ranked proximity to locations they need to go as tops. A sense of open space continues to be popular, with about three-quarters of home buyers wanting a kitchen that is open to the family room, and nearly two-thirds looking for ceilings on the first floor that are 9 feet or more tall.

Some of the most wanted features in a home involve saving energy. Energy Star-rated appliances were rated as essential or desirable by 94 percent of respondents, and 91 percent wanted an Energy Star rating for the whole home. In fact, nine out of ten buyers would rather buy a home with energy-efficient features and permanently lower utility bills than one without those features that costs 2 percent to 3 percent less.

Convenient organization and storage is another home buyer favorite. More than 80 percent of the respondents said they wanted walk-in pantries and pull-out shelves in the kitchen, a laundry room and storage in the garage.

Today’s home buyers want the latest technology. While only 15 percent of home owners currently have a wireless home security system, 50 percent want one. Similar gaps in “have” versus “want” occur with security cameras, lighting control and wireless audio systems, and multi-zone HVACs.

The most unwanted home features include elevators, a location in a golf course, high density or gated community, and having only a shower stall and no tub in the master bath.

So whether you’re planning or dreaming about what your next new home will look like, or you’re making renovations to your current home so that it will appeal to its next owner, keep these home buyer preferences in mind!

As summer approaches and people shed their layers of clothing from the cooler months, many want to also lighten the load their homes are carrying or at least make it look neater. Before you toss the tools in a garage corner or stuff the down jackets into a box and toss it in the attic, why not evaluate your needs and make your storage both effective and attractive?

The first thing you should do is make a list of everything you want to store. This list will both help you determine how much storage space you need and ensure that nothing gets lost once you start putting things away.

Shelving is one of the easiest ways to create more storage. It can be portable in the form of free-standing units, or permanent that is attached to your walls. Easy-to-install, heavy-duty shelving can be purchased at just about any major home supply store. Many of these units are designed so that you can leave as much room between the shelves as you like, making it easy to get larger and smaller items onto the same unit and saving you space. 

Heavy winter clothing can take up lots of closet space, leaving you with little room for your entire four-season wardrobe. One solution for storing out-of-season clothing is under the bed. Under-the-bed storage containers come in a variety of sizes and styles, including ones with wheels for easy access and to protect hardwood floors from scratches when you pull them out. You can also buy simple risers that elevate your bed off the floor additional inches to create even more space.

Garage storage has also gotten much more efficient. You can get built-in storage cabinets with doors so the space looks clean and orderly. There are also modular systems that enable you to choose what features are best for your needs; including hanging racks for sports equipment, hooks for tools, and more.

Most garages have pitched roofs to keep rainwater or snow from collecting on top, and this space is ideal for items you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis. Store these things on platforms or racks that lower and raise either electronically at the touch of a button, or with an easy-to-use pulley system.

In newer or renovated homes, a mudroom or drop zone is a popular feature. This area often has built-in benches, hooks and bins to neatly tuck away boots, jackets, gardening equipment and other items your family uses frequently.

Finally, if your family is as tied to their portable internet and communications devices as many modern families, get rid of the tangle of charger cords on your counters by buying or building a home charging station with multiple outlets and pockets for storing and charging cell phones, tablets, laptops and more.

For more information about home maintenance or design trends, visit nahb.org/forconsumers or contact info@valleybuilders.org.   

Q: Shouldn’t I wait until home prices go even lower to buy?

A: No. Just as no one can accurately predict the peaks and valleys of the stock market (name one person who sold their tech portfolio in April of 2000), the same holds true for housing. If you wait for what you think is the absolute best deal, you could end up waiting for years. All the market fundamentals show that now is a good time to buy – prices are down, interest rates near historically low levels, and there are lots of homes to choose from.

If you buy now, you will not only be in the driver’s seat during the buying process, you will also reap the gains of price appreciation. Remember, those who purchased homes in the early 1990s during the last big economic and housing downturn came out as big winners.

Q: Doesn’t it make sense to wait out the market until can I get the same price on my home that my neighbor got when he sold a couple years ago?

A: No. It’s always better to trade up in a buyer’s market. While the value of your house has fallen, the prices of higher-end homes have also dropped. Here’s an example:

Your neighbor sold for $300,000. Let’s say values in your area have dropped 10 percent, so you could get only $270,000 for your home today. You have your eye on a move-up home that previously sold for $500,000, but now is selling for $450,000. If you sold your home today for $270,000 and purchased the larger house for $450,000, the difference in price would be $180,000.

But if you waited to recoup the 10 percent value on your home and sold it at $300,000, chances are the move-up home would also increase in price 10 percent to $500,000. That’s a $200,000 price difference. So by selling today, you would actually save $20,000.

Q: Interest rates might go down. Shouldn’t I wait to see if they’ll go lower before I buy a home?

A: Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages are extremely favorable for buyers. In fact, they are currently hovering near 30-year lows. But waiting to time the market is a dangerous game. Even those who follow the market for a living can’t figure out when interest rates will bottom out. If they could, they would all be multi-millionaires.

And home prices don’t necessarily move in unison with interest rates. So, if you decided to wait to purchase a home and the price dropped $10,000 from where it is today, you could still end up losing money. How? If interest rates were to move up by a half-a-point during this period, the savings on the reduced home price would be more than offset by the higher monthly payment you would be making over the life of the loan. v3-13 - 2 -

Q: I’m a first-time buyer and still can’t afford the type of home that I want. Is it best to wait, keep renting, and hope that prices will get even lower?

A: If you continue to wait, you may never be able to afford to get into the housing market. Even as home prices are currently moderating in your area, depending on where you live, rents are likely continuing to climb. When you buy a home, you are also purchasing price stability, knowing that you will pay the same monthly payment for the life of your 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.

And don’t forget the tax incentives. In most instances, all of the mortgage interest and property taxes you pay in a given year can be fully deducted from your gross income to reduce your taxable income. These deductions can result in thousands of dollars of tax savings, especially in the early years of the mortgage when interest makes up most of the payment. You will also begin to build equity in your property.

Your best strategy may be to scale back expectations for your dream starter-home. After a few years, you can use those equity gains to sell your starter home and move into a bigger house. The sooner you make the jump from renter to home owner, the quicker you begin to create and build up wealth for your family.

Classic Kitchen and Bath is a small business that wants to make a big difference in the community. Their services include offering materials and designs for interior spaces. They love to be active and give back to the local community. Classic Kitchen and Bath pride themselves on their involvement and reputation they have built based off their actions.  They are willing to do anything from a small laundry room to brand new large construction project. Customer service is their main focus and they want to be able to help design dream spaces for their clients.

Classic Kitchen and Bath is unique in that they are a small business that is interested in getting into strong, lasting relationships with their clients. The biggest enjoyment all of the employees at Classic Kitchen and Bath is helping making clients dreams a reality. One of the employees, Gabby, has a client that she still keeps in touch with although her kitchen remodel was finished. This was just one fulfilling experience that many employees at Classic Kitchen and Bath share with their clients.

Be sure to check them out at the Home and Garden show only three days away on April 12^th at Rockingham County Fairgrounds at 4:00pm!

Kai Degner & the LiveHB Homes Team’s, number one priority is to provide home buyers and sellers with the information and tools needed to make informed decisions. They pride themselves on not being your typical real estate agents but “consulting partners” that provide their home buyers and sellers with valuable information. This allows their home buyers and sellers to have confidence in their decision-making. Over the past few years, LiveHB Homes Team has assisted with over $10,000,000 in sales, within the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area. Kai Degner & the LiveHB Homes Team are pleased to work with anyone interested in the residential real estate market.

At this year's Home and Garden show, don't forget to visit Kai Degner & the LiveHB Homes Team on April 12th at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds!

Memo from the City Planning Dept.

During the past few years, there have been instances where building permit applications were processed, approved and issued through our current procedure, only for the project owner to find out later that questions or issues may exist. For example, the project may require a water meter upgrade, an entrance change could not be made as desired or City refuse service could not accommodate their needs. These and other issues can result in unanticipated expense and delay for the project owner and stress for both the project owner and the City in trying to accommodate a project already underway.
A City staff team, comprised of representatives from Community Development, Public Works, Public Utilities, Fire Department, Economic Development, Information Technology and the City Manager’s Office, has evaluated the building permitting process to more proactively address these situations. The team decided the best solution is to move awareness and resolution of these issues to the front of the permitting process. We have developed a “Building Permit Checklist” that is to be completed before a building permit application is accepted. This checklist targets items such as plumbing fixtures, fire suppression, entrance configuration, and refuse disposal. If a project answers “no” to all of the questions, the permit will be accepted at the Community Development counter and proceed through the review process. If a project answers “yes” to questions, further information must be submitted to the applicable City department and an authorized signature obtained before a building permit application will be accepted into the review process. We hope this interaction between the City and project developers will result in a better understanding for all of what the project involves and resolve potential problems before the project begins. Use of the checklist will begin April 8, 2013.
City staff recognizes that a “yes” on the checklist will involve additional communication between the applicant and a City Department, but we anticipate that any delay this adds to the process will be briefer than a delay at a crucial time further into the permitting or construction process. The questions on the checklist are ones that may have been considered prior to beginning a project and if this consideration has occurred, there should be little to no delay experienced.

Check the city's website early next week for a copy of the checklist. 

www.harrisonburgva.gov

Pure Environmental is a provider of services that eliminate pests, germs, odors and contaminants from homes, apartments, hotels and other places where people live, work and play. What makes Pure Environmental unique is that their corporate mission to only provide services that work better than all other alternatives and with the least impact on the environment... your environment.

Pure Environmental provides their services for the purpose of helping people. They strive to eliminate problems that seem impossible for customers to fix, given the fact that they have the technology to do so.

Don't forget to check out Pure Environmental at the Home and Garden Show!

Trost Custom Homes, Inc., run by a brother and sister, specializes in customizing a well built home. They guide you every step of the way, making sure every aspect of your home is built just right. Their main focus, when designing a custom home, is being flexible and working to exactly what the customer wants. They pride themselves on doing “anything you want”. 

The Gaines Group, PLC has been working hard providing architectural design work for 26 years now. They help make life easier by solving functional problems and helping build a community. From LEED and EarthCraft to Energy Star they have found great success in delivering affordable, energy efficient and durable design solutions for a variety of clients. Those planning for a sustainable future are those that Gaines Group considers an ideal client. Gaines Group strives to help clients save money, frustration, time and energy. They believe that having a clear plan in place before construction begins is crucial. Having someone listen to your goals, interpret them into a cohesive design, and add their years of experience pays dividends throughout construction and the life of your home.

Remember to stop by The Gaines Group booth at this year’s Home and Garden show on April 12^th at 4:00 pm at Rockingham Country Fairgrounds!

AM Yoder & Co. combines cutting edge technology and experienced trade partners and suppliers to provide high quality custom homes and renovations. They give their clients unprecedented control over the project and the opportunities at AM Yoder & Co. are limitless.

If you are someone that desires a truly custom product, AM Yoder is exactly what you need. You will be able to incorporate your own personal touch in any product you seek. AM Yoder & Co. is dedicated to the success of your project. They were present at the Home and Garden show in 2009 and started discussing a potential project with a client. Two years later, they were able to complete this client’s custom designed home. They will never give up on a customer!

Please remember to join them at the Home and Garden show on April 12^th at 4:00pm at Rockingham County Fairgrounds. You could leave being AM Yoder & Co.’s next great project!