Lifestyle Builders Blog

The Dog Days of Summer is the marketing tag line on our mid-year sales promotion.  We wanted to be very clear in our advertising copy that the long, hot, summer weather was the appropriate “dog” reference and not the houses.

All of that led me to reflect on a current trend in home buying that has been emerging over the last couple of years and growing in strength in the last 90 days.  That trend is the negative bias against buying a foreclosed home.  National surveys show that almost half of all consumers would now choose NOT to buy a foreclosed house.

Horror stories abound about unsuspecting buyers finding out that the home of their dreams became the house full of nightmares after closing.  It doesn’t take much to see how prior owners would leave the premises in less than satisfactory conditions upon their forced exit. Some, more vindictive, actually sabotage the plumbing and electrical systems causing the new owners thousands to repair.

Beware of getting caught up in the “deal” mentality.  Just this week a customer, against the advice of his realtor, chose to buy an 11 year old house in foreclosure rather than a new home that was equal in size and features priced only $20,000 more.  The older home had no warranty, no builder standing behind the product, an 11 year old roof, hot water heater, heating and air conditioning equipment, etc..

So, when we say, “Don’t Buy the Dog,” we ARE talking about a ‘dog’ of a foreclosed house that doesn’t compare to new construction.  New homes have never been priced as competitively as they are right now and you get better energy efficiency, a 5 year warranty, and everything fresh and unspoiled.  I think new homes are something worth wagging your tail about!

Over the last couple of years, the technology wave has been building in all of our lives. We have seen things become available at our fingertips – on our smartphones – that we never dreamed were even possible. We quickly become accustomed to those conveniences, and forget what life was like “before”.

The integration of these technologies continues to grow, and has even moved into our automobiles. Who hasn’t seen the recent car commercials demonstrating the newest wave of integrated technologies that have moved into our vehicles:

Are we ready for these same tools in our homes? For years, “experts” have been predicting the rise of the “connected” home, with formerly disconnected systems working in integrated fashion, all controlled from one easy to use interface. For years, however, the cost of the technology was out of reach, because of the hardwiring and infrastructure required to implement it.

With the introduction of wireless technologies and devices, the infrastructure requirements and costs of the “connected” home have been dropping. With more and more people having smart phones, table computers and wireless routers, the cost of home automation is starting to come within reach of the everyday consumer. Check out this video and get an idea of how it can work, and how it can improve your lifestyle:

Is the time right? Have the costs finally reached a point where the average consumer will make the investment? We’d love to know what you think of these ideas. Is this something you would be interested in having in your next new home? What kind of costs would you expect to be involved with this type of technology?

LifeStyle Builders & Developers has been building new homes in the Richmond, VA area for over 20 years. Stop by one of our many communities, or our award-winning Design Studio to see what we have to offer.  We are currently building new homes for sale in Chesterfield County, Henrico County, Hanover County, New Kent County, Powhatan County and the City of Hopewell, plus we can build on Your Land.

Green building and energy efficiency are some things happening in new construction that are very important.  The ability of a builder to integrate highly energy-efficient appliances, window technologies, heating and air systems and great insulation products are important to the consumer to bring utility bills down.

The needs of today’s buyers are unique.  Their families are changing.  They may have multiple generations living under a roof.

The needs of those changing families can’t always be met in resale homes.  They need their homes to be designed and built around what they are dealing with today or maybe what they will be dealing with in the very near future, and they are planning ahead.

Click here to see Kevin’s interview with The Richmond Times Dispatch’s Metro Business.

From the inception, the Homearama event in Patriot’s Landing was intended to “showcase the latest in interior decorating ideas, trends, and innovations in new homes for the next decade.”  One of the major trends in new construction today is “green building” and every home built for the Homearama show is certified to a green standard by a third party.

Our home, “Young at Heart”, has been certified to comply with the Energy Star standard.  This certification offers assurances to the future owner of the home that they will experience incredible energy efficiency.  The energy savings in the home come from a variety of sources, including the Trane HVAC system, M/I Low-E windows, Energy Star rated appliances, CFL light bulbs, Rudd Tankless water heater, Heatilator IntelliFire gas fireplace, conditioned crawl space and LINKS system controls on the thermostats.

In addition to these energy saving techniques and devices, you will find a number of other “green” features.  The Shaw carpeting is made from Type 6 nylon , which allows for 100% cradle to cradle reuse of the product.  The Duron paints feature Low-VOC emissions, which help improve the indoor air quality.  The unique Taexx Pest Defense system allows for the use of pesticides within the walls of the home, in lieu of topical applications inside of the house, which again improves the air quality and safety of day to day living.  You will find a recycling center for glass, paper and plastic products conveniently integrated into the Drop Zone in the garage.  Finally, a rain barrel has been utilized to capture storm water from the roof and reuse it for watering shrubs and planting areas in the yard.

The Homearama event, held in Patriots Landing, runs September 18 – October 3, 2010, open to the public daily from 12-9 pm, gates close at 7 pm sharp. $10 Cash Admission Fee, Children 12 & under free.  Come on out and visit us at the “Young at Heart” home we have built for this show!

Several years ago we saw consumers of all ages beginning to give up the formal living room.  For some, it morphed into a study; others opened it up to the first floor bedroom and used it as a private sitting room for the owner’s suite.  The first time buyer omitted it entirely from the floor plan in favor of saving money and the move up buyer moved the square footage into a fourth or fifth bedroom to serve a growing family.

What about the formal dining room?  Is it going the way of the formal living room?  The answer depends on what buyer demographic you ask.  For example, many of the first time buyers in the Gen Y group have opted for no formal dining space whatsoever.  Instead, they have chosen to have a larger great room with a generous informal dining space occurring at the kitchen.  Baby Boomers, moving down in size, usually keep the formal dining room to accommodate holiday dinners with the extended family.  In smaller condominiums targeted at first time buyers, a breakfast bar in the kitchen may be all the floor plan can accommodate.

Usually the area designated for formal dining is in the front part of the house just off the foyer but not always so.  In Florida, for example, single level plans tend to be more open and informal.  In their case, the single dining area is completely open to the kitchen, great room, and sun room and have few, if any, walls separating the spaces.  Many of the Federal and Colonial house built in the Northeast have both the formal living and dining rooms off the Great Foyer in the front of the home.

Perhaps formal dining rooms have more “staying power” today because they represent more than just a place to eat.  For many of us, there is an emotional component attached because this is the room we use to entertain family and friends.  We make fond memories on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Birthdays by celebrating them around food served in this room designated for such “special” occasions.  Dining rooms help us commemorate the present and have a way of fondly anchoring us to our past.