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When prospective buyers tour your home, they're not just looking at the beauty of your layout and decor but also (SET ITAL) experiencing (END ITAL) your home inside and out. They're assessing how your space feels, how it smells and whether they can envision raising children in the home, hosting holiday dinners in the dining room and entertaining in the backyard. With so many thoughts racing through potential buyers' minds, it's important to avoid the five unexpected things that can turn them off and also learn how to eliminate them.
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After garnering more than 80 awards over the years for its innovative and creative home designs, Avalon Building Corp. recently added another accolade to its collection. Avalon was named a Grand Award winner in the 2012 Tampa Bay Builders Association Parade of Homes for its Antigua model in Seven Oaks.
The housing market may have been a little unsteady in recent years, but the real estate industry is reviving. Buyers need to be sure the properties they're considering are good deals on steady ground.
When Dustin Thomas and his wife, Karen, set out to purchase their first home a few years back, they knew just what they were looking for. With their unborn son due very soon, they were seeking an affordable home in a safe neighborhood with highly rated schools.
Careful planning, strategic expansion and a bit of good timing has helped Southern Crafted Homes not only ride out the recent down economy but to grow in sales, employees and offerings.
When offered the opportunity to purchase Southern Hills Plantation Club last year, GreenPointe Communities jumped at the chance. GreenPointe Communities founder, Edward E. Burr had been the founder of LandMar, which developed the community, and he understood Southern Hills' potential, according to Grady Miars, president of GreenPointe Communities.
When it comes to home loans, we're a nation of debt-a-phobes. It's easy to understand why — we're still digging out from a credit crisis caused by too much (or mismanaged) mortgage debt. Not surprising then that borrowers are choosing shorter-term loans when they can; of those who refinanced a 30-year fixed-rate loan in the third quarter of 2011, 40 percent chose a 15- or 20-year loan, the largest percentage since 2003. And with high volatility and uncertain returns in the stock market, paying down your mortgage delivers a relatively generous, guaranteed return.
Purchasing a home can be the most rewarding — and also the most frustrating — financial transaction of your life. Especially today, when the news is filled with stories about the great market conditions for buyers. One aspect of the home buying process that's often overlooked is the extra cost that interest from a home loan adds to the total price of the home.
Move over, man cave.
At a time when life seems to be moving at an accelerated pace, the old Florida charm of Southern Hills Plantation offers a respite from the manic rush. The luxury master-planned community combines modern homes and amenities with the relaxed atmosphere and "very casual and elegant Southern lifestyle," according to Vicki Bratvold, vice president of sales and marketing with GreenPointe Communities.
Coffee tables with two levels has been popular for a while. Because people want places to set their laptops, tablet computers and smartphones, you're starting to see coffee tables designed with three levels.
Of all the possible indicators of economic recovery, perhaps none will boost consumer confidence as much as the recovery of the housing industry. According to Candice McElyea, spokesperson for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc., which oversees the development of Lakewood Ranch in Manatee and Sarasota counties, evidence of that recovery can be found in master-planned communities.
Say goodbye to the McMansion. According to a leading real estate website, Trulia.com, 2010 was officially the year that homes over 3,200 square feet ended their dominance and appeal. But don't think that downsizing means downgrading. In fact, homeowners are looking to upsize their amenities to help them enjoy every inch of their homes.
Building in a new community in Dade City has allowed Highland Homes to become a leader in home sales in Pasco County.
When something falls as hard as the housing market did a few years ago, it's sometimes hard to feel comfortable being a part of it again.
Families seeking award-winning designed homes with lots of family livability, along with the added benefits of elegant details, affordable prices, low down payments and large home sites will find this dream a reality at Autumn Oaks, a community in North Pasco County.
We're all doing our part in reducing our carbon footprint by switching our old light bulbs for the new compact fluorescent bulbs and upgrading our appliances to new more energy-efficient ones. While these steps have a positive impact, what if the entire house was designed and built with the goal of being more environmentally friendly?
Chances are good that getting organized was on your list of New Year's resolutions.
Southern Hills Plantation, just south of Brooksville, caught the attention of Florida homebuyers when it opened in 2006. While the community offered all of the high-end amenities one would expect in a luxury master-planned community, it had a couple of features that similar communities lacked: rolling hills and an 18-hole championship golf course designed by renowned course architect Pete Dye.
Following three years of successful new home sales, GL Homes' Valencia Lakes has rapidly become Hillsborough County's premier active adult community, according to Patty Campbell, division president for the West Coast of Florida. Plans are in place to make the community even more desirable in 2012.
The holiday season often means sprucing up the house for company – with a mad dash to the paint store. But if you pick a color too quickly, you might miss out on what's trendy for 2012.
In this buyers' market, prices are down. But that's not the only reason buyers are finding more affordable homes.
At this time of year, the shorter days, frigid temperatures and falling snow in the northern states tend to keep older people indoors for the winter months. Meanwhile, their Florida cohorts are still enjoying a round of golf, a day on the tennis courts or a relaxing picnic. For those stuck inside for the winter season, GL Homes offers a permanent solution to the winter blues, according to Marisa Lufkin, project manager and vice president.
In 2011, Southern Crafted Homes has seen a 33 percent increase over its 2010 sales figures. That would constitute a substantial increase for any company, but it is especially impressive for a homebuilder in the current economy, according to Jim Deitch, chief operating officer for Southern Crafted Homes.
Realtors across the country are inundated with questions about the current real estate market from worried customers on both the buying and selling sides.
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