How to Choose the Right Home Builder

Few decisions are as important as buying a new home. This is why you should exercise the utmost caution when choosing a home builder. Of course, you'll want to choose a trustworthy builder with an established reputation, and the know how to construct a quality home. Your home is a big investment, both financially and emotionally, so you want to make sure to hire someone that will do the job right.

So, how do you go about choosing the right builder? There are several factors that you should evaluate before deciding on a builder. Here are some things to think about in making your choice:

First, you will want to make sure that the builder you choose has a solid reputation and excellent references. Choosing a home builder is a huge decision, so randomly picking someone from the phone book is not an option. After all, just because a builder is licensed and bonded does not mean the quality of their work can be trusted. Instead, look to family, friends, or coworkers for a reference. If you can't get a personal reference, go with a builder that has a good reputation in your community.

Once you've identified one or more possible home builders, prepare a short list of questions to ask when you call. Some things can be researched online, depending on the size of the company. Things you'll want to know are how long the company's been in business, what type of industry experience it possesses, and whether the company is a full-time professional constructor or only a part-time builder. Finally, make sure to check that the company meets all licensing and bonding requirements in your area, and check with the local branch of the Better Business Bureau to find out of there are any complaints against the builder by former clients.

When you're interviewing the builder and researching their expertise, you'll also want to find out their area of specialization. How much time does the builder devote to residential construction? What types of custom homes do they build? You'll want to make sure the builder's expertise matches the vision that you have for your new home.

Lastly, you'll want to know what type of warranty or post-sale services are provided by the builder. While you might imagine that you won't experience problems with your new home that necessitate the use of a warranty, sadly this isn't always the case. Things can and do go wrong with new homes. Of course, choosing a builder carefully will minimize the risk of problems, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Remember that a builder that offers an excellent warranty and after-sale service is a builder that is confident in the quality of its work. This is just another indicator of the quality of the builder you choose.

Take the time to do your homework when it comes to choosing a home builder. This extra time and effort will pay off in the long run, and you'll have a home that you can be proud to own to show for it.

---

Article contributed by Luke_Lansing.

New Homes in Florida

New homes in Florida are those homes that have just recently been built either by a private contractor or by a large corporation as part of a wide-ranging set of new homes. These homes have never been lived in by another family or other type of resident. They are fully equipped with all the necessary add-ons you will need. Florida enjoys a booming real estate market as people flock to the state for recreation, picturesque cityscapes and fine weather. Florida is an ideal locale for a new home.

Florida offers a wide range of choices for dwelling, renting, investing, or even retirement requirements. Florida has a line of New Home communities that allow the choice of condos, villas or single family homes. Many people dream of living on the beach, and some dreams come true with the purchase of some of Florida's beach homes. Luxury homes are also available in Florida with the prices ranging from $2 to $7 million approximately.

Florida retirement communities have literally changed the definition of retirement. These are communities designed to cater to your retirement needs while you enjoy fun and recreation. The manufactured communities in Florida, with their theme parks, schools, shopping complexes, and all forms of recreation and leisure, are a very sought after option in the new homes market. These communities have a variety of home styles to offer. Some of the dealers in manufactured communities are Sherwood Fortes and Mid Florida Lakes Yacht club. Investment in Florida real estate is considered a sound move by many.

---

Article contributed by Jimmy Sturo.

New Homes provides detailed information on New Homes, New Homes in Las Vegas, New Home in Colorado Springs, New Homes in Florida and more. New Homes is affiliated with Portable Metal Buildings.

State Tax Credit Spurs Uptick in New Home Sales

If you are considering a new home purchase in California, the following article will be music to your ears. There is a new state tax credit being offered to home buyers in California, which provides up to a $10,000 tax credit for California new home buyers. And so far...It's working! That is, there has been a considerable number of new home sales, and fewer cancellations of new home purchases, that can be directly attributed to this new incentive.

The following story covers greater detail, and was provided by Eve Mitchell. Eve covers real estate and personal finance for the Bay Area News Group. Reach her at 925-952-2690 or emitchell@bayareanewsgroup.com

---

State legislation was introduced Wednesday that would make it possible for an additional 20,000 taxpayers to take advantage of a popular program that provides new-home buyers with a state income tax credit of up to $10,000.

Assembly Bill 765 calls for increasing the existing $100 million cap for the California new home tax credit program to $300 million.

The state tax credit is for california new homes purchased between March 1, 2009, and Feb. 28, 2010, or as long as program funding is available. Passage of the state budget in February first established the credit and the cap at $100 million, which is enough to provide 10,000 new home buyers with a $10,000 credit.

To date, 5,668 applications have been submitted for the program, resulting $54.9 million in credits being claimed. If AB 765 becomes law and funding for the program is increased to $300 million, it is estimated that about 30,000 taxpayers would benefit from the program.

"When we passed the tax credit in February, we were hoping it would work to stimulate the housing market," said Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, co-author of the legislation. "We had no idea it would be this successful. In just two months, more than half of the credits are gone."

The legislation would also make it possible for the credit to be reserved at the time a buyer executes a purchase agreement for a new home in California, whether it has already been constructed or needs to be built from the ground up, as opposed to waiting for escrow to close under the current program.

Layne Marceau, president of the Northern California division of Shea Homes, said the credit is working.

Sales of new homes are up and cancellations are down.

"In the next two months, we're going to start 60 homes and that is all attributable to the tax credit," he said.

First-time buyers who take the state credit can also apply for a federal income-tax credit worth up to $8,000 for first-time buyers, which are defined as not owning a home in the previous three years.

The federal credit applies to homes purchased between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2009.

STATE INCOME TAX CREDIT
The state home buyer tax credit is for new homes in California. It is not restricted to first-time home buyers. The credit is equal to five percent of the home's purchase price, up to a maximum of $10,000. Most buyers qualify for the maximum $10,000 credit, since most new home purchases in California are $200,000 or higher. The credit is paid out to qualified home buyers over a period of three years. For more information, go to www.ftb.ca.gov or call 1-888-792-4900, press 5.

Shea Homes Offers Hero's a Discount

Shea Homes has rolled out a promotion to help local “heroes” buy a new home in Arizona.

The home builder is offering a 1 percent discount on base price to active and retired military, fire and police personnel, and teachers.

“Shea Homes wants to say ‘thank you’ to the many dedicated Valley citizens who help keep us safe as well as to teachers who help inspire and mold our most important asset, our children,” said Ken Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing for Shea Homes, in a release. “These unsung heroes are of vital importance to us, and Shea Homes wanted to find a way to recognize them.”

Shea Homes has new home communities in Peoria, Litchfield Park, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Maricopa, Buckeye, Goodyear and Phoenix.

When is The Time to Buy?

NOW! The market opportunities which are available right now will not be around forever. Interest rates are at historical lows (generational lows) as well the value that can be found in the New Homes market is amazing. New Home Builders are willing to help you get in your dream home and provide rates that we have never seen before. The programs available are providing a great opportunity for buyers today.

If you are asking yourself why you should buy a new home, the answer is simple - it's NEW! There is a warranty, the carpets and flooring is new, the roof is new, the plumbing and electrical is new and under warranty. Tread lightly with the "false opportunities" which have saturated the market... Short sales, and Foreclosures are NOT what they seem. Most have been mistreated and can cost tens of thousands of dollars to bring them up to a living standard that you will feel meets the value for you and your family.

New Home Builders in South Carolina

If you are looking to build a new home in South Carolina, then you'll need to know whether or not you are looking for a custom home or a model home. Once you've decided what type of new home you wish to build and what budget you need to work within, use this list to help you find the best builder to suit your needs. These builders work and build homes in a variety of areas in South Carolina, so make sure that you check their websites to be certain they build in your area.

Shea Homes - The Shea legacy started back in 1877, and Shea has been a key contributor to the culture and character of America and our built environment, ever since the company's inception. Among other notable structures, Shea built the foundation piers for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, and served as the construction manager overseeing the construction of the Hoover Dam. In the past several decades, Shea has emerged as one of America's leading new home builders, especially recognized for award winning master planned communities. Shea homes focuses primarily on two distinct markets, that of new single-family homes, and the active adult new home market.

KB Homes - KB Homes builds custom and model homes all across the United States and currently operates out of 13 plus states. They have been building homes for well over 50 years and have a custom design team that can customize any model to suit your needs. They offer options in flooring, floor plan, cabinetry, and counter tops. They build homes in all price ranges so that you can find something that suits your budget.

Schumacher Homes - Schumacher currently builds in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville and boast the best value in custom homebuilding. They feature a huge assortment of floor plans from 1k sq. feet to over 8k sq. ft. Their homes range in price from just over $100,000 to $800,000.

Dillard-Jones Builders - Dillard-Jones has a 20 year history of experience in new home building and can help you build a home at any budget level. They currently build in over 8 communities with prices starting under 100k and moving into several hundred thousand dollars depending on the design.

D.R. Horton - D.R. Horton has been in business for 31 years and builds in almost every part of the country, including several areas of South Carolina. They have the experience and assets at their disposal to provide an excellent new home building experience. For more information on communities and prices, visit their website and select the area in which you are looking to build.

Toll Brothers - Toll Brothers has been building homes and communities for over 40 years and promises to deliver a beautiful and elegant home at a convenient price. They build all across the US (21 states), but currently offer new homes in 9 communities across South Carolina. Most of their new homes are from 2k-4k sq. feet and are priced from 200k to 500k.

Donnie Shaffer Homes - Donnie Shaffer has built over 500 homes in the past 20 years and specializes in South Carolina style homes. They build luxury style custom homes in Harbor Island and in other parts of South Carolina and range in price from 300k to over 1 million.

If you are looking to build a new home in South Carolina, make sure you spend the time to select the right builder for your needs. Be sure to check the builder websites for the most up to date information and special offers. Most keep a large list of prices and floor plans to help you make your decision. All information here is current as of January 2009.

---

Article Contributed by Jayson Gibson. He writes for "New Homes Section", the home of new home incentives, home builder information and quick move-in homes. There, you can search for new homes in South Carolina or for new home builders - and be sure to check out their builder incentives section.

Is the Seattle Housing Market Safer in a Recession?

Earlier this year, Business Week's Prashant Gopal wrote and article titled "Some Cities Will Be Safer In A Recession." I'm going to summarize this article and share my thoughts on why they named Seattle as one of these cities.

New Homes in Seattle

As you can imagine, cities with a strong presence in health care, education, law, energy, and the government will do better in a downturn than those without. Why, because all of these items are considered by most of us as a necessity.

Government leaders are working to avoid a depression-or at least a late-1970s-level recession-but if things get really bad, some places will suffer more: states such as California, Florida, and Nevada that are buried under a growing mass of foreclosures, cities like New York and Chicago that have large numbers of financial sector jobs, and manufacturing towns like Detroit that are already suffering from weak sales of cars and other durable goods.

Other local economies, those dominated by stable industries, could be relatively well cushioned. In this article, Business Week looked at places where large portions of the population worked in anti-cyclical industries such as government, health care, education, agriculture, and legal services.

College Cushion

Colleges don't necessarily flourish in bad times, but they don't go out of business either. People tend to go back to school to learn marketable skills when unemployment is high, but alumni donations and state grants do tend to dwindle during recessions. Major cities with multiple college campuses benefit from this situation. Seattle, has multiple college campuses such as the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, City University and others.

Health Care

Even doctors and nurses feel the pinch in a recession because people without jobs or insurance tend to put off medical visits until it's absolutely necessary. But medical care is in demand in good times and bad. Seattle has many hospitals in the area, including:

Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center

Children's Hospital and Medical Center is the premier pediatric referral center in the Pacific Northwest, with national prominence for its clinical expertise and affiliation with the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Harborview Medical Center

As the region's only Level 1 trauma center, Harborview's expert emergency and operating-room staff are available 24 hours a day. The University of Washington Burn Center at Harborview is nationally renowned for its advances in burn-care techniques.

Northwest Hospital

Northwest Hospital is a nonprofit hospital located in North Seattle. The Northwest Hospital Childbirth Center was the first in Seattle to provide labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care in a single room.

Overlake Hospital Medical Center

Overlake Hospital Medical Center is a nonprofit, non-tax-supported community hospital offering a full range of advanced medical services. Overlake features the only level III trauma center on the greater Eastside, a childbirth center with special-care nursery for premature infants and an innovative postpartum follow-up program.

Swedish Medical Center

Swedish Medical Center isthe Northwest's largest, most comprehensive health care facility. Its flagship campus, located on Seattle's First Hill, is a regional referral center for several major specialties. Swedish's Ballard campus is a full-service, acute-care facility offering high-quality medical and surgical services to the surrounding community.

University of Washington Medical Center

Many consumer guides cite University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) as one of the best hospitals in the country - one of the top 10, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual guide.Located on the UW campus, the 450-bed medical center provides comprehensive primary and specialty care.

Valley Medical Center

Valley Medical Cente rprovides a broad range of health care services to the individuals who live and work in South King County. The emergency department, designated a level III trauma center, is one of the busiest in the state, with crisis-intervention counselors available around the clock.

Virginia Mason Medical Center

Virginia Mason Medical Center consists of a downtown Seattle clinic and hospital, and a system of 7 medical clinics throughout western Washington, which offer comprehensive and personalized health care services. VirginiaMason has been a regional leader since 1920, and is consistently rankedamong the finest medical facilities in the United States.

Wow, that's a lot of health care and a lot of stable jobs. All the more reasons to consider a new home in Seattle.

Grocery Cushion

Farms and grocery stores tend to be relatively stable because even though people might not be able to afford restaurant food, they still need to eat. There are 206 stores in the Seattle Division of the grocer Safeway. QFC and Albertson's add as many to that total. And, despite scaling back new store openings after a third-quarter profit drop, Whole Foods Market is still going ahead with plans for two more Seattle-area stores, making the total number in the Seattle area seven.

Major Port Cushion

Seattle, is a major port and will continue to benefit from robust international trade as long as the dollar is weak.

Seattle at a glance

Share of jobs in strong industries: 37.6%

Number of workers: 331,186

Metro area unemployment rate: 5%

Agriculture jobs: 0.34%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 12.24%

Education jobs: 10.02%

Health-care jobs: 11.49%

Public Administration (Government) jobs: 3.48%

If you live in Seattle, you are in a great place to buy your first home. Prices have come down, mortgage interest rates are at historic lows, and sellers are willing to pay for most if not all of your closing costs.

---

Atrticle contributed by Bob Krulish. Bob has been buying and selling houses in the Seattle area for the past 5 years. He typically buys homes at prices far below retail, typically creating an instant $20,000-$40,000 in "know-how" equity. He frequently is quoted as saying "Sweet Equity Is Know- How Equity".

Currently he is developing a complete step by step video series on "How To Buy A Home With Huge Amounts of Know-How Equity" for new home buyers at http://www.homesintheseattlearea.com