New Home Prices and Sales are On The Rise

Guys, with all the tax incentives, discounted inventory, and the recent indication of a market upswing, sales are on the rise...and that means prices are too!

If you have been on the fence about when to move on a new home purchase, time to get it in gear. The days of discounts and free upgrades are coming to an end soon, especially at Shea Homes communities, where new home inventory is fast running out.

Get to Shea while there are still great deals to be had. And if you're an active boomer interested in a new home in an active adult resort retirement community, then check out TrilogyLife by Shea Homes, and find out what Shea Homes Active Lifestyle really means.

New Home Buyers 101

Buying a new home is an exciting time in one's life. Because it is such a major purchase, you want to make sure that you have the knowledge to make the right decisions. It will make the home buying process much easier and will ensure that you have provided the best home for you and your family.

The following is a list of a number of tips that will help make your new home buying experience a pleasant one:

1. Make a list of what type of home will meet your current and future needs. This can include: the location, size of the property, number of bedrooms, size of the rooms, and proximity to schools, work, parks, stores, and other amenities. This will help you narrow your search. You should consider enlisting the services of a real estate agent who can help you find the right home at the right price.

2. Before you purchase a new home, you should decide if you can afford to take on such a big investment. You will be required to make a down payment. There are now 5% down payment deals available. Remember, the less money down means the higher your monthly mortgage payments. You will also be responsible for fees such as attorney fees, taxes, registration fees, closing costs...etc. You also have to make sure you can afford the monthly mortgage repayments. In order to secure a good mortgage, you must make sure you have a good credit history. Check your credit history to see if there are any errors or outstanding loans that should be paid. It is essential that you purchase a home that you can afford. There are online mortgage calculators that will help you determine how much you can afford. It is also recommended that you get pre-approved for a mortgage before you actually start searching for a home. You will then not waste your time looking at homes you can't afford.

3. If you have children or are planning to have children, research the schools in the area where you are interested in living. You want to make sure your children will get a quality education. As well, living in an area with good schools increases the value of a home.

4. Before you make an offer on a home, make sure you hire a building inspector to inspect the home for any problems. An inspector should look at the foundation, plumbing/septic system, the structural integrity of the home, roof...etc. The home inspection fee will can range from $300-650 depending on the type of house and its features.

5. It is important to have an attorney represent you for the closing. You will want to make sure that you are protected.

Purchasing a new home is a big life investment so it is important to make sure that you are familiar with all that goes into the purchase. This will help make the process run much smoother and less stressful allowing you to focus on starting a new life in your very own home.

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Article Provided By: Amy_A._Nutt

We commit to high quality services that offers a uniquely designed home that is tailored to your tastes. Ranging from luxurious interiors to fresh exteriors, our service is dedicated to providing a warm home for families and individuals. Asides from home building, home improvement is also highly emphasized for London Ontario homes. If you are looking for greater detail, please visit us!

Active Adult Communities

An active adult community, or an active community is a generic term that usually refers to a community of people who are primarily between the ages of 50 and 75.
Active Adult Communities are broad in their range and vary widely in what they offer to the adults who take part in the community.

Usually the housing is part of a gated community of retired adults.
Security is very often provided by virtue of guards at the gate or failing that, patrolling security in the area to provide for safety.
Various forms of entertainment and sporting areas are offered such as tennis courts, golf courses and some type of complex such as a central entertainment or café area where adults can congregate to talk.

Some Active Adult Communities are planned and executed in conjunction with various senior living groups or the housing authorities.
These will most generally posess a social area, and cater to the special needs of older individuals with such perks as the availability of gardeners and lawn care for a certain monthly fee.
They will also restrict the housing to those who have reached a certain age or have worked in a certain job affilitation, and will also offer special facilities which will afford retirement age individuals including golfing with a club house, medical facilities which are part of the community and specially planned events for the retirees.

Other Adult Communities are not actively planned as such, but seem to occur naturally in a given area.. One example would be Florida, where many adults of retirement age have congregated in specific areas which are becoming oriented to the retirement aged citizens by virtue of their numbers and the current market, rather than by planning of purpose.
In this type adult community of course, there are not age restrictions on who can and cannot live within the community, although they are primarily comprised of senior citizens and retirees, they may be intermingled with young families.

There are several types of planned retirement communities, among them housing units with no long term or short term health care available.
These are more commonly known as active adult communities.
Housing offered in conjunction with both long term medical assistance and care, as well as on site health care is known as continuing care retirement, while others, supportive communities are comprised of long term, nursing assisted living units, such as the assisted living facilities.

Many times retirement, or active adult communities are built in the more tepid climates such as Arizona and Florida, however there are many which are taking their place among retirement communities and are located in colder climates such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Five states alone have certified retirement communities created for retirees thus far.
Given the rapid onset of the baby boomer generation’s coming of age, retirement communities will shortly be in much greater demand and the supply is not able to meet that demand just yet.

Many states are actively seeking methods of building or creating an adult community in their own state in the hopes of encouraging their retiree residents to remain in the state and not move to a retirement community elsewhere. To lose the revenue of a retiree to another state in such numbers as will take up residence elsewhere if the community is pleasing enough will be devasting, particularly those states which have minimal population to begin with.

For further details, please visit First Release Homes

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Article Provided by: Hayi Mansoor

Now is the Best Time to Buy a New Home

It certainly seems to be a great time for new home buyers to implement the buying decision and for others to at least to seriously start looking for new homes. Home prices have fallen substantially in many parts of the United States and there are a number of bargains to be had right now. There are several reasons to believe that this year may be the best that you may see for a very long time when it comes to presenting many profitable opportunities to buy a new home. Mortgage rates are at the lowest, market values have also sunk to a point where a luxurious home that might have been slightly out of reach for you a few years back has now become affordable.

Help from Government

Sale of new homes has been on the increase for the last few months as more and more people are realizing this goldmine of an opportunity. Even in some of the harder hit markets of the United States people are snapping up houses for half of what they would have had to pay in 2005.

For the first time home buyer, more incentives are on the offer. The government is offering a refundable, first time buyer tax credit of $8000 for home buyers who buy before Dec 1, 2009. Essentially, individuals making less than $75000 per year in taxable income or married couples with less than $150,000 taxable income will get a 10% credit on the purchase price of the home, capped at $8000. You need not even wait till end of 2009 to get the tax credit, you can very well amend your returns for 2008 and move this to your 2008 taxes, i.e. assuming you have filed. If you are buying in the long term, this is definitely the phase in the market where you can buy low. And maybe sell high in the future.

More Value for Less Money

Depending on what kind of a home you want and where you want it, the same amount of money that you would have spent in 2005 will definitely buy you more special features, more space and a better neighborhood in 2009. In almost every market, you are guaranteed to get an extra bathroom and a bedroom.

A $400,000 price tag with a 30 year fixed mortgage at today’s best rates translates to roughly $1900 per month. If you have full income documentation and a good credit, you can easily get up 5-10% down on a traditional 30 year fixed mortgage.

Buyers are at an advantage as they find home inspections and repairs being completed before the home goes on the market. New home builders are also offering various rebates and schemes and extensive options to customize based on your requirements. A new home buyer is being treated with kid gloves in all markets; and for people looking at buying for their own use, for the long term, there is not going to be a better time than now to take the plunge.

Sometimes, it may so happen that the best bargains are on offer at a time that you don’t need it. This is one such time for home buyers. If you desire to own a home, maybe now is the time to act instead of waiting for another five or six years. Prices are low, interest rates are down. Time is also on the side of the buyer because the prices are not going to shoot up overnight, so the bidding can be as aggressive as you want. Make sure that once you find a home that you love, you have a comfortable plan to keep it for the long term.

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About the Author:

Par Development is the popular new home builder in Illinois and Wisconsin. We know the Chicago and surrounding areas better than anyone else, and we have some great offers on Wisconsin new homes and Illinois new homes. Visit us at www.pardevelopment.com for some great deals on your new home!

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

What To Look For in a New Home Builder

Most people don't build new homes often, so you really need the final product - your home - to be what you want it to be. Architects and interior designers agree that if you want to be happy with your new home you need to take time in the early stages of the building process.

Builders play a big part in those 'early stages' - they are the one's who are going to make what is down on paper a reality. They are the one's who provide the shell for everyone else to provide their services; without a builder you wouldn't need the electricians, plumbers and painters, nor would you have a home to live in!

When looking for a new home builder you will want someone who guarantees their work. In New Zealand you should check that the builder you employ is a Registered Master Builder. Only Registered Master Builder's can offer you the "Master Build New Homes or Alterations & Additions Guarantee", which covers a percentage of such things as loss of deposit or non completion (should this occur), as well as materials cover and a limited structural cover for up to 7 years. Having a guarantee in place will give you peace of mind.

A good home builder will also have quality check processes in place, where an assigned person carries out checks at several critical stages of the building process, to ensure that any issues which arise during this time are dealt with effectively and cost efficiently, after all you want the service you are paying for to be a quality one!

Look for a new home builder that has a good reputation, I hear you asking "How will I know this?", first of all you should ask to see their work, it's most likely that they will be in the process of building a house when you ask, so arrange a time to see how good their work is or alternatively ask if there are any showhomes which they have built, available to view. Secondly, you could ask around friends and family to see if they can recommend anyone to you. Thirdly, if they have one, check out their website for things like client testimonials and information about the company itself.

If you have employed the services of a design & build type company they will most likely have a builder or building company which they use. This saves you time having to find one for yourself and also keeps everything simple for you, by providing you with all the services in one package.

When you are searching for a new home builder it's important to keep in mind that they will be building your home, the place where you go to relax and be secure. Look for a quality builder and you will get exactly that!

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Article Provided By:

Paul Clarke is Managing Director of Landmark Homes, a multi award-winning residential home building company in New Zealand. Paul and his wife first started Landmark Homes in Tauranga 32 years ago and have built a reputation on honesty and quality in everything they do.